# Rancilio Silvia vs Gaggia Classic



## LozCoffee

Hi folks 🙂

I am looking at purchasing the Rancilio Silvia vs Gaggia Classic. I would be grateful if anyone can give me their opinion which is the best buy?

Many thanks

Loz


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## phario

That's a tricky question, and you need to do your own homework because it's a long discussion and there are many discussions around on this if you Google "Gaggia Classic vs. Silvia".

As someone who owns both, a used Gaggia Classic is overall the better machine for most people, compared to a used Silvia.


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## LozCoffee

That's interesting.. what makes you say that?



phario said:


> a used Gaggia Classic is overall the better machine for most people


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## hotmetal

Most of the discussions around Classic Vs Silvia focus on the fact that they're pretty similar but the classic is cheaper. Proponents of the Silvia tend to counter with comments around build quality.

Most people quickly swap the classic steam wand for one from the Silvia though.

It makes quite a difference whether you're talking new or used though. It may be that the new Silvia is better than the new Classic. The older Classic was probably a better buy than the new Classic and/or the old Silvia that was it's contemporary.


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## Mrboots2u

LozCoffee said:


> Hi folks 🙂
> 
> I am looking at purchasing the Rancilio Silvia vs Gaggia Classic. I would be grateful if anyone can give me their opinion which is the best buy?
> 
> Many thanks
> 
> Loz


 A new Silvia is vastly overpriced , it has better steam than a gaggia but suffers from the same temp instability yet more expensive .

get a gaggia spend the rest in a pid or get something else entirely that actually managers temp is a decent way


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## LozCoffee

Seems that the Gaggia is looking good at the moment.

I am looking at a Gaggia Classic Pro 2019 on ebay at the moment which comes with a fitted PID and 9bar spring. Sounds like a good starting point I think.


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## 28267

hotmetal said:


> It makes quite a difference whether you're talking new or used though. It may be that the new Silvia is better than the new Classic. The older Classic was probably a better buy than the new Classic and/or the old Silvia that was it's contemporary.


 The debate around Silvia vs. Classic probably started back in the early 2000s, back then things were quite different.

Silvia was a steel chassis and case and came from a commercial coffee machine background. At the time there wasn't really any other machine close. I think at that time there was around £50 price difference between the two, this was where Silvia got her reputation from.

Did you want a plastic cased machine with 15 bar pressurised basket or a handmade stainless steel machine that felt more like a commercial machine? Back then mods were less common and it was before PIDs were around for home machines unlike today.

Gaggia had a bad patch as has been mentioned but today the Pro is nearly £200 cheaper than a Silva and you can get a PID easily in the U.K. for the Pro. So new you can probably manage a new pro with a PID, pressure change to 9bar and a Silvia wand for less than a Silvia.

Today's Silvia is nearly twice the cost 20 years ago and not much is different. I loved my Silvia (I now have a Silvia pro) but today new it is very expensive and there are better machines for your money.

The Classic/Pro is easier to PID and hence get better control. If there was a good low cost PID for Silvia it may be a different story.


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## Doram

AdG said:


> I loved my Silvia (I now have a pro)


 When you say something like the above in this context, you have to state which 'pro' you mean (GC Pro or Silvia Pro). Quite different beasts those two, with a price difference of almost £1K... 😉


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## 28267

Doram said:


> When you say something like the above in this context, you have to state which 'pro' you mean (GC Pro or Silvia Pro). Quite different beasts those two, with a price difference of almost £1K... 😉


 Spotted that and fixed it just before your post!


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## profesor_historia

Mrboots2u said:


> A new Silvia is vastly overpriced , it has better steam than a gaggia but suffers from the same temp instability yet more expensive .
> get a gaggia spend the rest in a pid or get something else entirely that actually managers temp is a decent way


548€ is overpriced for you for a V6? I would chose a Silvia over a Gaggia in a blink, there is really no comparison, starting with the materials, steam wand, the group etc. I had both and I would go forever with Rancilio.
Honestly, to steam power on the V6 is far better than in many other machines, without naming them







.


