Silvia is an excellent transition machine from a junky toy to a Beast double boiler machine, Definatly worth the money!!
Positive Product Points
Very commercial, Brass Boiler, Brass portafilter, very powerfull steam If you know how to use it you can get excellent espresso, easy repairs.. parts are everywhere
Negative Product Points
Steam takes a long time to heat up, I personally didnt like the stock one hole tip it came with.
Detailed Commentary
After owning many toy pump machines and one somewhat decent one with a built in grinder i thought it was time to move up to the big leagues. When i first bought silvia i didnt own a grinder other than the one which was attached to my last machine which sucked. I used that with some beans i bought from target. It was horrible. I then recieved my grinder and some fresh Black Cat and my Reg Barber tamper. WOW!! after a few sink shots i made the BEST espresso i have ever tasted.
Silvias thermostat is a bit to be desired.. If you want good espresso you will probably have to time surf a.k.a temp surf or P.I.D her.. with a good method of temp surfing i got really good espresso.. thinking about PID'ing her in a few months.
the silvia is an amazing steamer. I personally thought the one hole tip was pretty shotty but i had recieved the three holer with it and with a few tries and many nights reading and re-reading the milk frothing article i was pouring microfoam.
In the end i think silvia is an excellent machine. I'm not much of a milk person so the steaming isnt a big deal but when i do enjoy a milk drink its kind of a hassle waiting a minute to heat up the steam
Buying Experience
I had heard alot about silvia dreaming about someday owning a decent espresso machine. I was browsing through the for sale forums and saw one for sale, local pickup just fourty minutes away! score. I make the journey up there. Couldnt have been any better.
