When it comes to affordable espresso machines, you can't get around the Rancilio Silvia. For little money, this small machine delivers impressive performance. When it feels like it. And that's the catch. The Silvia is about as moody as a hormonal teenager in top form. The speed at which it swings from cloud nine to rock bottom is unmatched. When brewed to the point, the espresso tastes as delicious as luxury models costing 3000 euros and more. When the point is missed, those who can do without are in for a treat.
This article gives you an honest overview of what the Rancilio Silvia can do and what it can't. There are numerous online shops and test reports on the web for the Rancilio Silvia that praise it as a test winner and recommend it (e.g. hier and hier). We too believe: there are many arguments for the Rancilio Silvia. But only if you know what you're getting into will you be happy together in the long run.
And the espresso tastes good
We brewed really fine espressos with the Rancilio Silvia. Strong, balanced and sweet. Just the way you wish an espresso to be, the Rancilio Silvia brews it with a little love. We enjoyed both rather classic darker roasts and light roasted fruit bombs. There are no limits with the Rancilio Silvia.
The Rancilio Silvia makes espresso as good as hardly any other model in this price range. Of course, the prerequisite is a good grinder and mastering the temperature fluctuations (more on that below). The Silvia's double basket holds a good 17 grams. We brewed 38 to 42 ml as a double espresso with it.
Solid, durable and well made
The espresso machine weighs around 14 kg. That's quite substantial and ensures that the Rancilio Silvia stands firm and solid. This is especially important when you want to lock in the portafilter. Lighter espresso machines tend to rotate. Here the Silvia, with its stainless steel housing, looks valuable and well made. With a width of 23.5 cm and a height of 34 cm, it fits well on many countertops and the depth of 29 cm is manageable.
The Rancilio Silvia has proven to be durable and robust in all models so far. One drawback in the construction is the shallow depth of the drip tray. It fills up after just a few shots and threatens to overflow. It's also very important to consistently push the drip tray all the way to the back. If you neglect this, water from the overflow valve risks running under the tray. This is not only an inconvenient mess, but also harbors rust risk over time.
Single boiler and temperature difficulties
The Rancilio Silvia is a single boiler espresso machine. Single boiler espresso machines use a single boiler to both brew the espresso and generate the pressure for steaming milk. A good brewing temperature for espresso is typically around 90 – 94 degrees Celsius. To build up enough pressure for steaming milk, the boiler must be heated much higher. At about 120 – 130 degrees, the built-up pressure is well suited for steaming milk.
If the Silvia only had to perform one of the two tasks, it would be among the test winners in its class in both categories. The Rancilio Silvia is remarkably consistent in "espresso" mode at around 94 – 96 degrees and can quickly be brought to the target temperature with a short flush (running hot water from the brew group without the portafilter locked in).
The steam pressure the Rancilio Silvia builds up is really impressive too. In a short time, even a 0.6 liter pitcher can be steamed without problems. Some dual boiler espresso machines have bigger problems with this.
The challenge lies in switching between the two functions. Once an espresso has been brewed, the boiler can be brought to the necessary steam pressure via a button in about 1:30. The milk can be steamed and the workflow is perfect.
But if you then want to pull the next espresso, the challenges begin.
Temperature surfing with the Rancilio Silvia
The fastest way to reduce the boiler temperature is to empty the small boiler. This only holds 0.3 liters and is therefore emptied quite quickly. The steam pressure also needs to be removed, so it's recommended to vent hot water and pressure through the steam wand. At the same time, water can be refilled using the manual fill button.
This procedure is carried out until the orange heating light comes on. This is the sign that the temperature in the boiler has dropped enough that the machine wants to heat up again.
Since it's now in "espresso mode", it heats up to the aforementioned around 96 degrees and can be brought to the target temperature again with a short flush.
A portafilter that feels good in your hand
The valuable impression of the machine is reflected for us in the portafilter. This is really a portafilter and is no different from the portafilter of a commercial espresso machine. You have something in your hand. It weighs more than 600 grams.
The 58 mm basket diameter is a classic size, which is also found in all Faema E61 brew groups. Accordingly, you can find quite different baskets that you can buy and use. Included is a single basket with a stated capacity of 7 grams. The single basket easily holds 8.5 grams, though this depends on the roast level of the coffee. The double basket, specified at 14 grams, held 17.5 grams in our test with medium roasted coffee.
Temperature 2.0 for the Rancilio Silvia
As you've probably noticed: temperature is the challenge you need to master. It determines whether the Rancilio Silvia is a very good or bad machine. As explained above and in the video, temperature can be controlled manually. Of course, there are also technical solutions. One such solution is the subsequent installation of a PID controller. This allows you to control the Silvia's temperature precisely. Seattle Coffee Gear has explained the installation very well in English. We will provide a corresponding explanation in German here.
Technical information and user manual Rancilio Silvia
- Single boiler espresso machine
- Water tank 2.5 liters
- Width 23.5 cm, height 34 cm and depth 29 cm
- Power in watts: 1100
- Price: approx. 550 € / 770 CHF
- Weight: 14 kg
- Vibration pump
- Brew boiler: 0.33 l brass
- Boiler control via thermostat
Here you can download the Bedienungsanleitung for the Rancilio Silvia directly from Rancilio in German.
What speaks for the Rancilio Silvia
- Really good espresso
- Really good milk foam
- Steam wand with lots of power
- Compact, solid and durable
- Proportionally enormous weight for a small machine provides a stable stand
- Value for money is unbeatable
- Stainless steel housing looks really good
- Portafilter according to commercial standards
What speaks against the Rancilio Silvia
- Complicated switching between brewing and steaming (typical of single boilers)
- Only one hole in the steam wand requires some practice when steaming, as steam exits in concentrated pulses
- A lot of water must be released from the wand before steaming to avoid overly diluting the milk foam
- Small drip tray and overflow risk
Conclusion
The Rancilio Silvia is a really good espresso machine. We agree with many respected coffee colleagues like Arne Preuss from Coffeeness on that. The emphasis is on espresso. If you mainly want to make espresso, then the effort of temperature control is quite minimal and really easy to master. It becomes more challenging if you regularly want to drink cappuccino and other milk-based drinks. The Silvia is absolutely suitable for steaming fine-crumb or voluminous foam and is thus also suitable for latte art patterns. After steaming the milk, however, some workarounds are needed to bring the boiler temperature back into espresso range.
If you're willing to do that and accept it, then the Rancilio Silvia is the right machine for you. If you know about yourself that equipment that's not a walk in the park will cost you nerves in everyday life, then save yourself the frustration and invest in the price category starting at 1000 €/1200 francs and get yourself a dual boiler machine.
Read more here:
- 20 mistakes when preparing espresso
- Warum strong and weak coffee really do make sense
- Welche espresso machine right for me? Which one for you?
