An Honest Review of the Rancilio Silvia Pro X

In 2020 it seemed like what the trendy thing to do was to buy an espresso machine. I saw it all over instagram and I personally knew several proud owners of the famous Breville. At the time I didn't know much about espresso machines, but I had decided that I was going to join the Breville family. I needed to get my hands on one of those machines.

That is, until I learned about another company...

My uncle's Lelit was beautiful. Chromed out with arms and pipes sticking out in every direction. It looked so complex and elegant at the same time. I also noticed there wasn't a large digital screen on the face of it nor any other kinds of fancy lights. I liked that feature. It seemed to say "I didn't come here to be flashy, I came to get the job done." And it did get the job done. The latte produced from that machine pulled me even deeper into the espresso machine rabbit hole. I no longer cared about the Breville. I had eyes for a new love. The Lelit Bianca V3 Dual Boiler.

Then as quick as that love came, it was shattered by the price. My uncle informed me it was $3,200+ and I nearly choked on the same latte that gave me so much life. Ironic, I know.

Heartbroken, I accepted that I wouldn't have a high-end espresso machine anytime soon. Until I saw a tiktok posted by Dan McLaughlin (aka softpourn). In the video he was singing praises about a machine I had never heard of before. The name?

Rancilio Silvia Pro X

First Impressions

The Silvia Pro X from Rancilio is what I decided to go with for my first espresso machine. And it was a great decision. If I had the opportunity to make that decision again I'd still choose the same one.

Coming in at approximately $2,100 USD it feels very much worth it. It's well made, doesn't feel cheap in any way. On the contrary, it's obvious that they were thoughtful with the quality of the design. It's heavy. Like, really heavy. Which helps with that high quality feel. You probably know what I mean, I'd much rather it be heavy than it feel like light cheap plastic.

Once I got it situated on my coffee bar area I opened the manual and began setup (please read the manual, and don't follow my grandpa's advice to "just figure it out").

With the manual complete I filled the reservoir up with water and plugged it in. I didn't have to adjust any of the settings on the machine to start heating up the water. Once it's turned on it starts doing its thing immediately. Perfect. Time to pull some shots.

I should mention that some folks advise to clean it and run a few cycles before ever pulling your first shot. I am not those folks.

Boiling Times

The Rancilio Silvia Pro X has a dual boiler which means the water used for espresso and water used for steaming milk are separated and heated simultaneously. Single boilers can only heat one side at a time so making a single drink takes, well, patience.

From the time the machine is turned on till the time it's ready to pull shots is approximately 2 min, 28 sec. I've noticed that it takes longer for the steam wand, 10 min, 18 sec. This may seem like a long time. And I guess it is if you are simply standing there waiting for it but I typically use this time to prep my beans, choose which mug I want to use, and look up an espresso recipe I want to try.

Pressure

There is a gauge, of course, so you can see how many bars of pressure are being produced during the pull. I’ve had this machine for years now, and it has always held steady at nine bars of pressure. In other words, it’s extremely consistent. This is a huge win for the Silvia Pro X, since one of the most sought-after qualities in an espresso machine is consistency. It’s also a win because, unfortunately, many machines can’t quite reach the nine bars required for true espresso—or they start out hitting nine bars but as they age they decline to eight or seven.

Pre-infusion (Soft infusion)

The pre-infusion is a high selling point for the Silvia Pro X. Not all machines offer this function so the ones that do really stand above the rest. To fully appreciate the pre-infusion, lets talk about what this is and how it affects the shots of espresso.

Pre-infusion is the process of gently soaking the coffee puck with low-pressure water (typically around 2–3 bars) for 2–10 seconds before applying full brewing pressure at 9 bars. This crucial step helps prevent channeling, promotes even water distribution, and improves extraction, resulting in a more balanced and sweeter espresso shot.

Need I say more? Pre-infusion good...no pre-infusion bad.

I have mine set for four seconds however you are able to go up to six. It's debated how many seconds is optimal but I've found four to be just right for me.

Steam Wand

The power behind the steam wand is extremely important if you want silky smooth texturized milk. Without the right texture you can say goodbye to any hopes of ever producing any latte art. Period.

Luckily the Silvia Pro X is fully capable of getting that silky milky.

It's a powerful wand! Dumbledore would be proud.

