Saeco Vienna Deluxe SuperAutomatic Espresso Coffee and Cappuccino Machine
Just received this espresso maker from amazon.com The power
light won't even come on - we have one at work, so I am familiar
with operation. Also the left side of machine is not assembled
correctly or has been opened for repairs. Very disappointed,
and there are none in stock for replacement. I thought these
machine were really reliable, very surprised!! It is very
plastic and not put together very well. Hope this helps, sorry
to sound so negative. I was really surprised that it had these
problems. Maybe I just got a lemon :)
My girlfriend gave me one of these last Christmas. It seemed kind of extravagent at the time but I was glad to see it. I have thought for years that freshly ground beans, like fresh cracked pepper, are superior. This machine does it all, it grinds, tamps, brews, dumps - all you have to do is fill it with water and beans, dump the daily grounds and rinse the spill catcher ocassionally. It makes great espresso or cafe americano (at infinitley different strengths, also one or two at a time), steam or hot water (for frothing, tea, instant soup, etc.), and virtually cleans up. It makes easy, high quality coffee products and looks good...
We purchaed our Vienna Delux in October of 2001. It was a demo that was said to be rarely used and fully checked out. What an amazing and wonderful machine. We are hardened espresso and latte drinkers and found the coffee and espresso quality to be excellent and amost zero time invested in making it! We do about 200 shots a month and have regularly descaled it.
So, in May the machine mechanism jammed and 2 panerrelos (frother) had failed. We sent it back (after less than outstanding responsiveness from them because of the insinuation that it wasn't their product; we must have done something wrong). We lost use for about a month while it was being fixed (certainly no sense of hurrying on their part!).
So, Just before Thanksgiving this year the pump stopped running. There was no way they were going to honor this under any warranty and were defensive about thier product (by the way I had to leave 2-3 messages and got a reponse almost 2 weeks after the first message). They claimed it couldn't be the pump because it never fails but when I found a local repair shop (referred by Saeco), I was told they had seen a number of such failures and that it was almost impossible for them to get parts from Saeco because of very slow and disinterested service. This is a great machine (and the repair person feels they are well made) but less great sense of serving the customer. You might want to consider all your options before buying. Not fixed yet so I don't know the end of this story yet. Beware.....!
My wife purchased the Monte Carlo model. After a couple of years of use, it stopped working and needed repairs. First, we had an extremely difficult time determining where to send the machine for repair. Finally, in December 2001, we sent it to Saeco. We received it back from Saeco April 3, 2002---still broken and unrepaired, despite having paid for repairs!! During the interim, we called the company several times and could never get consistent answers. We will never purchase another Saeco. BEWARE SHOULD YOUR SAECO EVERY NEED REPAIRS!
I had some doubts on how well an automatic machine could do justice to an expresso, but I was in for a nice surprise.
This machine really works, extracting all the coffee flavour from the beans and delivering the exact foam.
I highly recommend it.
This was my first purchase of a higher-end machine and I made the right choice!
It makes better coffee then my local Starbucks and is very easy to use.
I couldn't be happier.
Stay away from this item, it is not worth the money.
We own the Vienna de Luxe and find it very easy to use. I would compare the espresso this machine makes with that of what I get at my local coffee bar. It is well assembled and thought out in its design. Particular interest was the fact that it gives you instant steam (what Saeco calls Rapid Steam). I like the fact it makes perfect espresso, cappuccino and lattes. I drink mainly espresso though. Just pour in your favorite coffee beans and press a button. It will start grinding the coffee beans, dump the ground coffee into the brew system, and presto - out comes your espresso. And it's not messy! It takes about 25 seconds to brew a shot of espresso from start to finish. The price is a little high, but it's worth it. It saves me money in the long run becuase I don't have to spend $3.00 at the coffee bar anymore!
Purchased "demo" machine directly from SAECO as they are in Annapolis, close to my DC area location. BIG MISATKE! Machine worked fine for about 4 months and then jammed. When trying to follow normal customer maintenance process, a part broke. Sent for repair on December 9, 02. It is February 9, 03-still no word from them when it will repaired. Calls and messages to Annapolis are met with either irritaion or no repsonse at all. Even wrote to the president of SAECO in Italy --answer: "sorry we will send you a free pound of coffee." Go with a machine from a company like Krupps - at least they answer the telephone even if the machine is no longer repairable and offer you discounted machines.
Our Vienna deluxe has not held up at all! I will say though, that if it is working properly it does produce a great expresso and coffee. After contacting Saeco and being told to send it to a repair facility 200 miles from our home (you have to pay for shipping & it is expensive to ship because of the weight and bulk of the parcel)and having to immediately return it to the repair facility as it was repaired incorrectly (again at our expense), the machine STILL does not work properly and now leaks water and shorts out our GFCI. We were deligent about keeping the machine clean using Saeco's suggested products and the machine clogged up as well as stopped producing the crema on the top of the beverage. It has been a dissappointing purchase...an expensive one which going to end up in our garbage can!
After having this machine for approximately 2 years it needed a new motor. After calling and leaving messages to Saeco daily for 2 weeks a lady finaly called back and instructed me where to go for service. I brought it in to their approved repair center and right at that moment the tech that greeted me informed that if it neede any parts that I should be ready to wait for awhile as Saeco is extremely bad to respond. Well it has been 3 weeks since he tried to get someone at Saeco to call him back to get a price and nothing so far. I am getting extremely annoyed to say the least. I no longer reccomend any Saecco product. I will never buy anything from them again.
UPDATE: Today is October 26, 2004. After the last repair to this machine it lasted about one month before something else broke down on it. Being totally disgusted with it I stored it away in the closet until recently when my wife suggested that we not fix it anymore and buy a new one from a different brand name. I insisted in trying to get it fixed one last time, which we did. I have now spent $300. on repairs. I will keep you informed on the outcome. I have always been bringing I to a Saeco approved repair shop. I must say that getting parts for it is now easier than before.
I am glad that I was given this opportunity, I was not even aware that this wonderful company and in particular this wonderful machine had reached the american market.
It has been for me one of the hardest thing to ever find a drinkable espresso in the USA, I have lived there for about 7 years all over the place from the east to the west coast. I had to almost close my nose to be able to ever drink an espresso. The all time I had been wondering how distorted was american idea of an espresso, thinking that the black water they use to serve was called espresso. Finally with this machine you will be able to drink a class one espresso better than any you have probably every tried, A LOT BETTER THAN STARBUCKS TOO.
Saeco is one of the top brand in Italy, it has always made only good products, and this is the model that I have, in my opinion the best model made.
The machine alone will not do the trick, by the way you will need good coffee too, do not use pure arabica, Arabica is the best type of coffe but on it's own it makes no foam. It has to be mixed with other kinds.
I highly recommend using ILLY, it is probably the best coffe ever sold through out the world.
This machine gave me problem from day 1. I thought I was intelligent enough to handle this equipment by following the user manual. The machine always displayed error - never worked consistently! Ultimately started leaking water from the bottom when I tried to dispense hot water. There were nothing under 'Problem Diagnostics' for this problem! I called US Saeco support - I have to pay for shipping & fixing cost for a lousy machine that I used barely to make 10 cups of coffee! I do not recommend this machine to anyone at all.
I am in coffee business. Last month, I ordered 12 saeco cafe crema
which is the same of Vienna Deluxe. I found several machine
had the problem on case installation, the problem was
they didn't insert the inner board correctly, so the left
top case did not fit to the lower case. That's easy to fix.
