Saeco Vienna Superautomatica Espresso Coffee and Cappuccino Machine

This is a wonderful machine. I bought it for my mother as a b-day gift, and she loves it. It brews hot expresso or regular coffee[depends on the settings[. It was well worth the money. don't buy the expresive capresso or krups to much $$(...) and they get clogged. Buy the saeco Vienna or the digital one. one downfall is that it is made of plastic. Not bad but not very good, and the water tank is a little on the small side.

This is a grat machine. it has been going strong ever since. I just wish that i could hoop up the water container to a sink or a bigger tank. This is great for making regular coffee and/or expresso. BUY THIS do but the others.

I live in Europe where this is a very popular brand. We have one in the office that goes through one package of coffee beans a day (500 grams). It has not missed a beat in over three months. That equates to about seven years of my use without a failure, at about 1/2 kilo per month.

Based on that I bought one for home use. It makes excellent coffee. If there is a down side, it is that our coffee use is up. Not sure if it is because the machine uses more coffee than the dir or we are just drinking more?

My girlfriend and her husband have this machine and loves it. My husband always wanted an expresso when at their home from this machine so I bought him one for Christmas. He absolutely love it. It is so easy to use, just a touch of a button. The automatic grinding feature sold me on this and it really makes this machine worth the investment. It is easy to fill and to clean. It also makes different sizes of cups which is nice too. My husband wants to buy a second one for a gift for his brother!

I've owned this machine for more than 2 years and it continues to be one of my most prized possesions.

Even though this is considered to be a "cheap" or low end machine, most people are astonished to hear I spent 400 bucks on a cofee maker (after all that's what it does regardless of what you call it or how well it does it!) and I personally consider it to be extravagant. Be that as it may, I can't think of any purchase I've ever been more satisisfied with!

I read the other review on this site and had to add that the machine has remained serviceable with only the most rudimentary maintanance( I assume anyone who loves esspresso enough to fork over this kind of dough wouldn't grudge a half hour a week to thoroughly clean the mechanism, or the inconveniance of always filtering the water...Britta filters have worked fine.)On top of that,if anything the quality of the finished product has improved over time.

I can't think of any mechanical device I've ever owned that gets this much use that hasn't needed some kind of repair, and I'm famous for being very hard on my stuff.

Also, I live in New york and my home borough, the Bronx is litered with mom&pop esspresso bars; And I'm no stranger to little Italy & the village ,and wherever I go there's always Starbucks: so I get to try a lot of differnt espresso. And I can't say that I've ever been dissapointed by the crema. In fact when normal coffee drinkers visit and I brew them a cup of coffee with it they are generally amazed at the crema on top of their cup, and I have to worry that I'm being a bore when I explain what crema is!
In fact that's one of the real charms of this machine: being able to brew a cup of american coffee with a real Italian flair at the touch of a button.
I imagine the motors for the pump and the grinder have to wear out eventually, so it has to die someday. Even though I must say it hasn't been a gradual decay. And I put around a pound and a half of beans a week through it at the very least.

I admit that I have to agree that it is a bit of a drag that you can't easily change what beans you're using from cup to cup, especially since my wife drinks only decaf (yuck!)and I wish there was a way to make froth for cappucino at the same time as the esspresso's brewing but after all this is a home/non professional machine.

So, if you love coffee, are kinda lazy, and want a no brainer; this little jammy's definitely the ticket!

...to keep this brief:
+ makes best coffee i ever drank anywhere in the world
+ try and get swiss grain to tweak the flavour to the max
+ had a superautomatica for 10(!) years now without ever needing technical assistance or even a screwdriver
+ if it had a carrying handle, i would take it with me wherever i roam

! clean all removable parts frequently, mechanics once a fortnight, to maximize lifetime and working 100% all the time
! clean the steam muzzle instantly after each use, else you will have ugly milk foam sediments before long

When I first used the machine I was very pleased. I made roughly 20 shots per day on the weekends and about 4 per day during the week.

The machine functioned well for a while, then after a few months the grinder began to go nuts. There is a small plastic flapper at the end of the grind chamber that is supposed to turn the grinder off when the grind chamber is full and trigger the machine to dump the grinds into the brew group. Sometimes the flapper performed and sometimes not. When the flapper didn't work the machine would continue to grind until one shut off the power or it ground up all of the beans in the hopper. Then a messy clean up was in order to remove all the grinds from the machine.

I tried to remedy the condition as best as I could, then one day when the machine was about 10 months old I had enough. In the big green can it went.

