I had a Vario with the same problem, unless you are a watchmaker, you should send it to Baratza. They will refurbish it for a great price. My Vario was nearly completely rebuilt for $80.00 plus $20.00 priority mail flat rate. It now works great

On the larger one no problem. Smaller, might get in the way. The steaming technique is different, you center the wand in the pitcher and the curve of the bottom of the pitcher induces the swirling motion to the milk. I think WLL has a YouTube video of its use

I switched from a Silvia to a Profitec Pro 300 with a two hole tip. At first I could not get good micofoam, I switched to Espro milk Pictures and all is good now

I agree a better grinder. When I upgraded from a PID Silvia to a Profitec Pro 300 my work flow improved greatly but coffee quality just became more consistent. When I upgraded from a Vario to E37s coffee flavor improved greatly. I change beans and roast levels every half pound the E37S requires much...

Recently switched from a Vario to E37s, I frequently change beans from dark espresso roasts to light SO roasts. Since changing grinders I can adjust the grind much better and quicker, saving lots of coffee. Even better the coffee is sweeter

I got ten thousand cups out of my Jura S8 before it jammed, good luck with your's

I have a Silvia, it takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to heat up, so you will want a timer, inexpensive, you will also need a better grinder, not so cheap. Your technique with the Flair gets around the limitations of your grinder, the Silvia only pulls one way, unless you add a PID

I have owned one for 6 months, it's fit and finish are top notch. It has performed flawlessly. It definitely looks better in real life than in photos. It's price is reasonable likely because of it's straightforward design

I can second that. Steam isn't all that powerful, but it only needs 15 minutes to warm up. I have had my Profitec Pro 300 six months

In my limited experience, I found a accurate scale with 0.1 gram readings improved my shot consistency the most and costs $30.00 or less