Hi I'm looking to buy my first espresso machine with a ~$1500 budget and narrowed it down to these two. Anyone have any thoughts between the Silvia Pro and the Rocket right off the spec sheet?

Your question sets out an apples-vs-oranges situation, for which there's no 'right' answer. The Rocket is a venerable heat exchanger machine, while the new Silvia is a new dual-boiler. Only you can decide which technology is best for you. Go up into the Resources section of H-B and read up on these two designs. Think about it from your personal perspective. At the risk of oversimplifying, if you want to push a button and have stable temperature shots, then you want a DB. If you want to mess around with temperature profiling on the fly, then you want an HX. The Rocket is an older design with an e61 group. You don't want to buy this machine without also getting a group head thermometer. The Silvia is brand new and has no track record; Rancilio, on the other hand, has an excellent track record.

Have you decided on a grinder?

If not, what is your total budget?

Given the reputation that the "Silvia" name generated over the years on Usenet, BBS systems, then the Internet, I'd ask yourself pretty seriously why a new machine with the same name and styling of the original doesn't seem to be terribly popular, from what I can tell.

In that price range, I'd definitely consider the Breville Double Boiler ("BDB"). If you're not looking for classic, E61 styling, the BDB's performance, repeatability, adjustability, and in-cup quality is nearly impossible to beat.

If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest reading and watching How to choose an espresso machine and grinder at the "right" price

I was thinking of Niche Zero for grinder since I single-dose my beans. So for the entire coffee setup, I'm hoping not to go over $3000 with additional equipment/accessories. Would the Niche's shot quality pair well with either of the DB or HX machines?

There are various E61 double boiler machines available which combined with the Niche keep you close to the 3K mark. For example the Quick Mill QM 67 is listed at $2,195. For me the extra $500 (over the DB Silvia), to have a proven design, the E61, would be worth it. I have no experience with HXs but having to deal with temp management is another skill to master, while you are mastering the art of pulling great shots.

I vote for Silvia pro. Having PID control of brew temp gives you enormous control over dialing in the perfect temperature for a given coffee.

If you only drink milk drinks - that level of control may not be important.

If you ever get into drinking straight shots of single origin espressos - you will have serious remorse if you go with the rocket. The double boiler with PID is simply a more capable machine.

Also for all the love the e61 group gets - you'll have to deal with temperature stability and cooling flushes. No such issues with the Silvia because the boiler sits right on top of the brew group and nothing overheats.

The rocket is sexier but the Silvia is a better shot pulling machine.

To be clear, the E61 group is used on both HX machines, which do require a flushing regimen to control temperature (Lelit MaraX as a notable exception), and ideally an EricS thermometer, and on DB machines, which do not require as thorough a flushing regimen for temperature control (some require a flush to stabilize and potentially raise the group temperature).

The thermodynamic wisdom of hanging an uninsulated E61 group out in the breeze, a group that is designed to spill heat, on a DB with a PID-controlled brew boiler, is up for discussion. E61 group heads are relatively cheap, easy to service, and provide a lot of eye candy and marketing appeal. Twenty years of people repeating "Silvia" on electronic media has overinflated that name well past its due. The E61 is coming on 60 years old now, with several decades of it being the only high-end option for thermal control under several thousand dollars. There's a reason that saturated groups, and now direct thermal management of the group head, have been the preferred choice for temperature control in high-end commercial and home machines such as the BDB and DE1. Changes in electronics in the last twenty years have allowed progressive manufacturers to drop the brass anchor around their neck and move past it.

I am in a very similar situation. My CC1 just died, and I wish to pair my new Niche Zero with something nice.

Some various tidbits of information I have come upon

*Rocket just raised their prices, as will ECM and Profitec soon. You will start to see these price increases soon if not already (idrinkcoffee raised their Rocket prices by 15-20% this morning for us Canadian customers)

*There is a growing rumble of debate regarding E61 and if it's deserving of it's status. Besides higher end commercial/semi commercial machines (Linea mini being one example), Bezzera has it's new group head that is electronically heated and supposedly is more stable/reliable. The Silvia and others (Profitec Pro 300, BDB, etc..), also don't use it, but instead design the machines to be close to the boiler to receive the heat. How effective the E61 is vs these.. I don't know.

*The Silvia was infamous for it's temperature instability and temp surfing requirements. While the PID did help enormously (as it will the pro no doubt), I haven't been able to find any good reviews

*HX machines by default have their own issues (as Jeff said, and the Appartamento is especially prone to this due to it's older design). This includes heat flashes and some temperature surfing (especially with no PID). However it appears the Lelit Marax addresses a lot of these. Personally I consider a PID necessary for HX.

*Double Boiler is still the pinnacle for temp stability. If you just pull a few shots back to back with some milk, then HX machines do fine (especially the Marax). However if you are going to pull a bunch of shots at infrequent intervals, Double Boiler will serve you better

Here is my personal list of machines I am considering (lowest price to highest)

Breville - Double Boiler
+Lots of modding. Including slayer style shot (true flow control) to varying degrees of modding that can easily be reversed
+Rotary installation possible (plumbed in only)
+PID
+Lots of settings/timing
+Price
+Shot Timer
+58mm with bottomless portafilter options etc..
+Temp and shot stability

-Lacks the "Italian Flair" and looks. Many will call it a "Breville appliance" and not a true machine
-Mods are mainly possible only if you are comfortable making the modifications. The rotary pump example requires you modifying the harness.
-Most local espresso shops don't support/provide maintenance. It's either you or Breville
-No E61 or similar group head solution
-Cheap exterior
-steam wand is not "no burn"


Lelit Mara X - HX Machine
+PID (low/med/high)
+STB vs BTB mode. This helps to resolve the inherit flaws found in HX machines
+E61 Group head
+Smaller dimensions than most other HX machines
+Temp Stability (for HX machine)
+Italian style/Materials
+Power efficiency
+No burn steam wand

-No rotary/plumbing option
-HX design is much better than most, however still situations with some temperature instability (not ideal if you are making lots of inconstant shots)
-No timer

Silvia Pro Dual Boiler
+PID & shot timer
+Temperature stability
+Aesthetics (I personally prefer the look of it over most with the E61 group head look)
+Presumed reliability and parts availability (assuming the carry over from the original)
+Good dimensions for a DB
+58 mm
+Can easily shutoff the steam boiler for less power usage/quicker heat up

-Steam wand no insulated. (seriously?!?)
-Some think it's a little over hyped
-Some of the above are assumed but not proven yet.
-No E61 group head or dedicating heating function

At least, those are my takes.

Edit: Just remembered the Profitec Pro 300...

Profitec Pro 300 Dual Boiler
+PID & Timer
+small footprint
+Reliability
+Steam Boiler shutoff
+Quick warmup time (for Dual Boiler)
+Insulated steam wand

-No E61 group head
-Looks could be subjective
-Small Boilers (usually find for home use)