Hello everyone, I currently own a PID Silvia V2 but my friend has decided to sell his Anita. It hasn't seen much use, the owner purchased new in 2008 (older version). I have always thought I would wait until I was in the right position to purchase a PID DB but this machine has made me rethink that strategy.

So questions:

Is the Anita worth the upgrade or should I wait to purchase a PID DB? What would be a fair price for the machine, he is thinking $1200? Is the HX portion of the machine, steaming, something of a disadvantage? The Anita has the temperature gauge accessory included, but I'm unsure how difficult it is to change the temp, or bars for that matter, on the machine compared to just pushing a few buttons on a PID.

Any insight, comments, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The Anita is fairly well regarded, and the next step up in consistency and flavor delivery from your current machine. The fact that it comes with erics' grouphead thermometer is a big plus for you (being new to HXs, this thing is the best for teaching you how to flush to different temps consistently). As far as the HX vs. DB argum debate goes, you would do well to read the HX Love article. If your friend is local, you should definitely go to his place, armed with some fresh coffee and your B-Vario, and test it out.

Evaluating price is always difficult. Buying from a friend may complicate the matter even more. Caveat emptor, depending on how much of a friend he is and how knowledgeable he is about the machine . Given that the price for a new Anita hovers around $1600 USD, his offer may be acceptable. Consider his maintenance schedule (descaling, backflushing, replacing wear parts like grouphead gaskets) and the water that was used.

OH, you're right! I was under the false impression that the steaming portion of the machine ran off the main boiler into a thermoblock design, but instead the whole unit is a HX. I can't believe I missed that during my research.... some research ugh. I think I'll hold off, I don't want to play with temperature to the extent required with a HX. Thanks for the info Sherman!

The choice is up to you, of course, but temperature management on an HX machine like Anita is pretty easy, especially with the EricS thermometer attachment. Just flush to your desired temp plus four or five degrees, wait 30 seconds, then pull your shout. Not a big deal at all.

Personally, I found upgrading from a Gaggia Classic (somewhat equivalent to Silvia) to an Anita to be a big step up in ease of use, speed and consistency. It's possible to pull good shots with a single boiler like a Silvia or Gaggia, but it's much easier and simpler with a good HX like Anita. Steaming milk for drinks is also much more pleasant, since you don't have to wait for the boiler to heat up before steaming, and in fact you can steam and pull shots at the same time.

If you want a dual boiler for better and easier temp control, I can't say that I disagree, but don't assume that an HX machine is going to be a hassle to use. In fact, they're very easy to use once you learn the simple flush routine. Considering most PID dual boilers are much more expensive than a machine like Anita, I'm not sure it's worth the extra money just for slightly simpler temp management. But again it depends on your preferences, and how much you're willing to spend to get ease of use.

I wouldn't forget the machine just because it takes some learning. Go to your friends house with beans that you have used on your machine and have him pull shots for you. If the difference in shot quality is worth the money to you then buy it. It is very nice to have no lag time between pulling and steaming. If you can live without the quality differences then stick with what you have. I am sure your friend can teach you the flush routine very quickly. Good luck!

The Anita, especially with a way to reasonably accurately control brew temperature (such as the EricS thermometer kit), can produce great coffee and will be a huge step up in both peak quality as well as repeatability over your current set up. I don't have a problem holding my brew temperature well within one degree F between shots.

I don't know that the step up to a DB machine will necessarily make better shots, though the temperature profile of a dedicated-boiler machine is different than an HX machine. The main thing that, in retrospect, I wish I had was a fully plumbed-in machine. With an HX machine and the way I control its temperature, I run a significant amount of water through the machine every morning.