Reddit reviews Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine with Iron Frame and Stainless Steel Side Panels, 11.4 by 13.4-Inch

I've personally never used a Rancillio Silvia but before you buy any gear, I'd recommend viewing the reviews [here] (http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/consumer/rancilio_silvia) at Coffee Geek, link directs to Silvia reviews. I used this site a lot before I took the plunge and I'd imagine Silva users here would be more than happy to share their experiences. From my own research I can say that both machines have single boilers systems and that the stock wand in the Rancillio is far superior for making micro foam for lattes, flat whites ect. As mentioned you can mod a Gaggia Classic's wand to attach a Rancillio wand, see my old set up and notice the Rancillio wand. It cost £10 and took five mins to do 10/10 would do again.

The grinder that you linked was one that I was researching while I was looking into my own gear, for espresso I think the £200 would be better spent towards a more capable grinder imo. But again I've linked some reviews of it for you to view.

Going back to other grinders; here are four which are typically good for espresso Gaggia MDF, Rancillio Rocky, Baratza/Mahlkonig Encore and Baratza/Mahlkonig Vario.

On a side note, I believe that Baratza (manufactures of the Vario and Encore trade under the name Mahlkonig in the UK - which is an amazing brand that you see the predominantly in cafes) and the brand has released a new line of grinders this year and you'll probably be able to find a good deal on the older models for cheaper.

But to give you my personal advice; with a £500 budget you could pick up a Gaggia Classic for about £230 then have a nice budget to get a quality grinder such as a Rocky for around £230 too. Together these would be a kick ass set up and you'll have around £40 spare to get mugs, portafilters, cleaning kit, Rancillio Mod kit, tamper, milk pitcher and (of course) coffee!


This would be a better set up imo rather than dropping your whole £500 on a Rancilio Silvia (they're very expensive).


Hope this helps, happy to answer more questions!


edit - Rancillio mod kit link added

Rancillo Silvia $689 new?
http://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-HSD-SILVIA-Silvia-Espresso-Machine/dp/B00H1OUSD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413571371&sr=8-1&keywords=Silvia+espresso+machine

Completely off topic, but I just noticed your username. Do you work in the medical field? I'm a lab tech working nights in a smaller hospital.


The budget is going to get gnarly, especially if you buy things new.

I can tell you that setup I see recommended most often are the Baratza Vario (not W), the Crossland CC1, and a good scale, which is also probably one of the cheapest ways to do it. My wife and I also pretty much only use the same bean over and over again, so tuning it in between batches is pretty simple.

The scale in the grinder is a nifty feature, but it ends up giving your dose +/- .2 grams, whereas if you if you tune it in with a scale and the built in timer, you can get it down to smaller than +/- .1 gram. It may not seem like a big deal either way, but I use the same bean with the same dose over and over and over... So I feel like the added feature kind of goes to waste.

You can try different grinders like the Baratza Sette, which uses conical burrs vs the flat burrs of the Vario, but is new and unproven. There is also the Baratza Forte which is the older brother to the Vario and is supposed to resolve some of the flaws with the Vario. Your other grinder options are stepless (preferably doserless) grinders like the Fiorenzato, [Mazzer Mini]http://www.mazzer.com/en/grinder-dosers/mini/) (La Marzocco sells Mazzers, so there is that) and others that I can't remember at this point.

At the top of the home espresso machine market price wise is La Marzocco. Honestly, I think the only reason to get one of these would be to piss people off. Breville Dual Boiler(BES920XL), Rocket anything I guess, Rancilio Silvia + a PID kit, and others. I think a PID is a must have feature for any espresso machine.

I am by no means an expert in this topic, I'm just in the middle of researching an upgrade. I'm currently considering the Fiorenzato (because the name sounds cool. No really, I don't have a good reason for this. My Vario is more than sufficient, it just annoys me from time to time) and the Breville Dual Boiler (it's chock full of features and it has a bigger portafilter).

You already have a grinder, right?

Rancilio Silvias have dropped in price recently. Here in Europe I can get a heat exchanger Nuova Simonelli Oscar 2 for the money I've spent on my Silvia a few years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-Espresso-Machine-Stainless-13-4-Inch/dp/B00H1OUSD2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494624856&sr=8-2&keywords=rancilio+silvia

https://www.bellabarista.co.uk/rancilio-silvia-2016-edition-espresso-machine.html

http://www.elektros.it/hr/en/oscar_II_nuova-Simonelli/oscar-II-black.html

> Rancilio Silvia

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rancilio-Espresso-Machine-Stainless-13-4-Inch/dp/B00H1OUSD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494885019&sr=8-1&keywords=Rancilio+Silvia

that one? it is within my budget.

I used to have the Rancilio Silvia: https://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-Espresso-Machine-Stainless-13-4-Inch/dp/B00H1OUSD2

You can find a few cheaper, but this one is REALLY good.

Do you mean this thing?

http://www.amazon.com/Rancilio-HSD-SILVIA-Silvia-Espresso-Machine/dp/B00H1OUSD2

That looks really good and would do what I want, but it doesn't come with a tamper and milk pot which would put the cost up a bit. Wouldn't it make more sense to get a BDB for 200 more dollars? I still plan on 300-400 dollars for a grinder as I am told its really necessary.

Is there a pro the Silvia has over the BDB ignoring cost?

[Rancillio Silvia](Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine with Iron Frame and Stainless Steel Side Panels, 11.4 by 13.4-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H1OUSD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TntNybHPPFYDP) has been around for a while and has had several revisions to improve its quality over time. It's tried and true and produces great results. There's tons of info available on how to get started, tech support, repair and maintenance. Pair it with a good grinder and you're good to go!