There's no way around the Rancilio Silvia when you're dealing with affordable espresso machines. For little money, this small machine delivers considerable performance. If it wants to. And that's the crux of the matter. The Silvia is about as temperamental as a moody teenager at full throttle. The speed of switching between ecstatic highs and depressed lows 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, anyone who can do without is pleased.
This article gives you an honest overview of what the Rancilio Silvia delivers and what it doesn'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. here and here). We also think: 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. Exactly as you wish an espresso to be, the Rancilio Silvia brews it with a bit of love. We enjoyed both rather classic darker roasts and light-roasted fruit bombs. There are no limits to 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 dual basket holds a good 17 grams. We brewed 38 to 42 ml with it as a double espresso.
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 clamp the portafilter. Lighter espresso machines tend to rotate then. Here the Silvia with its stainless steel housing looks premium and well-made. With a width of 23.5 cm and a height of 34 cm, it fits well on many worktops and the depth of 29 cm is also manageable.
The Rancilio Silvia has proven to be durable and resistant in all models so far. A drawback in the construction is the shallow depth of the drip tray. This fills up after only a few shots and threatens to overflow. It's also very important to push the drip tray consistently all the way back. If you neglect to do this, water risks running out of the overflow valve under the tray. This is not only an impractical mess, but also poses a risk of rust 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 espresso and generate pressure for steaming milk. A good brewing temperature for espresso is usually around 90 – 94 degrees Celsius. To generate enough pressure to steam milk, the boiler must be heated much higher. At about 120 – 130 degrees, the built-up pressure is good for steaming milk.
If the Silvia only had to perform one of these 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 be quickly brought to target temperature with a short flush (letting hot water run from the brew group without clamping the portafilter).
The steam pressure built up by the Rancilio Silvia really packs a punch. In a short time, even a 0.6-liter pitcher can be steamed easily. 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 process is perfect.
But if you then want to pull the next espresso, the challenges begin.
Temperature surfing with the Rancilio Silvia
The quickest way to reduce the boiler temperature is to empty the small boiler. This holds only 0.3 liters and is emptied fairly quickly. The steam pressure also needs to be removed, so it makes sense 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 repeated until the orange heating light comes on. This is the signal that the temperature in the boiler has dropped enough for the machine to want to heat up again.
Since it's now in "espresso mode", it heats to the already mentioned around 96 degrees and can be brought back to target temperature with a short flush.
A portafilter that feels good in your hand
The premium impression of the machine is reflected for us in the portafilter. This is a real 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 on all Faema E61 brew groups. Accordingly, you can find quite different baskets that you can buy and use. A single basket with a stated capacity of 7 grams is supplied. The single basket easily holds 8.5 grams though, depending on the roast level of the coffee. The double basket specified with 14 grams held 17.5 grams in our test with a medium roast coffee.
Temperature 2.0 with the Rancilio Silvia
As you've probably already 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 retrofitting of a PID controller. This allows you to precisely control the Silvia's temperature. Seattle Coffee Gear has explained the installation very well in English. We will provide a corresponding explanation in German here.
Technical information and operating manual Rancilio Silvia
- Single boiler espresso machine
- Water tank 2.5 liters
- Width 23.5 cm, height 34 cm and depth 29
- Power watts: 1100
- Price: approx. 550 € / 770 CHF
- Weight: 14 kg
- Vibration pump
- Brew boiler: 0.33 l brass
- Boiler control via thermostat
You can download the Rancilio Silvia operating manual directly from Rancilio in German.
What speaks for the Rancilio Silvia
- Really good espresso
- Really good milk froth
- Steam wand with lots of power
- Compact, solid and durable
- Proportionally enormous weight for a small machine gives a firm stand
- Value for money unbeatable
- Stainless steel housing looks really impressive
- Portafilter to commercial standard
What speaks against the Rancilio Silvia
- Tedious switching between brewing and steaming (typical for single boilers)
- Only one hole in the steam wand requires some practice when steaming, as steam exits in pulses very concentrated
- A lot of water must be released from the wand before steaming to avoid watering down the milk froth too much
- 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 can be really easily mastered. It becomes more challenging if you regularly want to drink cappuccino and other milk beverages. The Silvia is absolutely suitable for steaming fine-pored or voluminous froth and is thus also suitable for latte art designs. However, after steaming the milk, it takes some detours to bring the boiler temperature back to espresso range.
If you're willing to do this and accept it, then the Rancilio Silvia is the right machine for you. If you know from yourself that material that isn't a straightforward process costs you nerves on a daily basis, then save yourself the frustration and invest in the price range starting at 1000 €/1200 francs and get yourself a dual boiler.
Read more here:
- 20 mistakes when preparing espresso
- Why strong and weak coffee do make sense after all
- Which espresso machine is right for me? Which for you?
