Rancilio Silvia espresso, lattes, cappuccinos maker (silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)This machine is the perfect blend of quality, durability, and ease of repair for a home machine under $500. It makes espresso that rivals any you can buy at a coffee house.
I've been making home espresso for 25 years and have used many different machines of various prices which all died. I bought one for $250 from Starbucks which died in one year. They told me parts were not available. This machine is practically bullet-proof. I've had it for over 5 years and it is still running like new. Sure it hurts to spend this much on an espresso machine, but how many $250 machines will you go through? Learn from my mistake(s) and get a good one.
All the parts inside are commercial or semi-commercial grade. Anyone who works on commercial espresso machines can work on this one, and the parts are readily available. It's all stainless and cast iron. Very nice.
It has a 3-way solenoid, which you want, trust me. The 3-way solenoid lets pressure escape from the basket when you switch off the pump so that the coffee grounds fall out of the portafilter handle in a solid little disk instead of a soupy mess.
You DO NEED a good grinder made for espresso to use this machine. The pump puts out a solid 9 bar, which means most grinders can't get the coffee fine enough. A burr grinder is the only way to go. This makes the grounds fine enough that a shot will take about 20 seconds to make. Any less time for a shot and it means your coffee is too coarse. If you don't want to buy a grinder right now, there are some good preground espresso coffees in a can (such as Illy), but it will go stale fast. You'll want the grinder.
If you want great espresso, and a reliable machine, you can't go wrong with the Silvia. Take a bit of time to learn proper technique and you'll be happy with this one.

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Expobar Lever Semi-Auto Espresso Machine Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a really nice machine for the price point. I've been using mine for about a month and I'm just starting to dail it in. The case comes off pretty easily (5 screws) so you can access to OPV for group pressure adjustment and boiler pressure. Mine came with the boiler set at .8 bar, I upped it to the green zone of the gauge about .9 bar. I also turned down the group pressure to 9 bar (it came set a 10). I have about a 2 minute recovery time and consistent shots. The biggest downside is the heat exchanger and group need pretty large flushes +-8 oz before pulling a shot. Get Eric's thermometer ($100) plugged into the group and flush to about 207 degrees. After 10 seconds, you can pull a shot at 200 degrees at the puck.
The machine is pretty big - it looks large on my counter and I have a very big, modern kitchen. My wife made me move it to a less obvious location because it seemed a little oversized for the spot my Gaggia Classic used to reside. The design is nice - completely stainless. The lever seems so much better that pushing a button to pull a shot. You'll get the same results, but it feels more "classic". The hot-water wand competes with the lever for space so you'll neet to orient it out to the side when pulling shots, but it doesn't drip so no worries. The drip tray is very large - it'll take the entire water resevoir. BTW, the resevoir has no indicator when it is low, and you have to take the cup warmer off to fill it. Get a funnel.
I'd prefer to have a group pressure gauge, easy access to OPV and boiler pressure controls. But you'd pay an additional $300 for a machine with those features.
Note, the boiler is 1.8 liters (60 oz), not 12 oz as the description says.

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The Expobar Office Lever espresso machines is a welcome addition to the Expobar line. Its traditional styling, compact size, and commercial strength make this a leading competitor in the semi-automatic lever operated espresso machines. The commercial style copper boiler has all the features that are found on larger commercial machines. It allows simultaneous brewing and steaming, enabling smooth operation. It has both a steam wand and hot water dispensing wand that adjust laterally so that they can swing in either direction for easy access. With commercial capabilities its size makes it convenient for those who want great espresso without sacrificing a large amount of counter space. It is 15" tall, 10.25" wide and 17.5" deep. The E61 brew group provides pre-infusion and a thermal siphon for maximum temperature stability and aroma extraction. The eye catching highly polished steel housing is as durable as is it beautiful. The accessories include a chrome plated brass portafilter, tamper, single shot filter basket, double shot filter basket, backflush disc and a 7 gram coffee scoop.