Loved the machine at first, ended up hating it. I will not travel the Saeco road again.

When Amazon finally delivered the machine, it produced very reliable coffee. The machine works quickly and efficiently. The only downside is that it makes more noise than I thought it would.

This machine is a problem. It has broken down several times needing repairs. I should have opted for better quality machine at a little higher price. Doesn't heat coffee enough, leaks, flimsy parts.

This is a wonderful machine, I did a lot of research on several other machines and even went so far as buying 2 other machines which I returned as they did not meet my expectations. This makes a great cup of espresso and we are very happy with it, not sure how long it will last with all the moving parts in it, but it is really quite and amazing machine.

My only recommendation to make it a better machine would be to add a cup warmer and an easier way to fill it up with water.

Otherwise, very happy with it.

I purchased this machine two years ago, after extensive research on espresso machines (which you are probably doing now, if you're reading this). I decided specifically on the vienna "superautomatica" and felt justified in when it ran strong for the first year. We're talking 2 cups a day for both my husband and myself, I drink mine with two shots and he drinks his with three, so 10 shots/day - IF we didn't have company! The machine makes great espresso, a nice crema, easy to clean, yada yada yada. All the stuff I thought was important.

Then one day the machine didn't heat up. I'm waiting... and waiting... and never again does that handy blinking light tell me my machine is heated up and ready to brew. No big deal, we were bound to break it with all our "espresso drinking". I was just glad I had sent in the special card that extended my warranty to 18 months. We're in the 16the month. Cutting it close. I'll just call the 1-800 # provided in my paperwork. And I'll call again and again. And still I will not speak to a real person but rather leave message after message to be returned by nobody.

So, here we are after the warranty's expiration. No biggie. I'm not broke and I LOVED this machine. I'll get it fixed, right? Nope. I live in a fairly populated area and yet there are no repair facilities for Saeco machines. Okay, I'm handy enough... pretty sure it's the heating element, I'll just order parts!! Nope. After much research, I have realized that the only people who repair OR provide parts for Saeco machines are... you guessed it! The people on the other end of that mysterious 1-800#.

The moral of the story is: before you buy this WONDERFUL machine (or any other) from this RESPECTED company (or any other) do a handy little internet search for repair facilities and availability for parts for that partical brand. Otherwise you'll be buying ANOTHER wonderful machine every couple years!

There's a lot to like about this machine. It is definitely a fast and fuss-free way to brew good espresso. Doubtless you'll increase your espresso intake, so stock up on some good beans before you buy the Vienna!

Brewing involves setting the desired grind (from a coarseness setting of 0 to 18, but more on this later), amount of water (1 to 5 oz.), and whether you'd like one or two cups (these are true cups -- if you select two, the machine fully cycles through twice). You then press a button to begin the wonderful process of delivering a good cup or two of espresso. After about 30 seconds of a variety of noises and internal happenings, you're ready to drink.

However, this process may disappoint those who like additional control over their brewing. If you like to change types of beans, you'll find it a frustrating endeavor to determine how many beans to pour into the hopper to deliver just one cup. For example, should you desire to switch to decaf espresso and you've left any caffeinated beans in the hopper, there's nothing to be done about it. Once the beans are in the hopper, the way to get them out is to grind and brew them. If you're the type that always uses the same beans, none of this is an issue. I like to vary the beans I use, and the Vienna is making it difficult for me.

While the burr grinder does a great job in terms of consistency and without "burning" the beans, its settings ranging from 0 (finest) to 18 (most coarse) are somewhat superfluous. The owner's manual states that normal settings should range from 6 to 10. I have found that a setting of anything less than 4 results in an inconsistent rate of espresso flow through the brewing outspouts, or a very slow flow. Unfortunately, a setting of 4 does not yield a fine enough grind for my tastes.

The capacity of the water tank is on the smallish side. I find myself replenishing the water supply more often than I'd like.

For all its automation, the unit itself is easy to clean, primarily because the entire brewing chamber is accessible by swinging the entire front of the unit open. Next, one only has to depress a small lever to remove the parts in need of extra cleaning attention.

Previously I owned a DeLonghi and a Briel espresso machine, both being in the [$$$]price range. Both made great espresso for an unacceptably short time (about 1.5 years). While the Vienna has a plasticy feel, it is a heavy ABS plastic, and I could not justify the considerable additional cost of the steel versions of this machine. I am hoping this machine lasts a lot longer. USA warranty is 12 months, extended to 18 months once your warranty card is mailed to Saeco. Citizens of the European Union enjoy a 2 year warranty.

