Rancilio Silvia — single-boiler semi-automatic espresso machine

The machine you can still get parts for in ten years

Most espresso machines at this price are designed to be replaced. The Silvia was designed to be opened. It has been in production largely unchanged for more than two decades, which means gaskets, group seals and steam valves are stocked by every espresso parts supplier in the country — and there is a repair guide for almost anything that can go wrong with it.

How it works

A single brass boiler heats water for brewing, then reheats for steam, so you do one at a time rather than both at once. The group head is saturated: brass in constant contact with boiler water, which is what keeps the temperature steady from the first shot to the fourth. Water comes from a 2-litre reservoir you fill by hand, and a vibratory pump does the pressing.

Specifications

• Boiler: single boiler
• Group head: saturated
• Pump: vibratory
• Portafilter: 58mm, commercial standard
• Water supply: 2-litre reservoir
• Type: semi-automatic
• Shipping weight: approximately 37 lb

Who it suits

A good fit if you want to learn espresso properly and keep the machine a long time, you would rather spend on build than on a screen, and you are happy waiting about half a minute between pulling a shot and steaming milk.

Consider another machine if you make several milk drinks back to back every morning — a single boiler makes you wait between the two — or you want temperature set to the degree, which the Silvia does not offer without a PID added.

Shipping and returns

Free standard shipping is available with no minimum order to the 48 contiguous United States and Washington, DC, and Canada. Handling takes 1 to 2 business days. Estimated transit is 1 to 5 business days within the contiguous United States and Washington, DC, and 3 to 7 business days to Canada. Tracking is provided on every order. Eligible returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery, with a prepaid return shipping label at no cost to the customer and no restocking fee. See our Shipping Policy and Refund and Return Policy for the full terms.

Orders are fulfilled and shipped directly from our fulfilment partner in Sweetwater, Tennessee. Product specifications above are based on manufacturer-published information. Where a specification is not reliably published, we leave it out rather than estimate it.