Rancilio Silvia E or M

Silvia is made by Rancilio, an Italian company with a long-standing reputation for quality domestic and commercial machines — and it's genuinely one of the best value options in the domestic market under $1,500. The brass group head, portafilter and boiler give it real temperature stability and durability that cheaper machines can't match.

• 300mL brass boiler, 2.5L tank
• Ball-jointed steam arm with one-hole tip
• Commercial-size portafilter

Model E auto-switches off after 30 minutes of inactivity (it warms back up in 1–2 minutes, not from cold); Model M stays on until you switch it off manually.

In-store demonstration available — come and see why this one's stuck around as a favourite.