Rancilio Silvia V4

Not overly impressed – Produces ok coffee. My grinder passed away, now using supermarket coffee which is no real indicator. Older version was better. New machine is noisy and build quality is 2 stars max. Show details

Rubbish disguised as commercial - I wish I could give zero stars – Loom is close to the boiler - burned out just after warranty, the second loom burned 18 months later. Chrome-effect peeled off the PLASTIC group-head. The boiler-gasket perished, spraying steam everywhere Show details

This is a great coffee machine – This is my second Rancilio Silva after the V1 and I have always been impressed with their quality and longevity. Commercial brass interior in a domestic package so it's a solid performer. Show details

What a coffee machine. Amazing. Superb coffee from a compact espresso machine. luv it! – Temperature always perfect. Pours are always perfect. Frother works a treat. Robust: survived a trip from europe to aus in my backpack. Easy to clean, easy to use. Chunky and solid buttons. Sturdy Steel construction. Show details

Great machine – A very reliable coffee maker that consistently makes great coffee, it just keeps going and going. Pressure and heat up are great, especially with a PID temp controller added. Milk for 2 is about the max - but that's to be expected. The machine also looks great on the bench.  Show details

Outstanding – This is Italian authenticity and simplicity at its best. The perfect machine for brewing a short or long black. It is also extremely robust and, two years down the line, looks like the day I got it. Love it - highly recommended. A slightly bigger water tank would be nice, but is not necessary.  Show details

Commercial grade coffee for a budget barista – First up, I'm not a barista. I'm not even a qualified coffee snob. I've had team-builder barista training at Epic Espresso (West Perth), which I'd highly recommend both for the fun of it, as well as the insight into how they produce some of the best speciality coffee in Perth. Anyway, back to the Rancilio Silvia... This machine is absolutely rock… Read more

solid. Paired with the Rocky grinder, it just keeps churning out consistently good shots. I don't steam a lot, as I prefer ristretto and espresso. When I do steam its fast and produces silky smooth textured milk. It hasn't improved my latte art, but that's not it's job :)

I'm surprised at how quickly it can come up to temp. I'd expected it would take ages to warm up, which would be a problem when you need a quick fix. That hasn't been the case - it's ready to go in a couple of minutes.

I love the simplicity of the bakelite switches, and the hard-wearing, low-maintenance design. From what I understand the design hasn't changed in many years. If you're onto a good thing...

Great espresso maker, if you know how to use it properly! – I've had this coffee machine for over 5 years now, and until a few months ago I was wondering why I wasn't getting great coffee out of it, and whether it needed a service, or something. I googled and watched some video tutorials and found out it needed finer ground coffee in order for it to work at its best and since then i've been getting much… Read more

better coffee from it.

Fairly easy to clean with the group head, catcher, frother, tray and tray cover to clean after making a flat white, but it is no Nespresso machine in convenience.

Do your research and get to know how to use your Rancilio Silvia first and maintain it with decalcification and cleaning the group head.

So disappointing – Purchased this machine because of its fantastic reviews, many of my friends have had theirs for years and very happy. Unfortunately, I have not had this experience and I am obsessive about looking after my machine. In the three years I have had it I have had the element replaced twice.  Show details

Love this coffee machine – Absolutely can not live without this machine, it is a machine that is easy to use and can be easily cleaned. I have had the machine for over a year now and has not missed a heart beat. It still leaves the flavour of the beans at its fullest that delivers you an amazing coffee  Show details

Coffee is a must! – If you are after a coffee machine that is not automatic, this is a good one. It does take a little practice in the beginning to get the coffee the way you like it (trying out different grinds and types of coffee etc), once you are there you can make a consistent great tasting coffee. There is a little work involved in cleaning it, however by taking care of the machine and keeping it clean, the coffee tastes much better.  Show details