Crema is important to me, and in this area, the Vienna has been a slight disappointment. It does produce crema, but no more than my cheaper machines (when they were working). The same can be said for the frothing wand, which is no more effective than my [$$$] machines either. I have tried various beans and grinds but have not been able to get the crema to where I'd like.

Overall, this is a great machine at a good price. The automation it offers is a welcome relief to the messy manual procedure. Some experimentation may be required to work around the automation and produce the custom taste you may be looking for. However, control freaks may wish to purchase a standard machine and pass this automated beauty by.

We have had our machine for over two years and we are still as much in live with it as when we first bought it! We have started a trend among family and friends and these machines are popping up in all their kitchens. Wonderful news for us because it means we have fab coffee when we visit them. We don't have a concern with changing bean types frequently but, it would be nice to have a larger water tank and grounds drawer(mostly because I am the only who remembers to refill/empty the machine). Highly recommended.

The superautomatic function works ok but the steam unit is greatly underpowered. A $29 Krups makes better steamed milk. After trying Saeco customer serverice several times I finally got through only to get zero help. Under engineered product and below par customer service is a bad combination.

Makes perfect coffee everytime. Cleanup is a less work
than a regular espresso machine. The machine does have a lot
of moving parts, hence I purchased a service contract to
go with it.

I got this machine 2 years ago as a gift and to this day its been the best gift I have ever received. I really got hooked on drinking grand café while spending ten days in Paris. I was so used to watered down Mr. Coffee style coffee every morning and when I came back to the US, I couldn't stand it, I needed the French grand café.

In two years the machine broke once, where it would stop grinding. Saeco USA literally fixed it in a day and it was out of possesion for only a week or so mostly due to transportation time.

Highly recommend this unit to anyone who loves the pure taste of coffee and doesnt want to spend $5 a day at one of the chain coffee places.

If you'd like an automatic machine but can't justify $1000 or so, this is a great choice.
We've used it for over 2 1/2 years now with no troubles. I do clean it every so often though, but with the removable brewing unit, it's not a big chore.
The water tank may run dry quicker than expected but that's a minor gripe. Also, waiting for the heater to get up to steaming temperature was initially a dislike, not so bad now for some reason. I would have liked a separate bean hopper to switch brews but at this price, I can't complain.
Espresso quality is good, but as always is bean-dependent. Next to my bicycle and 15 year-old car, a great buy!

Saeco is great full automatic esspreso cafe maker,with buildin grinder and automatic disposal best in class for price

My Saeco is still working fine and producing good results for the price. I've learned a few things that may help your ownership experience:

1) If you're in North America call the Saeco main number and ask for support. They can give you some cleaning documents via email that will help you go through the cleaning procedure. You need to keep up with the cleaning or the small passage between the grinder and the "brew group" plugs up, particularly if you use dark roast coffee. The manual that comes with the machine is pretty close to useless.

2) Use filtered water and you can skip the descaling process. I've had a lot of problems trying to run the special formula through it and my local dealer claims it's unecessary since I've always used filtered water.

3) I would probably buy the deluxe model because it has a dual heater for steaming. For doing things a little quicker with this model I heat to steam first, do the steaming and then flip back to coffee and run water out the steaming wand to cool it down.

4) The water tank leaked after a few years but the service folks shipped me a new one for a few bucks and it solved the problem. I have ordered a collection of gaskets just to have around--parts seem to be in and out of stock.

All in all the machine requires a little more maintenance than I hoped but so far it is still producing. The folks on the phone in the US are quite helpful. It is built with a lot of plastic so you have to be somewhat careful--I broke a water tank just dropping it on the floor and my "brew group" is cracked for the same reason.

I have had this machine since May 2002, My husband and I LOVE it. We used it all the time until it started leaking. We brought it to the service center for repair (in NJ) and after 3 months it was finally fixed..The cost to repair it was 1/2 of what we origionally paid for it. My suggestion would be that after several years use...buy another and dont repair it.

I bought this Espresso maker because I am always driving thru or stopping at Starbucks and other coffee stores and was spending WAY TOO MUCH for it. A friend has the Saeco Vienna Espresso Coffee maker and I saw him use it. It was so easy and the espresso drink was so good and tasty. I decided it was easy enough for me. So I bought one and I love it. All the regulars at the coffee shops I used to go to wonder why I haven't been there in a long time and I have to tell them I found something MUCH, MUCH BETTER. I would recommend it to everybody who loves espressos, mochas, etc. It's not cheap, but it's worth the money.


