Reviews for you espresso drinkers...

http://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/saeco-syntia-stainless-steel-compact-espresso-machine-certified-refurbished#Reviews

I've started to try to guess the parodies just by reading the lyrics.

... Got this one. XD

This model (it looks exactly the same at least) has been making nerds and marketeers/salespukes-alike delicious espresso since March of last year. I clean it once or twice a month, and it just keeps on cranking.
It's a bit of a hassle foaming milk with this thing, but I'll be the first to admit I'm not willing to put in the time to get it just right, since I only drink espresso shots...

Only thing I don't like about this machine is that it has trouble feeding very dark roasts (= oily sticky beans), so everybody in the office (about 50 people?) has now been trained to "rake the beans" while the grinder is running, even when we have delicious blond roasts (my fav, even more caffeine!) that run through the hopper just fine without any "external stimulation".

Bought it for $100 bucks more, and haven't regretted it once.

Edit: Oh yeah, here's the discussion from the last time I saw this: http://home.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=4906478

here is a FAQ page from Philips Saeco on this

http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/cpindex.pl?ctn=HD8837/47&mid=Link_FAQs&scy=US&slg=AEN

Moueska wrote:I've started to try to guess the parodies just by reading the lyrics.

... Got this one. XD

I got it right away after reading "On your mark ready set let's go" I read it exactly how the actually goes, haha!

Saeco makes fantastic, extremely reliable and durable superautomatic espresso machines.

If you like cappuccinos, I would very strongly recommend not bothering with the frothing attachment and getting a separate milk frother instead, such as the capresso one. Stay away from the CBTL as it has serious reliability problems.

Ok I own essentially the same unit that I bought here (the Cappuccino version) which is my 3rd Saeco. It makes good coffee. Saeco is a fairly good unit but not the best--you do have to spend a lot of time maintaining it (clean clean clean).

Just be aware that these are refurbs and the company will only guarantee them for 2 months and the shipping is at your expense. For me this was $50 minimum on the East Coast of the US. Their is service is not good. In spite of the cutesy videos that they post on Youtube you will not be dealing with Saeco...not even close.

Lord John Whorfin wrote:Saeco makes fantastic, extremely reliable and durable superautomatic espresso machines.

Perhaps it should read, "Saeco MADE fantastic, etc...."

Aren't they owned by Philips now? So all bets are off where they will be taken.

I've just seen too many good brands purchased, cheapened and carrying their names on lesser products. We'll see.

7 hours later and no "Still cheaper than Starbucks" comment yet? I am disappoint.

radi0j0hn wrote:Perhaps it should read, "Saeco MADE fantastic, etc...."

Aren't they owned by Philips now? So all bets are off where they will be taken.

I've just seen too many good brands purchased, cheapened and carrying their names on lesser products. We'll see.

I've had 3 Saecos and I wouldn't call them fantastic. I know folks with other brands that don't have as many issues. They are a bit flakey and the design isn't consistent--every one has its own little flukes. For me I stick with the brand because they are so common that its easy to find deals, parts, etc. Also there is a good local repair shop (that I promise to stick with from now on).

I think the Philips thing is actually good. Philips is a good brand and actually I think they've added a little more professionalism to the operation.

But again...these are not being sold by Saeco.

Oh and this is NOT the cappuccino machine that was offered before for the same price. This is the model without the automatic milk foamer.

Can you choose the size of the drink or is it just for espresso?

Here's a link to the listing at Seattle Coffee Gear. There's a video that's quite informative. http://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/saeco-syntia-stainless-steel-compact-espresso-machine

If I didn't already have the Saeco Vienna Plus, I'd be all over this one.

laineyhigg wrote:Can you choose the size of the drink or is it just for espresso?

I think you might be confused about how an espresso machine is different than a coffee maker like a keurig. The simple answer is no you can't adjust the size of the drink. The reason is because it makes espresso which is significantly different than coffee because of the process of forcing pressurized water through packed grounds. To contrast, a keurig does have different sizes but simply because the smallest is similar to an espresso shot in volume, it isn't espresso but better categorized as strong coffee.

johnellenberger wrote:Ok I own essentially the same unit that I bought here (the Cappuccino version) which is my 3rd Saeco. It makes good coffee. Saeco is a fairly good unit but not the best--you do have to spend a lot of time maintaining it (clean clean clean).