But now three of them could not be turned on. I checked most
parts inside, looked OK. The only problem could be the control
board behide the control pannel. I have not decided to contact
Saeco or not, since it takes three months to get parts.
It's a good espresso machine, but make sure you need to
get easy access to the service center before you buying it.
hope this helps someone.
Well, I am on my third cup of delicious capuccino (can you tell how fast I'm typing?). I bought my Vienna Deluxe with some reservations because of the negative reviews of Saeco's customer service. Last night, UPS arrived with my machine and I set it up. No matter what I tried I couldn't get the machine pump to prime itself. I watched the video tape, I read the instructions, and nothing. I was really upset, and thought "Great. I already have a problem and from what I've read in the reviews, customer service is bad." This was at 9:00 p.m. last night.
I looked up the Saeco US website, no help there. I sent an email to customer support via the website, expecting that I wouldn't get a speedy reply.
This morning at 6:30 my time, I called the 800 customer service number that came with the machine (they were closed last night). On the second ring, a real person picked up! She immediately helped me and my machine is working fine. Turns out that sometimes the machine needs to be manually primed, and that one critical piece of information was nowhere in the Manual, videotape or Saeco website FAQs. I was delighted to be helped so quickly and competently.
Then, to my surprise, when I fired up my computer and checked email, someone from Saeco had already replied to my email from last night with the same important information.
So, I have to say, I found the customer service to be excellent. Perhaps they have improved it since the prior reviews were posted.
Finally, I suggested to the Saeco person who replied to my email that they should post this important information in the FAQs on the website. I hope they do!
Right now, I am delighted with my machine and the delicious, easy to prepare espresso / capuccino. If I have any trouble with it in the future, I'll post a follow-up review.
Good luck!
Christa
Do not buy this machine. For a "super-automatic", it the most high maintenance machine I have ever seen. It made great coffee for about 9 months and then the grinder broke. Luckily it was under warranty, although I had to negotiate with Saeco to actually get it fixed under warranty. It cost $50 to send it back and another $40 for a temp espresso machine for my husbands espresso addiction. We got it back and one month later it quit working again. So once again it got sent back to Saeco and it really hasn't worked right since. It is not worth the cost. REALLY. To spend this much money and only have it work for a year is ridiculous.
I've had this machine for a year and a half, and it's worked great from day one. Great espresso - and very easy to operate and clean. I'm not sure where all the negative reviews are coming from, because this machine has always worked well for me.
OK, this review is not about the quality of the espresso or cappuccino this machine can make. It's about the quality of the machine itself. As a matter of fact, the single precious cup of espresso we were able to make tasted great. The bitter taste in our mouths was the fact that we only had it for four hours before it died.
We did the research. We read the reviews on Amazon and other coffee web site posts. And we took the risk because quite frankly, there's not a whole lot of superautomatics to choose from around this price range. We figured it was 50-50, based on the reviews.
Well, we rolled the dice and got burned. The machine lasted only four hours before it stopped powering up. Check out the other two posts on Amazon about similar problems with powering up.
We like the design of the machine and how easy it is to use. But "ease of use" doesn't help when you can't power it on. Oh yeah, we checked the manual/troubleshooting guide: it says to (1)check your outlet[duh] and (2)make sure the cover is shut [double duh]. Don't forget we had it running for four hours before my wife and I noticed the thing shut off (there's no auto shut off feature). We tried other appliances in the same outlet and they work fine.
Saeco website says they have been in the business of making espresso machines a long time. At this point, they MUST know if these machines are reliable, based on repair requests. I recommend you ask them yourself before you buy one. Ask them what percentage of these units come back for repair work. I admit, that's what I SHOULD have done.
In my opinion, too many of the same problems are surfacing. They should try to resolve these problems before putting more of them out there on the market. A 50-50 chance of reliability doesn't cut it for something that costs this much.
If you ordered one and yours still works, I'm happy for you. You're the other 50 percent.
I purchased my machine in October 2003. It has worked perfectly. I use it for at *least* one double cappuccino daily (more on the weekends). I turn it on in the morning, and in the time it takes me to feed the dog and 2 cats (>2 minutes?)it's warmed up and ready to go. I *love* the two boiler system that allows me to froth my milk and brew my espresso without a wait--I knew I would be impatient for my morning brew, so I opted to buy this model over the regular Vienna.
I think the quality of espresso is quite good. You have the ability to adjust both the courseness of the grind and the amount of coffee per cup. Be warned, though, you may drink a lot of coffee experimenting for your optimal brew (you cannot let that liquid gold go to waste now, can you?). The Saeco Vienna Deluxe produces espresso with *beautiful* crema. Yummy! The espresso (or cafe crema) it makes is suitable for drinking alone or as a milk-based beverage
The machine also produces a very good amount of steam to froth your milk. It heats the milk quickly and it's easy to either steam or froth, depending on how deeply you keep the panarello attachment in the cup.
The few things a buyer might consider: (1) By-pass doser--I have, on a few occasions, wanted to be able to brew de-caf. But, best as I can tell, a super-automatic with a by-pass doser is, at the *very minimum* $150 more, not really worth the extra bucks to me, but the potential user should definitely consider how important it is to him/her to have the ability to change coffee easily. (2) No cup warmer--you get better crema from espresso from a warmed cup--not a big deal to me, I just use the hot water dispenser to fill the espresso cup to warm it if I'm having regular espresso.
I have been so happy with this unit that I'm buying another for my little vacation condo (morning coffe takes *way* too long with my very dependable old semi-automatic).
If you enjoy futzing around with making espresso--the beans, the grind, the tamp, the temperature, the pressure, the pull--please don't bother with a super-auto, and then complain that you can "construct" a better brew to your taste...*Whatever*...of course you can. But I have neither the time, nor the inclination to mess with that. I wanted a reasonably priced, dependable espresso maker, with the best feature to dollar ratio I've found, add a machine with minimal fuss and clean-up--I've definitely gotten what I looked for with the Saeco Vienna Deluxe.
Let me start by stating that I have had this machine for over 18 months. At the beginning, it worked like a charm. It made (and still does) make great espresso. About six months after "normal" use, the pump went out. It was still under warranty, so no problems, right? I emailed Saeco several times and no one ever answered me. Then I called the company in Ohio. Left several voice mails, and still no answer. Finally I got lucky one day, and caught what seems to be the only customer service rep there. After expalining the problem, she told me the machine needs descaling. I told her I did that at least once a month. She told me to ship it to them, on my OWN expense. Since there is nothing else I can do, I shipped it. They fixed it for $180 because the "Pump" was not under warranty. 3 months later the same problem happened again, and the cycle started again. The good news is they fixed it for free this time around. Last week, the pump went out again.
I am not going to call them again. It seems to me this is a defective junk of a pump that should be changed altogether. For $600 you'd think the company would do
something about their product, but they don't. I will never buy any Saeco anything in the future.
Please notice that the good reviews for this product are from people that have had the machine for a short time only. The bad reviews are from people that had it for a while. So, make your own conclusions.
I found out that a local Bath Bed and Beyond (Rockville, Maryland) carried this same machine and was allowing customers to use this machine in their store. I loved the expresso that it produced and the Saceo Vinnea is a big step up from my $200 Starbuck's Saceo Barista. However, I was shocked that it is mostly made of plastic and that the buttons have a flimsy cheap feel to it. I did expect the plastic to have a better feel; so it was dissapointing to me. Other than the lack of a cup warmer, its short frothing tool, and its plastic body it makes a good espresso. I could not over look its plastic body and and this price I think that you can do a better with Starbuck's Saceo Italia. It cost $530 and it has better buttons , a metal body, a cup warmer,a ground coffee bypass and, a better frothing wand. In my opinon if you are going to spend $600 on an espresso machine this is not the one to spend it on.
