Rancilio is perhaps best known for the iconic home espresso machines they make. The Rancilio Silvia brings a high-quality entry-level espresso experience into the home for an incredible price. With its proven track record, it's not surprising that the Rancilio Silvia is one of the most popular home espresso machines in the world.

Well, Rancilio has gone and done it again. One of the features that many Silvia users would like is the ability to steam milk and brew espresso at the same time. This is usually achieved through a heat exchanger, however, Rancilio decided to go all the way and built the most affordable dual-boiler home espresso machine on the market. Espresso lovers, meet the Rancilio Silvia Pro.

About the Rancilio Silvia Pro Espresso Machine

The Silvia Pro comes equipped with a 0.3-litre brew boiler as well as a 1-litre steam boiler, both made out of high-quality copper and brass. The advantages of dual boilers go beyond just being able to steam water and brew espresso simultaneously. The difference in temperature control and temperature stability is significant. The Silvia Pro uses two advanced PID controllers that offer temperature control that rivals the highest quality commercial machines, with less than 0.5ºC temperature variation.

In addition to the dual boilers and advanced PIDs, the Silvia Pro also comes with a shot timer, temperature display and digital controller. It has a 2-litre water reservoir with a low water warning, separate water dispensers as well as adjustable drip tray height. With this machine, Rancilio has taken the simplicity, minimalist design and quality of the Silvia and upgraded it to a powerhouse of a domestic espresso machine.

Please note that the Rancilio Silvia Pro comes with an eco mode as standard. It will reduce temperature to save power after 30 minutes of idling. It will however heat back up within just a few minutes, much more quickly than if it had been fully switched off. Eco-mode can be reconfigured to only start after 120 minutes.

Silvia Pro vs. Silvia Pro X

The Silvia Pro has now become the Silvia Pro X. They are very similar machines, but the Pro X adds a couple of interesting extras.

The Silvia Pro X adds variable soft infusion. This allows the coffee puck to be saturated at a lower pressure, reducing the chances of channelling and improving extraction. This is a feature available on some of the top commercial espresso machines, so will be one that espresso aficionados who like to tinker will appreciate.

The Pro X also includes a pressure gauge that allows you to monitor the pressure at the boiler, an important variable in espresso extraction. The Pro X also includes an RS1 ergonomic portafilter handle of the sort that you find on some commercial machines.

About Rancilio 

Rancilio began making high-quality commercial espresso machines in Italy in the 1920s, but it was in the late 1990s that they probably made their biggest contribution to the coffee world with the release of the Rancilio Silvia. It became a benchmark piece of equipment for home espresso brewing and played a part in the development of the third wave of coffee. Since then, Rancilio has established itself as the go-to brand for home baristas looking for a solid entry point into making real espresso. Empowering cafes as much as home users, Rancilio also has a commercial offering that is high quality, reliable and great value for money.

Rancilio Silvia Pro X Espresso Machine features

• Dual copper boiler system with brass end plates
• Advanced Dual PID control for greater temperature stability
• Vibratory pump
• Water reservoir
• Robust and high-quality build
  
• Passive stainless steel cup warmer
• Low water indication system
• Comes with a portafilter and single & double baskets 
• Comes with a free steel tamper with a black wooden handle
• Separate steam and hot water wands
• Eco-mode (the machine will go into power-saving mode after 30 mins of idle time; configurable to 120 mins)
• Variable soft infusion
• Pressure gauge

Rancilio Silvia Pro X Espresso Machine specifications

• Steam boiler capacity: 1L
• Brew boiler capacity: 0.3L
• Reservoir capacity: 2L
• Power: 1,300W
• Dimensions: 250 x 450 x 390 mm (width x depth x height)
• Weight: 20.0 kg