Some wands have a single hole where the steam comes out, while others have two, three, or four. Essentially, the more holes on the tip of the wand, the more heat is introduced into the milk, helping create that desired microfoam. With one or two holes, it’s much harder to get there, but with three or four, things become much easier. The Silvia Pro X has three.

There’s also a feature to adjust the steam temperature, which is especially helpful when working with milk alternatives.

Temperature

That same level of control carries over to the brewing side as well. Many espresso machines today come with this feature, so it makes sense that the Silvia Pro X includes it. You have full control over the water temperature, ranging from 91°C to 94°C, with a default of 93°C. This is important because you may want to adjust the temperature depending on the type of roast you’re using. Generally, light roasts are recommended at 93–94°C, while dark roasts perform better at 91–92°C. I typically keep mine at 93°C regardless of roast type, but everyone is different.

Timer

There is also a built-in timer that starts counting as soon as you press the brew button. This is incredibly useful for dialing in your shots. Typically, you want to aim for around a 30-second pull, and this timer makes it much easier to troubleshoot shots that come out too sour or too bitter. The timer will stop at 90 seconds, but if your shots are running that long, there’s definitely something off with your setup.

Other Features

There are many other cool features that come with the Silvia Pro X which can be briefly mentioned in 1-2 sentences:

• A hot water spout for americanos and simple rinsing of spoons and silverware

• Cleaning features to perform system flushes and deeper washes

• Plumbing compatible however it takes some hands on work to get it going

• Automatic sleep timer for if you forget to turn it off, allowing the machine to enter standby mode after 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes of inactivity.

• Drip tray which catches all excess water

• Automatic Wake-Up which allows you to select after how many hours you want the machine to switch on (max 24 hours)

Negatives

Read the title of this article. What does it say? An honest review...

Listen, I love this machine, but even as a fan I admit there are some annoyances. Let me start with the drip tray. It's tiny. Or rather, it's not very deep. This alone isn't that big of a deal however there is this super annoying lip on the front of the machine that prevents you from simply pulling the tray straight out. No, instead you have to pull the front end of the tray up, thus, tilting the tray. The problem is if there is water in the tray you risk spilling water into the guts of the machine because of the tilt you have to make to get the tray out. It's a horrible design feature and it seems like I am not the only one who thinks this. World Barista Champion of 2007 James Hoffman also mentions this is his review of the Silvia Pro X. Hopefully this is something Rancilio improves in future versions, because it’s easily one of the most frustrating parts of an otherwise excellent machine.

The other annoying feature is the movement of the steam wand. It's restricted in how high you can raise it which affects where you place the wand in the milk for steaming. With every other espresso machine I've ever used I've placed the wand in the spout of the pitcher. But with how the wand is positioned on the Silvia Pro X you can't do that. Well you can but you're not going to get the vortex you need to get the right texture of steamed milk. So instead you have to place the wand directly on the side of the pitcher, not in the spout. But this also doesn't allow you to get the perfect vortex. It gets the job done while allowing you to get the right texture but it's slightly harder to do without the vortex.

Lastly—and this is a minor gripe—there’s no 24-hour clock built into the system. I’d really like to be able to set a specific time each day for the machine to wake up and start heating. While there is an automatic wake-up function, it’s more of a semi-automatic feature. For example, if you want the machine to turn on at 8 AM every day, you still have to set it the night before to wake up in a certain number of hours. So it requires a daily reset each evening just to have it ready the next morning. I feel like this is something every espresso machine should have, so when I found out there was no internal clock, I was genuinely surprised—and a bit disappointed.

Conclusion and Overall Score

At the end of the day, the Rancilio Silvia Pro X is an exceptional espresso machine that I genuinely enjoy using. It delivers where it matters most—consistency, control, and overall shot quality. From the stable nine bars of pressure to the pre-infusion and temperature control, it gives you the tools you need to make excellent espresso at home, and it does so reliably.

Yes, it has its quirks and annoyances but they are few and far between, and they are not dealbreakers by any means. If I had to make the decision again, I’d still choose the Silvia Pro X without hesitation. It’s a machine that rewards you for learning it, grows with you over time, and consistently delivers high-quality results. And honestly, that’s exactly what you want in an espresso machine.

Final Score: ★★★★ (4/5)

View Silvia Pro X Specs