Espresso Machine: Rancilio Silvia or Gaggia Classic

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by donevwil

Since I last commented on the CC1 in the other thread we've had to retire ours. Scale buildup again. Never happened to our Rancilio or previous Starbucks Saeco after twice the years of use. Great machine when it works, but something is inherently wrong with the design, the tech at Seattle Coffee gear who rebuilt it the first time admitted it's a known shortcoming.

Good luck.

thats a shame. May I ask how long was the interval btw descaling? They recommend every 2 weeks if you have hard water. I have yet to do it but its due for a descale as I have had it for about a month.

I have not read many bad reviews about the machine, there are complaints and I have mine of course.

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

thats a shame. May I ask how long was the interval btw descaling? They recommend every 2 weeks if you have hard water. I have yet to do it but its due for a descale as I have had it for about a month.

I have not read many bad reviews about the machine, there are complaints and I have mine of course.

After initial purchase (Dec '12) we (my wife) descaled 3-4 times a year. After the first rebuild in May '17 (after a year and a half in storage) every 2 weeks to start then every week once we noticed problems. SCG tech said the steam thermoblock is the issue and they've replaced many. I hadn't read a single issue about the thermoblock prior to its replacement. Ours is a v1.5 and I will say both SCG and Bill Crossland were outstanding to deal with, we'll probably get it rebuilt again and sell.

We ran the cheap Starbucks Saeco unit for 6 years with only quarterly descaling, and the friend who gave us the Rancilio descaled about as often over for 4 years, all running the same Petaluma water. Both these systems still run perfectly.

I suggest you add a Rocket Espresso Water Reservoir Filter for cheap insurance.

[scoobydrew]

What's your budget for machine + grinder + misc. accessories (tamper, etc.)?

I recommend factoring in the cost of a decent grinder into your budget, which is just as important (if not more) than the machine you choose. You don't want to get a grinder that is inconsistent or won't even produce grounds fine enough for espresso.

Gaggia Classic + steam wand upgrade might be a decent choice. For what it's worth, I picked up my Silvia locally off Craigslist for $300, so you can probably look around for deals as well.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by donevwil

After initial purchase (Dec '12) we (my wife) descaled 3-4 times a year. After the first rebuild in May '17 (after a year and a half in storage) every 2 weeks to start then every week once we noticed problems. SCG tech said the steam thermoblock is the issue and they've replaced many. I hadn't read a single issue about the thermoblock prior to its replacement. Ours is a v1.5 and I will say both SCG and Bill Crossland were outstanding to deal with, we'll probably get it rebuilt again and sell.

We ran the cheap Starbucks Saeco unit for 6 years with only quarterly descaling, and the friend who gave us the Rancilio descaled about as often over for 4 years, all running the same Petaluma water. Both these systems still run perfectly.

I suggest you add a Rocket Espresso Water Reservoir Filter for cheap insurance.

dang I literally just placed an order with SCG for descaling solution and a few other things. Wish I had seen this and would have ordered the filter.

I think it all depends on how hard your water is, we happen to have very soft water so maybe will not have the problem (or it will take longer for the problem to arrive).

My CC1 is a v2... I wonder what the difference is btw the 1.5 and 2.

- found out -

The Crossland CC1 Version V2 is nearly identical to the 1.5 before it. The main difference lies in an updated thermoblock designed for a longer service life." - SCG

so that is good news. Does not mean it will not fail but seems like they were aware of some issue. I love the machine so far, I also got a crazy good deal, $100 off + 10% off since first order from SCG.

[echappist]

I used to do descaling on my Rancilio once every 6 months (at 50 mL of espresso/day), when I used the Bestcup S water filter (after using water through PUR filter). I now use Bestcup M water filter, which has twice the capacity and should be good for one year.

one could actually get testing strips to determine sedimentation content of the water used; highly useful

[kingpin75s]

Silvia and a Mazzer Mini for going on 12 years. Cannot say enough good things about both.

Regarding the PID recommendations. I am sure they help for consistency but I have always found that it is easy to experiment and find a good repeatable process for temp that makes a perfect shot. For me: Warm my machine for at least 30 minutes. Flush my portafilter until the light comes on. Set up my shot while it reheats and the light turns off again. Wait approx. 45 seconds after the light goes off and pull my shot.

[crankles]

I've had both the Silvia and the Gaggia classic. Not a fan of the Gaggia.
In all fairness, I PID'ed the Silvia....which then pulled nice shots about 95% of the time....instead of 75% of the time.

If it's only a choice between those two, the Silvia has far better guts.