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

Good - Very cool Italian design, made in Italy. Doesn't take up much space and makes excellent espresso and lattes. Easy to clean and fun to experiment and work with. Great for practicing your latte art. Makes fantastic microfoam for milk. My wife says that the coffee I brew is no worse than in a professional coffee shop. Not very good - there is a way to get a better drink. ALWAYS use freshly roasted coffee to get the best crema, stale coffee will not produce the expected espresso. It is important to find a balance between coffee, degree of grinding and weight. My best espresso comes from 14.5-15 grams of the freshest coffee I can find no more than 20 days past roast date when my grinder is set to just under #2. There is also a process to using the machine called temperature surfing. To do this, the milk is first steamed, then water is run through the steam pipe until the steam is gone and the jet is pure water. This is done to lower the temperature of the boiler prior to making the espresso, it takes less time than brewing the espresso first and waiting for the evaporator to heat up to the correct temperature. Tons of information on the U-tube how to do this for this machine. It's very easy. It takes practice to make the perfect latte or espresso. But once you figure out the right combination, you'll be critical of a professional latte and comparing it to yours if you ever pay $6 a cup again. In general. Very happy with the purchase. The reason for the 4 rating is that for the price the machine should come with a PID. Finally, I use bottled water and this machine uses a lot of water. Updated 12/27/18. I bought a bottomless portafilter and have used it dozens of times. The quality of espresso and crema produced with this machine's bottomless filter far exceeded my expectations. That's all I currently use. 20.3 grams of freshly roasted, freshly ground coffee, which I think is well above what you pay in a coffee shop. Required accessories. I've been scratching my head about treating my Sylvia and what to do with her. Updated 05/15/19. The machine works well, I make 2 cups a day 7 days a week. The coffee quality is excellent! I haven't paid for a latte or espresso coffee shop since. A coffee shop costs between $3 and $6. My house costs exactly what I want and the best quality, 68 cents. My last entry is 6-15-20. Sylvia is still fine. I made a very simple setup, swapping out the screen and spacers that aren't really needed. I do a weekly backwash and a regular flush every month. Silvia makes the same great espresso or latte today as it did when it was new! Very happy with Silvia.