My $30 Rancilio Silvia vs. Gaggia Classic Pro (and ranting about the Gaggia Classic)

$30.29 Rancilio Silvia takes on the world. I compare it against my 2019 Gaggia Classic Pro (steaming + ergonomics) and I rant about the Gaggia Classic. Most of what I am saying has been covered in depth by others but I was very surprised to find a V3 Silvia performing so much better than my 2019 GCP. The Silvia has a bigger boiler than the Gaggia Classic but other than that they are basically the same in terms of performance (entry-level single boiler machines) and you can do the same modifications (PID, OPV, Dimmer) to them.

If you were considering a machine I'd take a look at an older v3/v4 Silvia or an older Gaggia Classic to modify. I absolutely would not buy a brand new Gaggia classic pro as I think it is terrible value and I made that mistake. If you want better coffee I'd suggest you put the money towards something like a Europiccola or manual lever machine such as a Flair. OR if you have the time, scour the wonderful world of craigslist/fb marketplace/ebay for a used Breville Dual Boiler.

I may modify or giveaway this machine depending on requests! But for now, I'm keeping it for the memes. For you astute viewers, the Cremina video is on the way.

Instagram: @thgbrian

Amazon Affiliate Links // Equipment List - Help me buy random gear (you do not need to purchase the products linked!)
Acaia Lunar
Tamper: Decent V3 Tamper + Decent Tamping Cradle
Pitcher: WPM Pitcher 15oz Brushed Steel
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Filming Equipment:

Machines: Decent Espresso DE1 1.3 Pro, La Pavoni Europiccola, Gaggia Classic Pro, Uniterra Nomad, Xbar, Flair 58/58x.
Grinders: Niche Zero, Kafatek Monolith Flat Max (LM), Kafatek Monolith MC4, Fellow Ode(s) (1.1 + SSP MP) & more...

[whosgonnadotcom]

As a GCP owner who rarely steams milk, I'd prefer the Silva if it were the same price, or even just slightly higher. With that said it's a significant price jump from $450 to $775 (current new prices for each).

[seattledude]

I will call the police that you stole a Rancilio for $30.

[MrCakers]

This is a pretty decent rant (lol). But, having owned both machines, the GCP is almost half the price as the silvia. The GCP does have a learning curve but for how much you pay it's incredible what you can get out of it. As far as the steaming goes, if you flip the steam button on the GCP and wait 5-10 seconds and then start steaming (don't wait for the steam light), you get a very strong steam length that will easily stretch and incorporate a 200ml dose of milk (without losing power).

Also, you can immediately refill the GCP boiler by having the steam valve open and hitting the brew switch. This dumps all the steam and refills the boiler with water. It only takes a couple of seconds and you're back to shot temps in very little time. You can also raise the boiler temp for a shot by flipping on the steam switch for a couple seconds and then turning it off again before hitting the brew switch.

[tommihommi]

The silvia is better in every way, because normally it's about 2x as expensive

In Europe GCC bottomless portafilters are 25€ish

[rylandduffield]

You've had an absolute bargain, second hand Sylvia in the UK is around 250-300

[Accomplished_Loans]

The Silvia is a better machine than GCP but to say it's also cheaper is ridiculous. You got it for $30 but thats not representative of the market.

[Monotaurino]

You're absolutely on-point about the GCP. I also have the 2019 model and it is a frustrating machine. Had to make too many modifications. Now I have the Ascaso Steel Duo PID (black) and well worth its value with dual thermoblock.

[Toppleover]

That’s an epic steal man… you’re gonna love that Sylvia, they’re awesome.

[lama]

Thank you for a great and honest review.

[AnonYmous-wfoz]

The problem with this video is you're comparing your Gaggia Classic Pro to a $800 machine and acting as though it's only $30 because that's what you spent.

[ThingsIdRatherBeDoing]

I searched for roasting the Gaggia and this is the only one I found. Good work. There are so many obvious frustrating issues, I can't believe it's so bad. I thought I would just do upgrades over time, however I can't upgrade the wand gimbal or valve and knob, and the user experience is super frustrating.

[GeroLubovnik]

Perhaps I should have bought a Silvia. But I was cheap because of the difference and got a GC (not pro- before pro came out), but then added a PID. The PID was sold by a guy for about $125 and had self installation instructions. Not difficult. I know if I had to be a new machine of any brand I would spend the extra money and have a PID. Temp surfing is hit or miss and you don't know where it is to duplicate for consistency. To be honest, before that I had a refurb Saeco Sirena and got better consistent results, even with a cheap grinder. I splurged on the original Barraza 270 for the design and footprint. It's very cool.

[thenicotennis]

Headed to all my local good wills now…..

[alaskavaper]

I'm loving your journey...tell us more. (GCP owner).

[bluefoam]

'i worked for Starbucks, I know my coffee' 😂😂😂 funniest comment ever!

[carlossanchez]

No joke... Literally the only 100% honest and accurate review on YouTube about the Gaggia classic pro!
Everyone is "paid off"
I experiences every single annoying thing you did on the Gaggia. It is trash!
I'm glad for you that you scored an awesome deal on your rancilillo (sure I spelt that wrong)

[DeeDeeDanone]

Watch CoffeeKevs video though to see in-depth limitations of this device. You're switch from steam to espresso looks like you'll be burning out the element very soon.

[simona]

So you’ve discovered that a cheap machine doesn’t perform as well as a machine that is more expensive with a bigger boiler. Bit disingenuous. Kinda like bitching about Toyota because you picked up a second hand Tesla for $50.

[ziptiefighter]

"Shots are a bit harsh". Were you using a decent grinder with both...coming to that conclusion? Same grinder with both?

I have a matt black QM Pippa back-ordered 6-8wks (very similar to the RS), but was leaning hard towards the GCP before discovering that the Pippa was a thing.
Cheers!

[CoffeeAndSmoke]

This may not be a popular opinion but I like my Gaggia classic (not pro) a bit more..I think its easier and quicker to temp surf and the steam power it actually perfect for me..The Silvia takes more steps to temp surf and the steam power is crazy but that isnt a good thing imo because it doesnt allow for proper stretching and incorporation before your milk is already up to temp or even too hot..The Silvia is made a bit better but thats about it..Its even harder to adjust the opv on the Silvia..I bought into the hype about how much better the Silvia is and I learned I was just fine with my Classic