Overall I am quite pleased with it, but make no mistake about it, you are spending $500+ for a small appliance.
Pluses
- Makes consistently good tasting coffee
- Convenience of making coffee is simple as a push of 1 or 2
buttons and turning a dial.
- No coffee filters to change
- No beans to grind
- Relatively easy to clean (TIP: Buy citric acid from a nutrition store to clean/descale it).
- Conversation piece - not many people have such an expensive coffee machine. You will be surely asked how much it costs!
- You will drink more coffee as another review states. This maybe a con?
Minuses
- Documentation is in many languages, sometimes hard to read. Go to the saeco web site and download the english only version pdf., print it out for convenience.
- You'll buy more coffee beans as it loads dosages for each serving.
- Quality of plastic could be made higher. I'm very careful not to chip it or use harsh cleaners or exert too much force on it. It does not seem as durable as say refrigerator parts.
- If you are making coffee for lots of folks, you'll end up spending more time as it is made to brew 1 or 2 cups max.
- Durability?? - Only time will tell.
I purchased this espresso machine from J & R Music World on March 29, 2005, and after delivery, I removed it from its box to find a big dent on the side of the machine. The next day I called J & R and reported the problem. They told me to send it back via UPS ground, and they would reimburse the shipping charge. UPS picked up the box from my home, and I reported the shipping charge (of approximately $60.00) to J & R. They then told me that because I had UPS pick up directly from my home, they would not cover the charge! Also, the information on the outside of the box (they sent me) had 60 lbs. printed on it, so I had told UPS that it was 60 lbs. But J & R refuted that claim, saying it was no more than 30 lbs, and that I over-reported the weight!! They told me that at most, they would pay $27.00 of the total shipping charge, even though they NEVER told me NOT to have UPS do a home pick-up. J & R told me that they would have to look into it, and now more than 4 months later, I have STILL not received ANY reimbursement from J & R!!! So, WATCH OUT -- they send defective goods and they do not take responsibility, and stand by their promise to their customers.
WE bought ours at Costco in January 2003 and it provided excellent coffee until yesterday, July 3, 2005. However, it is a temperamental appliance, and after a year it began to develop vacuum locks in its water system which occasionally required a handyman husband to dismantle the Brew-group to break the little clear plastic ball bearing valve free. MOre recently the water simply didn't pump through, not because of scaling, but apparently because the pump had given out. It is not easily disassembled, and there is no way to service the thing at home . . . If anyone has a suggestion for a more reliable automatic espresso maker, we're in the market.
This is the best coffee/espresso maker that I have ever owned and I just love this coffee/espresso maker! I've been to Italy where I thought I had tasted the best espresso and this machine makes espresso as good as what I had in Italy!
It is consistent every time in the espresso and the coffee that it makes. It has turned into a conversation piece when guests come to the house. Everyone is amazed at how simple it is to use. At the touch of a buttton, it will automatically grind your beans, tamp the ground coffee, make the espresso and expel the grinds. I've owned other espresso machines in the past and they usually ended up in the garage as they were too cumbersome to use. The ease of this machine has made it an asset in this household.
Yes this machine is on the pricey side...no doubt about that. But when you calculate how much you spend at your local Starbucks or espresso bar in a year, this machine definitely pays for itself!
I use this machine daily and have had no problems with it. I would not hesitate to buy this again. In fact, we bought one for one of our dear friends for a Christmas gift because we were so impressed with it. They love their machine as much as we love ours!
We have had this machine for 3 years and it has broken three times at $100/repair. It has just broken again after being fixed a month ago. I have had it and I am going to try a Delonghi machine. Save your money and forget Saeco it is poor quality.
Bought this about 2 weeks ago. Very easy set-up. Put in the beans and water and it is ready to go. Superb espresso, Cappaccino and lattes. Better than Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
I can't stop drinking them. I have at least 6 per day.
We've had the machine for over 3 years and yes, we use it every day. That said, when you purchase a machine at this price, you expect it to perform over the long haul when it is used every day for only two people. We have used it at parties, perhaps 4 times in the three years we have it and only to make 6 - 8 capuccinos or espressos. Nonetheless, it no longer pressurizes (Panel is no good). As perfect as the coffee is, we will be looking at other options.
We researched all the various machines and settled on a less expensive pod machine from another manufacturer. We found the pods difficult to find and the machine somewhat lacking. We returned that machine in a matter of days. Increasing our budget, we researched more espresso makers before finally purchasing the Saeco Vienna Deluxe in January 2004. This machine has been a pleasure everyday since.
The Vienna Deluxe is an easy machine to use. One should ensure there is cold filtered water in the reservoir, quality beans in the hopper, and room for discarded grounds in the bin below. Incidentally the used grounds are a benefit for gardens and lawns. The machine should be routinely cleaned to keep in good working order. Saeco created a machine that is relatively easy to clean and user friendly for the typical consumer.
The construction of this machine is made largely from plastic. One comment I see over and over and even thought myself was how much I paid vs. the seemingly low quality appearance. That being said, the plastic has not chipped, cracked, or been broken with normal use since we purchased it. This is a good quality machine in spite of my initial uncertainty.
When we first bought the machine, we went to our local coffee shop and asked them questions. We don't buy coffees from them regularly anymore, but now buy beans instead. They recommend that the beans not be overly oily as to not gum up the works. They also provide other recommendations for varietals based on flavor characteristics.
To get the cup of java that works for you there are a couple of dials to use. In the bean hopper there is a strength dial to control the amount of grounds used for every cup. A second dial in the hopper controls the coarseness of the grind. These settings are best typically set once and left alone if you chose to alter the factory setting. There is a dial on the front of the machine to control the amount of coffee desired. Adjusting this setting will give you anywhere from a one ounce shot to a 6 ounce Americano from one grind. Hot water or steam is chosen by a button and the turn of a dial.
The Vienna Deluxe is a big machine that demands its place on your counter. Being big isn't so much a problem as the machine sits on swivel base making access easy. Just be prepared to lose some counter space.
For the final proof in the pudding, the Vienna Deluxe produces great espresso, cappuccino, and coffee. Even though I live in the States, I prefer coffee in Europe. This machine consistently makes coffee that rivals any cafe in Europe.
UPDATE: October 2006
Our machine developed a leak and eventually quit working altogether. We took it to a local authorized repair shop who replaced seals and o-rings. After three days and forking out $110.00, our machine is as good as new again. Although I would rather not have had a repair bill, after virtually three years of daily use, the repair work was reasonable. The shop was friendly, and quickly serviced our machine.
PROS:
Makes consistently good tasting coffee/espresso
Biodegradable waste that is great for the garden
Fresh quality coffee made at the press of a button
CONS:
This machine is sure to spoil its owners
Cannot handle large quantities quickly
My brother has one; he got it because my sister has one....so I had to get one - and I love it!! Great machine and easy to clean. I have to admit, though, after about a month of use and really loving the coffee, my wife asked me "Is it worth the money?"...the cost of this machine is very high compared with your standard 10 cup brewer, but I love it! And if you can part with the $$, I'm sure you'd love it too.
I used to be a tea drinker, but since the first week of September, I've been drinking 2 cappuccinos a day!
The machine is SO easy to use and takes <2 minutes to clean every day. I had the "manual" espresso machine...but I rarely used it since I could only make 2 cups at one time & it took 15 minutes to cool down & 5 minutes to clean.
