RancilioSilvia Espresso Machine, Stainless Steel

Great machine, priced right. This our second one. First one lasted 12 years. Needs some experience to get beverages just right. Matching grinder is also very good.

Don't waste your money on some other "entry level" espresso machine because they're easier to use or something. If this one interests you, then buy it. It isn't a hard machine to use. It has 4 buttons......I don't understand the espresso community and how they think making an espresso is like an art or something a new person couldn't comprehend lol.If this was the case then baristas would make more than they do.This is a great machine for your average person wanting to save that trip to a coffee shop. Man I would spend $30 on DoorDash or Uber Eats just so I could have a coffee delivered. Not any more!Don't let anyone intimidate you and make you think this is hard to do.

I used to have a duel boiler, fancy Breville espresso machine that worked great, until the little undetected until too late, steam leak inside the unit basically killed it from within. I decided for my next machine to go simple, and the Rancillio Silvia is about as simple as they come. It's very much an old school espresso machine, not a piece of digital electronics anywhere in sight ;-). It does its function well, but does require some advanced shot-pulling skills to pull a good shot but I was up for the challenge :-).

Seattle Coffee Gear was awesome when my machine turned out to have a malfunctioning internal part. This kind of stuff happens, and they were so responsive right away and arranged for me to ship the machine back. I loved the machine; they didn't have a replacement in stock, so I reordered the model with the built-in moment Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine with PID. I fully expect it to be excellent. I love the brand and the customer support from Seattle Coffee Gear.

I don’t usually leave bad reviews, but I ordered this espresso machine—which was very expensive—and was incredibly disappointed. Just look at the pictures. From the moment I opened the box, I noticed there was water in the tank. Clearly, someone had already used this machine. There’s no way Rancilio would ship a brand-new machine with a wet water tank. On top of that, there’s a visible dent on the side. This company has clearly failed when it comes to product quality control.

We’ve had this machine for two years. We used it to host a coffee bar and made hundreds of shots each time. We’ve never had any issues and love the quality.

I bought this machine as my first espresso machine, against the consensus of the internet that this machine is “bad for beginners,” and that I should buy a Gaggia. I did some research and found that the Gaggia has an aluminum boiler, which Is a red flag for me for health reasons. I’m extremely happy that I bought the Silvia instead. The only plastic in the entire machine is in the switches, the cold water supply and return tubes, the cold water tank, the portafilter handle, wire insulation, and the group head fascia. Everything (*everything*) else is stainless, copper, or brass.The boiler heats up pretty fast. Not instant but it’s not so slow to be frustrating. You read about the drip tray being too small and yes, it really is too small. But it’s easy to pull it out and empty it. Would also recommend the flat shower screen mod, which is super easy to do and costs like $30. Also it vibrates pretty good, so you’ll want to use a cup on the heavier side to receive your espresso. The double basket that comes with it is a 15 gram basket, and I use 16 grams with no problems. This is not marked anywhere obvious that I could find. Temp surfing sounds complicated but you get used to it really fast.I use this machine to make 6-8 shots a day and the machine is flawless as long as you do your part. Just don’t forget to backflush and descale regularly.I’m living proof that you absolutely can use this machine as a complete espresso noob.

Long term review.I really want to like it. Its exactly what a Espresso maker is not. It makes a great shot but its not hot. In fact its barely warm. It takes 15 minutes for this maker to heat up. The fact it cannot make a hot shot makes the quality of the shot not so great. Back to back shots take another 15 minutes to heat up. Not for couples. It has some great reviews but I cannot give one. Quality of the build is fantastic. 40 years of making Espresso I can do better with a press.