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Product Description
This is the very latest edition of the widely popular Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine. It still has the powerful brass boiler and durable pump that have made the Silvia stand head and shoulders above the competition. New enhancement and upgrades for the Rancilio Silvia V3 include: a commercial grade, fully articulating steam wand with 1-hole tip for improved milk frothing, a new ergonomic grip for the steam wand to make it easier to open and close, a new ergonomic handle for the already heavy-duty porta-filter. 1 Year Warranty.Similar Products
Customer Reviews
2010-07-03
By E. schmitt (United States)
Good machine even though it is very difficult to make espresso with crema on it. Kind of finicky machine in that aspect. Every other aspect it is a gret machine.
2010-06-11
By Harrington S. Nejad (Essex Fells, NJ USA)
I have owned my Miss Rancilio (MR) for 5 years. Agree with most of the other comments on Amazon about MR. Once you learn how to use it perfectly, it will give perfect results. Need a proper grinder to decide exactly what grind works best for your beans. The temperature can be finely tuned by turning the steamer function on to raise the heat temporarily for a perfect temp. If you leave the steam function on too long, the temp can get too high and you will have splatter (hence the art). I have very high mineral content in my town's water system, so I use mineral water to avoid excess build up in the system. Despite this, a good clean up (you can purchase the appropriate solutions online) once every year or two (depending on useage) is a good idea. A few tips if you want the most amazing results: After the system has been heated for a few minutes, with the steam function on, do a QUICK flush to get 40-50 cc hot water / steam coming out - i.e from the MAIN outlet without the coffee attachment on. This will help regulate the temperature and clean the shower head (I think this is what it's called i.e. the part on the machine side coming in contact with the ground coffee). A quick wipe of this area after this maneuver will also help get the old "burnt" taste out of the system. Now you are ready to load the coffee. Pack the coffee fairly tightly- the system is powerful enough to push through this and give you a perfect crema. If you are making cappucino, be sure to push some steam through the nozzle after you are done, otherwise the milk will block the outlet when it dries. This is a FANTASTIC system that is clearly not as easy to use as a Nespresso machine, BUT the pleasure of the results is something else. I HIGHLY recommend Danesi beans. Cheers. HSN
2010-05-19
By C. Hill (Seattle, Wa)
I have owned Miss Silvia for about 6 years and still use her at weekends to treat ourselves to the wonderful coffee she makes. Some of the reasons I chose Miss Silvia were due to the construction, performance, amount of steam, looks, and feedback from others. She has proven to be a very reliable machine and continues to give us much pleasure.
Upgrades - It looks like the only changes between V2 and V3 are cosmetic - brew group handle, drip tray design and the steam knob. I guess why change something if it is working very well. The inside of the machine is built very well, marine brass boiler with a 1Kw heater bring her up to temperature quickly, and a 3 way solenoid to stop spit back.
There are a couple of areas to watch, which other reviewers have alluded to -
Grind - I started off with a Braun bur wheel grinder and I got intermittent results with the quality of the tamp. A couple of years ago I upgraded to Rocky her brother and the quality of the tamp improved greatly. (Once you work out the right setting for the coffee you are using)
Tamping tool - The one that came with Miss Silvia was too small, I have never understood why they shipped the unit with the wrong size tamping tool. This also impacted how even the pressure was on the tamp. I upgraded that as well to one that fit the filter and now I get reliable and excellent results
Leaks - As mentioned above, one of the other reasons why I purchased this unit is that it has a built in 3 way solenoid to stop spit back through the brew group when using the steam wand or visa versa. Even though when I used her last I completely close the steam valve, as she is warming up for the next use, I get spits and dribbles from the steam wand and I have to turn the steam valve once again to close it off. This might be just due to expansion and contraction, but it is annoying so I have to remember to turn the steam valve off again before I turn her on again.
Drip tray - It is good that they have improved the design of this, since on V2 the tray had some very sharp edges and looked like it came out of a fabrication shop without the finishing touches.
One improvement I wish they would make with it is to be able to hook it up to the water supply instead of having to keep refilling a tank, but that is a minor consideration and probably keeps the price down.
Steam - I wish they would have gone with a bigger boiler and a slightly larger element. After making one lot of steamed milk, she runs out of steam, so I have to fake making another brew and then turn the steam back on again for the boiler to build up to temp again for another lot of milk, but it does make wonderful foam even without a tool on the end, just comes down to technique again.
I have found that there is a method to warming her up quicker -
Turn her on
When the light goes out run brew through her without coffee until the light comes on again to warm the brew group up
When the light goes out again, she is ready.
The other upgrade I made was to purchase a butcher block and varnish it to raise both Silvia and Rocky up about 2-3 inches to allow for a larger container for steamed milk or a tall cup when making Americano
In summary Silvia is a great machine and probably the cheapest entry into the semi-professional units, she is built like a tank, when you get all the variables right she makes exceptional coffee. Where the fun of this unit comes is that it takes some skill and experience to get the best results and once you buy this wonderful unit bring her home and start to enjoy her you will see this is a marriage made in coffee heaven.
2009-10-03
By Fnorgby (oakland, ca)
I've now had the RS for two days, and my wife and I are in love with it.
I did a lot of research into espresso makers before deciding on this one. What caught my attention were comments from people who had owned the unit for many trouble-free years. Previously we tried different semi-automatic makers and got good coffee but found the units to be unreliable (notably the Cappresso Ultima). This time, we wanted barebones simplicity and reliability. So far, we feel we've got that with this maker.
As other reviews have said, it's a bit cantankerous and takes practice to get things right. It seems to be a bit inflexible as to the amount of grounds to use, and the tamping needs to be firm or it sputters. Sometimes it can be wonky getting the portafilter in right.
But those are minor things that should become habit over time. We're very excited and are hoping that the legwork pays off.
2009-09-21
By Make Myday (minneapolis, MN USA)
This is a beautiful machine! I started learning about brewing espresso at home with a Gaggia Coffee. I've since stepped up to the Silvia and I wish I had bought it right away. The espresso I produce with it is far superior, never sour or bitter if I use the right amount and tamp it properly, and I can make microfoam. I also appreciate its heaviness, good looks, quiet operation and metal steam wand.
Many say - and it bears repeating - that you will only get the results you are looking for at home if you invest in a burr grinder of at least Rancilio Rocky or Gaggia MDF quality, grind right before brewing and use beans roasted within weeks, not months! I have had disappointing results with other grinders and all preground espresso including expensive Illy, etc.
Shop around and be sure to get free shipping, because this thing weighs a ton. I have seen good package deals where you can get the Silvia and Rocky together; with no tax and free shipping plus some free goodies such as a stainless steel tamper, you will be in business and might have some cash left over for the beans. Of course the instruction booklet is nearly worthless, but you can find some great videos on YouTube to show you what to do with all that stuff once you get it home.
If you have better things to spend your money on, like mortgage and groceries, or if you aren't too picky, look elsewhere; maybe try a stovetop moka pot. If you think you will be making espresso for years to come get this machine, a good grinder and a water filter, and some freshly roasted beans from Intelligentsia; then you will want a collection of little cups for serving your creations, and your friends might begin to think you are an insufferable coffee snob... and at that point, you will be. Trust me, your buddies most likely do not want to hear about your machine's brass portafilter and temperature stability.
This is NOT a cheap hobby. Maybe you should consider supporting your local coffee shop instead! As for me, I'm in too deep. Let me know if someone starts a twelve step program for espresso addicts. Enjoy!
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