How long before you upgraded from a Rancilio Silvia-class espresso machine?

#1: Post by HB » March 17th, 2008, 10:13 pm

Similar to the poll What was your upgrade path from a Rancilio Silvia-class espresso machine?, this poll asks not what, but how long.

#2: Post by **poison** » March 17th, 2008, 10:53 pm

Awesome, thanks Dan! 4+ long tiresome years for me!

March 17th, 2008, 11:10 pm

I hung around a Silvia owner just enough to make me pass on her, altogether. Too much wrangling over temperature control for my feeble brain.......

To try and take as many variables as possible out of the equation, I started with Miss Alexia PID and a La Cimbali Max Hybrid. I'm hoping these two will do the trick and save me upgrade costs in the future.

#4: Post by **AUSTINrob** » March 17th, 2008, 11:42 pm

Luckily for me, I skipped the Silvia altogether and got the Alexia/Macap M4 stepless combo - I'm still in disbelief how good and consistent the shots are coming out of this thing. For just a few extra dollars, I feel like I'll be able to avoid ugi for a long time...

#5: Post by **shadowfax** » March 17th, 2008, 11:48 pm

Less than a month. I returned Silvia after a few weeks and quickly upgraded to La Valentina. I figured for that kind of money I might as well go all out. Silvia was much better than my $200 machine, but... I dunno about $300 better. She was just too inconvenient for my milk drink habit, I guess.

#6: Post by **CoffeeOwl** » March 18th, 2008, 2:39 pm

One full year... but after 6 months of use I started having regular wish to throw it out the window (but resisted and then gave it away to my friend, who anyway was willing to pay for it, and he did - patience pays off)
I learnt quite a number of things during that time anyway, so when I jumped out I found myself in heavens.

#7: Post by **mike** » March 18th, 2008, 2:54 pm

Huh?

Why upgrade? Just plumb it in, hook up a rotary, install a front panel gauge, actively heat the grouphead with PID control, PID control the boiler and put in adjustable water debit.... hehehe

One of these days I'll get a picture up for you guys.

Oh - one reason. Steaming multiple drinks over a session is a pain with Silvia.

#8: Post by **Bex** » March 18th, 2008, 2:59 pm

3 months, though I hesitate to say the Carezza is in the same class...I hear good things about the workmanship of the Silvia and think that the workmanship of the Carezza was lacking (my steam knob didn't work, steam and water leaked out of the grouphead).

#9: Post by **shadowfax** » March 18th, 2008, 3:29 pm

mike wrote:Oh - one reason. Steaming multiple drinks over a session is a pain with Silvia.

...just buy two...

#10: Post by **Randy G.** » March 18th, 2008, 4:15 pm

mike wrote:Huh?

Why upgrade? Just plumb it in, hook up a rotary, install a front panel gauge, actively heat the grouphead with PID control, PID control the boiler and put in adjustable water debit.... hehehe

One of these days I'll get a picture up for you guys.

Oh - one reason. Steaming multiple drinks over a session is a pain with Silvia.

Sounds like Andy's FrankenSilvia.
Steaming a pain? Just get another Silvia!