The machine will make a great cup of coffee, and I think it goes without saying that you need to Tune the beans, grind and so on. The problem is that the design is flawed with the boiller and while it seems some older reviews have a good experience, we used our machine for about two and a half years before the boiler element failed. Fine, this can happen, so we replace the boiler which worked well for a month, under very careful watching for water issues, and the boiler failed again. The second failure is due to failure of the outer brass co...Read more

Silvia made great coffee while it was working, I cannot be sure if my problem is just bad luck or a more significant quality problem with the boiler (hope is just bad luck). BTW, I was the only operator of the machine and look after her extremely well, certainly is not a case of "operator error."
A great coffee machine if you appreciate good quality Italian style coffee. Easy to clean and to keep clean. External (visible) component as of superior quality.
My machine stopped heating the water after 3kilos of coffee, less than 2 months of use. I ...Read more

Like one of the earlier reviews, our Rancillo Silvia burnt out after one weekend of careful use. the instructions are very poorly written (they're probably great if you read Italian) and the machine complicated. There is a safety fuse, but it didn't work to save our machine. It reminds me of a Fiat I used to own - a lot of style and great fun, but not very well made, and you end up wanting reliability over style - to-day there's no excuse for being able to burn out a boiler without tripping a safety switch.
So now we are having to pay another ...Read more

I bought this machine from these reviews on this site, upon ordering it, they give me a big warning ensure the machine to be primed all the time or it will void warranty, the problem is you spend more time priming and less time brewing, it might be OK for Coffee, but we like Latte's and it seems the 2 functions interfere with each other.
For example if you want 2 Latte's you have to first prime the machine, then make the coffee for both, once done you have to sit them aside, re-prime again and then wait for the steamer to heat up, all while yo...Read more

This machine is brilliant, but it is not for the faint of heart. The beauty of the Silvia is that you decide exactly how your coffee is prepared. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a barrister then get this machine. If you can't be bothered to learn how to make a great coffee cafe style, then get an automated machine.

It takes around two weeks of learning to get good results. Log onto youtube and see the instructional videos, this is a good guide to see what you will need to understand/master to get a good cup. Grind, tamp and extraction. T...Read more

Everything bad that people say about it is true... Everything good that people say about it is true... If you get the workflow right its a cool machine. You have to learn to get it right which makes the coffees better. The machine has all of the desired capabilities so its a shame some people have a bad experience, but if you trust all the comments.. such as, heat the machine properly, grind your own and get a decent grinder, use fresh beans, get a decent tamp, temp surf the machine, careful not to cook the coils.... keep her clean.. then your ...Read more

I wrote a review after just having purchased the Rancillio Silvia and now having had the machine for a year or so am better able to comment.

The Silvia is the gold standard against which domestic machines are judged and is a very good product.
However it is not for everyone, it is very good at making the perfect cup of coffee, or two, for folks who appreciate a fine coffee, and are prepared to spend the time and effort to get things right. It is not much use to someone who wants to entertain 4 or 5 friends with a quick cup or for someone wa...Read more

The quality and finish of this machine is superb. Everything from the casing to the group, the filter and even the drip-tray, feels rock solid and well made. Once you get the "knack" of brewing the shot and steaming the milk, (which only took me a few dud cups of coffee to master) the coffee is fantaastic - as good as top-end cafes and BETTER than some I've paid $3 or $4 a cup for. It doesn't seem to take all that long to heat up either, especially if you use the coffekid.com trick to speed things up. I would absolutely recommend this if you ar...Read more

Excellent machine for the price. If you look after it, it should outlast you. Just get ot hot and grind your coffee fine.
Quality components. Built like a tank. Easy for me to use because I know what I am doing. If you buy this machine do some reading about how the flavours and oils are extracted from the grind and correct temperatures. Otherwise you are in hit and miss world. I have read on here needs constant priming to get 2 cups of coffee. I can get 4 no problem, all hot and better than any cafe anywhere. If you cant be bothered learning, b...Read more

After a few weeks of playing around with the grinder to get the right grind for the beans this machine makes a really good coffee. Bought a decent tamper as didn't think the plastic one did the best job. Prefer making our own coffee now instead of buying one, so that has to be a good thing. Had a Sunbeam before which was OK but prefer the quality of the Silvia.
The Rancilio Silvia is a neat machine that doesn't take up too much room. Once you get used to it you can make a great cup of coffee.
Drip tray is too small and has no marker to let ...Read more