I admit, I watched the video that came with it, and I haven't had a single problem. It came w/ a 1lb bag of Lavazza Oro (the gold bag). The only thing you may want to order is a stainless frothing pitcher.
I agree with other posters that the machine is a bit big. In fact there's just a few inches clearance from the cabinets above. However, since the entire thing rotates, it's easy to load fresh water & beans. The size makes it an eye-catcher in my kitchen. Everyone who sees it wants to see how it works. The only drawback for me is that there is no bypass or a way load decaf. Some other machines have that feature.
I absolutely love it. It honestly makes me excited about breakfast!
The machine is easy to use and makes great espresso ... when it's working!Mine broke down within the first year. I spent $80 dollars to fix it the first time, but it broke down again after another two months of use (water wouldn't heat up). It would cost me another $200 to fix it. I'm now looking for a more reliable machine.
Bottom line...worth the $500. Bought it here for $540 and got $25 off which covered the $30.00/3 year full replacement warranty from Amazon.
Yep it's plastic (still looks great with my SS appliances). Yes the water tank is a little small for a coffee party (just fine for daily use though). Yes people say their customer service is questionable as is the longevity of the components (spend $30 on a 3 year warrenty to solve the problem).
Now that the negatives are out of the way I can tell you why this machine is worth the $500. It makes amazing coffee...both espresso and regular sized coffee...anytime...just push a button and in about 30 seconds you'll smile and never look back.
I go through a full bag of beans per week because sometimes I'll just walk by the machine and want a shot without wanting one 5 seconds earlier...the ability to walk by a cold machine...push a button and in about a minute (less when already warmed up) you get an amazing cup of coffee...everytime!
P.S. The clear-glass espresso and coffee cups are a must have with this type of machine. If you enjoy watching a Guiness beer being poured...you'll know what I mean.
Cheers!
I bought this machine not from Amazon but from another place, but this machine paid for itself within months. No more frustrations at waiting in line at one of the over priced chain coffee shops and getting a bad drink at the end of the wait.
This is simply awesome, no mess since it grinds, tamps and brews and stores the grounds that you can empty.
This machine is going strong after 3 years.
Those who complained that it broke down obviously did not know how to use it or treated it badly.
I highly recommend it and have two more friends who are using it with great success.
I bought this after much looking around. Did a ton of research. I saw that some people had problems so I decided to buy the warranty. So simple and such a perfect result. It is like having a beer tap in your house. But for coffee. No more Starbucks! BUT
it broke in one week! Just wouldn't turn on. Checked everything called the manufacture. Just stopped. So I went online and requested a return and had my new one in two days! Amazon was amazing. I am so glad I bought it through them!
Fast delivery! Awesome product. They were wonderful to deal with. Thank you!
I love my Vienna Deluxe! We've been using it for 4-8 coffees per day for 7 months now and have certainly saved money over going to the coffee shop. If you plan to buy more than 100 coffees (for us about 3 months worth) it already pays for itself and the coffee tastes better. The flavor of the coffee is awesome and it's super easy to make.
The only bad thing I can say about this coffee machine is that the 'key' in the back of it got a little bit off and we had to manually turn it so that the brew unit would fit back in. It only took us about 2 hours to figure out and fix it, so it wasn't that big of a deal.
If you're looking for something that is a super high class, fancy, heavy duty, professional style coffee maker, maybe you should spring for the superdeluxe big bucks model and drop a couple grand. People have given this model low reviews for being expensive and made of plastic. Ours still looks nice, is easy to clean, and doesn't weigh 750 million pounds. It seems like folks are looking for a chrome and steel Starbucks style coffee maker for $500, and that just isn't realistic.
This is a great buy and it makes great coffee.
It's so great to be able to make my latte before I leave the house. I don't have to waste 15 minutes going to Starbucks (except when I'm low on beans.) A $10 bag will make many, many servings. Plus, this way I don't have to worry about it being too weak, as sometimes happens.
15 minutes three times a week, 51 weeks out of the year = 38.25 hrs. per year.
When we received this Saeco Cappuccino Machine in the mail, it came with DVD, instructions and extra parts included. It was extremely easy to set it up and within minutes of getting it set up, we were enjoying a fantastic cup of latte! We have owned an espresso machine in the past, but it was nothing like this one. It grinds, compresses and dispenses the espresso automatically and the frother has the milk steamed in about half the time of our old machine. The Saeco machine is easy to clean and my husband loves to make the coffee in the morning now. I have had no difficulty with this machine at all. The only comment I have is that it would be even nicer if it was easy to switch from caffeinated to decaffeinated beans for those times when we'd like to brew a decaf cup.
I ordered my machine from Amazon and it arrived in early Sept. Out of the box it was defective - water poured through the machine. The paperwork in the box indicated that I had to work directly with the manufacturer on returns. So I started the process with Saeco USA. They are only open east coast hours, I am on the west coast. They rarely answer the phone - 9 out of 10 calls go to voicemail and are never returned. They promised to ship a repair part overnight - two weeks went by, no part, no call. Finally, I contacted Amazon, who shipped me a new unit and I shipped back my defective one. Thanks Amazon.
The unit makes decent coffee - but you have to heat the milk before steaming or frothing - the machine doesn't generate enough heat to convert cold milk to hot and steamy. The froth is good but the milk is just lukewarm. I like the convenience of the automatic machine and it is much cleaner than separate grinder/brewer options.
I really hope this think never breaks - I dread the customer service nightmare at Saeco.
I did extensive research before purchasing this automatico. I am going on 3 months now. The machine makes about 10-12 cups of coffee or espresso a day. So far it is outstanding! I do wish the water was just slightly warmer, however as long as you heat your cup first with hot water from sink or the machine the coffee will be very hot. Cleaning is a breeze. I just empty the spent coffee and the waste water at the end of the day. In the morning I add fresh filtered water from the refrigerator. Once a week I take out the internal brewing gizmo (simple) and rinse it in hot water. I enjoy espressos frequently. We make 2 different types of coffee. I drink cafe americano. It is just 1 shot of espresso with hot water added. it is a velvety cup of coffee. My wife like the cafe crema which is just a 7 or 8 oz espresso. The machine always produces a beautiful crema! I highly recomend this machine for the great value.
Easy to use right out of the box, easy to clean, great steamed milk and great espresso.
I have had this machine for about 4 days and I am thrilled with it. It is easy to use, no mess, and it is fast. It makes way more froth than I like but I just scrape it off. I have had 5 espresso machines and this is by far hands down the BEST!
Purchased for coffee-gourmet daughter for Christmas. She was thrilled and tells me the espresso/coffee/cappuccino is top notch!
THANKS!
I'm so glad I decided to spend the money for this machine. It is very easy to use and has worked fine since purchased 7 months ago. I had an espresso maker that I purchased from a dept store that broke within a couple of months (and was a hassle to use). With the Saeco, I don't have to worry about whether I'm packing the ground coffee correctly, etc. All you have to do is clean it once a week and make sure the water reservoir has water and the bean compartment has beans. I use the frothing wand all the time and it works great!
Makes a great cup. My husband can even use it. I did have to send away for a DVD instruction manual since it comes standard with a VHS(who still has VHS??) Easy to use. The only thing I would have expected stainless, not plastic for the price. Under normal use, this should be a great little machine. I even took it to work for a Latte party.
We saved for this huge investment because my husband and I are coffee lovers. We have never in our LIVES spent so much money on a unit to make coffee. Well, we got this one brand new and it worked beautifully for the first six weeks. The coffee it makes is UNBELIEVABLE. You will never go back to drinking regular coffee again after tasting it, it really does make you a coffee snob!
