Rancilio Silvia Single-Boiler Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine

The media could not be loaded.

Love the coffee machine, however I have to microwave my coffee once I put a little cream in. Read reviews on other machines that said the coffee is not hot when done is the big reason I purchased this one. The coffee taste is excellent. The picture below shows the small cup I use and fill 3/4 full adding only teaspoon of cream. With it were hot and I would give 5 star. Even without cream it is not hot, you can drink immediately after done filling cup. The noise level is about the same as other machines

First off I’d like to say that this is a brilliant machine! As someone who works in coffee I know this machine is capable of so much, Especially for an at home machine. If you want this machine, buy it from a coffee company. Do not chance buying it from this seller. It’s marketed as brand new but came with scratches everywhere, a mismatch drip tray, and a portafilter with horrible heat damage? It was also generally dirty. There was dust and dirt in nooks and crannies which is obviously not sanitary. It was hideous to look at and I’m extremely disappointed. For over $800 you can get a really amazing beginner level machine ELSEWHERE! Do not spend this much on “good enough”. I never write reviews but I felt this warranted one.

Coffee is strong. I don’t froth, so don’t care about any of that other stuff. Easy to clean, low maintenance.

Excellent purchase! Will come back.

Really Great Machine.I upgraded to this machine from using the Breville bambino & barista pro after I felt like those machines began limiting the profile of the espresso I could pull. So far it has proven to be a true upgrade from those machines.Not only is it in my experience easier to use, but it allows you to pull espresso with quite a depth of profile. I have used it with many different coffees (medium and dark roasts) and I have yet to find one that I cant dial in for a delicious cup with this machine.The machine is extremely well built and easy to service/clean. I also really like the upgradability and mod-ability of the machine. I have not done anything crazy to it, just upgraded the steam wand tip to 3 holes and I would recommend that to everyone that owns this machine, makes proper steaming much easier and faster. Haven't found the need to mod with the PID temperature controller yet, the temperature profile allows for extraction of all the coffees I use.I think the build quality and user experience of the machine is reflective of the cost, however, it is important to note there are more feature rich machines than this for the same price, they might just not be as good as pulling espresso.Lastly, what I find quirky about this machine:- The switch from brew to steam takes half the time it takes to make a latte, so about 2 minutes.- The min time I would let the machine warm up for before brewing is 15mins even if it says its ready faster.- After steaming milk, you have to recharge the boiler with water to avoid burning out the heating element, takes an extra 30-40 seconds.- So in summary little quirks but I'd say making a coffee from power on to shutdown takes about 20-25 minutes so as long as you are good with that and thats not a problem then you are good. I have thought about interfacing it with an alexa smart plug or something but I am afraid of burning out the heating element.The next upgrade I'll make from this machine will most likely be straight up to a LaMarzoco or pro machine, this one has prepared me for that jump.

I had a Ranchilo Silvia for almost 12 years and it worked great. It developed an electric fault and I needed to replace it, so I bought another Silvia. In general, I am happy with it. It seems to do what I want it to do, which is espresso + frothed milk. There are a few aspects that I am a bit disappointed about. First, I am not a fan of the bent portafilter piece. I find it harder to insert into the machine. In addition, there is something about internal structure of the portafilter that it traps water when you rinse it. I have to shake it and turn it many direction to get the water to come out. Second, the puck often sticks to the bottom of the group head. I spent a lot of time making sure I didn't have too many grounds and making sure it is tamped to the right pressure. It did not help. The puck stuck about 80% of the time. I bought a puck filter (get one with a hole in the middle!) for about $10 and this solves the problem. Finally, when frothing milk I have had a hard time getting as good a foam that I did with my old machine. It has gotten somewhat better with practice but not sure it will ever be quite as good. So I loved my old machine and I like this one -- but 4 and not 5 stars for the reasons that I mentioned.

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.

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.