I bought this coffee machine as a Christmas gift for my parents. On Christmas day we set up the machine - which consisted of putting coffee beans and water (always use filtered) in it and plugging it in. We read the enclosed quick set up and away we went. I knew Saeco is one of the leading coffee machines - which I researched - but I had no idea how good this machine really is. Not only was the taste exceptional - but the aroma was also wonderful! What they really liked about this machine besides the excellent taste - was the ablility to make a fresh cup of coffee each time. There was no coffee pot to wash - virtually little clean-up. For the price and quality - this is well worth it.

It's easy to use, easy to keep clean, and makes excellent coffee. So far (1 month), I've been very happy.

I first used this machine at my fathers house. His wife is Italian and you know how they love their coffee. Well I thought that it was the most amazing thing since sliced bread. You can turn the dial and with a touch of a button get the most aromatic cup of espresso and again w/ a turn of the dial and the push of a button get a perfect afternoon Cafe Americano to have w/ your biscotti. I had to have it! After much begging and pleading (my husband was amazed at the cost and said I couldn't get refurbed),internet surfing, when mothers day finally rolls around. My husband feeling guilty that he didn't get me anything said I could get my Saeco Vienna. I ran to the computer. After sending messages to 2 people who bought it refurbished, I took the chance. The result is the best but the beans we used (yes used, details following praise) was italian roast beans. They weren't as bitter as the espresso. It was such joy. I even saved money as I wasn't going to Starbucks. My 21 year old son even said "best investment we ever made" (why he said that confuesed me as he didn't put a dime towards it). It truly is a great machine, but it stopped working. My husband warned me about refurb and I haven't even had it a month. However, I believe it is because it was used. If I can get the seller to fix or replace it, I will be greatful. If not I plan on buying the same machine NEW w/ extended warranty as there are many moving parts. Please don't use this review to not buy this machine, use it to be informed. Never if you can help it, buy reburbished unless it comes w/ and exceptional warranty. Then buy local only (the company I bought it from is in New York and I am California, Hello!!!!!) It is great and worth every penny if bought new. Once in your home you will truly enjoy every single cup that it runneth over with. Plus keep in mind the money you will save not going to Starbucks or the local coffee house.

I just purchased my 2nd Saeco Vienna Espresso Machine. ***Love it***
We purchased our first one 2002.
I must confess within the last year we will have had to send it to a coffee repair shop two times for cleaning. But for using this machine everyday for this long @ 5 shots a day or more. We have gotten our moneys worth and we paid higher than this price 5 years ago.

Can't find parts anywhere! Repair facilitys are very limited and none in my area however the machine lasted five years so i give it four stars.
Heating element burned out!

I'm currently building a drive thru on my home and will be putting Starbucks out of business. The machine is all that and a bag of chips.....

I have had this machine for almost 2 months so can't exactly give it a longetivity review. However, in the short time I have had it, it has performed flawlessly and makes an outstanding cup of coffee, espresso or cappucccino. I would not recommend it for an office because the water tank is too small and you will be filling it often. However, for a 1 of 2 person household, it works just fine. The machine has an adjustable coffee level and you can adjust the grind fineness. It does a nice job steaming/frothing milk in about 30 seconds and it's relatively easy to clean.

It takes about 30 seconds for the machine to warm up, but after that it will make a full cup of coffee in about 20 seconds.

I guess the only complaint/concern that I have is that is sounds like there are quite a few moving parts, which is common with coffee/espresso machines of this quality or higher. The more moving parts, the more that can go wrong, but so far, I'm very happy with it and highly recommend it.



It's easy to use, easy to keep clean, and makes excellent coffee. So far (1 month), I've been very happy.

I first used this machine at my fathers house. His wife is Italian and you know how they love their coffee. Well I thought that it was the most amazing thing since sliced bread. You can turn the dial and with a touch of a button get the most aromatic cup of espresso and again w/ a turn of the dial and the push of a button get a perfect afternoon Cafe Americano to have w/ your biscotti. I had to have it! After much begging and pleading (my husband was amazed at the cost and said I couldn't get refurbed),internet surfing, when mothers day finally rolls around. My husband feeling guilty that he didn't get me anything said I could get my Saeco Vienna. I ran to the computer. After sending messages to 2 people who bought it refurbished, I took the chance. The result is the best but the beans we used (yes used, details following praise) was italian roast beans. They weren't as bitter as the espresso. It was such joy. I even saved money as I wasn't going to Starbucks. My 21 year old son even said "best investment we ever made" (why he said that confuesed me as he didn't put a dime towards it). It truly is a great machine, but it stopped working. My husband warned me about refurb and I haven't even had it a month. However, I believe it is because it was used. If I can get the seller to fix or replace it, I will be greatful. If not I plan on buying the same machine NEW w/ extended warranty as there are many moving parts. Please don't use this review to not buy this machine, use it to be informed. Never if you can help it, buy reburbished unless it comes w/ and exceptional warranty. Then buy local only (the company I bought it from is in New York and I am California, Hello!!!!!) It is great and worth every penny if bought new. Once in your home you will truly enjoy every single cup that it runneth over with. Plus keep in mind the money you will save not going to Starbucks or the local coffee house.

