Dream Toy of the Month -
Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine

The Rancilio Silvia is my Dream Toy for the month of September. I actually have one of these espresso machines and have enjoyed it for a long time. It is one of the best priced espresso machines that enjoys good acceptance among espresso drinkers and fanatics. Of course, it can produce ample steam for steaming milk for lattés and cappucinos.

The Silvia has excellent resale value. If you should find that you want to upgrade to one of the much more expensive "pro-sumer" models, the Silvia is one of the best espresso machines with regard to resale value.

The Silvia is a heavy machine, weighing about 40 pounds, with a stainless steel exterior. The boiler holds 22 ounces of water and is fed by vibratory pump from the reservoir at the rear of the machine. The reservoir lid easily lifts for refilling (or you can modify it to auto-fill, as I did).

A more advanced modification to the Silvia is to add a temperature-based process controller (a PID = Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller) to the Silvia. The purpose of this modification is to replace the manufacturer's thermostats on the brew temperature, and perhaps on the steam temperature, with equipment capable of much more fine levels of control. (My PID keeps the temperature within 0.2 °F of the set point).

Combine the Silvia with a good quality grinder like the Rancilio Rocky and you have a winning espresso / latté / cappucino combination!

Copyright © 2005 Terry A. Stockdale. All rights reserved.