Poor temperature stability, possibly a defective unit. Importer insists it is OK. If that is true, then this is not a good machine.
Positive Product Points
Nice, heavy stainless steel housing. Good looking, solid feeling. Commercial sized group.
Negative Product Points
Poor temperature stability. Fit and finish a little crude on close inspection.
Detailed Commentary
The major problem I encountered with this machine is overheating. This is common in home machines that do not use heat exchangers, and Silvia is no exception. The machine took a relatively long time to reach operating temperature, but it then became too hot to produce a good espresso quite quickly. I could pull one double, but not two in a row. It was necessary to run water through the group untill the machine cooled down, then bring it back up to temperature for that second shot. Otherwise, it produced a very hot mixture of steam and water for the second shot and ruined the coffee.
Fit and finish were a bit sloppy on the Silvia I used, but not a major complaint. Temperature stability issues were serious enough so that I finally returned it to the dealer. This would be a nice home machine if the thermostats were better.
