Video Overview | Rancilio Silvia

The Silvia has been a reliable home espresso option for over two decades thanks in part to its sturdy build and quality results. Offering up cafe-quality espresso and steamed milk, the Silvia performs without the extras found in espresso machines at a higher price point. It's a great entry-level home espresso machine.

Transcript

Hey there, it's Ragan from Prima Coffee, and this is the Rancillio Silvia Home espresso machine.

For over 20 years, the Silvia has maintained its status as one of the most well-respected home espresso machines on the market, thanks in part to its sturdy build lasting design and consistent results compared to many home espresso machines.

The Silvia is very no frills. It makes quality espresso without the addition of apps or extreme customization features, and that's really evident in the price point. Internally, the Silvia is a single boiler machine. It's semi-automatic. That means that you have one boiler to heat for both your coffee and your steam. It is a point three liter brass boiler. There's also no PID in the Silvia, so temperature regulation is controlled through a thermostat. It is equipped with a three way solenoid valve though. And that's great because it'll prevent you from making a huge mess when you remove your portafilter. It has a 58 millimeter group head and portafilter, which means purchasing accessories for the Silvia is a simple process and you have tons of options. It also has a generous two liter water tank in the back that's easy to remove. So filling your water tank is easy, and there is a hot water dispenser that is used through the steam wand. So now that we know what's going on with the Silvia internally.

Let's check out the external features. It has a really nice small footprint. It stands at 13.7 inches tall and is just a little over 11 inches deep. It's got a really sturdy stainless steel construction, a commercial articulating steam wand with a single hole and a really large drip tray. That is nice because you don't have to empty it after pulling a single shot and it large enough to fit larger scales. So you're not just stuck using espresso scales. The Timemore Black Mirror Plus Scale is compatible as well. We have four switches. You have your power switch your coffee switch your water, hot water switch and your steam as well as a large, sturdy steam knob.

The Silvia is unique because it offers up cafe quality espresso at home at a reasonable price point. Its build sturdiness accessories, including the portafilter and tamper, have a heft that's uncommon for machines at this price point.

It is a great option for the espresso enthusiasts looking to buy a machine that can produce true nine bar espresso and steam milk on a budget. It does take patience and it lacks the simplicity you may find in other brands that cater to espresso. Beginners. But it provides the ability to experiment and dial in espresso the way you enjoy it.

So let's see the Silvia in action when you first starting turning it on for the day, you're going to want to give it about 15 minutes to heat up. Once you flip on that on switch, you'll see the green light turn on. And when the orange or amber light kicks on, that is indicating that it's heating. Once it shuts off, it's ready to go. And I've already had this turn on, so we're ready to pull the shot. Today we're going to be using the Rancillio Rocky espresso grinder. This is a great addition to a Silvia. Have the time your time more black mirror plus scale. So we're going to prep our puck and like I said, because it's got a 58 millimeter portafilter, you can get all kind of processors that fit and it comes with a pretty solid tamper. And to turn it on, you flip on the top switch and you're ready to go and it also steams. Now, the thing is, with it being a single boiler machine, you are going to want to give it a second to heat up. You'll see that the heating element comes back on. So between a minute and 90 seconds, it should be good to go. You will see on some forums that people will reverse their workflow and actually steam their milk first and then pull their shot. I personally don't like that, but it is an option. That way you still have your crema on your shot, but if you do it reverse, you're having to groom your milk constantly to keep it at the right texture. So it's really up to you sometimes to speed up the heating process for the steam wand. If you just purge it a little bit. So we're going to go ahead and steam our milk. It has a really nice, strong steam wand.

So the limitations you're going to face with the Silvia is that it's a single boiler machine. It has no PID and no pressure gauge at a higher price point. You're going to get those things, but you will get a lot of bang for your buck with the Silvia.

So that's the Rancillio Silvia Home Espresso Machine. It's an amazing entry level espresso machine that can make cafe quality drinks at home and you can find it online at PrimaCoffee.com. And thanks for watching.