I just purchased my 2nd Saeco Vienna Espresso Machine. ***Love it***
We purchased our first one 2002.
I must confess within the last year we will have had to send it to a coffee repair shop two times for cleaning. But for using this machine everyday for this long @ 5 shots a day or more. We have gotten our moneys worth and we paid higher than this price 5 years ago.

Can't find parts anywhere! Repair facilitys are very limited and none in my area however the machine lasted five years so i give it four stars.
Heating element burned out!

I'm currently building a drive thru on my home and will be putting Starbucks out of business. The machine is all that and a bag of chips.....

I have had this machine for almost 2 months so can't exactly give it a longetivity review. However, in the short time I have had it, it has performed flawlessly and makes an outstanding cup of coffee, espresso or cappucccino. I would not recommend it for an office because the water tank is too small and you will be filling it often. However, for a 1 of 2 person household, it works just fine. The machine has an adjustable coffee level and you can adjust the grind fineness. It does a nice job steaming/frothing milk in about 30 seconds and it's relatively easy to clean.

It takes about 30 seconds for the machine to warm up, but after that it will make a full cup of coffee in about 20 seconds.

I guess the only complaint/concern that I have is that is sounds like there are quite a few moving parts, which is common with coffee/espresso machines of this quality or higher. The more moving parts, the more that can go wrong, but so far, I'm very happy with it and highly recommend it.



I bought this coffee machine as a Christmas gift for my parents. On Christmas day we set up the machine - which consisted of putting coffee beans and water (always use filtered) in it and plugging it in. We read the enclosed quick set up and away we went. I knew Saeco is one of the leading coffee machines - which I researched - but I had no idea how good this machine really is. Not only was the taste exceptional - but the aroma was also wonderful! What they really liked about this machine besides the excellent taste - was the ablility to make a fresh cup of coffee each time. There was no coffee pot to wash - virtually little clean-up. For the price and quality - this is well worth it.

I bought this Espresso maker because I am always driving thru or stopping at Starbucks and other coffee stores and was spending WAY TOO MUCH for it. A friend has the Saeco Vienna Espresso Coffee maker and I saw him use it. It was so easy and the espresso drink was so good and tasty. I decided it was easy enough for me. So I bought one and I love it. All the regulars at the coffee shops I used to go to wonder why I haven't been there in a long time and I have to tell them I found something MUCH, MUCH BETTER. I would recommend it to everybody who loves espressos, mochas, etc. It's not cheap, but it's worth the money.


I have had this machine since May 2002, My husband and I LOVE it. We used it all the time until it started leaking. We brought it to the service center for repair (in NJ) and after 3 months it was finally fixed..The cost to repair it was 1/2 of what we origionally paid for it. My suggestion would be that after several years use...buy another and dont repair it.

Makes perfect coffee everytime. Cleanup is a less work
than a regular espresso machine. The machine does have a lot
of moving parts, hence I purchased a service contract to
go with it.

I got this machine 2 years ago as a gift and to this day its been the best gift I have ever received. I really got hooked on drinking grand café while spending ten days in Paris. I was so used to watered down Mr. Coffee style coffee every morning and when I came back to the US, I couldn't stand it, I needed the French grand café.

In two years the machine broke once, where it would stop grinding. Saeco USA literally fixed it in a day and it was out of possesion for only a week or so mostly due to transportation time.

Highly recommend this unit to anyone who loves the pure taste of coffee and doesnt want to spend $5 a day at one of the chain coffee places.

Saeco is great full automatic esspreso cafe maker,with buildin grinder and automatic disposal best in class for price

My Saeco is still working fine and producing good results for the price. I've learned a few things that may help your ownership experience:

1) If you're in North America call the Saeco main number and ask for support. They can give you some cleaning documents via email that will help you go through the cleaning procedure. You need to keep up with the cleaning or the small passage between the grinder and the "brew group" plugs up, particularly if you use dark roast coffee. The manual that comes with the machine is pretty close to useless.

