# Recommendation for a new relaibale machine



## ktm003 (Jan 19, 2010)

I've had to return 2 coffee machines over the last few weeks. One was a delonghi ec330 at £150 and the other an Argos cookworks at £40. Both were recommended as best buys in the which magazine. I'm no expert in the taste of coffee being a newbie to ground coffee, but both machines produced continuous inconsistent results and to make matters worse both were awful trying to froth milk, sometimes taking over 5 minutes. So after getting my pennies back I'm now looking for a reliable machine that will produce coffee and frothy milk reasonably quickly without having the boiler turning on and off several time to produce 2 cups.

I've been looking at the gaggia baby and gaggia baby class range, recommended by many reviewers and am wondering if I should buy one of these models. I have heard that these models can sometimes be a little unreliable. After spending some more time reading reviews and going round in circles I've found quite a few people recommend the Rancillo Silva above all similar priced models. But paying an extra £100 above a gaggia baby/class - will I notice an improved coffee taste and will the extra build quality of the Rancillo provide additional years of use? Can I justify spending close on £400. Do I need to spend a lot more money above than the Delonghi to get a decent machine? I've also read reviews that would suggest the Rancillo takes ages to heat up and can get too hot therefore running that flavour of the coffee?

Any suggestions/advice much appreciated - plus where is the best place to by a gaggia, rancillio or other recommend model?


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## RisingPower (Dec 27, 2009)

Up to £200 on a gaggia classic, up to £200 on a decent used grinder, such as mazzer etc. I'd suggest ebay. If you want a silvia new I think you'd be over budget. Bear in mind an espresso machine is nothing without a grinder.

Alternatively the silvia with at least an iberital mc2.

If you're talking about the silvias requirement to be temperature surfed, you'll find that on most non pid'd small boilers. There's a wealth of information which I don't feel I can summarise on home-barista.com faq.

Where abouts are you based?


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## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

Have a quick look for similar topics in this section of the forum and you will find that you have to start with the grinder first, and the Iberital MC2 that RisingPower suggests is a good start.

You also have freshly roast beans to consider as well as.

The machines you previously had may have performed better if you had the grind of the coffee which matched them, a feat that is impossible form pre-ground coffee from the supermarket which may have been hanging around for a while.

Have a look at the following threads:

http://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1622

http://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1630


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## Rowlybum (Jan 8, 2010)

I am still very much a newbie to coffee ,but all the guys on this forum are very clued up. I started out with very much the same idea in that £150 should get me a decent machine. I even had a look at the E330 in the shop, but withdrew from purchasing as felt all plastic and not well put together.

The guys on this website kindly explained to me the error of my ways and thanks to them today I own a second hand Gaggia Classic bought off ebay and a Iberital MC2. Now provided the classic has been looked after it will serve you well for many years to come.

I then hired Glenn (top bloke)who is local to me to come over and give me a demo of what I should be doing.

The long and short of it is you get what you pay for. I started out looking to get a cheap machine and now I have a really good home set-up capable of making good quality shots on demand. if I were you I would go with the Iberital MC2 with a second hand classic off ebay for £150 and then you will have only spend £300. If you love making shots, sell the classic and upgrade to the ranchilo.

Def worth investing in getting Glenn or qualified to teach you, because making coffee is like making magic.

Good luck and I hope you make the right choice, just like I did.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

I've just bitten the bullet and ordered a Rancillo Silva after researching espresso machines. Narrowed it down to the Silva and one or two others but as the overwhelming body of consensus seems to favour the Silva, I went with that; hope I am not disappointed. I see, on a UK official stockist site, that the Silva is configured for 230 volts. Now, I know, thanks to Brussels, the UK is supposed to be 'harmonised' with the EU but we have always been a 240 volt country. Apparently, the EU allows some tolerance in electricity supply in the UK which enables us the comply with EU harmonisation of 230 volts. If you fit an energy plug, you can be amazed at how much the grid supplied voltage to your home can vary - particularly at peak times. The reason I am asking this question is that I recently bought a Gene roaster. Early models imported into the UK were 230 volts. Forum advice suggested this was a problem as the UK voltage would shorten the life of the heater element. Later Gene roasters, including mine, are adjusted for 240 volts meaning the heater element should last far longer. This brings me back to my query about the Silva being shipped by UK stockists with a 230 volt rating. Any thoughts?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Hi ktm003,

You have learned the frustrating lesson that some of these cheaper machines really cannot produce a decent shot of espresso, they are just too inconsistent.

Lots of good advice on this thread and in the forums in general, I haven't owned either a Silvia or a Gaggia so cannot comment but the Gaggia's are very well respected on here and the review's I've seen of the silvia are favourable. There are still some issues with these machines so read up well before you purchase, you may need to incorporate a cooling flush or look at temperatures surfing as part of your routine.

Check out the for sale section of these forums as well as ebay, some good deals to be found and you will probably get a loved and looked after machine.

Do seriously consider investing in a grinder and fresh beans too even if its just a hand grinder, you will taste the difference straight away.


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## rmwkenefeck (Nov 25, 2012)

Rats - looks like I got here just too late. I was planing to put my silva (with PID) up for sale at the end of the week.


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