Expert Comparison: Rancilio Silvia M Espresso Machine [Old MPN] vs Ascaso Steel UNO Espresso Machine

Published on 02/05/2024 · 4 min readCompare Rancilio Silvia M Espresso Machine [Old MPN] and Ascaso Steel UNO Espresso Machine. Get expert insight below!
Elias Lawson, Coffee Expert
Janelle G., Coffee Expert
David Boyer, Coffee Expert
Contributed By Coffee Expert Elias Lawson, Janelle G., David Boyer, John Child, Melissa Johnson-Greene and others

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Side by side comparison

Most recommended
Rancilio Silvia M Espresso Machine
Ascaso Steel UNO Espresso Machine
Price
$865.00
$1,595.00
Color options
The Curated Take
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Best for beginners due to its easy setup, use, and great milk frothing.

Housing material
Stainless steel
Carbon steel, Stainless steel
Volts
110-120
120 V
Watts
993
1050 W

In the world of espresso machines, the Rancilio Silvia M Espresso Machine and the Ascaso Steel UNO Espresso Machine are two strong contenders. Both machines are known for their durability, performance, and the ability to produce high-quality espresso. However, they cater to different types of coffee enthusiasts. The Rancilio Silvia M is a semi-automatic machine that offers a balance of user-control and features, making it a crowd favorite for its value and upgradeability. On the other hand, the Ascaso Steel UNO is a semi-professional machine that offers a fast heat-up time, adjustable PID temperature control, and solid steam power. It's perfect for those who want a high-quality, easy-to-use, and aesthetically pleasing machine. While both machines have their strengths, the choice between the two ultimately depends on your personal preferences and needs.

The Rancilio Silvia M Espresso Machine is a semi-automatic machine that is known for its durability and performance over time. It's a crowd favorite for its great value and the ability to upgrade over time. This machine is perfect for those who want to get into espresso and learn how to tune and dial their machines in and customize their coffees. It has a standard professional size basket (58mm) and is capable of making truly tasty espresso.

The Silvia M is also known for its all-around solid and high-quality construction. It's a great at-home espresso machine that can help you make a variety of drinks with ease and quality. However, it's worth noting that this machine is a little more manual, requiring you to start and stop the shot each time. It also takes longer to heat up and switch from espresso to steaming, taking about 20-30 minutes to heat up after being turned on.

The Rancilio Silvia M is a semi-automatic machine that strikes a nice balance of user-control vs. features, so you can easily make a quality drink from the get-go, but still improve your skillset a lot over time. It's also known for its durability and performance over time, and is within your budget range. This has long been a crowd favorite for it's insanely good value! It's also easily upgradeable, so you can use this machine for many years without hesitation.

Elias Lawson
Coffee Expert

The Ascaso Steel UNO Espresso Machine is a semi-professional machine that is perfect for home, office, or hospitality use. It features a vintage industrial design and professional upgrades such as adjustable temperature control, volumetric programmable settings, and a 58mm portafilter with a real walnut wood handle. The thermoblock technology allows for fast heat up time and continuous steam, while the stainless steel water circuit ensures the best quality espresso every time.

The Steel UNO from Ascaso is a semi-professional machine that features a unique, vintage-industrial design; designed in a powder-coated carbon steel and polished stainless steel housing. This machine features tons of professional upgrades including improved volumetric controls, professional sizing among components, pressure valves and gauges, and better insulations! The Steel UNO's new PID also features an offset control, pre-infusion, power-saving modes, and single or double shot programming.

The Ascaso Steel UNO PID is a great entry level espresso machine for anyone looking for a high quality, easy to use, and aesthetically pleasing machine. It offers a fast heat up time (around 3 mins), perfect for anyone who needs their coffee ASAP when they get up. It also provides great features including an adjustable PID temperature control, adjustable over pressure valve (OPV), built in shot timer, programmable single and double shots, and solid steam power.

Janelle G.
Coffee Expert

Similarities

Both the Rancilio Silvia M and the Ascaso Steel UNO are semi-professional espresso machines that are known for their durability and performance over time. They both have a standard professional size basket (58mm) and are capable of making truly tasty espresso. Both machines offer a balance of user-control and features, allowing users to customize their coffees and improve their skillset over time. They also both have solid steam power and are known for their high-quality construction.

Differences and Who They're Good For

While both machines are similar in many ways, they cater to different types of coffee enthusiasts. The Rancilio Silvia M is more manual, requiring you to start and stop the shot each time. It also takes longer to heat up and switch from espresso to steaming. This machine is perfect for those who want to get into espresso and learn how to tune and dial their machines in and customize their coffees.

On the other hand, the Ascaso Steel UNO offers a fast heat-up time, adjustable PID temperature control, and solid steam power. It's perfect for those who want a high-quality, easy-to-use, and aesthetically pleasing machine. However, it's not ideal for making multiple large milk-based drinks at once or for steaming and pulling shots simultaneously.

Analysis on Who’s the Winner

When it comes to durability and performance over time, both machines are winners. They are both known for their high-quality construction and the ability to produce truly tasty espresso.

In terms of user-control and features, the Rancilio Silvia M takes the lead. It offers a balance of user-control and features, allowing users to customize their coffees and improve their skillset over time.

For heat-up time and steam power, the Ascaso Steel UNO comes out on top. It offers a fast heat-up time and solid steam power, making it perfect for those who need their coffee ASAP.

Finally, in terms of aesthetics, the Ascaso Steel UNO wins with its unique, vintage-industrial design and polished stainless steel housing.

Conclusions

In conclusion, both the Rancilio Silvia M and the Ascaso Steel UNO are excellent choices for espresso machines. They both offer durability, performance, and the ability to produce high-quality espresso. However, they cater to different types of coffee enthusiasts. The Rancilio Silvia M is perfect for those who want to get into espresso and learn how to tune and dial their machines in and customize their coffees. On the other hand, the Ascaso Steel UNO is perfect for those who want a high-quality, easy-to-use, and aesthetically pleasing machine. Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on your personal preferences and needs. So, whether you're a budding barista or a coffee connoisseur, you're sure to find the perfect machine for you!

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