Rancilio Silvia Pro X Review

The Rancilio Silvia Pro X is the new and improved version of the Silvia Pro espresso machine that Rancilio designed and released in response to customer feedback. The Pro X includes a few new features like an updated portafilter, programmable pre-infusion, and more. I got the chance to brew with the Rancilio Silvia Pro X, and I personally really enjoyed the brewing experience. Learn more about the upgrades, what it’s like to brew on the Pro X, and more below.

Upgrading the Silvia

Whole Latte Love has been with the Rancilio Silvia since the beginning. The original Silvia started as a promotional machine that Rancilio gave to its distributors, but we helped them realize the potential of the Silvia as a home machine. The Silvia Pro X is the newest update to this dual boiler espresso machine, and it features the same steam power and PID temperature control as its predecessor with a few new upgrades that set this espresso machine apart.

One feature that’s new to the Silvia Pro X is the larger portafilter. In the original, the portafilter was smaller and couldn’t be switched out for other aftermarket options. With the new larger portafilter, you can choose to upgrade to a bottomless triple dose portafilter basket or other aftermarket options. This allows you to choose whatever option will work best for your brewing preferences and makes this machine more versatile than its predecessor.

Another upgrade for the Silvia Pro X is the programmable soft infusion, which will allow you to pre-infuse during the brewing process for 2-6 seconds. This is achieved when the boiler valve opens before the pump starts up, which allows the ambient pressure from the boiler to pre-infuse your espresso puck. Overall, pre-infusion allows your puck to be more evenly saturated with water before the full brewing process begins, which leads to a more evenly extracted espresso shot with a lower chance of channeling. Pre-infusion can also lead to more aromatic extractions and bring out more of the subtle flavors in your chosen coffee.

The other change from the last iteration of this machine to the Silvia Pro X is the brew circuit pressure gauge. The original Silvia Pro didn’t have any sort of pressure gauge on the machine, so if you’re interested in the effect that pressure has on brewing, this upgrade will benefit you. As a note, this pressure gauge isn’t a direct read of the pressure you get in the portafilter, but the pressure that is in the brew boiler during the brew process. The pressure at the portafilter is often lower than the gauge.

The Other Benefits of the Silvia Pro X

The Silvia Pro X isn’t just one of the best espresso machines because of its updates. It also has a multitude of other features that make it so great, like a 1-liter steam boiler, a 10.14 oz brew boiler, an all stainless steel exterior, a PID display that doubles as a shot timer during brewing, and more.

If you like to have your espresso machine ready to go as soon as you get out of bed in the morning, you can program an automatic wakeup so there’s no time spent waiting for your boilers to fully heat up. There’s also an energy-saving automatic shut down feature, so if you often forget to shut down your espresso machine, the Silvia Pro X can help.

Another feature that’s not seen in many machines is the automatic brew and steam boiler draining. This is especially helpful for transporting your Silvia Pro X or storing it for long periods of time, and it can also help the longevity of your machine to flush your steam boiler every few months. Details like this show that Rancilio really put a lot of thought into how to make the Silvia Pro X the best espresso machine they possibly could.

Brewing with the Rancilio Silvia Pro X

The first thing I noticed when I saw the Rancilio Silvia Pro X in person is how solidly built it is. The stainless steel exterior looked gorgeous in the test kitchen I set it up in, and it was pretty easy to get it working. The instruction manual has several pages reiterating the right way to set it up out of the box, though the machine I was using was already used by Marc for a video review.

One thing I didn’t realize from seeing the Silvia Pro X in pictures is how deep the machine is. At 16.5 inches deep, this will definitely fit on your counter, though the water reservoir located at the back may be difficult to refill if it’s under an upper cabinet. One benefit of the depth of this machine is how large the cup warming surface on top of the machine is – you could easily fit quite a few cups on top of this machine. If you keep your mugs there while the Silvia Pro X heats up, you’ll be ready to brew into nicely warmed mugs that won’t automatically cool your shot.

Another detail that I loved about this espresso machine is the angled portafilter, which makes even tamping easy even without a full tamping station. I brewed a double shot using the included double spout portafilter and tamper, and I really enjoyed using both. The tamper is solid and made of metal, so there’s no need for an upgrade that may be necessary for starter machines that come with a plastic tamper.

The clearance between the portafilter spout and the drip tray is adjustable between 3 inches and 4 inches, which is large enough for both a scale and a regular-sized mug. This means you can brew directly into your cup for lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, and americanos without having to use a separate espresso cup to pull your shot before adding it to your drink. I brewed once into a cappuccino cup and once into an espresso cup, and both worked well on top of the Acacia Lunar Scale with room to spare.

Now for the most important function of an espresso machine – the actual process of pulling shots and steaming milk. I pulled a few shots while dialing in my grind, and I found that even when I wasn’t fully dialed in, the shots were smooth with no grounds at the bottom of my cup. Once I was dialed in, I pulled a creamy, balanced shot that showed the more subtle, nuanced flavors of the coffee that I was brewing with. After brewing, the puck removal was easy and came away as a full puck with just a few knocks. You can also easily adjust the brew temperature to anything from 185 degree Fahrenheit to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Steaming is also easy with the Rancilio Silvia Pro X. The steam boiler doesn’t automatically turn on when you start the machine, but when you hit the steam button it will begin heating up the boiler. The indicator light will blink while heating up and stay solid once it’s fully heated up, so it’s easy to tell when it’s ready to steam. You have the option to fine tune the steam boiler’s temperature as well, so you can choose to set the steam temperature anywhere in the range of 248 degrees Fahrenheit to 257 degrees Fahrenheit. The steam power on the Silvia Pro X is impressive as well, and it was easy to get the perfect whirlpool going in the Nasty Jug pitcher I used to steam my milk.

In Conclusion

Since 1927, Rancilio has been creating high-quality, well-designed commercial and home espresso machines. Rancilio prides themselves on staying close to their roots by keeping in contact with both their vendors and their clients. With the care they put into listening to feedback from the espresso community, it’s no wonder they create espresso machines that get the little details right like the Silvia Pro X.

Whether you’re looking for your first dual boiler espresso machine or want to get the upgraded version of your Silvia Pro, the Rancilio Silvia Pro X is a great choice. With impressive steam power, a large cup warming tray, and the option to brew with a single or double basket in the portafilter, you can brew just the way you want.

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