2) Use filtered water and you can skip the descaling process. I've had a lot of problems trying to run the special formula through it and my local dealer claims it's unecessary since I've always used filtered water.

3) I would probably buy the deluxe model because it has a dual heater for steaming. For doing things a little quicker with this model I heat to steam first, do the steaming and then flip back to coffee and run water out the steaming wand to cool it down.

4) The water tank leaked after a few years but the service folks shipped me a new one for a few bucks and it solved the problem. I have ordered a collection of gaskets just to have around--parts seem to be in and out of stock.

All in all the machine requires a little more maintenance than I hoped but so far it is still producing. The folks on the phone in the US are quite helpful. It is built with a lot of plastic so you have to be somewhat careful--I broke a water tank just dropping it on the floor and my "brew group" is cracked for the same reason.

If you'd like an automatic machine but can't justify $1000 or so, this is a great choice.
We've used it for over 2 1/2 years now with no troubles. I do clean it every so often though, but with the removable brewing unit, it's not a big chore.
The water tank may run dry quicker than expected but that's a minor gripe. Also, waiting for the heater to get up to steaming temperature was initially a dislike, not so bad now for some reason. I would have liked a separate bean hopper to switch brews but at this price, I can't complain.
Espresso quality is good, but as always is bean-dependent. Next to my bicycle and 15 year-old car, a great buy!

We have had our machine for over two years and we are still as much in live with it as when we first bought it! We have started a trend among family and friends and these machines are popping up in all their kitchens. Wonderful news for us because it means we have fab coffee when we visit them. We don't have a concern with changing bean types frequently but, it would be nice to have a larger water tank and grounds drawer(mostly because I am the only who remembers to refill/empty the machine). Highly recommended.

I am confused about all the bad rap this machine is getting. I decided to wait until I had my machine for about 2 yrs to give a review based on all the bad reviews...I love my machine. I don't like Peets coffee or Starbucks and have found that Peets coffee does give the machine trouble, but goes away as long as you clean the machine (which I do on a weekly basis). Where I live we had a little coffee shop that I feel had the BEST coffee (Mr. Espresso), when it closed, I tried Peets, etc. Since, I have purchased Mr. Espresso coffee beans and have NO problems with my machine and feel that my espresso are consistant and almost as good as my old coffee shops. I would recommend this machine to anyone and am thinking about buying a second (thinking they will stop making this model).

I've owned my Saeco Superautomatica for almost five years and am very satisfied. I make about a pound of coffee a week, or a little more, so I'm probably a typical home user. I clean it every week and use a tank cleaning solution monthly. It does use more coffee than a drip coffeemaker but it produces a much better cup of coffee. I seldom use the steamer/frother feature, so really can't comment on it. I replaced the pressure tank this year (about $100 parts and labor). That's the only service it has needed. I would certainly buy another and would recommend it to friends.

I have a simple morning routine. I go into the kitchen, turn on my Saeco Vienna, wait about a minute and turn press a single button to make wonderful coffee. Some people have had problems with the machine but it's ease and simplicity are fantastic. I put water in it about twice a week and coffee about once a month, and apart from cleaning out it's coffee grounds disposal there is no other messing about. I've had many coffee machines before and trying to grind beans and tamp the shot first thing in the morning is just not what I want to be doing. I was hesitant to spend the extra money at first on this v's a normal non automatic machine but once I've been down this track there is no heading back.
It's simply the best and easiest coffee machine I've ever owned.

The machine came in an inoperable condition. The coffee grinder
did not work.

Bought a new one and wouldnt work when I recieved it. Sent it back (paid 30 dollars to ship it back)Then when it was fixed it worked for about 2 weeks then broke again

The superautomatic function works ok but the steam unit is greatly underpowered. A $29 Krups makes better steamed milk. After trying Saeco customer serverice several times I finally got through only to get zero help. Under engineered product and below par customer service is a bad combination.

...to keep this brief:
+ makes best coffee i ever drank anywhere in the world
+ try and get swiss grain to tweak the flavour to the max
+ had a superautomatica for 10(!) years now without ever needing technical assistance or even a screwdriver
+ if it had a carrying handle, i would take it with me wherever i roam

! clean all removable parts frequently, mechanics once a fortnight, to maximize lifetime and working 100% all the time
! clean the steam muzzle instantly after each use, else you will have ugly milk foam sediments before long

When I first used the machine I was very pleased. I made roughly 20 shots per day on the weekends and about 4 per day during the week.

