Rancilio
Rancilio, founded by Roberto Rancilio in 1927, has been driven by a passion for extraordinary espresso. We devote each day to the development of professional machines that meet the highest design and functionality standards.
Our daily actions are guided by four principles which convey our commitment to our customers and the global community: Roots, Research, Relationships and Results.
In following these four foundational tenets, we continue to build upon Roberto Rancilio's enthusiasm. Today, Silvia, Giorgio, Luca and Roberto Rancilio work to promote the Italian espresso coffee culture worldwide. On this firm basis, we strive to uphold the standards Roberto set nearly 80 years ago, and to help our customers reach their goal of a perfect espresso cup every time.
A QUALITY PRODUCT! (on Inox Base for Rancil...)
Son Ton | Mon, 05/28/2012This is the accesory to get if you have a Rancilio Silvia and a rancillio rocky grinder. It make preparing coffee less messy and have compartments for storing your coffee stuffs.
FOR THE POD LOVER ONLY! (on Rancilio Pod Adaptor...)
Son Ton | Mon, 05/28/2012This is the kit to get for the Rancilio Silvia if you are into using pod. Pods offer convinience at the expense of quality. Ok if you do not have time to grind your own coffee or do not have a grinder to do it.
SOLID GRINDER (on Rancilio Rocky Doser...)
fatnat79 | Mon, 05/14/2012Rocky is a solid all around grinder. I would say it does a better job at grinding for drip than it does for espresso. The doserless version makes it easy to grind directly into a portafilter.
STOP HERE! (on Rancilio Epoca ST-1 ...)
intrepid510 | Sat, 05/12/2012Had the opportunity to use this machine as a demo at a local cafe, really easy to use and nice that it is switchable from tank to direct connect. I also rally enjoy the styling on it as it won't look too out of place on a home counter top. A really great machine to be a end all be all home machine.
DECENT GRIND FOR PRICE (on Rancilio Rocky Grind...)
fatnat79 | Tue, 05/01/2012There are of course better grinders out there in similar price range (Baratza line) but this old school benchmark grinder is still a tank imo. Gives you decent grinds for espresso and drip coffee use. Doser is a bit of a pain to keep clean but minimizes static and helps with distribution.
BEST USED FOR PULLING RISTRETTOS (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
chasemonster | Sat, 04/14/2012I prefer to use the bottomless portafilter from Chris' Coffee Service: (((( http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/espressoaccs/bottomlessportafilter )))) Also, it is important to attach a temperature probe to the top of the boiler: (((( http://www.web-tronics.com/csi6500.html )))) Here is a big long discussion on why you would do that: (((( http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1227428190/all ))))
VERY CAPABLE MACHINE (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
fatnat79 | Tue, 03/13/2012This machine has it's quirks but if you're willing to invest the time and effort to learn the ins and outs of this machine, it is well worth it. In its heyday, it dominated the home prosumer market but there are a some other competitors to look at as well if you are considering this. Some are the Crossland CC1 and a Le'lit PL041.
RANCILIO SILVIA IS HOT!!! (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
drose005 | Sun, 03/11/2012After searching for a true espresso maker for several years the search has finally drawn to the Rancilio Silvia. I stumbled upon Ms. Silvia while searching thru several espresso forums and read mostly excellent reviews. The reviews that do not give her an excellent rating most likely are not giving this sweet heart a chance. After receiving the heavy package and the next day her stylist Ms. Rocky - I knew the investment paid off. The portafilter is a sculpture that is of professional grade - check the weight. I bought beans from costco - they were cheap. Do not buy cheap beans. They need to be fresh. After several adjustments to Rocky - the grinder - I was not getting a good crema. I then used the Illy whole beans and had mixed results. I finally got the crema and a great tasting espresso. You have to experiment and this can get you extremely high on caffeine. I must of had four or five whole shots and tasted about fifteen. I ordered a 58mm tamper because the tamper sent by Rancilio is garbage. As previous reviews stated, use Youtube.com to help you learn what turns Ms. Silvia on. Once you understand that you need a consistent bean grinder, a good 58mm tamper, clean water, fresh quality whole beans, and a willing to enjoy the learning that goes on with such an undervalued piece of art, you will not regret your investment. This is my second day with her and I am already comfortable with something that you should look into: temperature surfing. This is extremely valuable and to get a great video check Youtube. Basically, the manufacture suggest warming Ms. Silvia for a minimum of 30 min. to an hour of foreplay; but with temperature surfing (which is extremely easy) the time is more like >10 seconds. She's not as complicated as her first impression may imply.
MY MORNING FRIEND (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
lesliejillatkins | Fri, 03/09/2012Silvia and I have been sharing mornings together for 7 years now. What I love about her? - If something goes wrong, there's no weird black-box of computerized equipment, or plastic molded parts, I can reach right in see what's gone wrong. Easy to fix. Parts are available. The coffee is great - there is a learning curve, and having a quality grinder is, of course, essential.
