An Italian supermodel for your home and one that your significant other will not envy and might learn to love.
Positive Product Points
Great quality. Solid build.
Negative Product Points
The tamper ! Don't mind plastic so much but it should at least fit a 58mm filter basket
Detailed Commentary
So much has been written about Silvia that I as a newbie can only add this: Having never before operated a real espresso machine one feels intimidated at first. It's like you have won the lottery and you bought yourself a Ferrari. I mean the quality of the machine is great but you know that you may never be able to push the machine to its limits, which are far superior to your abilities (at least mine). You just have to come to terms with accepting that any faults in the quality of your drinks are solely your own and not Silvia’s: Hey all, look at this moron with a Ferrari driving like my grandmother.
In the beginning I made the capital mistake of using a blade grinder but I quickly realized my mistake and upgraded to a Rocky. Thank you all for helping me learn about coffee and for helping me load my credit card.
The included tamper is really useless and does not fit the 58mm basket. Get a real tamper and the results will be impressive. I purchased the Presso tamper and I must say it is really great. Already occasional guests had very favorable comments about the quality of the drinks I serve them although being a straight espresso drinker my milk based drinks need a lot of improvement (I have yet to master true microfoam). My next project, if my wife doesn’t divorce me in the meantime, is to get a roaster and get green beans in order to get 100% control of the coffee I drink.
If all you want is to push a button and get coffee forget about Silvia. You must be willing to invest time to learn how to brew a proper espresso but if you do soon you will be able to taste great coffee. Warning: this may stop you from ever ordering an espresso outside your house. In my case I have yet to taste a better espresso then mine and I repeat I am only a newbie home barista. This says a lot a about the great quality of Silvia and about the lack of coffee education in my country.
Buying Experience
Bought it from local distributor, no problems very friendly service.
Three Month Followup
It's been 3 months already and I must say that my journey into coffeegeekdom continues. Now I roast my own coffee and my relationship with Sivia has improved a lot. I can steam a decent cup of milk but no latte art yet. No problems with my Silvia she is as consistent as day one.