The machine functioned well for a while, then after a few months the grinder began to go nuts. There is a small plastic flapper at the end of the grind chamber that is supposed to turn the grinder off when the grind chamber is full and trigger the machine to dump the grinds into the brew group. Sometimes the flapper performed and sometimes not. When the flapper didn't work the machine would continue to grind until one shut off the power or it ground up all of the beans in the hopper. Then a messy clean up was in order to remove all the grinds from the machine.

I tried to remedy the condition as best as I could, then one day when the machine was about 10 months old I had enough. In the big green can it went.

Loved the machine at first, ended up hating it. I will not travel the Saeco road again.

When Amazon finally delivered the machine, it produced very reliable coffee. The machine works quickly and efficiently. The only downside is that it makes more noise than I thought it would.

This machine is a problem. It has broken down several times needing repairs. I should have opted for better quality machine at a little higher price. Doesn't heat coffee enough, leaks, flimsy parts.

This is a wonderful machine, I did a lot of research on several other machines and even went so far as buying 2 other machines which I returned as they did not meet my expectations. This makes a great cup of espresso and we are very happy with it, not sure how long it will last with all the moving parts in it, but it is really quite and amazing machine.

My only recommendation to make it a better machine would be to add a cup warmer and an easier way to fill it up with water.

Otherwise, very happy with it.

I purchased this machine two years ago, after extensive research on espresso machines (which you are probably doing now, if you're reading this). I decided specifically on the vienna "superautomatica" and felt justified in when it ran strong for the first year. We're talking 2 cups a day for both my husband and myself, I drink mine with two shots and he drinks his with three, so 10 shots/day - IF we didn't have company! The machine makes great espresso, a nice crema, easy to clean, yada yada yada. All the stuff I thought was important.

Then one day the machine didn't heat up. I'm waiting... and waiting... and never again does that handy blinking light tell me my machine is heated up and ready to brew. No big deal, we were bound to break it with all our "espresso drinking". I was just glad I had sent in the special card that extended my warranty to 18 months. We're in the 16the month. Cutting it close. I'll just call the 1-800 # provided in my paperwork. And I'll call again and again. And still I will not speak to a real person but rather leave message after message to be returned by nobody.

So, here we are after the warranty's expiration. No biggie. I'm not broke and I LOVED this machine. I'll get it fixed, right? Nope. I live in a fairly populated area and yet there are no repair facilities for Saeco machines. Okay, I'm handy enough... pretty sure it's the heating element, I'll just order parts!! Nope. After much research, I have realized that the only people who repair OR provide parts for Saeco machines are... you guessed it! The people on the other end of that mysterious 1-800#.

The moral of the story is: before you buy this WONDERFUL machine (or any other) from this RESPECTED company (or any other) do a handy little internet search for repair facilities and availability for parts for that partical brand. Otherwise you'll be buying ANOTHER wonderful machine every couple years!

I've owned this machine for more than 2 years and it continues to be one of my most prized possesions.

Even though this is considered to be a "cheap" or low end machine, most people are astonished to hear I spent 400 bucks on a cofee maker (after all that's what it does regardless of what you call it or how well it does it!) and I personally consider it to be extravagant. Be that as it may, I can't think of any purchase I've ever been more satisisfied with!

I read the other review on this site and had to add that the machine has remained serviceable with only the most rudimentary maintanance( I assume anyone who loves esspresso enough to fork over this kind of dough wouldn't grudge a half hour a week to thoroughly clean the mechanism, or the inconveniance of always filtering the water...Britta filters have worked fine.)On top of that,if anything the quality of the finished product has improved over time.

I can't think of any mechanical device I've ever owned that gets this much use that hasn't needed some kind of repair, and I'm famous for being very hard on my stuff.

Also, I live in New york and my home borough, the Bronx is litered with mom&pop esspresso bars; And I'm no stranger to little Italy & the village ,and wherever I go there's always Starbucks: so I get to try a lot of differnt espresso. And I can't say that I've ever been dissapointed by the crema. In fact when normal coffee drinkers visit and I brew them a cup of coffee with it they are generally amazed at the crema on top of their cup, and I have to worry that I'm being a bore when I explain what crema is!
In fact that's one of the real charms of this machine: being able to brew a cup of american coffee with a real Italian flair at the touch of a button.
I imagine the motors for the pump and the grinder have to wear out eventually, so it has to die someday. Even though I must say it hasn't been a gradual decay. And I put around a pound and a half of beans a week through it at the very least.

