Coffee machine recommendations?

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#3312511 25-Nov-2024 06:25

Hey all,

I'm going down the rabbit hole of looking at coffee machines. I've had a bit of a read through this thread, and from my research one that consistently keeps coming up as a solid machine is the Rancilio Silvia, with it's major drawback of a lack of PID. What are people's thoughts on this machine in late 2024? Are they still worth purchasing? I hear by the time you add a PID, you may as well just have purchased a machine with it already built in...

I am a milk coffee drinker, and I believe the steam wand is exceptional on it. Unfortunately for my wallet, I experienced using a pretty good machine at a previous workplace, so good steam power would be ideal.

If you have any other recommendations or thoughts I'd be keen to hear them!

Thanks,
Matt

roderickh

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#3312548 25-Nov-2024 09:21

MrMatt: Hey all,

I'm going down the rabbit hole of looking at coffee machines. I've had a bit of a read through this thread, and from my research one that consistently keeps coming up as a solid machine is the Rancilio Silvia, with it's major drawback of a lack of PID. What are people's thoughts on this machine in late 2024? Are they still worth purchasing? I hear by the time you add a PID, you may as well just have purchased a machine with it already built in...

I am a milk coffee drinker, and I believe the steam wand is exceptional on it. Unfortunately for my wallet, I experienced using a pretty good machine at a previous workplace, so good steam power would be ideal.

If you have any other recommendations or thoughts I'd be keen to hear them!

Thanks,
Matt

In our side of the world, the BDB is a great option at good prices to be found on the used market. I love mine paired with a specialita.

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ShadowAuror

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#3312566 25-Nov-2024 09:50

I am waiting for 'Ninja Luxe Cafe' to be available in NZ. Don't know how much it will cost, but the capabilities look nice...

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Senecio

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#3312572 25-Nov-2024 10:07

I don't think the Rancilio Silvia is as good of a purhcase as it used to be. And this is coming from someone who owned one for 12 yrs and went to the effort of fitting a PID to it. Even with a PID it is still a compromised machine and you can get just as good a coffee from most consumer thermoblock machines. To be honest, unless you're willing to invest the time to really understand the Silvia's quirks you'll probably get a better coffee with a cheaper machine. More consistent at least.

There's a real gap in coffee machines nowdays. Once you go beyond ~$800 you need to step all the way up to ~$2,500 to get noticably better coffee.

MrMatt

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#3312818 25-Nov-2024 17:44

Thanks for that! I hadn't thought too much about the BDB, but I think it's probably worth looking a bit more into...

Good to hear from a long term user of the Silvia - that's what I was thinking, that it isn't really the most competitive deal in today's market. As you say, there's definitely a gap in the market, so I'm probably better off going for a machine around the $800 mark, the higher priced machines are well out of my price range at this stage.

Thanks for the feedback!

Perkynana

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#3312841 25-Nov-2024 19:20

I’ve been using the Breville bambino plus for a couple of years. Note there is a bambino and bambino plus so dyor on the differences.

Real simple to use and has a good steam wand for milk frothing. Pretty much semi automatic with some adjustments.

makes a mean flat white…simple mans coffee machine without the snobbery.

Bought on Amazon.com.au for $500 on sale

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07KQCDQCR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Pretty happy with it. Bought a nicer wooden handle and bottomless porta filter from Amazon as well as below

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08D89QWY5?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B082SWN84Q?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

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sen8or

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#3312948 26-Nov-2024 08:28

More important than the coffee machine is the grinder and the beans. Maybe look at a 2nd hand Silvia and something line a Rocky grinder or similar. So long as its being well maintained, will likely outlast a Breville and will produce a stellar end product.

Earbanean

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#3312972 26-Nov-2024 09:38

Doesn't the Rancilio Silvia Pro and/or Rancilio Silvia Pro X add a PID and other newer tech? Could be an option?

Senecio

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#3312976 26-Nov-2024 09:51

Yes, but the OP wasn't looking to spend $3,700.

ShinyChrome

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#3312991 26-Nov-2024 10:48

sen8or:

More important than the coffee machine is the grinder and the beans. Maybe look at a 2nd hand Silvia and something line a Rocky grinder or similar. So long as its being well maintained, will likely outlast a Breville and will produce a stellar end product.

