Head to head ยท Espresso Machines

Rancilio Silvia vs Sage Bambino Plus BES500BSS

Reddit prefers Rancilio Silvia โ€” higher sentiment (100% vs 55% positive).

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

  • 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€
Sage Bambino Plus BES500BSS
#25 in Espresso Machines

Sage

Sage Bambino Plus BES500BSS

$479.99

55

Pros

  • +punches above its weight class
  • +good for learning
  • +easy to use
  • +great machine

Cons

  • โˆ’cannot change temperature
  • โˆ’lightweight
  • โˆ’requires holding machine to lock portafilter
  • โˆ’build quality not the greatest
โ€œThereโ€™s a lot to be said for turning on the plug and being ready to go in 2 seconds. ...bought a second hand bambino over 3 years ago and itโ€™s still going strong. Zero issues.โ€
r/espresso