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Expobar Pulser Heat Exchange Espresso Machine Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had this unit for 15 months and use it about 8 times per week. It has been rock solid. I rate it five stars. At the time I bought it from Whole Latte Love (a sister company to Aabree Coffee) it was about $700 on sale with free ship. I really like it because it has adjustable brew pressure and steam temperature. That puts it in the same league as the big boys costing $2,000 and up.
It has an E-61 type system, meaning it uses an automatic system to keep a small amount of boiler water recirculating through the brew head to keep it hot between use. Once it warms up, the portafilter and brewhead are hot, no need to flush hot water through them to warm them.
One side effect of the E-61 is "overheating" when left idle over a 1/2 hour or so. The brew water can get too hot for perfect espresso, then you just have to flush 2 or 3 ounces of brew water through the head to get the temps back to normal (approx 205 degrees F, depends on your taste and the coffee bewing extracted)
Performance-wise, there is more than enough steam for steaming milk. The machine came with two identical steam tips of the single hole type, this makes it easy to control the milk temperature. My nephew has a Pasquini Livia 90 machine with a 3-hole tip, it steamed much too fast. He switched to the Expobar tip and is very happy.


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The Expobar Office Pulser espresso machine is one of a kind with a combination of low cost and high quality design and construction. It can brew and steam at the same time making it ideal for any type of home use, small deli or bagel shop. The separate hot water dispenser and steam wand are mounted on a 360-degree ball joint. The group head is comparable to the renown E61 group head with pre-infusion and thermal siphon for maximum temperature stability and aroma extraction. Its electronic boiler controls, safety switches and internal components mirror those of the larger commercial espresso machines. The Expobar Office Pulser is short enough to fit under a 16" high cabinet and is only 9.5" wide. The stainless steel housing gives it as much form as it has function. The accessories include a chrome plated brass portafilter, tamper, single shot filter basket, double shot filter basket and a 7 gram coffee scoop.

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Briel ES200APG-TB Multi-Pro One Group Thermo Block Espresso Machine with Auto Espresso Flow, Steel/Silver Review

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(More customer reviews)To the point... Could not fine support for any questions I had through the Briel Company in the USA. The phone number in the espresso machine help book was Out Of Service. The instruction book, I feel needs more pictures to help individuals locate and understand usage of the espresso machine than what Briel offers. (Example) You need to turn the ON Switch fully to the right until you here a Click or the Machine will not brew and acts like it has a Vapor Lock which it doesn't. This why Briel gets only four stars from me. The Briel ES200APG-TB is really a Great Machine as long as you fully understand it's operation. I would recommend this product to my friends.

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With electronically regulated temperatures for brewing and frothing, this Thermo-Block espresso machine features 15-bar pump pressure for consistently authentic espresso with excellent crema. For use with either fresh ground coffee or individual serving pods, the unit includes a filter basket and two brass filter holders. The espresso machine's turbo-jet frother produces plentiful dry steam for a thick milk froth for cappuccinos or lattes, while its Crema Master filters consistently produce rich genuine crema. For convenience, the unit features AquaStop, a no-drip system that prevents dripping and the need to "bleed" the machine of remnant water. Two thermostats regulate the coffee cycle and steaming process for the pump, with a third "safety" thermostat located on the pump in the event of abnormal or continuous use. This easy-to-use machine is designed with an "ok" light that signals when the unit is ready for brewing or frothing, as well as push button switches, a pressure gauge, auto espresso flow, and a removable 1-4/5-liter water reservoir that fills from the back. Other convenient features include a warming plate to keep cups warm, a built-in water filter, an easy-to-read water-level indicator, and a removable overflow tray for easy clean up. A built-in coffee tamper and measuring spoon are also included. This compact espresso machine made of highly polished stainless steel measures 13 by 12-1/5 by 15 inches and carries a one-year warranty.

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