Every discussion (not just coffee) overemphasizes the tools. Silvia isn't regarded as finicky for no reason. You do have to know what you're doing with her. That said, good tools do make the job easier.
That said, a good grinder is a must if you didn't get the idea from reading the thread. Good beans are a must as well. No amount of skill is going to compensate for either of these.
There are, however, as you said, better options for the money. The Lelit PL041 is frequently recommended to those who are shopping for something like the Silvia in its day.
I've had countless terrible espressos from many La Marzocco Lineas. They're certainly not bad machines either.
That said, a good grinder is a must if you didn't get the idea from reading the thread. Good beans are a must as well. No amount of skill is going to compensate for either of these.
Not really. Back in the day -- when I bought mine for $450 -- it was a good machine for the money. It's just that the dollar has weakened and the price of the Silvia has gone up quite a bit over the years. At current prices it's not the deal it used to be. None of this has anything to do with Rancilio's marketing.The Rancilio Silvia (along with the Rocky grinder) is a classic example of marketing push
There are, however, as you said, better options for the money. The Lelit PL041 is frequently recommended to those who are shopping for something like the Silvia in its day.
That probably speaks more to your friend's abilities than the machine's limitations. Though many find if trickier to get good results with the Silvia than other machines (namely compared to E61 HX's it seems).I was also hearing good things about a Rancilio but a friend has it and I never had a good espresso from that machine.
I've had countless terrible espressos from many La Marzocco Lineas. They're certainly not bad machines either.
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