Hello,

First post. So I have been roasting my coffee for a while with a hottop, and mainly doing French Press, Cona, etc. Oddly enough I had been quite content with this and hadn't really felt the need to take the espresso plunge. Then, I did.. and you know how that goes.

So in mid November after doing some reading I ordered a Silvia. Then I started to try to make espresso, then I started doing alot of reading, occasionally made a descent shot, and realized I probably need the PID mod.

Now I realize with this mod, I could very likely move into the next class of machine with perhaps a few hundred more, assuming the cost of the PID ($650 + $300), and I am still in the return window.

So I have seen a few similar posts which I have read, but I wanted to post my particulars.

- $1000 - $1200 range
- More concerned with consistent quality espresso than milk-based
- Customer support and warranty and resale
- Thermometer display / PID - not sure how important this is with the better units that might not have such temperature swings - any advice here would be nice

I am looking at:

- Quickmill Silvano $995
- Quickmill Alexia $1195 (pricier with no PID??)
- CC1 $699 (low price with all the electronics raises reliability concerns)

Any other recommendations, or reasons to keep the Silvia would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Erik_D wrote:- CC1 $699 (low price with all the electronics raises reliability concerns)

2 soft knobs controlling all parameters electrically is [probably] a whole lot more reliable than clacking relays and mechanical switches.

Built into the Italian machines is the current crappy Euro exchange rate. No idea where the CC1 is made

Yea, I was more referring to the built in PID, electronic display, light weight, and the fact that there is very little experience with it, and the low-price. I could be wrong but the culmination just raises concern.

Those machines are all good bang for the buck. You might also consider the Bezzera BZ02 and BZ07. The BZO2 is just below $1K right now, and the BZ07 is about $1,100 I believe. Both are heat exchanger machines with a good reputation for making nice shots, and a real step up from Silvia, or any other mid level single boiler machine, especially if you're making milk drinks. They don't have a PID, but that's not really a big deal on an HX machine anyway, since the pressurestat keeps the temperature from swinging too wildly.

The CC1 looks promising, but there's not much real world user info out there about it yet. I suspect it would be good for someone who doesn't need to make a lot of milk drinks, but maybe a bit less stable than machines with bigger boilers. That's mostly speculation though.

What kind of grinder do you have? That's at least as important as the machine, and sometimes more so. If you don't have one yet, get one. The Baratza Preciso and Baratza Vario are good values right now at $300 and $450 respectively.

Beezer wrote:What kind of grinder do you have?

Sorry I forgot to mention that.. I have a Rocky doserless.

I am guessing the main reason for the price difference in the Silvano and Alexia is the E-61?

I'll check out the Bezzeras.

Thanks for the reply.

Erik, I know it is not an exciting response to hear, but IMHO, I think you will see a greater improvement with a grinder upgrade. I have never used the rocky, but I have heard many positive testimonies from people who upgraded from the rocky. Or send them both back and you can get a used Mazzer and used heat exchanger for close to the same price. That's just what I would do.

Pack up that Rocky too. I'd wager that you get better tasting coffee more reliably out of a Baratza Vario (or a used SJ with new burrs) and a CC1 than you would with a Rocky and a $2,000 machine.

Ok Rocky on it's way out. I tried to resist and hope it would work out for a minute, but I know me, and I will end up buying a better one ayway and eating it. Best to act now while I can get full refund.

Are there good places to buy used gear other than Ebay?

I considered the Alexia before deciding on the Silvano but I probably would have been happy with either. I do like the PID and easy to adjust (external access) OPV. Clacky switches are for me part of the machine's charm - I guess when they wear out I will slap more clacky switches in there and keep rolling.

The PID Alexia is close to the price of the Anita but might be the ticket if straight shots are your style. The Silvano will steam milk and "espress" a shot at the same time if you do like milk.

I was talking to someone in the service department of a well-known espresso store a couple of weeks ago and somehow we got talking about which entry level machine he's suggest.

#1 was the Silvano, followed very closely by the new Alexia, which echo's EricBNC's advice.

I'm glad to see that you followed the advice of the other posters and decided that your Rocky is on its way out.

As to where is a good place to buy used gear. Most all of the espresso stores have returned items, with little to no wear, so I'd suggest checking that source out first.

http://www.wholelattelove.com/outlet_index.cfm
http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/closeoutdeals
http://www.1st-line.net/cgi-bin/categor...ory=999991
Espresso Parts 1-800-459-5594
Etc.

You could also call those stores 800 numbers to see if they know of any items that are going to be returned. Any items that are popular won't last all that long and that way you could get a jump on them before their advertised.