Hello,
I am planning on buying my first espresso machine. Mostly for straight espresso but also some milk drinks as well. I was planning on the Rancilio Silvia due to some good reviews and availability of parts in case of needed repair. Now I have found a Quickmill Andreja that I can get for $900 CDN. Is this a good buy? I can not find much information at all on the non premium version of the Andreja. This one has only one pressure gauge and doesnt have the burn proof steam/water arms. The owner said they bought it only 10 months ago. Can this be true? everywhere I look has only the premium listed.

Thanks for the help

Any e61 is way ahead of a Silvia. Get Eric's adapter and enjoy.
Ask to see the receipt or credit card statement.
The chap may have bought it 10 months ago... as a 5 year old machine

"I think the Silvia, with or without PID, with or without OPV, makes distinctly inferior tasting shots to any E61 or other commercial machine with a decent group. My evidence: I had a pair of Silvias set up identically ..." from Rancilio Silvia with PID vs. competition on shot quality

I've used a Quickmill for literally years (99% straight espresso), they are robust, easy to maintain and make excellent espresso. Ian is correct and I too highly recommended the thermometer adapter for easier brewing.

Take a good look at the machine and if you like it I say go for it. If you ever need parts or service the folks at Chris Coffee Service are top notch.

The No Burn Steam Arm OT0980LVC $45.00 is available from Chris Coffee. I bought a used Vetrano and Chris is great with parts and service. It does help that he is an 1 1/4 hour drive away.

Marvin

cafeIKE wrote:Any e61 is way ahead of a Silvia. Get Eric's adapter and enjoy.
Ask to see the receipt or credit card statement.
The chap may have bought it 10 months ago... as a 5 year old machine

"I think the Silvia, with or without PID, with or without OPV, makes distinctly inferior tasting shots to any E61 or other commercial machine with a decent group. My evidence: I had a pair of Silvias set up identically ..." from Rancilio Silvia with PID vs. competition on shot quality

As the resident Silvia apologist, I'll jump in and say that after three months living in California and brewing using either a MyPressi Twist or a Pasquini Livia HX, I am always somewhat startled at how good the coffee tastes coming out of my Silvia when I get home to Indiana. It is easily the best tasting coffee I get on a regular basis with the sole exception of when I drop by Blue Bottle in San Francisco.

Now, I'm a little grouchy because I just spent a few hours trying to figure out why my wife's decafs were so off and traced it back to the damned Vario having slipped out of calibration, AGAIN. Meanwhile, Rocky was grinding away my caffeinated beans on click 4, same as he ever was. That is to say: very reliably.

I think the real secret of Silvia success is to keep the dose under control (don't over dose) and to replace the stock Rancilio basket with a ridgeless basket (more room under the showerhead for the puck). My Silvia really turned a corner when I made that $11 modification.

All that said, Silvia is not the machine for you if you ever want to make an appreciable number of steamed milk drinks.