With the Silvia Pro X, Rancilio is launching a dual boiler machine that, like its big sister, the iconic "Miss Silvia," exudes a classic charm. It offers a lot of proven features, but also some new additions. Has Rancilio succeeded with the Silvia Pro X in making the leap into the new millennium without losing its cult status? We put it to the test! As always, we purchased the machine ourselves, so we can give our honest opinion. Of course, we'll also give you some tips on how to make delicious espresso with the Silvia Pro X.
Many other dual boilers are on the test list and other espresso machines are on the test list.
Rancilio Silvia Pro X Quick Check
Strengths
- For a dual boiler, the Rancilio Silvia Pro X has a relatively fast heat-up time of only 8 minutes without the steam boiler. With the steam boiler, the espresso machine is ready for use in 11 minutes.
- Good temperature stability, especially with our application tips further down.
- Relatively low energy consumption for a dual boiler.
- Possibility of pre-infusion, although a longer programming duration would be desirable.
- Shot timer, which displays the espresso extraction time. Many espresso machines skimp on this, yet it's such a practical little helper.
- Robust construction and Rancilio Silvia design. Timeless and with cult status.
- Few sharp edges, as the sheet metal is bent at visible points, creating soft finishes.
- Solid portafilter, but also with weaknesses.
- High-quality tamper that fits snugly into the basket.
- Good espresso performance. The coffee tastes great, thanks to the harmonious overall concept of temperature, pressure, and consistency.
Weaknesses
- Tiny drip tray. In fact, the Silvia Pro X's drip tray ranks last in this category when compared to other dual boilers.
- Drip tray is not permeable enough and therefore repels drips and splashes more than a grate.
- Relatively low steam power, even if you can get by with it.
- Portafilter not balanced.
- Closely spaced spouts on the portafilter, which sometimes makes it difficult to hit two cups well and not extract onto the rim.
- No Cool Touch steam wand.
- Pre-infusion maximum 6 seconds
Rancilio Silvia Pro X Test Videos
Here are our two test videos on YouTube.
Since our test video turned out a bit longer, we've provided a shortened summary.
The Exterior of the Silvia Pro X - The Old Volvo Among Dual Boilers
The Silvia Pro X is no design marvel. Rancilio remains true to itself and has designed a machine that, in terms of design, would have fit right in back in 1998: functional, solid, and understated. The comparison to an old Volvo is not so far-fetched. Anyone buying an old Volvo isn't looking to show off with design, but rather to drive a solid and safe car.
The Silvia Pro X has a width of 25.5 cm, making it relatively narrow. It measures 40.5 cm in height and 42.2 cm in depth. Even with the portafilter attached, it only reaches a total depth of 51.5 cm, so it fits on any countertop. Weighing 20 kilograms, it stands solidly on the table and doesn't move.
Inside the Silvia Pro X are two boilers: a small 0.3-liter espresso boiler and a switchable 1-liter steam boiler. In our case, the steam boiler was even deactivated upon delivery and had to be activated first.
Our machine showed no significant offset, so the displayed values were accurate. Nevertheless, we recommend having your dealer check it upon purchase. There is no volumetric system built into the machine, so a scale under the espresso cups is a must!
All in all, the machine makes a high-quality impression. The metal edges are bent at the sides, preventing sharp edges. The panel gaps are also kept to a minimum, and the accessories blend into the well-rounded overall picture – functional and solid. The baskets are neat and well-sized. There's also a blind filter for cleaning, as well as a truly beautiful, well-fitting tamper.
The included portafilter also appears solid. Aesthetically, it divides the home barista world. Unfortunately, due to its large mass, the portafilter is "top-heavy" and doesn't feel truly balanced in the hand. Furthermore, the spouts are very close together, so you have to aim precisely to avoid hitting the rim of a cup when using two espresso cups.
The machine's old design, while robust and long-proven, has some drawbacks. For example, the 2.2-liter water tank comes with two hoses that draw water. If you're not careful, you can quickly run dry with this system. When refilling and cleaning the tank, you always have to make sure both hoses are in the water. What used to be commonplace is rarely found in modern machines today.
Another significant disadvantage is the tiny drip tray. Almost nothing fits into it. This is very annoying, as not only water from flushing shots but also water from the expansion valve is emptied there.
In everyday use, this means you have to empty the drip tray after seemingly every second espresso. The mechanism for emptying the drip tray is also so wobbly that you always spill something. In addition, the grate design is not really well thought out, and dripping water remains on it. While alternative drip trays with grates are already available online, Rancilio could have easily avoided this point of criticism.
Temperature Performance
Those who know us at Kaffeemacher:innen know that we measure every machine down to the smallest detail, especially when it comes to temperature and temperature stability.
