Although Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia was a very close fight, the Breville Dual Boiler came out on top at the end. A Dual Boiler is the best option if you like milk with your coffee. You don’t have to worry about switching the temperature back and forth since it has separate boilers for steam and espresso. The PID control lets you directly control the temperature of your brew to suit your taste and preferences.
Still, the Rancilio Silvia remains among the very best home coffee machines available. This machine produces great-tasting coffee, is easy to clean, and is powered by a boiler instead of a thermoblock. Because it lacked both control and functionality, this machine lost out to the Dual Boiler. Rancilio Silvia is relatively difficult to operate compared to Dual Boiler.
It’s a considerable debate in many coffee circles worldwide since these are two top home coffee machines. After trying out both devices, I had to write an in-depth comparison of their features and benefits to help you decide which is right for you.
Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia: Comparision Chart
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia: Differences
It was difficult to choose a winner between these two machines based on their differences. However, the Dual Boiler ultimately beat the Silvia by 4-2 due to its superior control and ease of use. Dual Boilers feature a robust control system that allows you to custom tailor your coffee while also producing cafe-quality espresso shots with ease in just a few seconds. Next, let’s take a closer look at what makes the Rancilio Silvia beat the Dual Boiler.
1. FLAVOR
The Winner: Breville Dual Boiler
The flavor of coffee from two machines that operate in different ways can be challenging to compare. However, taste is a highly individual characteristic. However, after trying both machines out and reading other customer opinions, it was clear which device offered the best flavor: the Dual Boiler. This is because it is equipped with a much more effective heating system, and it has a large number of brewing options in general. Now let’s dig into the main reasons why I preferred the flavor of the Breville Dual Boiler over the Rancilio Silvia.
+Heating System
They both use boilers to heat the water and not thermoblocks for water heating, which is one of their main advantages. Using a boiler in your coffee machine can pull better shots because the temperature will be more accurate and consistent. Both machines’ PID digital temperature control lets you tweak the temperature to the point at which you feel the best flavor is extracted.
Although the Dual Boiler’s heating system is superior, this is mainly due to its dual boilers. Two boilers are used to heat steam for milk and another to heat espresso. As the Silvia has only one boiler, you will have to wait sometime before the steam can heat up for the milk after brewing your coffee.
The boilers take a while to heat up since they are both boilers. When you turn on the machine, it will heat the water before brewing coffee. The wait time for both machines will be about 10 minutes or more.
The material itself was one more reason why the Dual Boiler system worked better for me than the Silvia’s. These coffee machines are made for home use; therefore, the boiler is not of high quality. The boilers are made from stainless steel on the Breville model, whereas on the Silvia model, the boilers are made from brass. Both of these options are great options on a budget, but stainless steel is a more resistant material to corrosion and will tend to last as long as brass, so the Breville model is your best option when it comes to its heating system.
+Brewing Functions
The Breville Dual Boiler is far more efficient than the Rancilio Silvia in brewing. While the Silvia gives you significant control without sacrificing convenience, the Dual Boiler goes a step further by offering a manual override feature.
Check out the very first stage of the brewing process. With the Dual Boiler, you have the option of manual or automatic pre-infusion, which the Silvia does not have. Silvia does not offer any pre-infusion options, so it can be challenging to maintain a consistently flavored cup of coffee. The Dual Boiler lets you pre-infuse manually, but it also features an automatic pre-infusion setting that gradually increases the pressure of the pump to distribute the grounds evenly.
The Breville Dual Boiler requires grinding the coffee and tamping it into the portafilter, just as you would with the Silvia Pro. Depending on your needs, the Dual Boiler is available in various configurations. You can choose to spray a single and double shot, or you can click the manual override button to start and stop the water whenever you want. When it comes to the Silvia, you have fewer choices and have to start and stop the machine manually every time it is run. You can even select if the Dual Boiler will pull your shot volumetrically or based on time.
Either machine can produce top-quality shots with enough skill and knowledge. However, since the Breville model offers more brewing functions, it is easier to adjust its settings for the perfect cup of coffee based on your preferences.
2. MILK SYSTEM
The Winner: Breville Dual Boiler
The milk system also makes the Breville Dual Boiler an excellent option, in my opinion. These two machines both allow you to adjust the temperature of the milk. Due to Silvia only having a single boiler, you can tweak the milk temperature using the PID control. The Breville option only has a PID on the espresso boiler, leaving you with fewer control options. If you adjust the milk temperature of either machine through the settings menu, you can achieve the perfect texture for your milk.
