What is the best espresso machine for me

[CCafe]

I guess you'll have to enlighten me on what they could do more to make the Silvia better? Honestly I don't want an automatic Silvia and everyone who is out there that PID their home machine just wasted a few hundred more then I want to spend on something that may only yield marginal results at best. About the only thing out there that could possibly make the machine better would be to offer a plumbed in version.

For the most part there is nothing you can do to the Rocky to make it better but to make it bigger. If you make it bigger then your interfering with your other grinder lines, the MD40, 50 and 80.

I don't believe the approach from Rancilio is if its not broke don't fix it. Its more of the home unit slot has been filled lets continue to improve upon our commercial line. Which by the way is where all their money is at. The home machine has little to no margin compared to that of a commercial machine.

Simply put the Silvia is a great unit. To top that off its easily repairable and the fact that they haven't changed it much means the parts will be available for it for a very long time to come. I just had a Gaggia in the shop that quit working. Unfortunately it was only 6 years old and the control board that was specific to that machine cost more then it was worth to repair.

 

[shadow745]

I'm not saying the Silvia could be or should be made better. Problem is the price continues to rise and the machine has stayed pretty much the same for years. Don't bother telling me it's because of material cost when other companies aren't spiking prices the way Rancilio has.

The Rocky could be quite a bit better if they would make it stepless as any good espresso grinder should be. Nobody complains about the build quality of it, just the stepless factor and excessive slop in burr carrier threads. A bit of teflon tape is an easy fox for that though.

Point is there are other home machines available that are easily on par with the Silvia for less. I've never been blown away with anything Rancilio offers. To each his own.

 

[CCafe]

Don't bother telling me it's because of material cost when other companies aren't spiking prices the way Rancilio has.

No other companies are trying to keep their products selling in a certain range and because of that I'm seeing a ton more plastic. The last few home machines that have been brought in to the shop that were all purchased in the last few years have had a lot more plastic in them. Companies are finding ways around it.

Personally I don't think Rancilio cares to compromise on quality period. Also just because you haven't seen the prices change doesn't mean they haven't I would say most commercial machines have gone up by about $2500 in the last 5 years. If you don't believe me ask around. Nuova Simonelli, Rancilio, Cimbali, Pavoni, Marzocco all have been jumping prices by $400 to $500 a year every year for quite some time.

 

[CaliCoffeIEND]

Hey all, especially CCafe...do you really think the innovation is general is tipping? I'm in the process of designing an all in one green bean to brew machine...Hopefully I can get some buzz ha

 

[kanyevil]

Heard good things about Delonghi

 

[rock18567]

I have a custom grinder hamilton beach. I use it for espresso and mochas

I like you

 

[imarketd]

Starbucks Verismo is the best deal I could find

So far the Starbucks Verismo I bought a few weeks ago is working great! I love that the taste - even though not exactly equal to the one you get at the stores - is about 97% close to the real deal. I love the feeling of waking up in the morning, putting in one of the pods, and making a delicious espresso. The machine looks great and makes wonderful espresso and coffee. The milk pod is also really great and an innovation for Starbucks. It's really the best deal I could find out there, just $200. Here's a page that talks about all the pros (and more importantly the negatives!) of buying the Starbucks Verismo: Starbucks Verismo Reviews

 

[NathansCoffeeRoasting]

Nice try Starbucks rep! (6 posts, joined 2 days ago, all posts mentioning Starbucks)

 

[PinkRose]

It's either that or he really, really, really loves his Verismo

 

[CuppaCoffee]

How about the La Pavoni line, specifically the La Pavoni Napolitana Stainless Steel Automatic Espresso Machine. You won't be breaking the bank but you will be getting a fantastic great quality product for the money you spend. Most reviews I've read on this product talk about the years this machine has lasted them. Also has some great features.

 

[Ricpac]

maybe you all could recommend a grinder before throwing a machine up? i have learned that the grinder is more important than anything in the coffee process.

 

[gonzo45]

I have the la pavoni pc-16, and while it has some amazing attributes, it also has its drawbacks. while it is a very handsome machine, in addition to be robust and easy to repair, it has shortcomings such as the lack of a three way valve, which can make follow up shots difficult and it may sneeze at you. also, the grouphead gets very hot, effecting the follow up shots. it is great for making yourself a drink, but becomes troublesome if you want to make drinks for several people.

 

[gonzo45]

whatever you get, make sure to budget a decent burr grinder.

 

[shadow745]

I have the la pavoni pc-16, and while it has some amazing attributes, it also has its drawbacks. while it is a very handsome machine, in addition to be robust and easy to repair, it has shortcomings such as the lack of a three way valve, which can make follow up shots difficult and it may sneeze at you. also, the grouphead gets very hot, effecting the follow up shots. it is great for making yourself a drink, but becomes troublesome if you want to make drinks for several people.

Lack of a 3-way solenoid can be a blessing as that's one less thing to clog and/or require maintenance. Although it's best to wait 1 minute~ for pressure to dissipate, you can try this... slowly raise the lever while slowly unlocking the portafilter. It shouldn't take much upward movement to accomplish this and it should release the vacuum on the puck without causing a mess. That's what I did with my manual lever often and it worked well.

Levers can heat up with consecutive shots, but you can run the portafilter under cool water between shots or place a wet towel over the group between shots. Either method will help pull a bit of heat out of the group/portafilter, therefore dropping the brew temperature down several degrees.

 

[PinkRose]

and it may sneeze at you.

I knew what you meant, but I still had to laugh!

Rose