GREAT MACHINE BUT CONSIDER THE QUIC... (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
jmorleyk | Fri, 03/09/2012I owned a V2 Rancilio Silvia for about 2 years. During that time I went through several grinders (cheap Starbucks burr grinder, baratza, and finally a Macap M4 Stepless with doser). The grinder matters a lot with the Silvia so don't skimp. You also need to plan on learning how to temperature surf, or you need a PID. Temperature surfing is pretty easy and gets you within 10 degrees or so of your target, which is decent. If you plan on adding a PID, then you're getting into this machine close to $800-900. At this point it makes sense to consider a more expensive machine (Quickmill Alexia perhaps). That said the Quickmill is probably the least expensive machine capable of making decent espresso. It's built like a tank and will easily last 10 years or more.
RANCILIO SILVIA V3 IS AWESOME! (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
Kathy Brooks / wubbydog55 | Mon, 02/13/2012I've had two machines in the past; a steam model and than a pump. We investigated long and hard, and decided on this model. It was a bit pricey and we had to save up for it. Let me tell you though, it was worth the wait! It performed as people said from the get-go. Let's see if it holds up better than our previous espresso machines.
TOUGH (on Rancilio Rocky Doser...)
intrepid510 | Mon, 01/30/2012Nice grinder, not having the doser is really a perference thing. A lot of people like the non-doser because you don't have to worry about coffee becoming trapped in there and getting stale nasty coffee when you least expect it. However, the doser has the plus of breaking up clumps. However, there is a problem with this grinder and that is it has limited adjustability making it hard to get the grind and dose for coffee compared to other grinders with more 'steps' or infinite adjustability. But this will work for espresso unlike like lesser grinders out there and is a good one for home as it's built like a rock.
A MOD AWAY (on Rancilio Rocky Grind...)
intrepid510 | Mon, 01/30/2012These grinders for a while were one of the most used home espresso grinders, because there was not a lot out there besides the big bad commercial grinders. And at that time compared to other grinders out there the Rocky did a great job of grinding for espresso. However, as other grinders have come out that focus on the home market it has made the Rocky less appealing. Pros: Grinds fine enough for espresso, built like a tank, doser to break up clumps. Cons: Large stepped grinding (if you want a dose of 15 grams but it flows too fast and you tighten your grind it will be too fine)
A GOOD OPTION (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
avaserfi | Fri, 01/27/2012The Silvia was my first machine and it is a good one, but there might be better options out there at similar or slightly higher price points. The Silvia is capable of brewing a great shot, but the barista must recognize its idiosyncratic nature. As with any machine, the grind and dose are very important. But you will have to concern yourself with temperature surfing or waiting for the boiler to reach an appropriate brewing temperature. This isn't too inconvenient, unless you are making multiple drinks at a time, especially if you are making multiple milk drinks. Being a single boiler unit, pulling a shot, steaming milk and then pulling another shot requires some cooling of the group because it tends to over heat as the boiler comes up to steaming temperature. Instead, I would pull all the shots I needed, then steam all the milk. This certainly came at the cost of quality in the cup, but I couldn't find a better way to deal with the Silvia. That said, I've recently upgraded and can instantly taste the difference in the cup. Higher end machines give more control over temperature, add pre-infusion and allow back to back shot pulls and steaming among other things. In the end, I think it depends on what you want from an espresso machine. If you will pull the occasional shot, the Silvia is a great option. If you will be making drinks for guests or multiple times throughout the day it might be better to save. One last note, I bought my Silvia used and it was 7 years old. I sold it at the age of 11 years and it is working perfectly still. They are built very well.
TRIED AND TRUE (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
intrepid510 | Fri, 01/20/2012This is one of the most tried and true machines that you can get for your home that will still fit on the counter. The machine is built like a tank and if you take care of it, it will last a long time. The only problem is that this machine is picky about the grind of the coffee so you will need to have a proper espresso grinder and the temp can swing a lot on this type of machine so you will need an eye for detail. Just remember you can't pull and steam at the same time for making a latte so you will need to wait about a minute in between shots. The reason for the 4 stars is the price its pretty high!
SOLID WITH A CAVEAT (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
jbviau | Wed, 01/18/2012This is a solid, capable machine in every way. However, I have yet to hear what I consider a truly good reason why you should fork over $200+ extra for this compared to, say, the Gaggia Classic. Many people add the Silvia's steam wand to their Classics, true, but you don't really *need* to do so.
PRO MACHINE (on Rancilio Epoca ST-1 ...)
EricBNC | Wed, 12/28/2011This espresso machine is wonderful over kill for home use and would be right at home in a cafe so it is no surprise that you can make the same quality espresso at home as you can find in the best coffee shops with one of these sitting on the kitchen counter - a professional grade machine attractively packaged and priced.
DECENT QUALITY (on Rancilio Rocky Doser...)
samuellaw178 | Sun, 12/25/2011This is a decent espresso grinder for most beginners. However, for that price, I would get Baratza's offering which are more superior in my opinion. Plus, the rocky doserless are known to clump a little and staticky. It works but has a little quirks.
RANCILIO BRAND (on Rancilio Rocky Grind...)
samuellaw178 | Sun, 12/25/2011In my opinion, you're probably paying a little more for the Rancilio's name. I would probably get other grinders with the same cost. However, Rocky is a decent entry level grinder for espresso. It should last you many years of services.
VERY GOOD QUALITY AND EASE OF USE (on Rancilio Silvia V3 E...)
jimh70458 | Wed, 12/14/2011This is my first espresso machine. I have found it everything that was described. Made pretty good espresso once I got the grind correct. Still learning some features though. I definately would recommend this to beginners .