Hi all,
I'm dipping my toes into the home espresso pool, and I have the opportunity to buy one of two machines at the same price. I can either get a Rancilio Silvia with PID (two zones) or Pasquini Livietta T2. I will be purchasing a Rocky doser grinder first, hopefully this week.

What should I keep in mind when comparing the two machines?

Thanks in advance, there is quite a lot to learn from this forum!

I would love to be able to, "Get the _______," but my first question is: why these two machines? What brought you to these two?

More importantly:

1. What sorts of drinks will you be making? how many at a time? how many a day?
2. What is your budget for the machine? what's your overall budget including the grinder, and have you already bought the grinder?
3. How much experience do you already have? (I know you are "dipping [your] toes," but have you used any espresso equipment before?)

I'm not trying to talk you out of either of these machines, necessarily. On the other hand, it's good to make sure these machines will suite your needs as well as your budget.

Cheers,
Jason

Thanks for your reply.
I'll try to answer your questions...

1. I'll be making mainly doubles for myself, with the occasional cappuccino on the side. I'm the only coffee drinker in the household.
2. I'd say that my budget for the machine is ~700, though I'm notorious for not sticking to that. I intend to buy a Rocky first to use with my current machine (an entry level pump model).
3. My experience so far has been with a cheap blade grinder and pump machine. These get used every day, but really only for lattes since that's all it's good for. I'm trying to get back to the espresso I used to have when I lived in Europe, I suppose.

Thanks for your help!

Between those choices, take the Silvia. Thermoblocks, in general, cannot provide the temperature stability you will want for brewing. The only reason to have considered the T2 over the Silvia would have been for simultaneous, or immediately back-to-back, brewing and steaming. But since you don't expect to prepare a high percentage of milk-based drinks, this single advantage would not apply.

More info about the T2 is here (H-B).

Also here (CoffeeGeek.com).

Jim

Thanks for the message Jim. I've been leaning towards the Silvia from the start, but reading around these forums about the tempermentalness ( is that a word) of the machine led me to look at other options. If you don't recommend the Pasquini is there another in this range you would get over a Silvia?

David,

Thanks for your reply. Given what you've posted, between the two, I would agree with Jim and suggest the Rancilio Silvia.

gauchogolfer wrote:I've been leaning towards the Silvia from the start, but reading around these forums about the tempermentalness ( is that a word) of the machine led me to look at other options. If you don't recommend the Pasquini is there another in this range you would get over a Silvia?

Let me first off quickly state that I have never owed a Silvia, and so I cannot comment upon its "finickiness" from first-hand experience. What I will say is that it's certainly a rock-solid machine, and it comes with a sizable user base that can come in handy should you run into any problems -- either with technique, or something more tangible.

That said, there has been the opinion voiced more than once that, in part due to its very popularity, it's somewhat overpriced. That's up to you (and your budget) to decide. What I can tell you is that I'm a big fan of Gaggia. The Gaggia Classic is on sale from Whole Latte Love for $539 ($599 minus their 10% off coupon code), vs. $593 for the Silvia. That would be my first choice . . . then again, I used Gaggia machines for 20+ years before upgrading to "prosumer" models. This attests not only to their reliability, but also to my bias. They are very forgiving, very easy machines, and it's right up there with the Silvia.

But trust me, you won't go wrong with the Rancilio Silvia or the Gaggia Classic (but both are preferable to the Pasquini T2).

Cheers -- and have fun!
Jason

zin1953 wrote:But trust me, you won't go wrong with the Rancilio Silvia or the Gaggia Classic (but both are preferable to the Pasquini T2).

Cheers -- and have fun!

+1

Jim

Thanks all, for your advice. It turns out I took a little more time to decide, and have ended up with a 2-year-old NS Oscar from a local seller. It's in great shape (was listed on the CG forums if you're interested) and I think will be a much better long-term option for my than the Silvia.

Nice choice -- let us know how you like it!