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 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 :-).

green light went out acouple months into having the machine and it has been difficult to get or find support for it to be replaced.

Sounds crazy but we got it for Christmas and tried to use it that morning. The instructions show a third vacuum tube (which only exists on the super upscale models, not on the one we bought). AND the trays on the top and the drip trays are wrapped in something that makes it look like it's not stainless steel--- it's a protector that doesn't look like a protector. Unwrap it, lol. My husband was afraid it was from a different model and there's nothing to indicate that it's wrapping.

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.

For years I have recommended this machine to fellow coffee geeks - even without owning one, I know it's been loved by many. When we wanted a second machine for our guest house the decision was easy - the Silvia. I can pull as good shots from this as my old e61 group machine...... and almost as good as my new dual boiler machine we have at home. For the money it's a killer machine. Since it's single boiler it's a bit cumbersome making milk drinks, but any single boiler is like that.....

My husband had this on his wish list, so I purchased it for him. He had seen lots of coffeemaking videos and this was highly favored.It was made by an Italian company. My husband tells me it has quite a learning curve on it. He said he made good coffee with it from the beginning, but needed lots of practice to make even better coffee.So...be prepared to practice, but don't be discouraged.

I have been using a Rancilio espresso machine (commercial) for over 20 years and unfortunately, it recent died with a power surge and I can't take it to have it repaired because the repair location is too far from me.I ordered this machine as a replacement and although it does not have a double boiler it is working great for me.I don't make late's or cappuccinos more than twice a year.It is easy to use, easy to clean, and is big enough to place a short coffee cup under the spout.I had a problem with this machine because it was dripping water under the drip pan which collects the coffee drops. I contacted the seller who tried to help me check for possible causes but when that did not work he arranged to have a new replacement machine sent to me.This one works perfectly. Great

Bought the model without the PID. Don't need it. I've been brewing consistently delicious espresso with this machine. The steamwand is very powerful, but the single hole as opposed to 3 or 4 is a little awkward. The rocker switches feel very good, and the quality components remind me of working on a LM Linea when I was a barista for a few years. For a single boiler, this is the best machine I've ever used at this level. The only downside is the boiler design. You have to ensure it's full when doing a cold start to not burn the interior components.. kinda ridiculous, but a minor inconvenience at worst for a time tested classic like this.

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.

After years of hesitation, I finally took the plunge. I already owned a Rancilio grinder and this is my second semi-automatic espresso machine. I decided on the 2020 version because of energy efficiency, the black covering on the housing (to limit fingerprints) and group head plus it comes with a real tamper (not a piece of plastic). To me that was worth the $60 price difference. The machine arrived in perfect shape with well sealed packaging. The things that I noticed when I set up the machine, removing the film from the stainless steel top cover requires that you unscrew the fasteners, also the gauge of the steel top seems a bit thin. The handle of the porta filter is very light compared to the basket. The switches were all in the "on" position when I unpacked the machine, it's a bit counterintuitive - follow the sticker directions exactly to prep the machine and there will be no issue. The machine takes getting used to and all of the Rancilio Silvia review comments are pretty accurate, the drip tray is small, the machine is finicky and the water tank is small. I have been able to pull off a few very good shots in the first few tries, but I have had previous experience for 10+ years, have a good grinder (Rocky) and a lot of good accessories. I will definitely be learning on this machine for a while and it will take a little breaking in. I am not 100% sure that the solenoid valve is working well, and I do struggle a bit with the porta filter fit into the group, will see over time. The machine looks great, is compact (which is my number 1 reason not to get a double boiler) and I am very happy with the purchase. I fully expected to "learn" for a while and I think my game will improve a lot. The build of the machine seems rock solid with the exception of the sheet of steel used for the cover, which I don't believe will change anything. The water tank and cover are rock solid, the drip tray and cover are very well built and the knob, switches and steam arm all feel like higher quality bits. It's definitely a step up from a typical plasticky home appliance and I hope it lasts for years.