This is a very well built machine. Solid metal construction throughout and  
very simple to operate. Anyone who is serious about making quality
espresso, Silvia is worth the $400 price tag.

So far the only minor complaint I have is no way to see how much water
is in the reservoir tank without lifting the lid.

I had been looking to replace my 10 year old Krups Espresso Novo. It still
worked and could pull a decent shot now and then but the all or nothing
steam control kept me from using the machine on a regular basis. So
much so I had developed a $8.00 a day cappa habit at the local coffee
house. About a month ago I added up how much I was spending each
week and quickly decided it was time purchase a new machine.

So what machine to buy? I had seen a Francis! Francis! X1 in a local
kitchen store a year ago and thought it was pretty cool but too
expensive. I also liked the Starbucks Barista and eventually decided on it
after seeing that it was on sale during the holidays.

Well by chance I came across Coffeekid.com and started reading Mark
Prince's review about Silvia. I had heard of Rancilio before but wasn't real
familar any of their machines. After reading about his experiences with
Silvia and checking out some other sources on the internet, I called The
Daily Grind and ordered one.

When I opened up the package and pulled Silvia out I could not believe I
only paid $395 for this machine. It looks like it should cost more and to
think I was almost ready to pay $350 for a Starbucks Barista ! Good thing
I didn't.

So I plug it in, fill up the reservoir tank and grind up some coffee and try
my first shot. I hit the brew switch and in about 20 seconds I pull a great
shot. Great as in I could hear the pump kick in and build up pressure to
produce a proper shot. Great that it had a good layer of crema and
smelled wonderful. I taste it and Wow! I could pull a shot like this every
once in awhile on my Krups if all was right with the espresso gods.
Pleased as hell I continue to make a few more shots that all turn out just
as well.

Now it was time to make a cappuccino. Like I mentioned before the
Krups had an all or nothing control over the steam and it took anywhere
from 6 - 7 minutes to froth. Sometimes I could get decent micro foam out
of it but most times it was a mix of micro and unstable foam. I read Silvia
had steam like a train and its no joke. You can froth up a pitcher of milk
really quick and get loads of micro foam.

Over the years of using my Krups I knew how important coffee grind and
proper tamping were to getting decent espresso. I also knew coffee
freshness was important as well. When I first bought the Krups I was
living in Dallas and bought coffee from different sources all over town and
didn't have much luck producing any decent espresso. That was until one
day I came across a coffee store that actually roasted their own coffee.
I got the espresso blend and tried it out. Sure enough that made all the
difference. I continued to buy from them until they when out of business
several years later. Around 1994 I got my first taste of Starbucks in D.C.
Since there were no Starbucks where I live, I started to mail order the
beans. The coffee was pretty fresh for the most part and continued to
use it all the time, that is when I actually made coffee because over the
last few years I got lazy and started my bad habit of going to the local
coffeehouse.

The first shot I made with my Silvia was with Starbucks coffee and as
good as it tasted I knew I could have better. So enter home roasting. A
week after I got my Silvia I ordered a Hearthware Precision Coffee
Roaster and started roasting my own coffee. What a difference fresh
coffee makes!

I would recommend Silvia to anyone wanting to make good, quality
espresso. Even if you are inexperienced I would go with this machine-the
payoff of learning how to use it and producing great espresso is worth it.

Bought my Silvia from The Daily Grind and promptly received it 4 days
later.