Owning a dependable and easy to use espresso machines are almost every coffee drinker dreams. Between those many machines out there, Rancilio Silvia and Gaggia Classic are a great option to choose. To help you decide which the most suitable machine is for you, we are going to provide you with some useful information regarding both machines capabilities.
In this article we are going to give you information about:
– What is Rancilio Silvia and Gaggia Classic
– How Rancilio Silvia and Gaggia Classic Looks Like
– What Rancilio Silvia and Gaggia Classic can offer to you
– Rancilio Silvia vs Gaggia Classic
About Rancilio Silvia
Rancilio Silvia is an espresso machine from the same name company. This machine is currently one of the most popular espresso machine in the market for its capability in serving tasty coffee as well as compact design and ease of use. Even the unit does look smaller from the common espresso machines out there, its ability or features are robust. For those who prefer to enjoy espresso or those with little space in their home, should consider to own Rancilio Silvia.
Rancilio Silvia Design
From the outside, Rancilio Silvia looks very sturdy with stainless steel casing covering its body while the inside components are made of brass. Measuring at 9.2 x 11.4 x 13.4, you can place the unit in any flat surface in your kitchen or table top without consuming too much space. All the control switches you need to operate the machines are placed at the front of the unit for more convenient operation with light to indicate they are active.
Rancilio Silvia Features
As it have been mentioned earlier that the inside components of Rancilio Silvia are made of brass. The chrome plated brew group of the machine will make sure that the heat and water distribution to extract your coffee ground perfectly. When it comes to espresso machine one of the most important thing is the pressure system. The Rancilio Silvia is coming with a powerful 15 BAR Heavy Duty Pump to effectively force water through the coffee ground of your choice and extract its full flavor into your cup.
To help you clean the machine easily, Rancilio Silvia have commercial grade pressure relief system that utilize a 3-way solenoid valve to reduce the splatter and inadvertently removed portafilter as well as reducing post brew drip to get you dry coffee puck. Water temperature is important to create the best espresso since if it’s too hot your coffee will taste different and may become to bitter.
To maintain the temperature inside the machine there are three Thermostats to maintain the espresso, steam as well as the boiler, so your machine wont becomes too hot over repetitive uses. The water reservoir is placed inside the machine and the full capacity is 67 oz. or around 1.9 liters. It also removable for convenient cleaning and you can fill it while the machine is operating or take it out and fill the water directly from sink.
For you who not only loves espresso but also cappuccino, Rancilio Silvia is featured with commercial grade chrome plated steam wand to deliver plenty of steam for milk frothing and if you are not in mood for espresso, you can make Americano, Tea or other beverage since it also able to dispense hot boiling water. The portafilter comes in the machine are one heavy duty chrome plated portafilter and two stainless steel filter baskets for one and double shot all in 58mm.
Located at the top of Rancilio Silvia, there is a cup heating surface to warm your cup before pouring your espresso to retain the taste and crema at the perfect state.
About Gaggia Classic
Gaggia Classic is an espresso machine from one of the most popular Italian coffee machines maker Gaggia. This machine is adored by many coffee drinker for its ability to deliver great espresso in each operation as well as simple operation so even novice user will not face any difficulties when using the machine for the first time.
For those who want to own an espresso machine but don’t have much to spend or those who want compact machine that can be place conveniently in small home, Gaggia Classic is a great option to go. For similar machine, check our article on Gaggia Classic vs Breville Infuser here.
Gaggia Classic Design
From the outside, Gaggia Classic looks very tough with stainless steel body covering its body. Measuring at 14.2 x 8 x 9.5 inches, this machine is pretty small for an espresso machine and can be placed in any flat surface without taking too much space. You also won’t find too much control or customization in the machine and all the controls you need to make your delicious espresso are all placed at the front of the unit, so you can use it and see it easier.
Gaggia Classic Features
Gaggia Classic boiler is said to be unique for it was designed from highly conductive aluminum with two heating elements that embedded into the exterior sides of the boiler to provide the machine eve heat distribution. Combined with the highest system available and combined with small boiler volume, the heat will get up quickly and keep the temperature stable.
To help you clean the machine easily, the 3 way solenoid valve will relieves the water pressure off the coffee when you turn off the brew as well as dry the coffee ground to create dry coffee puck. The brewing group is made of chrome plated marine brass to provide you with great brewing environment and superior heat stability together with component longevity. Portafilter comes with Gaggia Classic is the 58mm standard portafilter to evenly distribute the water over a wide surface area and get you that delicious espresso you love.
For you who also enjoy coffee and milk based beverage, Gaggia Classic Pannarello steam wand will froth the milk to give you that smooth and rich frothed milk to sweeten your espresso. If you want to make another beverage, you can get hot water from the machine by turning on the machine and open the steam knob. The machine also have cup heater, but it is passive heater, so the heat only comes from the residual heat from the boiler.
Comparison
Now, let’s compare Rancilio Silvia with Gaggia Classic. From the construction, both machine have the same sturdy and tough look, but Gaggia is slightly bigger than Rancilio. Both of them are capable of heating water quickly, have milk frother, and able to dispense hot water. From the ground option, Gaggia is better for it can use the ESE pods when you just want to speed things up.
Rancilio Silvia vs Gaggia Classic
Conclusion
All in all, the decision is all yours to make. From the price, Gaggia Classic is far more affordable than Rancilio Silvia and since both have the same capabilities, in our opinion Gaggia Classic is a better option and you can use the change to purchase a great grinder to complement your machine.