I admit that I have to agree that it is a bit of a drag that you can't easily change what beans you're using from cup to cup, especially since my wife drinks only decaf (yuck!)and I wish there was a way to make froth for cappucino at the same time as the esspresso's brewing but after all this is a home/non professional machine.

So, if you love coffee, are kinda lazy, and want a no brainer; this little jammy's definitely the ticket!

There's a lot to like about this machine. It is definitely a fast and fuss-free way to brew good espresso. Doubtless you'll increase your espresso intake, so stock up on some good beans before you buy the Vienna!

Brewing involves setting the desired grind (from a coarseness setting of 0 to 18, but more on this later), amount of water (1 to 5 oz.), and whether you'd like one or two cups (these are true cups -- if you select two, the machine fully cycles through twice). You then press a button to begin the wonderful process of delivering a good cup or two of espresso. After about 30 seconds of a variety of noises and internal happenings, you're ready to drink.

However, this process may disappoint those who like additional control over their brewing. If you like to change types of beans, you'll find it a frustrating endeavor to determine how many beans to pour into the hopper to deliver just one cup. For example, should you desire to switch to decaf espresso and you've left any caffeinated beans in the hopper, there's nothing to be done about it. Once the beans are in the hopper, the way to get them out is to grind and brew them. If you're the type that always uses the same beans, none of this is an issue. I like to vary the beans I use, and the Vienna is making it difficult for me.

While the burr grinder does a great job in terms of consistency and without "burning" the beans, its settings ranging from 0 (finest) to 18 (most coarse) are somewhat superfluous. The owner's manual states that normal settings should range from 6 to 10. I have found that a setting of anything less than 4 results in an inconsistent rate of espresso flow through the brewing outspouts, or a very slow flow. Unfortunately, a setting of 4 does not yield a fine enough grind for my tastes.

The capacity of the water tank is on the smallish side. I find myself replenishing the water supply more often than I'd like.

For all its automation, the unit itself is easy to clean, primarily because the entire brewing chamber is accessible by swinging the entire front of the unit open. Next, one only has to depress a small lever to remove the parts in need of extra cleaning attention.

Previously I owned a DeLonghi and a Briel espresso machine, both being in the [$$$]price range. Both made great espresso for an unacceptably short time (about 1.5 years). While the Vienna has a plasticy feel, it is a heavy ABS plastic, and I could not justify the considerable additional cost of the steel versions of this machine. I am hoping this machine lasts a lot longer. USA warranty is 12 months, extended to 18 months once your warranty card is mailed to Saeco. Citizens of the European Union enjoy a 2 year warranty.

Crema is important to me, and in this area, the Vienna has been a slight disappointment. It does produce crema, but no more than my cheaper machines (when they were working). The same can be said for the frothing wand, which is no more effective than my [$$$] machines either. I have tried various beans and grinds but have not been able to get the crema to where I'd like.

Overall, this is a great machine at a good price. The automation it offers is a welcome relief to the messy manual procedure. Some experimentation may be required to work around the automation and produce the custom taste you may be looking for. However, control freaks may wish to purchase a standard machine and pass this automated beauty by.

This is a grat machine. it has been going strong ever since. I just wish that i could hoop up the water container to a sink or a bigger tank. This is great for making regular coffee and/or expresso. BUY THIS do but the others.

I live in Europe where this is a very popular brand. We have one in the office that goes through one package of coffee beans a day (500 grams). It has not missed a beat in over three months. That equates to about seven years of my use without a failure, at about 1/2 kilo per month.

Based on that I bought one for home use. It makes excellent coffee. If there is a down side, it is that our coffee use is up. Not sure if it is because the machine uses more coffee than the dir or we are just drinking more?

My girlfriend and her husband have this machine and loves it. My husband always wanted an expresso when at their home from this machine so I bought him one for Christmas. He absolutely love it. It is so easy to use, just a touch of a button. The automatic grinding feature sold me on this and it really makes this machine worth the investment. It is easy to fill and to clean. It also makes different sizes of cups which is nice too. My husband wants to buy a second one for a gift for his brother!

This is a wonderful machine. I bought it for my mother as a b-day gift, and she loves it. It brews hot expresso or regular coffee[depends on the settings[. It was well worth the money. don't buy the expresive capresso or krups to much $$(...) and they get clogged. Buy the saeco Vienna or the digital one. one downfall is that it is made of plastic. Not bad but not very good, and the water tank is a little on the small side.