Rancilio Silvia Pro X Espresso Machine

Edited my review after speaking with support at Seattle Coffee (who are fantastic and responded super quickly - 10/10 service). The picture shows the drip tray cover, which I thought was printed/painted metal and thus unacceptable - they quickly cleared up that it is a protective film, and after picking away at an edge for a few minutes, it all started to peel off super easily and now looks just like the pictures! Very nice plastic/rubbery protective film, and easy to remove once it gets going! Onto the machine now that I can leave a more informed review - it's great! Going through the menus reminds me a little of using my furnace/AC diagnostics, and I need to look codes up sometimes, but I'm glad it doesn't require an app for anything. My only real complaint is that the timed turn-on is a timer, not a time of day, so I have to do the math every time. Might get a smart plug. You can set the steam and boiler temperature manually, and while I have no means to test the machine thoroughly, well-known reviewers have noted that it keeps perfect, consistent pressure and temperature, which is exactly what you need for espresso! The pressure gauge is nice to see that, not that I really use it when pulling. Also, the machine could push through much finer grinds than my last, to the point I needed to shim my grinder to get fine enough to choke it. This is great! I think it's a combination of a wider portafilter (58 vs 51) and better pressure/heat for espresso. The solenoid is such a nice upgrade over my last machine, too - not having a pool of liquid on top the puck when I remove it is such an underrated feature! Steams milk completely by the time a shot finishes pulling, which is really all you need for a good dual boiler IMO. Even thicker milks that gave me trouble on my last machine get a nice vortex in the pitcher. And lastly, the build is excellent! Metal, heavy duty, doesn't slide around my countertop like a cheaper machine. 10/10!

The best pro-sumer machine on the market, in my opinion. If you love espresso and making your own espresso drinks the Sylvia Pro represents the best value for a pro-sumer machine. It has 2 boilers, one for espresso and one for steam, so there's no waiting for a single boiler to heat up or cool down. Plus, you can make plain espressos and leave the steam boiler turned off if you want. It's a very well-built, heavy-duty machine for serious coffee lovers. If you're a Keurig-type person you'll hate it because it requires some (limited) skill to operate. You can individually set the brewing and steaming temperatures to your preference. It also features pre-infusion - you can set it to pre-wet the coffee for 1 to 6 seconds before the pump kicks in. You'll also need a high-quality burr grinder to go with the Sylvia Pro to take advantage of its superior quality. In order to pull great shots you need a very consistent grind. Previously I had a Gaggia Pro single boiler machine, and it made perfectly acceptable espresso, but you had to either pull the shot first and then wait for the boiler to heat up to steam OR steam the milk first and then purge the boiler to cool it down to pull the espresso shot. The steaming wand on the Sylvia Pro has 4 openings so it steams the milk much faster than the Gaggia Pro, more like a commercial unit.

This is an extremely well manufactured espresso maker. No cheap materials anywhere. Features allow brewing perfect espresso, steamed milk, and hot water for any coffee bean. Perfect for beginners and experienced brewers. Made in Italy. Packaged extremely well. Comes with almost everything you need to make a perfect shot out of the box. Aside from a scale, the only helpful items not included are a dosing funnel, grounds distribution tool and a milk pitcher. Easy to get elsewhere. We are unquestionably satisfied with the Silvia Pro X.

I’ve had this machine for two and a half years. Every day I’ve pulled three double shots: one test to make sure the espresso is dialed in, and then one for a cortado and another for a latte. It’s been a fantastic workhorse. I don’t live in a major city anymore and it’s hard to get good espresso based drinks near me. The Rancilio has basically solved this. And it’s become a pleasant morning ritual. Of all my purchases of the last couple years this has been the most impactful in my life. If you have a lot of people over the size of the water tanks can be an issue. But for 2-4 people it’s perfect. My advise to purchasers is to spend some extra money on a barista training class. It’s fun and you really learn how to properly pull a shot and get the right milk texture. I can’t compare this to other machines since it’s the only one I’ve ever owned at this price point. But for me it has been perfect. I miss it when I’m on vacation or a work trip.

Old fashioned espresso machine, built like a tank. The internal components are made of brass, high quality product indeed. Worth every penny, period. As the owner of other espresso machines in the last decade, I can say this one stands out in built quality and performance.

The machine is a dream but the star is J.L. Hufford!! I received my first unit from them and after a day and a half of use, the pumps stopped feeding the boilers water and I was unable to pull a shot or foam milk. I put in a return request explaining the issue and WITHOUT HESITATION it was approved. I ordered another one and it was at my house the next day. What service!!! I cannot even tell you how relieved I was. When you spend this kind of cash over the internet you have a sense of vulnerability. Not with J.L. Hufford, they are the definition of what customer service should be and is! Well done, Y'all!!

Upgraded from a bambino and wow I’ve never even had a good tasting shot before! It makes great espresso! Love how I can change the temperature! It’s not to loud. Easy to clean with the cleaning cycles. It looks great it’s heavy enough that I don’t have to hold the machine to remove the portafilter. The functions are great. Update: It’s been a month of using it and still love it

My experience maybe unusual but it should be documented. I have had a Pasquini Livia 90 for well over 20 years so not new to home espresso. Unfortunately my workhorse finally died. Iread asll the reviews of the new, latest espresso machines and made my decision. I purchased a Rancilio Silvia Pro X Machine which was an "open box" and looked new when opening the box but did not even manage making a single shot of espresso as the machine kept giving me errors and leaking water from the hot water spout continually. I talked to the support people and was told to send the machine back (50lbs). Burned with the "open box" I decided on a brand new machine which was quickly sent out to me. A brand new fully sealed box, double boxed and in excellent condition. I set up the machine last Thursday 4 days ago. Everything was perfect. Easy to use easy to program, good quality aromatic espresso. I was in heaven! Alas, after making about 10 shots of espresso it is now Monday morning 4 days later. I power up the machine and it gives me an error saying the steam boiler has a problem, too late to mess with it. I go to work and power it up when I return. Same error, pump is running and all of a sudden the countertop is full of water. I called support again and they tell me it's probably the same or similar problem to the first machine and this one needs to be sent back as well. I am told the base Rancilio Silvia is a very reliable machine but that the pro X is new and track record is not well established. So buyer beware. Understandably I will not purchase another Rancilio Silvia pro X. I am getting a refund and purchasing a different brand machine.