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Breville Bambino Plus BES500 vs Rancilio Silvia

Reddit prefers Rancilio Silvia — higher sentiment (100% vs 63% positive).

Breville Bambino Plus BES500
#4 in Espresso Machines

Breville

Breville Bambino Plus BES500

$479.99

63

Pros

  • +no issues
  • +excellent
  • +great machine
  • +amazing machine

Cons

  • −static management tricky
  • −no pressure gauge
  • −steam takes around 50 seconds to heat up milk
  • −Not consistent for back-to-back shots
“I just got a bambino too! A tip to remove the filter: grab another filter, flip it upside down, put its rim under the rim in the portafilter in that little indented spot, and pry off.”
r/espresso
Full reviewAmazon · $479.99
Rancilio Silvia
#16 in Espresso MachinesReddit favorite

Rancilio

Rancilio Silvia

$995.00

100

Pros

  • +Valuable even when old/broken
  • +Can be refurbished and sold for profit
  • +Satisfying enough not to upgrade
  • +Can make coffee as good as much more expensive machines (e.g., la marzocco linea mini) with skill

Cons

  • −May require minor repairs (e.g., new portafilter)
  • −Requires patience and know-how
  • −Needs mods (pids, 9 bar springs) to meet 'good machine' criteria
“I found a Rancilio Silvia on the side of the road a couple of years ago. Like yours, I needed to buy a portafilter. $30 later, and after a little cleaning, I flipped it on eBay for $650.”
Full reviewAmazon · $995.00
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