Big up for this... my Breville Infuser (thermoblock w/ PID) + Eureka Mignon Specialita combo that collectively cost $1k is still going strong, and for me, the sweet spot for Pareto; it gives you just enough manual control over the grind, extraction, and steaming to find your feet and figure out how to git gud. The Steam wand is on the Infuser is... just ok to get the job done but like most Breville thermoblock machines is shared so temps can fluctuate a bit. Not ideal at all for doing back-to-back pulls but good enough for 1-2 coffees at a time.

I have long resigned myself that the only worthwhile next step is spending $4k+ for a Lelit Bianca.... finer control over the extraction process and MOAR POWA for steaming are the self-justifications... but in reality it's for big hunk of the Chrome + wood steam-punk aesthetic so I can pretend I'm flying a dirigible

Handle9

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#3313069 26-Nov-2024 14:58

ShinyChrome:
I have long resigned myself that the only worthwhile next step is spending $4k+ for a Lelit Bianca.... finer control over the extraction process and MOAR POWA for steaming are the self-justifications... but in reality it's for big hunk of the Chrome + wood steam-punk aesthetic so I can pretend I'm flying a dirigible

I feel attacked. You’re not wrong but did you have to go and say it out loud…

Thermoblock machines are really nice for beginners because of the heat up time. 30 seconds after switching it on you can pull a shot. Boiler machines aren’t like that. There’s ways to manage it but it’s a bit of a pain.

If you go down the Breville route there is a ton of second hand gear out there. A lot of people buy coffee gear and then decide it’s not for them. My old Infuser/smart grinder combo was second hand and a friend is still using it 7 years after I bought it.

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MrMatt

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#3313248 26-Nov-2024 19:16

I have heard good things about the Bambino too from my research, I haven't ruled it out entirely yet. A grinder is the other thing I'll need too, I've only ever had the spinning blade grinders (like a blender) and not a burr grinder -the blender style ones certainly are not the ideal at all.

I've been keeping an eye on what available second hand, it seems there's a fair amount out there, although there are a lot of machines that are hard to find info on without knowing the model numbers.

I'm hoping whatever I invest in will last a long time is the goal. I was leaning towards non appliance brands for a while, but the 7+ years that you got will likely have paid itself back by that time so something like that could also be a go.

In my research I've also come across the Lelit Anna with PID for less than a Silvia... Does anyone have any experience with this machine? It seems to have positive reviews on the internet from what I can see...

Thanks again for everyones input!

Handle9

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#3313250 26-Nov-2024 19:34

Lelit make nice machines. I've had a Bianca for a number of years and been very happy although it is an e61 head.

The main things I'd be wary of with the Anna is the very small boiler and the 57.5mm group head. If you aren't going to monkey around with it too much and use it out of the box it'll probably do a very good job.

Also it's very much worth investigating self importing rather than buying locally. I've used espressocoffeeshop.com and 30.coffee and both were an excellent experience. I'm not in NZ but plenty of us have had similar experiences self importing.

You will need to pay freight and likely GST but even so it's worth considering.

Also James Hoffmann did a review of entry level grinders recently, it's well worth a watch on his youtube channel.

MrMatt

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#3313254 26-Nov-2024 20:01

That's good to hear. I have seen the 57mm portafilter size and that is probably the main concerning thing about it for me, the boiler size is something that escaped my notice though... Finding accessories could be slightly trickier / more expensive. Its main draw card for me is having a PID on a machine in that price range - I could probably learn to temperature surf but from what I understand having PID is a game changer and helps a lot.

Wow! Those are significantly better prices that you can purchase them for in NZ, that's definitely worth some investigation!

Awesome, thanks for that, I'll definitely take a look at it...

Handle9

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#3315937 4-Dec-2024 16:55

One of the things I like about my e61 is how basic and mechanical it is to work on. I gave mine a bit of a birthday yesterday. It got a descale, new group head seal, greased the cam and a good clean.

The only thing that's a worry is making sure I don't scratch the chrome!

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