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## 28267

profesor_historia said:


> 548€ is overpriced for you for a V6? I would chose a Silvia over a Gaggia in a blink, there is really no comparison, starting with the materials, steam wand, the group etc. I had both and I would go forever with Rancilio.
> Honestly, to steam power on the V6 is far better than in many other machines, without naming them   .


 Silvia is £529 over here which is around €600, so bigger price differential in the U.K. I seem to recall the Silvia Pro was quite a bit cheaper in Spain than the U.K. as well.

Personally I never liked the styling of the Gaggia, but I can seen the appeal with the price differential now and access to PID etc.

Rancilios are expensive now here so there are another machines worth considering new.

I loved my Silvia in the 16 years I had her and I've found my Silvia Pro very good so far, but with the prices here it is hard to recommend them these days.


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## profesor_historia

AdG said:


> Silvia is £529 over here which is around €600, so bigger price differential in the U.K. I seem to recall the Silvia Pro was quite a bit cheaper in Spain than the U.K. as well.
> Personally I never liked the styling of the Gaggia, but I can seen the appeal with the price differential now and access to PID etc.
> Rancilios are expensive now here so there are another machines worth considering new.
> I loved my Silvia in the 16 years I had her and I've found my Silvia Pro very good so far, but with the prices here it is hard to recommend them these days.


Yes, I agree, Rancilio always sinned with the big prices .


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## Simmo1969

Also if you add a pid to the classic is much more stable than a pid in a Silvia.


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## profesor_historia

Simmo1969 said:


> Also if you add a pid to the classic is much more stable than a pid in a Silvia.


I just went for the Silvia Pro instead and for the moment I am happy. Not even 1°C dropped after 3 consecutive shots


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## Mrboots2u

At £1300 in the uk l again the Silvia pro is not well priced


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## BlackCatCoffee

Silvia at the moment. The Classic Pro appears to have some sort of manufacturing issue causing the chrome on the group head to flake off. Maybe this has been resolved now though, anyone know??

Of course in this class I would actually buy the Bezzera Hobby anyway 😁


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## Simmo1969

A used pre 2015 Gaggia classic then install a pid all for under £300. Easily done.


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## profesor_historia

It's a pity the Rancilio Pro is so expensive. I am curious the new V50 grinder how much will be.


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## 28267

profesor_historia said:


> I just went for the Silvia Pro instead and for the moment I am happy. Not even 1°C dropped after 3 consecutive shots


 Agreed the temperature stability on the Silvia Pro is very good. I've only had it drop more than 1°C when I was dialling the grinder back in after replacing the burrs and I was way off so the shot took about 10 seconds.

The disappointing bit about that is it shows how good Rancilio could make Silvia if they wanted. The coffee boiler side of the Silvia Pro is almost identical to Silvia, so the stability we see could be just as good on a Silvia if they upgraded her to have a PID.


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## profesor_historia

AdG said:


> Agreed the temperature stability on the Silvia Pro is very good. I've only had it drop more than 1°C when I was dialling the grinder back in after replacing the burrs and I was way off so the shot took about 10 seconds.
> The disappointing bit about that is it shows how good Rancilio could make Silvia if they wanted. The coffee boiler side of the Silvia Pro is almost identical to Silvia, so the stability we see could be just as good on a Silvia if they upgraded her to have a PID.


Yes, that's right, I thought the same, had the PID the V6 would have been a very good sale, I would have never bought the Pro! On the other hand I think they wanted to kill two birds with a stone and to make up for the lost time in the field of domestic machines, that's why they came with a DB with PID.


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## Slim5hady

BlackCatCoffee said:


> Silvia at the moment. The Classic Pro appears to have some sort of manufacturing issue causing the chrome on the group head to flake off. Maybe this has been resolved now though, anyone know??
> Of course in this class I would actually buy the Bezzera Hobby anyway


I'm having the same debate around both machines and also spotted the Hobby. What would be the advantage of going for the Bezzera over the others in this rage? Are you also ruling out the Lelits? Advice much appreciated, thanks!


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## BlackCatCoffee

Slim5hady said:


> I'm having the same debate around both machines and also spotted the Hobby. What would be the advantage of going for the Bezzera over the others in this rage? Are you also ruling out the Lelits? Advice much appreciated, thanks!