However, after just six weeks of use, it abruptly stopped working. We contacted Saeco and they said they would fix it since it was still under the 1 year warranty. However, we had to pay for the return shipping - over $40 for shipping with ins. for the 30 pound machine. Then they kept it for a MONTH. Finally we got it back, all seemed well, but only for a short time...after just four more weeks on our 'newly refurbished and repaired' machine, it once again died! This time Saeco paid for the return shipping....heaven knows how long it will take them to fix it this time.
All in all, quite a disappointment. Maybe we just got a 'lemon' - but my $15 coffee maker from Walmart is years and years old and has never broken down...
One other thing - these are really high maintenance. You have to clean the brew filter weekly and do a very time-consuming 'descaling' process every few months (depending on how hard your area water is...) Waayyy more work than any appliance I've ever owned. And even though we did all the required maintenance on it, it still broke down.
Think twice before you spend this much money on a coffee maker. Unfortunately for me, I did buy mine at auction (which did not accept refunds I found out later...) I'm stuck with it. If I had purchased it at a store, I would have definately taken it back for a refund.
We saved for this huge investment because my husband and I are coffee lovers. We have never in our LIVES spent so much money on a unit to make coffee. Well, we got this one brand new and it worked beautifully for the first six weeks. The coffee it makes is UNBELIEVABLE. You will never go back to drinking regular coffee again after tasting it, it really does make you a coffee snob!
However, after just six weeks of use, it abruptly stopped working. We contacted Saeco and they said they would fix it since it was still under the 1 year warranty. However, we had to pay for the return shipping - over $40 for shipping with ins. for the 30 pound machine. Then they kept it for a MONTH. Finally we got it back, all seemed well, but only for a short time...after just four more weeks on our 'newly refurbished and repaired' machine, it once again died! This time Saeco paid for the return shipping....heaven knows how long it will take them to fix it this time.
All in all, quite a disappointment. Maybe we just got a 'lemon' - but my $15 coffee maker from Walmart is years and years old and has never broken down...
One other thing - these are really high maintenance. You have to clean the brew filter weekly and do a very time-consuming 'descaling' process every few months (depending on how hard your area water is...) Waayyy more work than any appliance I've ever owned. And even though we did all the required maintenance on it, it still broke down.
Think twice before you spend this much money on a coffee maker. Unfortunately for me, I did buy mine at auction (which did not accept refunds I found out later...) I'm stuck with it. If I had purchased it at a store, I would have definately taken it back for a refund.
Makes a great cup. My husband can even use it. I did have to send away for a DVD instruction manual since it comes standard with a VHS(who still has VHS??) Easy to use. The only thing I would have expected stainless, not plastic for the price. Under normal use, this should be a great little machine. I even took it to work for a Latte party.
Easy to use right out of the box, easy to clean, great steamed milk and great espresso.
I have had this machine for about 4 days and I am thrilled with it. It is easy to use, no mess, and it is fast. It makes way more froth than I like but I just scrape it off. I have had 5 espresso machines and this is by far hands down the BEST!
Purchased for coffee-gourmet daughter for Christmas. She was thrilled and tells me the espresso/coffee/cappuccino is top notch!
THANKS!
I'm so glad I decided to spend the money for this machine. It is very easy to use and has worked fine since purchased 7 months ago. I had an espresso maker that I purchased from a dept store that broke within a couple of months (and was a hassle to use). With the Saeco, I don't have to worry about whether I'm packing the ground coffee correctly, etc. All you have to do is clean it once a week and make sure the water reservoir has water and the bean compartment has beans. I use the frothing wand all the time and it works great!
I ordered my machine from Amazon and it arrived in early Sept. Out of the box it was defective - water poured through the machine. The paperwork in the box indicated that I had to work directly with the manufacturer on returns. So I started the process with Saeco USA. They are only open east coast hours, I am on the west coast. They rarely answer the phone - 9 out of 10 calls go to voicemail and are never returned. They promised to ship a repair part overnight - two weeks went by, no part, no call. Finally, I contacted Amazon, who shipped me a new unit and I shipped back my defective one. Thanks Amazon.
The unit makes decent coffee - but you have to heat the milk before steaming or frothing - the machine doesn't generate enough heat to convert cold milk to hot and steamy. The froth is good but the milk is just lukewarm. I like the convenience of the automatic machine and it is much cleaner than separate grinder/brewer options.
I really hope this think never breaks - I dread the customer service nightmare at Saeco.
I did extensive research before purchasing this automatico. I am going on 3 months now. The machine makes about 10-12 cups of coffee or espresso a day. So far it is outstanding! I do wish the water was just slightly warmer, however as long as you heat your cup first with hot water from sink or the machine the coffee will be very hot. Cleaning is a breeze. I just empty the spent coffee and the waste water at the end of the day. In the morning I add fresh filtered water from the refrigerator. Once a week I take out the internal brewing gizmo (simple) and rinse it in hot water. I enjoy espressos frequently. We make 2 different types of coffee. I drink cafe americano. It is just 1 shot of espresso with hot water added. it is a velvety cup of coffee. My wife like the cafe crema which is just a 7 or 8 oz espresso. The machine always produces a beautiful crema! I highly recomend this machine for the great value.
When we received this Saeco Cappuccino Machine in the mail, it came with DVD, instructions and extra parts included. It was extremely easy to set it up and within minutes of getting it set up, we were enjoying a fantastic cup of latte! We have owned an espresso machine in the past, but it was nothing like this one. It grinds, compresses and dispenses the espresso automatically and the frother has the milk steamed in about half the time of our old machine. The Saeco machine is easy to clean and my husband loves to make the coffee in the morning now. I have had no difficulty with this machine at all. The only comment I have is that it would be even nicer if it was easy to switch from caffeinated to decaffeinated beans for those times when we'd like to brew a decaf cup.
It's so great to be able to make my latte before I leave the house. I don't have to waste 15 minutes going to Starbucks (except when I'm low on beans.) A $10 bag will make many, many servings. Plus, this way I don't have to worry about it being too weak, as sometimes happens.
15 minutes three times a week, 51 weeks out of the year = 38.25 hrs. per year.
The machine is easy to use and makes great espresso ... when it's working!Mine broke down within the first year. I spent $80 dollars to fix it the first time, but it broke down again after another two months of use (water wouldn't heat up). It would cost me another $200 to fix it. I'm now looking for a more reliable machine.
Bottom line...worth the $500. Bought it here for $540 and got $25 off which covered the $30.00/3 year full replacement warranty from Amazon.
Yep it's plastic (still looks great with my SS appliances). Yes the water tank is a little small for a coffee party (just fine for daily use though). Yes people say their customer service is questionable as is the longevity of the components (spend $30 on a 3 year warrenty to solve the problem).
Now that the negatives are out of the way I can tell you why this machine is worth the $500. It makes amazing coffee...both espresso and regular sized coffee...anytime...just push a button and in about 30 seconds you'll smile and never look back.
I go through a full bag of beans per week because sometimes I'll just walk by the machine and want a shot without wanting one 5 seconds earlier...the ability to walk by a cold machine...push a button and in about a minute (less when already warmed up) you get an amazing cup of coffee...everytime!
P.S. The clear-glass espresso and coffee cups are a must have with this type of machine. If you enjoy watching a Guiness beer being poured...you'll know what I mean.
Cheers!
