I'm from Italy and it's the first time I see this brand. Anyone could explain why it costs an order of magnitude more than a Delonghi with similar specs?
I've had one of these machines for ~10years and she's still going strong. Combined with a good grinder the RC makes great coffee. The design is simple but elegant and the end result very satisfying.
Very random that this made it to the front page. There are a lot more interesting espresso restorations out there. http://www.espresso-restorations.com/GS.html
Hah - I just yesterday spent an hour disassembling my Pasquini Livietta to figure out what was wrong with it. Replaced the group head seal and now the thing seems to be happy again. The thing is surprisingly trusty as long as you take care of it, and I had a thought that I bet I could keep it running until I can pass it down to my kids.
Interesting! When I worked for a coffee roaster, there were two kinds of people looking for the Silvia: home espresso enthusiasts with too much money and cheapskates looking to add espresso-based drinks to their businesses.
I'm glad the poster enjoyed the project, because there's no way on Earth it was worth the money.
I had one of these and it's built like a tank and produced amazing coffee. Sadly it couldn't come with me to Japan. Would definitely consider getting another one at some point in the future...
I did a PID mod on mine when I bought it around 5 years ago and love it. Built like a tank, and looks more commercial than similarly priced machines if that means anything to you.
I have two Saeco Vienna Plus machines. These have what appears to be a pretty decent grinder built in. The machine brews a decent shot, but the electronics are probably not very precise (who knows the temperature, and the brew length is controlled by a basic potentiometer that seems inconsistent). ]I wonder if these are good candidates for some interesting hacks...Does anyone have any experience with these? I'd love to get a Silvia but I like the idea of the built in grinder.
I have a used Rancilio Silva that's in fair condition, and want to sell it, any ideas where and for how much?
Anyone know of any good places outside of eBay for getting ahold of less expensive fixer-uppers?
Where is the finished project pictures? It doesn't look like there are on the thread.
Funny to see that the problem was a faulty switch. My own Rancilio Classe 6 has had at least two different switches spontaneously short/blow out. Electro-mechanical switches are like 1930's technology...is Rancilio pushing the make-it-cheaply effort 5% too hard?
I've always wondered what was in my rocky. This was great to see...
Hi OP! You should consider 3D printing the grouphead plastic cover!
Nice work to OP. There's so many super high quality espresso machines out there that will outlive me. When one of those classic machines is paired with a quality grinder and fresh beans, you will be brewing coffee better than many coffee shops (especially the chains).
Around 5 years ago I restored a La Pavoni Europiccola manual lever espresso machine to working order. I bought it off of a "parts only" ebay listing for $200. It turns out it just needed new grouphead and base gaskets, some rustoleum, and some simple electrical work (new power switch and thermostat). After getting over the initial learning curve, this machine has consistently given me some amazing espresso shots, all while on a tight budget.
If you're interested in seeing more of these kinds of restorations, check out these videos from the Orphan Espresso guy, who is incredibly skilled:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Ymz8YJpcE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_k-08sVlPw