Spoiler alert: The Rancilio Silvia Pro X does a really good job!
If you only want to drink espresso, you can switch off the steam boiler. This helps, on the one hand, to further reduce the machine's already low power consumption, and also shortens the heat-up time. The espresso boiler reaches temperature after about 8 minutes and consumes only 0.13 kilowatts per hour during heating. This is a value that can even compete in the thermoblock league!
We came to the conclusion that after 10 minutes plus a flushing shot to warm up the portafilter, we achieve a sufficient brewing temperature (see graphic above).
During measurement with the WBC protocol, we found that at a higher cycle rate, the machines lose their temperature balance and brew sometimes hotter and sometimes colder. Nevertheless, the standard deviation of the Silvia Pro X with 1.22 degrees is in a medium range.
We achieved the best results when we allowed 90 seconds between individual espresso shots. Then the temperature of the Silvia Pro X stabilized very well and delivered consistent results.
If you want to offer yourself or your guests a cappuccino, you should start the machine directly with the steam boiler switched on and wait about 11 to 12 minutes. Although Rancilio states that the machine should reach the target temperature after only 5 minutes, our measurements show that we only reach approximately 70 degrees at that point. At this temperature, it is not yet possible to prepare a drinkable espresso. We therefore strongly recommend giving the big Silvia her time! The machine consumes about 0.24 kilowatts per hour to heat both boilers, which is also a very good value and outperforms many machines.
In our WBC protocol, we tested the temperature stability of the Silvia Pro X under extreme load. We found that too high a frequency can overwhelm the machine. However, this is not a problem, as we are not talking about a commercial machine here.
Pre-infusion – A Great Innovation!
And then there's something new! Rancilio offers us the option to set pre-infusion on the Silvia Pro X. This wets the coffee puck with hot water for between 0 and 6 seconds. The vibration pump does not run during pre-infusion, but only starts afterwards.
What is pre-infusion good for? Ground coffee has a hydrophobic, i.e., water-repellent, surface. If you pump water at high pressure through the coffee powder, some areas of the coffee puck may "accept" and pass the water earlier, while other areas react later. This can lead to so-called channeling. With channeling, the extraction of the espresso is not uniform; small channels form in the coffee puck through which the water flows too quickly. The result is an unbalanced cup of espresso.
During pre-infusion, the entire coffee puck is wetted with water. It thus comes into contact with water without pressure and is quasi "persuaded" to let the incoming water pass more easily. When the vibration pump starts and the water flows through with pressure, the extraction is more even.
Pre-infusion is not a must! Some coffees, especially lighter roasts, benefit more from it than others. Nevertheless, pre-infusion is an innovation that we very much welcome. It's just fun to experiment a little more with different coffees. If you ask us, it could have been 10 seconds, but the 6 seconds that Rancilio offers are also fine!
Espresso and Cappuccino – We Love the Taste!
An espresso machine should make good espresso – and the Silvia Pro X does! Properly set, it brews us truly delicious espresso of consistent quality. Thanks to pre-infusion and PID control, we can precisely adjust all parameters and achieve the most perfect extraction possible. That's fun!
Making cappuccino also works well. Since it's a dual boiler system, we don't need a heat-up time between espresso extraction and milk frothing. The steam is immediately available, and that can really help when making several cappuccinos in a row!
The steam pressure of the Silvia Pro X is not outstandingly high. Even when we set the PID control for the steam boiler to the maximum of 125 degrees, the steam power remains limited. Rancilio does not use a "Cool Touch" steam wand. In addition, the steam wand continues to blow briefly after being switched off. So don't pull the wand out of the pitcher too quickly, otherwise you'll blow large bubbles into your milk foam at the last moment!
Conclusion: A Truly Interesting Machine!
"Anything but boring." And with that slogan, the last Volvo comparison in this blog. But this comparison also holds true. Yes, the design seems understated, almost a bit old-fashioned. The drip tray is a disaster, and the water tank is anything but a modern, clever solution. Nevertheless, the Silvia Pro X is a truly interesting machine.
The machine is ready for operation very quickly for a dual boiler, at 8 or 11 minutes. The temperature stability is excellent! The possibility of pre-infusion invites experimentation and gets even more out of many coffees. And most importantly: The espresso tastes great! And every espresso tastes great as soon as the machine is at operating temperature.
It gets really interesting when we look at the price of the machine. In Germany, it's available for around 1400 euros and in Switzerland for 1600 – 1700 Swiss francs. For this price, Rancilio offers a really good deal and delivers a solid machine with which you can't really go wrong. Almost like a Volv... okay, stop!