I bought this machine not from Amazon but from another place, but this machine paid for itself within months. No more frustrations at waiting in line at one of the over priced chain coffee shops and getting a bad drink at the end of the wait.
This is simply awesome, no mess since it grinds, tamps and brews and stores the grounds that you can empty.
This machine is going strong after 3 years.
Those who complained that it broke down obviously did not know how to use it or treated it badly.
I highly recommend it and have two more friends who are using it with great success.
I bought this after much looking around. Did a ton of research. I saw that some people had problems so I decided to buy the warranty. So simple and such a perfect result. It is like having a beer tap in your house. But for coffee. No more Starbucks! BUT
it broke in one week! Just wouldn't turn on. Checked everything called the manufacture. Just stopped. So I went online and requested a return and had my new one in two days! Amazon was amazing. I am so glad I bought it through them!
Fast delivery! Awesome product. They were wonderful to deal with. Thank you!
I love my Vienna Deluxe! We've been using it for 4-8 coffees per day for 7 months now and have certainly saved money over going to the coffee shop. If you plan to buy more than 100 coffees (for us about 3 months worth) it already pays for itself and the coffee tastes better. The flavor of the coffee is awesome and it's super easy to make.
The only bad thing I can say about this coffee machine is that the 'key' in the back of it got a little bit off and we had to manually turn it so that the brew unit would fit back in. It only took us about 2 hours to figure out and fix it, so it wasn't that big of a deal.
If you're looking for something that is a super high class, fancy, heavy duty, professional style coffee maker, maybe you should spring for the superdeluxe big bucks model and drop a couple grand. People have given this model low reviews for being expensive and made of plastic. Ours still looks nice, is easy to clean, and doesn't weigh 750 million pounds. It seems like folks are looking for a chrome and steel Starbucks style coffee maker for $500, and that just isn't realistic.
This is a great buy and it makes great coffee.
We have had this machine for 3 years and it has broken three times at $100/repair. It has just broken again after being fixed a month ago. I have had it and I am going to try a Delonghi machine. Save your money and forget Saeco it is poor quality.
Bought this about 2 weeks ago. Very easy set-up. Put in the beans and water and it is ready to go. Superb espresso, Cappaccino and lattes. Better than Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
I can't stop drinking them. I have at least 6 per day.
We've had the machine for over 3 years and yes, we use it every day. That said, when you purchase a machine at this price, you expect it to perform over the long haul when it is used every day for only two people. We have used it at parties, perhaps 4 times in the three years we have it and only to make 6 - 8 capuccinos or espressos. Nonetheless, it no longer pressurizes (Panel is no good). As perfect as the coffee is, we will be looking at other options.
We researched all the various machines and settled on a less expensive pod machine from another manufacturer. We found the pods difficult to find and the machine somewhat lacking. We returned that machine in a matter of days. Increasing our budget, we researched more espresso makers before finally purchasing the Saeco Vienna Deluxe in January 2004. This machine has been a pleasure everyday since.
The Vienna Deluxe is an easy machine to use. One should ensure there is cold filtered water in the reservoir, quality beans in the hopper, and room for discarded grounds in the bin below. Incidentally the used grounds are a benefit for gardens and lawns. The machine should be routinely cleaned to keep in good working order. Saeco created a machine that is relatively easy to clean and user friendly for the typical consumer.
The construction of this machine is made largely from plastic. One comment I see over and over and even thought myself was how much I paid vs. the seemingly low quality appearance. That being said, the plastic has not chipped, cracked, or been broken with normal use since we purchased it. This is a good quality machine in spite of my initial uncertainty.
When we first bought the machine, we went to our local coffee shop and asked them questions. We don't buy coffees from them regularly anymore, but now buy beans instead. They recommend that the beans not be overly oily as to not gum up the works. They also provide other recommendations for varietals based on flavor characteristics.
To get the cup of java that works for you there are a couple of dials to use. In the bean hopper there is a strength dial to control the amount of grounds used for every cup. A second dial in the hopper controls the coarseness of the grind. These settings are best typically set once and left alone if you chose to alter the factory setting. There is a dial on the front of the machine to control the amount of coffee desired. Adjusting this setting will give you anywhere from a one ounce shot to a 6 ounce Americano from one grind. Hot water or steam is chosen by a button and the turn of a dial.
The Vienna Deluxe is a big machine that demands its place on your counter. Being big isn't so much a problem as the machine sits on swivel base making access easy. Just be prepared to lose some counter space.
For the final proof in the pudding, the Vienna Deluxe produces great espresso, cappuccino, and coffee. Even though I live in the States, I prefer coffee in Europe. This machine consistently makes coffee that rivals any cafe in Europe.
UPDATE: October 2006
Our machine developed a leak and eventually quit working altogether. We took it to a local authorized repair shop who replaced seals and o-rings. After three days and forking out $110.00, our machine is as good as new again. Although I would rather not have had a repair bill, after virtually three years of daily use, the repair work was reasonable. The shop was friendly, and quickly serviced our machine.
PROS:
Makes consistently good tasting coffee/espresso
Biodegradable waste that is great for the garden
Fresh quality coffee made at the press of a button
CONS:
This machine is sure to spoil its owners
Cannot handle large quantities quickly
My brother has one; he got it because my sister has one....so I had to get one - and I love it!! Great machine and easy to clean. I have to admit, though, after about a month of use and really loving the coffee, my wife asked me "Is it worth the money?"...the cost of this machine is very high compared with your standard 10 cup brewer, but I love it! And if you can part with the $$, I'm sure you'd love it too.
I used to be a tea drinker, but since the first week of September, I've been drinking 2 cappuccinos a day!
The machine is SO easy to use and takes <2 minutes to clean every day. I had the "manual" espresso machine...but I rarely used it since I could only make 2 cups at one time & it took 15 minutes to cool down & 5 minutes to clean.
I admit, I watched the video that came with it, and I haven't had a single problem. It came w/ a 1lb bag of Lavazza Oro (the gold bag). The only thing you may want to order is a stainless frothing pitcher.
I agree with other posters that the machine is a bit big. In fact there's just a few inches clearance from the cabinets above. However, since the entire thing rotates, it's easy to load fresh water & beans. The size makes it an eye-catcher in my kitchen. Everyone who sees it wants to see how it works. The only drawback for me is that there is no bypass or a way load decaf. Some other machines have that feature.
I absolutely love it. It honestly makes me excited about breakfast!
I purchased this espresso machine from J & R Music World on March 29, 2005, and after delivery, I removed it from its box to find a big dent on the side of the machine. The next day I called J & R and reported the problem. They told me to send it back via UPS ground, and they would reimburse the shipping charge. UPS picked up the box from my home, and I reported the shipping charge (of approximately $60.00) to J & R. They then told me that because I had UPS pick up directly from my home, they would not cover the charge! Also, the information on the outside of the box (they sent me) had 60 lbs. printed on it, so I had told UPS that it was 60 lbs. But J & R refuted that claim, saying it was no more than 30 lbs, and that I over-reported the weight!! They told me that at most, they would pay $27.00 of the total shipping charge, even though they NEVER told me NOT to have UPS do a home pick-up. J & R told me that they would have to look into it, and now more than 4 months later, I have STILL not received ANY reimbursement from J & R!!! So, WATCH OUT -- they send defective goods and they do not take responsibility, and stand by their promise to their customers.
