Thanks all for the feeedback. We went with the Breville. We have 14 days to return it if we don’t like it.
I’ve only done one test capuccino using Costco pre ground coffee. Better crema than my previous crappy machines. I need to get some beans and test the grind.
It’s got the option of your standard double wall portafilter for people like my wife that just want to make something easy yet decent. It also has a single wall portafilter for the aspiring inner barista.
Silvia’s still putting out for me wonderfully. I can make a top-notch shot 9 times out of 10 now, and my guiding principle is “grind finer, tamp looser”. Maybe about 25 pounds of pressure instead of 30.
Having my grinder break and need servicing, throwing me back to using a hand grinder for a while, actually taught me a lot about the nuances of grinding the beans, and I’m a better espresso brewer for the experience.
And congrats, BACI! The PID is definitely the way to go! I know the temperature is correct every time I brew.
The Breville is a great machine for the China household. We are in the capuccino rather than straight shot camp. The Breville fires up in about 2 minutes in the morning, so that works for me. I can’t handle a long warm up time. China Wife is kinda a hack when it comes to makiing hers, so the Breville simplicity is nice. We get decent crema every time.
There’s also a “barista” mode but I’ve been lazy on getting that going. Not sure if China Wife wants the hassle and we’re already getting much better stuff than your average Starbucks.
I looked at the Silvia and probably would have gone down that route if I was the only one that would use it.
Net net, the Breville is far better than your basic home machine and requires about the same amount of skill level. While not cheap, it’s a lot cheaper than a Silvia and decent grinder. It fits our usage profile very well. Between the wife and I, we probably have averaged about drinks a day out of it.
And also putting her on a time switch has been key - by the time I knock out the first cups of the day, she’s already been on for an hour and the group head and portafilter are all well and truly up to temperature. Really improves quality/consistency.