Just be aware that these are refurbs and the company will only guarantee them for 2 months and the shipping is at your expense. For me this was $50 minimum on the East Coast of the US. Their is service is not good. In spite of the cutesy videos that they post on Youtube you will not be dealing with Saeco...not even close.

Just a heads up, Seattle Coffee Gear is Philip Saeco's Refurbishing Center for the United States.

The warranty covers defect for the period of 1-year after purchase. In the event a machine must be shipped in for warranty service, customer pays for shipping to the center and warranty covers repair or replacement and return shipping.

Hope that clarifies stuff!

DLecocq wrote:The simple answer is no you can't adjust the size of the drink.

Well, no that's not entirely correct. This model does have a programming feature that allows you to adjust the amount of water used to make either the "espresso shot" or "lunga" drink. You also have three different settings of the amount of coffee used in each drink. So there is *some* ability with adjusting size.

That said, I've had one of these for about two months now and love it.

I can't speak to this specific model, but I did order a refurbished Saeco Giro Plus (through SCG/Amazon) about a month ago, and I have been impressed! This model is a step or 3 up from mine, but same basic function. A few things to note:

1. Superautomatics should really only use medium or lighter roast coffees. As I understand, the really dicey part of these machines is the build-in grinder, which is pretty much impossible for a layman to reassemble after maintenance/cleaning. By grinding a darker roast, you run the risk of gunking up the grinder easier because of the added oils on the outside of the beans. If you want to use darker roasts, consider a semi-automatic or get a separate grinder and add the darker roasted pre-ground coffee into the grinder bypass.

2. Frothing milk properly takes practice. You'll want to buy a good stainless steel milk pitcher if you intend on using this feature.

3. Refurbs are generally pretty basic - you won't get the original packaging or all the bells and whistle extras that come with the brand new version. However, SCG tries to troubleshoot maintenance issues over the phone and will send you replacement parts to avoid the shipping costs. For yearly maintenance (grinder cleaning, boilers, etc), you'll probably be better off finding a local shop to do some simple cleaning and other work.

Wish I could trade-in the Starbucks Sirena (made by Saeco) I got off Woot a few years back. I had to send it to Seattle Coffee Gear for repair after a year, and now it's been gathering dust since last summer, since it needs repair again.

DLecocq wrote:I think you might be confused about how an espresso machine is different than a coffee maker like a keurig. The simple answer is no you can't adjust the size of the drink. The reason is because it makes espresso which is significantly different than coffee because of the process of forcing pressurized water through packed grounds. To contrast, a keurig does have different sizes but simply because the smallest is similar to an espresso shot in volume, it isn't espresso but better categorized as strong coffee.

Guess I should have been clearer. Can you choose how many ounces of water the machine puts through the grounds? I currently have a Saeco and it makes lovely espresso but I can choose to make an Americano also, or put regular coffee beans in there and have a great cup of coffee. On mine you can choose how fine it grinds the coffee, how much coffee it uses per cup, and how much water it uses per cup. I couldn't find anything here that talks about any of that.

wmsnedden wrote:Well, no that's not entirely correct. This model does have a programming feature that allows you to adjust the amount of water used to make either the "espresso shot" or "lunga" drink. You also have three different settings of the amount of coffee used in each drink. So there is *some* ability with adjusting size.

That said, I've had one of these for about two months now and love it.

OK that makes sense. My current Saeco is all manual (with knobs in the coffee bean dish for choosing coarseness and amount of coffee)

Hey woot! Whoever did the intro needs a pimp slap. Posting a wannabe funny header about espresso coffee that tries to highlight it as high in caffeine is just proof of your lackluster knowledge about coffee drinks. Espresso is actually lower in caffeine than drip coffee. Now put that in your cup and chew on it!