However, Breville’s dual boiler provides a fundamental difference. You don’t need to wait to heat the water to the exact temperature because it has a dedicated boiler for steam. You have to choose whether to steam the milk or pull the espresso with the Silvia, but with the Dual Boiler, you’re able to pull both simultaneously. Each machine includes an intelligent milk system; therefore, either can prepare lattes and cappuccinos.
3. EASE OF USE
The Winner: Breville Dual Boiler
Breville Dual Boiler was easier to use than Silvia Pro due to its automatic and manual settings. You have to shut off the water at just the right point manually. You need to pay more attention when shooting with the Silvia Pro. Although you can do this with the Breville, it offers more convenience since it automatically sets for single and double shots.
If you’re in a hurry and want to make coffee quickly, just grind and tamp the beans of your coffee, place the portafilter in the right place, and press either the single or double shot button on your device. Upon reaching the desired volume or amount of time, the machine will automatically turn off when it comes to that level. Moreover, you can even identify whether the automatic settings are volumetric or timed with the Breville machine, which gives you a much greater degree of flexibility without sacrificing convenience.
4. CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
The Winner: Rancilio Silvia
Among coffee experts, it is generally considered that the Silvia is much easier to clean than the Breville Dual Boiler. However, the Dual Boiler has one advantage: it indicates when it requires cleaning, which occurs about every 200 shots on the screen.
This Rancilio Silvia is easier to clean than the Rancilio Silvia since it is a smaller machine overall. You still need to clean the steam wand, backflush, and descale the machine to maintain it. Although the machine is smaller than most, you will not have difficulty cleaning all its parts.
With Breville’s Dual Boiler, you can use a self-cleaning function to automatically clean the machine once the cleaning disc has been put in. Due to its size, cleaning it is a bit more of a challenge for home use. While both machines come with all the cleaning tools you need, the Silvia is simply easier to maintain and clean. They both feature removable drip trays, making it easier to clean the other components.
5. UTILITIES
The Winner: Tie
On the basis of extra features and utilities, both machines are very similar. The Silvia comes with several additional features: it is capable of working with the Rancilio Pod adapter, which is one of the main extra features of the product. The Rancilio Pod Adapter allows the machine to simultaneously accept both pods and ground coffee. In this way, you have much more flexibility and can use simple coffee pods instead of constantly filling the portafilter with coffee every time you want to make coffee.
Feature-wise, both machines feature cup trays, making them convenient to use. To make setting up the machine more convenient, you can simply place your cup on top instead of storing them away. Nevertheless, the display is the most critical feature of the Breville option.
It also allows you to easily adjust the boiler’s temperature since the display shows the exact temperature. The brewer also has a pressure gauge to use fully to control the brewing process. You can view the settings you intend to adjust. The Silvia does not have a display, so it is harder to change the settings.
Breville Dual Boiler Vs Rancilio Silvia: Similarities
Because both options are semi-automatic machines, they do have a few differences. For example, neither of these options automatically features grinders upon purchase. As a result, before ordering either option, you need to have a separate grinder, which you need to remember when ordering. Additionally, both machines also include PID controls for the espresso boilers, which means that you can control the temperature of your shots directly through the boiler.
The stainless steel cases of both machines round out their features. Stainless steel is a very durable and corrosion-resistant metal. This is a significant advantage over a lot of other metals. As a result, it will be easier to maintain both machines and maintain them in your kitchen for the foreseeable future.
Quick Rundown Of Breville Dual Boiler BES920
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Rancilio Silvia
- Ergonomic porta filter handle same as the proven design of Rancilio commercial machines
- Commercial grade group head for superb heat stability and extraction quality
- Articulating steam wand offers complete range of motion and professional steaming knob precisely controls steaming pressure
- Classic linear design fits most decors
- Optional pod and capsule adaptor kit available
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References:
- https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes920.html
- https://www.ranciliogroup.com/rancilio/silvia/
I am Ralph Mason and I am a passionate coffee drinker. I worked as a barista for a few years and since 2012 I have been trying to convince as many people as possible of good coffee.
I started writing on the barista blog on RepublikCoffeeBar in 2018. It was a pure hobby site and I tested coffee products like coffee machines, beans, mug, and other accessories. After the first year, my blog is becoming a well-known coffee site with about 100 thousand visits per month.
In 2019 I decided to focus on RepublikCoffeeBar only. I became a full-time coffee blogger and was declared crazy by many.