Rancilio Silvia

Pros: Rugged, professional, great results

Cons: Not automatic, this is a manual machine in every respect.

The Bottom Line: So far this machine does what it says it can do - make great espressi!

Review: It is December 30th; five days after my wife opened her new Rancilio Ms. Silvia from Santa. Why write a review so soon? Because Santa was intimidated in bringing it and we were both intimidated in trying it, anticipating long and boring Sunday...

Pros: Easy to use and clean, makes the best cup of espresso you'll ever enjoy!

Cons: Can seem intimidating, not for the faint of heart.

The Bottom Line: Research companies and machines before purchasing. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Deal with someone who will help you before, during and AFTER the sale, like the outstanding crew at Chris' Coffee.

Review: The features of the Silvia are simple and easy to use. Pictures indicating what each of the switches do really helps you get a feel for the machine. The steam wand and control knob make frothing the milk a breeze once you understand the basics of...

Pros: Solid build, great lines

Cons: Long heat time

The Bottom Line: Good pro quality machine. Buy it and you have your last espresso machine

Review: I have had this espresso machine for 5 years now and believe I can give an honest opinion of its performance.
I bought this espresso machine after dinking around with other cheaper types, Krups, Delonghi etc. I thought they were okay but after...

Pros: Reputation! Durable construction. Commercial components. Allows for tweaking and modifications. Heavy portafilter!

Cons: Autofill for boiler would be great! Could use hotter cup warmer. Long warm up time.

The Bottom Line: You might find cheaper machines, fancier machines or ones with more gadgets, but if you buy this one, you will not find a better performing machine.

Review: In searching for an espresso machine, I discovered the enourmous amount of information on the web, far greater than any review could ever hope to give.

Firstly, I will list several resources that you ABSOLUTELY need to see before making...

Pros: Solid construction, nice design, powerful steam, makes killer espresso!

Cons: Brass shavings in steam, modest boiler size, very sensitive to bean grind and quality.

The Bottom Line: Silvia is a great home machine. Once you get the hang of using it, it'll make FANTASTIC espresso and steamed drinks. You'll also need a good quality Burr grinder.

Review: A little background about my coffee tastes:

I have been drinking coffee for about 20 years, since my teens. In my 30's, I discovered the joys of espresso, and purchased a couple "cheapie" home espresso machines. I was always disappointed...

Pros: Excellent control over process, high-end materials and construction, professional or better quality drinks

Cons: Boiler capacity, Corrosion resistance of painted body sections, corrosion of drip tray, electrical durability

The Bottom Line: The best espresso machine you can buy for the money. If you want real barrista quality, this machine puts it all in your control.

Review: I have owned this machine for 3 wonderful years, and this is by far the best machine for the money bar none except for maybe a Gaggia machine. After many years of buying the cheap sub-quality well known brand name machines from Braun, Krups, and...

Pros: Looks great, built like a tank, super espresso!

Cons: None so far.

The Bottom Line: If you want great espresso and cappuccino buy Miss Silvia!

Review: I searched long and hard on the internet to find a good home espresso machine to replace my Krups (UGH!) bad tasting coffee machine (it was one of those $49.95 numbers). OK, so beat me, I didn't know any better at the time. After tons of reading I...

Pros: Authentic espresso and related coffee drinks at home....goodbye to Starbucks and paper cups forever.

Cons: Wish it had a single extraction filter basket for that single shot.

The Bottom Line: This machine duplicates the excellent espresso and Cappuccinos of Italy. A little work to learn, but worth the time and effort for the outstanding results.

Review: My husband and I returned from our second trip to Italy in April and hauled out the small Krups espresso machine with the hopes we could brew some espresso like we had enjoyed daily on our trip. Well, after a few tries, we remembered why it had been...

Pros: Makes consistently great espresso, easy to use and clean

Cons: Cost may prevent many from considering the Rancilio

The Bottom Line: Quality machine, makes great coffee. Some may be turned off by price, when the market is full of models half the price.

Review: If you're a regular Starbucks customer, a machine like this may save you loads of money. Being self employed and working with my sibling, I deducted my Starbucks costs for a few years. Work-related Starbucks expenses averaged about $1000 a year...

Pros: A great machine that produces great espresso with thick crema. Solid/Heavy duty construction. Beautiful design.

Cons: Warm-up time is a downer, but can be remedied with an electronic timer.

Review: After owning numerous cheapo machines purchased from discount stores, i finally decided to spend the cash and buy a good machine. After doing some research i settled upon this machine based upon reviews i found on-line. I love it. It takes a little...