WE bought ours at Costco in January 2003 and it provided excellent coffee until yesterday, July 3, 2005. However, it is a temperamental appliance, and after a year it began to develop vacuum locks in its water system which occasionally required a handyman husband to dismantle the Brew-group to break the little clear plastic ball bearing valve free. MOre recently the water simply didn't pump through, not because of scaling, but apparently because the pump had given out. It is not easily disassembled, and there is no way to service the thing at home . . . If anyone has a suggestion for a more reliable automatic espresso maker, we're in the market.
This is the best coffee/espresso maker that I have ever owned and I just love this coffee/espresso maker! I've been to Italy where I thought I had tasted the best espresso and this machine makes espresso as good as what I had in Italy!
It is consistent every time in the espresso and the coffee that it makes. It has turned into a conversation piece when guests come to the house. Everyone is amazed at how simple it is to use. At the touch of a buttton, it will automatically grind your beans, tamp the ground coffee, make the espresso and expel the grinds. I've owned other espresso machines in the past and they usually ended up in the garage as they were too cumbersome to use. The ease of this machine has made it an asset in this household.
Yes this machine is on the pricey side...no doubt about that. But when you calculate how much you spend at your local Starbucks or espresso bar in a year, this machine definitely pays for itself!
I use this machine daily and have had no problems with it. I would not hesitate to buy this again. In fact, we bought one for one of our dear friends for a Christmas gift because we were so impressed with it. They love their machine as much as we love ours!
Overall I am quite pleased with it, but make no mistake about it, you are spending $500+ for a small appliance.
Pluses
- Makes consistently good tasting coffee
- Convenience of making coffee is simple as a push of 1 or 2
buttons and turning a dial.
- No coffee filters to change
- No beans to grind
- Relatively easy to clean (TIP: Buy citric acid from a nutrition store to clean/descale it).
- Conversation piece - not many people have such an expensive coffee machine. You will be surely asked how much it costs!
- You will drink more coffee as another review states. This maybe a con?
Minuses
- Documentation is in many languages, sometimes hard to read. Go to the saeco web site and download the english only version pdf., print it out for convenience.
- You'll buy more coffee beans as it loads dosages for each serving.
- Quality of plastic could be made higher. I'm very careful not to chip it or use harsh cleaners or exert too much force on it. It does not seem as durable as say refrigerator parts.
- If you are making coffee for lots of folks, you'll end up spending more time as it is made to brew 1 or 2 cups max.
- Durability?? - Only time will tell.
Let me start by stating that I have had this machine for over 18 months. At the beginning, it worked like a charm. It made (and still does) make great espresso. About six months after "normal" use, the pump went out. It was still under warranty, so no problems, right? I emailed Saeco several times and no one ever answered me. Then I called the company in Ohio. Left several voice mails, and still no answer. Finally I got lucky one day, and caught what seems to be the only customer service rep there. After expalining the problem, she told me the machine needs descaling. I told her I did that at least once a month. She told me to ship it to them, on my OWN expense. Since there is nothing else I can do, I shipped it. They fixed it for $180 because the "Pump" was not under warranty. 3 months later the same problem happened again, and the cycle started again. The good news is they fixed it for free this time around. Last week, the pump went out again.
I am not going to call them again. It seems to me this is a defective junk of a pump that should be changed altogether. For $600 you'd think the company would do
something about their product, but they don't. I will never buy any Saeco anything in the future.
Please notice that the good reviews for this product are from people that have had the machine for a short time only. The bad reviews are from people that had it for a while. So, make your own conclusions.
I found out that a local Bath Bed and Beyond (Rockville, Maryland) carried this same machine and was allowing customers to use this machine in their store. I loved the expresso that it produced and the Saceo Vinnea is a big step up from my $200 Starbuck's Saceo Barista. However, I was shocked that it is mostly made of plastic and that the buttons have a flimsy cheap feel to it. I did expect the plastic to have a better feel; so it was dissapointing to me. Other than the lack of a cup warmer, its short frothing tool, and its plastic body it makes a good espresso. I could not over look its plastic body and and this price I think that you can do a better with Starbuck's Saceo Italia. It cost $530 and it has better buttons , a metal body, a cup warmer,a ground coffee bypass and, a better frothing wand. In my opinon if you are going to spend $600 on an espresso machine this is not the one to spend it on.
After buying coffee makers sometimes twice per year, and given that my recent marriage created a "she likes her coffee very strong, and I like mine regular" issue, I decided to invest the $600 in this machine. It is truly incredible (so far...). We've had it for about 4 months now. The striking features are the ease of use, quickness of making a custom cup of coffee (less than a minute), and it's heavy usage. We make 10-20 cups per day often. The coffee that comes out of this machine is truly unbeleivable. It has a slightly creamy taste, and I have never tasted coffee this good - even at a Starbucks. We have tried different types of beans (even Sam's Club's Kona beans are great..). The coffee is so good that some of my 19 year old's son's friends have taken up drinking coffee and come here often just for ours. The machine has had no problems (knock on wood...). It performs magnificently. The only down sides are the water reservoir which must be manually filled (probably holds enough for 4-6 cups depending on the size you choose). Also, you must remember to empty the grounds or you can get a mess and have to open it up and remove a large mechanism to clean it out. It does hold a lot of grounds in it's disposal basket, incidentally. The nice features about it are the fact that it can make one of two cups of coffee at the same time, and you can adjust both the amount of coffee (for the size of cup) and the strength of the coffee easily. We really don't use the steam/frothing mechanism so I can't comment on it. I would recommend this maker to anyone. There do seem to be a lot of mixed reviews on the internet related to the long term stability of this machine, but I have seen reviews posted by individuals who claim 20 cups of coffee a day for years out of this model. I suspect the real issue is taking care of it, not letting it run out of water often, and keeping the grounds cleaned out. But I will see over time. As I state, we've only had it for about 4 months, but so far it performs like a Sherman tank...
Do not buy this machine. For a "super-automatic", it the most high maintenance machine I have ever seen. It made great coffee for about 9 months and then the grinder broke. Luckily it was under warranty, although I had to negotiate with Saeco to actually get it fixed under warranty. It cost $50 to send it back and another $40 for a temp espresso machine for my husbands espresso addiction. We got it back and one month later it quit working again. So once again it got sent back to Saeco and it really hasn't worked right since. It is not worth the cost. REALLY. To spend this much money and only have it work for a year is ridiculous.
I've had this machine for a year and a half, and it's worked great from day one. Great espresso - and very easy to operate and clean. I'm not sure where all the negative reviews are coming from, because this machine has always worked well for me.
OK, this review is not about the quality of the espresso or cappuccino this machine can make. It's about the quality of the machine itself. As a matter of fact, the single precious cup of espresso we were able to make tasted great. The bitter taste in our mouths was the fact that we only had it for four hours before it died.
We did the research. We read the reviews on Amazon and other coffee web site posts. And we took the risk because quite frankly, there's not a whole lot of superautomatics to choose from around this price range. We figured it was 50-50, based on the reviews.
Well, we rolled the dice and got burned. The machine lasted only four hours before it stopped powering up. Check out the other two posts on Amazon about similar problems with powering up.
We like the design of the machine and how easy it is to use. But "ease of use" doesn't help when you can't power it on. Oh yeah, we checked the manual/troubleshooting guide: it says to (1)check your outlet[duh] and (2)make sure the cover is shut [double duh]. Don't forget we had it running for four hours before my wife and I noticed the thing shut off (there's no auto shut off feature). We tried other appliances in the same outlet and they work fine.
Saeco website says they have been in the business of making espresso machines a long time. At this point, they MUST know if these machines are reliable, based on repair requests. I recommend you ask them yourself before you buy one. Ask them what percentage of these units come back for repair work. I admit, that's what I SHOULD have done.