 I do not have any experience of the Lelit machines at this price point so I am not able to comment on them.

WLL have done a group test that will help you a great deal I think -


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## Slim5hady

BlackCatCoffee said:


> I do not have any experience of the Lelit machines at this price point so I am not able to comment on them.
> WLL have done a group test that will help you a great deal I think -


Great minds! I literally just watched that after my post earlier. Thanks.
But you rate the Bezzera over the Gaggia & Rancilio?


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## BlackCatCoffee

Slim5hady said:


> Great minds! I literally just watched that after my post earlier. Thanks.
> But you rate the Bezzera over the Gaggia & Rancilio?


 I sell Bezzera machines to be clear so I am not independent but I think they are an excellent choice at this price point and offer some advantages over the Classic and Silvia.

We are currently oos on them but have some arriving shortly. If you do decide to purchase a Hobby from elsewhere please make sure you check the reviews of any seller you are going to buy from.


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## Slim5hady

Of thanks appreciate the honesty - I think I first saw them on your site when I joined the forum actually. Also reading about their BB005 grinder. Can you do bundle packages / discounts for members?


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## TimTamps

I'd certainly be interested in a bundle price for the Hobby and BB005 grinder please, Dave.


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## phario

LozCoffee said:


> That's interesting.. what makes you say that?


 Both @hotmetal and @AdG essentially filled you in on similar details.

Basically, in order to understand the origins of the Silvia vs. Classic debate, you have to go back in history and understand the situation in the late 90s when the Silvia was introduced. It was, as I understand it, the first prosumer-grade espresso machine that had significant build quality. It was also the hobby-enthusiast machine of choice, and spawned off interest into do-it-yourself PID controllers and modifications. A lot of this intersects with the early internet discussion forums.

At the time, the Silvia was very affordable, and the Classic was new and untrusted. So most of the debates you will read about are dated from the early 2000s, when people are very attached to the Silvia. So that's why a lot of older reviews still extol the virtues of the Silvia.

Since then, a lot has changed.

Anyways, getting to why I recommend the Classic.



A much better used market


Cheaper pricing


Wider availability of mods (PID)


Friendlier profile in most domestic kitchens. The GC has a smaller footprint that's more suitable for the smaller kitchens. It's not as heavy and easier to move around.


The Silvia has more significant vibrations.


Older models of the Silvia have a heat shield with chrome that peels (the newer ones are in ABS plastic in black).


Silvia has well documented problems with rusting iron base


The Silvia has a relatively high probability of burning out the boiler elements---do a search for this to see how many people have had to have them replaced. The older Silvias, in addition, have boiler elements that cannot be easily replaced.


It's harder to show others in your household how to use a Silvia because of the temperature surfing and/or likelihood of boiler burnout.


Without a PID, the Silvia is very finnicky in obtaining the right temperature---which is why there are so many posts recommending a PID


The Silvia has some advantages, including:



Much stronger steaming


Better temperature stability


Larger boiler


More "solid build" and more spacious interior


To be specific, the Silvia **feels** more solid, but in my opinion, that's not necessarily the same as better "durability" (in light of the rusting base, peeling heat shield, easily-burned out boiler elements).

Also, the smaller GC boiler and stronger heating element is, in many ways, well suited for domestic use. It requires less time to get to stability and faster time to prepare brews. The Silvia is more temperature stable, but in my opinion I prefer the faster preparation times.

To be clear, most people recommend to pick up a **used** Classic, and I'm comparing **used** Classics vs **used** Silvias. The debate of what you should purchase new is a different story, and the advice is that if you're going into the range of new prices, you're better off looking at a dual boiler system.

.


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## BlackCatCoffee

@Slim5hady@TimTamps

We have some on the way to us and will be offering a package deal. I will let you know details shortly 👍


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## pandabear

BlackCatCoffee said:


> @Slim5hady@TimTamps
> 
> We have some on the way to us and will be offering a package deal. I will let you know details shortly 👍


 Do you have the details for whatever this is likely to be yet? I'm in a similar position to the OP and fairly set on any of the first three in the WLL video you linked plus a Mignon grinder (either Crono or Manuale in all likelihood).


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