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I owned a Francis Francis X1 for about 3 years. It broke, so I was not happy about paying so much for just 3 years of service. Doing the research, I determined that the Silvia had a good reputation, and it seemed that it was more durable. So far (and I hope I will be able to change my opinion as time goes on) I'm not overjoyed with the machine. My main complaint is with the ability to make a nice rich crema. I'm not inexperienced, so I think I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm doing. I use a Rancillo Rocky grinder, and have tried a number of different settings from very fine to much less so. I find that 1) the portafilter does not hold as much grounds as I would like, and, 2) that even being very careful to not pack the grounds too hard in the portafilter, the Silvia does not have sufficient pressure to pump the water through the grounds. I understand that my Francis Francis was an 18 bar pump, and the Silvia is a 15 bar. That seems to make a huge difference in the ability to get a nice thick crema without taking all day to wait for it to dribble out. I believe there is a way to go into the Silvia and alter the pump pressure, and I'm going to look into that. I'm not crazy about doing that however, and don't know if it will have warranty or durability implications.
On the upside, is the steaming capability. That sucker puts our serious steam. As I said, I've got a few years of making lattes, and I burned myself a couple of times while getting used to the powerful blast that comes out of this baby's steam wand. That I like.
Overall, I think I will get to like this machine, but I can't help but wish that the portafilter would hold more grounds and that the pump had about five more bars of pressure.
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Product Description
The Silvia will deliver consistently fine espresso, lattes, cappuccinos and more, just with the touch of a button. Its beautiful to behold and simple to use. You'll be making your favorite espresso to the raves of family and friends. This is a quality machine at a terrific price: Detailed Product Features: Simple to Use Controls . Push the large central power button and an orange light comes on and stays on until the Silvia is at operating temperature for espresso, steam or hot water. Three more professional grade rocker switches now let you chose which one of those options you want. Top is for espresso, the middle for hot water and the bottom one is for steam: Flip the espresso button and that rich, hot liquid will start to flow. Switch it off when you have the amount you want. For hot water, simply flip the middle switch; open the steam valve knob and hot water gushes from the steam wand. For lattes and cappuccinos, flip the bottom steam button. When the orange light goes off, open the steam valve and start frothing milk: Milk Frothing and Hot Water . The Rancilio Silvia features a straightforward chrome plated steam wand that delivers plenty of ready steam for milk foam. In 1.5 minutes the Silvia will have enough milk to make the average sized latte up to temperature. Simply put, the Silvia out performs almost every espresso machine under $500 in the steaming and frothing race! The steam wand also doubles as the outlet for hot water. Simply press the hot water button and hot water will be dispensed for making beverages such as the popular Americano or tea: Quality Brewing Group . The grouphead (or the component that accepts the portafilter where the filter basket is placed) is made of chrome plated brass. Designed after Rancilios line of commercial espresso machines, the Silvia group head evenly distributes heat and reduces hotspots for more temperature consistent espresso. It has also been designed to evenly distribute water across the coffee grou
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 | Base 50 for Silvia & Rocky |