In my opinion, too many of the same problems are surfacing. They should try to resolve these problems before putting more of them out there on the market. A 50-50 chance of reliability doesn't cut it for something that costs this much.
If you ordered one and yours still works, I'm happy for you. You're the other 50 percent.
I purchased my machine in October 2003. It has worked perfectly. I use it for at *least* one double cappuccino daily (more on the weekends). I turn it on in the morning, and in the time it takes me to feed the dog and 2 cats (>2 minutes?)it's warmed up and ready to go. I *love* the two boiler system that allows me to froth my milk and brew my espresso without a wait--I knew I would be impatient for my morning brew, so I opted to buy this model over the regular Vienna.
I think the quality of espresso is quite good. You have the ability to adjust both the courseness of the grind and the amount of coffee per cup. Be warned, though, you may drink a lot of coffee experimenting for your optimal brew (you cannot let that liquid gold go to waste now, can you?). The Saeco Vienna Deluxe produces espresso with *beautiful* crema. Yummy! The espresso (or cafe crema) it makes is suitable for drinking alone or as a milk-based beverage
The machine also produces a very good amount of steam to froth your milk. It heats the milk quickly and it's easy to either steam or froth, depending on how deeply you keep the panarello attachment in the cup.
The few things a buyer might consider: (1) By-pass doser--I have, on a few occasions, wanted to be able to brew de-caf. But, best as I can tell, a super-automatic with a by-pass doser is, at the *very minimum* $150 more, not really worth the extra bucks to me, but the potential user should definitely consider how important it is to him/her to have the ability to change coffee easily. (2) No cup warmer--you get better crema from espresso from a warmed cup--not a big deal to me, I just use the hot water dispenser to fill the espresso cup to warm it if I'm having regular espresso.
I have been so happy with this unit that I'm buying another for my little vacation condo (morning coffe takes *way* too long with my very dependable old semi-automatic).
If you enjoy futzing around with making espresso--the beans, the grind, the tamp, the temperature, the pressure, the pull--please don't bother with a super-auto, and then complain that you can "construct" a better brew to your taste...*Whatever*...of course you can. But I have neither the time, nor the inclination to mess with that. I wanted a reasonably priced, dependable espresso maker, with the best feature to dollar ratio I've found, add a machine with minimal fuss and clean-up--I've definitely gotten what I looked for with the Saeco Vienna Deluxe.
I am in coffee business. Last month, I ordered 12 saeco cafe crema
which is the same of Vienna Deluxe. I found several machine
had the problem on case installation, the problem was
they didn't insert the inner board correctly, so the left
top case did not fit to the lower case. That's easy to fix.
But now three of them could not be turned on. I checked most
parts inside, looked OK. The only problem could be the control
board behide the control pannel. I have not decided to contact
Saeco or not, since it takes three months to get parts.
It's a good espresso machine, but make sure you need to
get easy access to the service center before you buying it.
UPDATE: Today is October 26, 2004. After the last repair to this machine it lasted about one month before something else broke down on it. Being totally disgusted with it I stored it away in the closet until recently when my wife suggested that we not fix it anymore and buy a new one from a different brand name. I insisted in trying to get it fixed one last time, which we did. I have now spent $300. on repairs. I will keep you informed on the outcome. I have always been bringing I to a Saeco approved repair shop. I must say that getting parts for it is now easier than before.
Purchased "demo" machine directly from SAECO as they are in Annapolis, close to my DC area location. BIG MISATKE! Machine worked fine for about 4 months and then jammed. When trying to follow normal customer maintenance process, a part broke. Sent for repair on December 9, 02. It is February 9, 03-still no word from them when it will repaired. Calls and messages to Annapolis are met with either irritaion or no repsonse at all. Even wrote to the president of SAECO in Italy --answer: "sorry we will send you a free pound of coffee." Go with a machine from a company like Krupps - at least they answer the telephone even if the machine is no longer repairable and offer you discounted machines.
We purchaed our Vienna Delux in October of 2001. It was a demo that was said to be rarely used and fully checked out. What an amazing and wonderful machine. We are hardened espresso and latte drinkers and found the coffee and espresso quality to be excellent and amost zero time invested in making it! We do about 200 shots a month and have regularly descaled it.
So, in May the machine mechanism jammed and 2 panerrelos (frother) had failed. We sent it back (after less than outstanding responsiveness from them because of the insinuation that it wasn't their product; we must have done something wrong). We lost use for about a month while it was being fixed (certainly no sense of hurrying on their part!).
So, Just before Thanksgiving this year the pump stopped running. There was no way they were going to honor this under any warranty and were defensive about thier product (by the way I had to leave 2-3 messages and got a reponse almost 2 weeks after the first message). They claimed it couldn't be the pump because it never fails but when I found a local repair shop (referred by Saeco), I was told they had seen a number of such failures and that it was almost impossible for them to get parts from Saeco because of very slow and disinterested service. This is a great machine (and the repair person feels they are well made) but less great sense of serving the customer. You might want to consider all your options before buying. Not fixed yet so I don't know the end of this story yet. Beware.....!
My wife purchased the Monte Carlo model. After a couple of years of use, it stopped working and needed repairs. First, we had an extremely difficult time determining where to send the machine for repair. Finally, in December 2001, we sent it to Saeco. We received it back from Saeco April 3, 2002---still broken and unrepaired, despite having paid for repairs!! During the interim, we called the company several times and could never get consistent answers. We will never purchase another Saeco. BEWARE SHOULD YOUR SAECO EVERY NEED REPAIRS!
I had some doubts on how well an automatic machine could do justice to an expresso, but I was in for a nice surprise.
This machine really works, extracting all the coffee flavour from the beans and delivering the exact foam.
I highly recommend it.
This was my first purchase of a higher-end machine and I made the right choice!
It makes better coffee then my local Starbucks and is very easy to use.
I couldn't be happier.
Stay away from this item, it is not worth the money.
We own the Vienna de Luxe and find it very easy to use. I would compare the espresso this machine makes with that of what I get at my local coffee bar. It is well assembled and thought out in its design. Particular interest was the fact that it gives you instant steam (what Saeco calls Rapid Steam). I like the fact it makes perfect espresso, cappuccino and lattes. I drink mainly espresso though. Just pour in your favorite coffee beans and press a button. It will start grinding the coffee beans, dump the ground coffee into the brew system, and presto - out comes your espresso. And it's not messy! It takes about 25 seconds to brew a shot of espresso from start to finish. The price is a little high, but it's worth it. It saves me money in the long run becuase I don't have to spend $3.00 at the coffee bar anymore!
Just received this espresso maker from amazon.com The power
light won't even come on - we have one at work, so I am familiar
with operation. Also the left side of machine is not assembled
correctly or has been opened for repairs. Very disappointed,
and there are none in stock for replacement. I thought these
machine were really reliable, very surprised!! It is very
plastic and not put together very well. Hope this helps, sorry
to sound so negative. I was really surprised that it had these
problems. Maybe I just got a lemon :)
My girlfriend gave me one of these last Christmas. It seemed kind of extravagent at the time but I was glad to see it. I have thought for years that freshly ground beans, like fresh cracked pepper, are superior. This machine does it all, it grinds, tamps, brews, dumps - all you have to do is fill it with water and beans, dump the daily grounds and rinse the spill catcher ocassionally. It makes great espresso or cafe americano (at infinitley different strengths, also one or two at a time), steam or hot water (for frothing, tea, instant soup, etc.), and virtually cleans up. It makes easy, high quality coffee products and looks good...