Be very careful of this lemon – Context: Seven (7) home espresso machines since 1982, all Italian, all very satisfactory until this one. This is a clunky, old-fashioned device that is particle-size dependent, utterly dependent upon time-consuming practice, fine tuning, water temperature, and god knows what else. Even packing the basket is difficult, too much grounds and it won't… Read more

lock into the machine, whoever designed this thing must have hated his fellow man. I've tried seven different brands of coffee beans in a fruitless attempt to replicate what we have been drinking for the past 25 years, without success. This machine arrived without a handbook, the Victorian distributor saw themselves as having NO responsibility after the time of dispatch, be very wary of them. I bought a new grinder, tried every possible setting, bought another grinder, no joy. Reviews are headed "If you know what you are doing", "Fiddly and time consuming": Ignore the negative reports at your peril.

Fiddly & time consuming – Before buying the latest Rancho Silvia, I read a number of product reviews & almost seemed to say this was a great machine. But I find the relatively small water reservoir, lack of any gauge to tell how much water is in it & the absolutely token drip tray painful features. I also hadn't heard about the water temperature issues until just now &… Read more

didn't know I had to "temperature surf" to hit the right temp. The small basket is useless, as is the tamper. So all in all, I find the Silvia way too fiddly to be fun. It's a real disappointment. The Rocky grinder is good.

If you know what you're doing, this is your best value for money machine – Ok, so I've had mine for a few years now. Use it 2-3 times a day. Invest in a good grinder or you are wasting your time. To get best results, you also gotta buy a thermostat switch unit on ebay. It takes a bit of fiddling, but once on, you have all the control you need. Do your steamed milk first, then switch over to the extraction run water… Read more

through till you are at 96 degrees celsius. Then pop in your group and run your coffee through.... DON'T leave your machine on, you'll burn it out! Another tip for longevity is to keep your steam wand stationary and the gaskets and seals will last longer.... mine has been serviced twice

Great machine straight outa the box – I spent quite some time researching coffee machines in this price bracket and after reading some forums/reviews elsewhere complaining about the Silvia's factory temperature control (hi to all the temperature surfers out there), was a little hesitant in going for one of these machines. 6 months after having forked out $1300 for a V4 Silvia + Rocky… Read more

grinder I'm happy to report that (once you've spent a few weeks mastering the machine and finding the right grind size + coffee dose - youtube will help you do this quicker) this thing makes excellent coffee every time straight out of the box - full-stop. The times it has failed to do this were due entirely to operator error rather than machine issues (over/under dosing and tamping, incorrect grind size, not bleeding steam/water from lines when needed, etc.) Like everybody else says, the single shot basket is useless, so throw this out and get a decent size one (same goes for the plastic tamper). Spend some time mastering the machine and it will pay for itself in no time.

Problems With My Rancilio – Supposedly the top of the line in home espresso machines, "a highly reliable machine, producing great coffee every time". This is not my experience. An issue with the thermostat on my machine took months to resole. My experience has been poor, both with the machine and the retailer Coffee Aroma.

Great Machine – Great single boiler machine which is great fun and makes great coffee. Looks great too and has a fairly small footprint so doesn't take up too much space in the kitchen. Has never let me down and other than monthly back flush cleaning hasn't required any maintenance. Overall I am very happy with it & would recommend it as a first serious expresso machine.

Great option – For price and usability you can't do much better. Makes a great coffee. Steam is strong. It is easy to clean. Looks good sitting on the bench in the kitchen. I had read other reviews and was impressed by others thoughts which made it an easy decision to buy this one.

Needs a doser grinder – The Miss Silvia is a fantastic coffee machine with a steep learning curve if you do not have a doser grinder. I have had my Miss Silvia for 2 years using a Sunbeam Cafe Series grinder - the problem was getting a consistent amount of ground coffee in the portafilter. Very recently purchased a Breville BCG600SIL Dose Control Pro now every shot is the same I set the unit 6 seconds grind time. The grinder is less than $200