Head to head ยท Espresso Machines

Rancilio Silvia vs Philips Saeco Xelsis SM7685/04

Both products have identical sentiment scores on Reddit.

Rancilio Silvia
#18 in Espresso Machines

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

  • โˆ’May require minor repairs (e.g., new portafilter)
  • โˆ’Requires patience and know-how
  • โˆ’Needs mods (pids, 9 bar springs) to meet 'good machine' criteria
โ€œI 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.โ€
Philips Saeco Xelsis SM7685/04
#23 in Espresso Machines

Saeco

Philips Saeco Xelsis SM7685/04

$699.00

100

Pros

  • +Easy to use for an office

Cons

  • โˆ’Requires weekly cleaning of brew group
  • โˆ’Requires daily puck removal
  • โˆ’Requires cleaning of frothing group
  • โˆ’Requires descaling every 3-6 months
โ€œI ordered a Saeco Xelsis about 6-7 years ago and it was easy enough for everyone to useโ€