Review on Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine - Iron Frame, Stainless Steel Side Panels, 11.4" x 13.4 by Jason Childs

I'm by no means an espresso connoisseur and wouldn't go on a two-week intensive espresso course (like some reviewers want to make you think) to come up with to make some very good espresso shots with this machine in the first two weeks. And I live in Miami, where we have espresso cafes on every corner. In other words, I've had more than enough espressos made on machines worth over $5,000 to compare. Any newbie reading reports of "extreme temperatures" and "nearly 400 shots of espresso" here would, at worst, think this machine is either a piece of junk or, at best, has a very steep learning curve. It's true that you need a $200+ espresso grinder if you want to get decent crema, but that's where the cons end. Pre-ground espresso ie Pilon, Bustelo will not give you much foam. I know because we tried it for a week before we gritted our teeth and bought a Rocky coffee grinder. That being said, the espresso made from ground espresso wasn't terrible by any means. It was still better than anything we've made with our mocha pot on the stove. Buy a quality coffee grinder, a heavy duty tamper, watch some YouTube videos of experienced users brewing milk and steaming/frothing with this machine and before you know it you'll be on your way to espresso heaven! Brew right at home!