Quality pays for itself - owned one for over a year now and never regretted it
Positive Product Points
Built like a tank Looks fantastic Consistantly good espresso Straightforward to maintain
Negative Product Points
Shallow drip tray
Detailed Commentary
Having owned a sylvia for over a year I thought I would post a few comments on how it has been to live with over that time. As this was my first 'proper' espresso machine taking the plunge with a relatively expensive machine such as this was a bit of a milestone, but as, at the time, it was almost impossible to get a decent espresso in my home town it really wasnt a luxury buy as far as I was concerned. It is a fantastic machine and I have never regretted buying it, and apart from blowing the thermostat after leaving it switched on for two weeks solid (easily, quickly and cheaply fixed thanks to great parts availablity in the UK) it has been totally reliable. I have recently started using a blind filter and detergent as part of a regular maintanence routine (along with descaling etc). Looking at some comments posted here there seems to be a bit of a debate about this, but personally I have found it significantly improves the machines performance, and the amount of gunk it flushes out is just amazing!
Buying Experience
Excellent - both for the initial purchase and after sales support. Drury Tea and Coffee are the sole UK retailers for Rancilio machines and do a great deal for the Sylvia and Rocky if purchased together
