FlyingDoctorwu

I've been lusting after one since I was 15.. It was 1995 and I was in Switzerland visiting a friend of mine who had one... anyone with any experience?

Seems that the Saeco ones are cheaper.. but reliability is a bit dodgy.. The Jura's look mighty interesting....

I'm not interested in the Nespresso because I like to get my own coffee...

FDW

gfunkdave

I had a DeLonghi one for a few years, until the pump broke and I decided to just use a regular coffee maker. It was really nice and convenient. Also cheaper than most of the other ones. A friend has had the same Delonghi since I got mine and his still works fine, so I may have just gotten a dud.

A Dutch friend says Saeco is the best and that he's had Saecos for the last 20 years.

Any real coffee snob will tell you that the super automatic machines are Frankensteinean monsters that make mediocre-at-best coffee and you should buy a $2000 semiautomatic machine for "real" coffee. Don't listen to them. But read http://www.coffeegeek.com/ for more of the geek perspective.

uk1

For reasons I won't bore you with we have three Gaggia Synchronys (old model) that I understand were originally made by Saeco. I don't think they make them anyomre and I know that the replacement model isn't as good because a friend has one he bought thinking he was buying the same as ours.



They are fully automatic and make absolutely wonderful coffee - and (except one) have been faultless for years. I use to use a Gaggia Classic but I just wasn't clever or patient enough.

mrx900

curious--how come do you dont fancy the Nespresso machines? I had a Gaggia, a Saeco, and finally a Jura something...and I hated the fact they were expensive, high maintenance, and big..so then my friend showed me his Nespresso...and I was hooked....so simple...put in the pods..put the milk in..whamo--a latte ready to go..

for us overworked and underpaid Americans...it does a good job.

Petalumatool

I am a service tech for espresso machines. They are pricy to own, yes, but the amount of money people spend at the coffee shops is crazy. Do the math. Saeco makes almost all the decent machines out there. Ask to look at the "Brew Group" thats the giveaway. Delongi, Krupps, Cusinart barely get out of warranty. Saeco/Gaggia are the same thing with different cover. Lots of parts out there for do it yourself repairs. Jura is close in design to Saeco, but they are Swiss made and harder to service. I have a few laying around, the family loves them. Hands down winner in looks is the Jura. As far as coffee quality, they are both great. La Pavoni is hard to use, but have a die hard following. Any questions out there?

uk1

If it's about convenience then pod machines are the way to go. If it's about taste then it's fresh bean to cup. People obviously cannot compare something they haven't tried but my starting point was a Classic and roasting and blending my own coffee from green. Pod machines just don't taste as good to me ..........

SometimesFlyer

I have had 2 Juras over the past 5-6 years. Excellent machines. True, they can get finicky but over the years, I figured out what maintenance they need (thanks to a service tech) and so far so good. Nothing like fresh beans -> brew coffee.

We also had a Schaerer machine at work and I became the designated maintenance person. I found it a little harder to work with but all in all, ok. Saeco machine was before the Schaerer (also at work) but that died quickly under the constant use (20-40 shots a day).

Quality of espresso, my fav amongst the 3 is the Jura.

cattwl

I used to have a simple Saeco espresso machine... the creama on the espresso was really good. Lasted for as long as I can remember. My current machine is a Krups. I have a pref for non-automatics. I pref to use powder over beans. The beans lose flavor if you leave it in the well for too long. A little more work but it allows me to clean the machine more thoroughly (esp the head, etc)

number_6

A manual machine allows skill in operation to affect the quality of the coffee; this can be both good or bad

I own an old Nespresso, manual but full-pressure Breville, and an automated Saeco Royal. 95% of the time the manual is used as I make better coffee with it when I grind and tamp my own way. Rather ironic as the Saeco costs $1000 more, yet makes worse coffee from the same beans. While it takes skill with the manual, it is enjoyable and not really any more work than the automatic (at least for home quantities). The ony time the Saeco gets used now is at parties, where people can make their own (but the Nespresso would be better for that!).

FlyingDoctorwu

thanks for all the suggestions.. I am leaning towards a Jura...

there are a lot of refurbished ones available it looks like.. which makes me wonder...

refurb= good because cheaper... also likely picked over, tuned up
but
lots of refurbs= ? poor quality (overall) product?

I want something for a daily drinker; I would pick a semi auto for the once in a while espresso. I like to get my own beans (that's leftover from my Seattle days); that negates the capsule system

thanks
FDW

satman40

Saeco Itala, have 2 bought them off Ebay, rebuilt one,

Paid maybe 500, and consider myself money ahead.

You can buy them now for 2 or 300..

number_6

Lots of refurbs just means people try the product and it works fine, but not for them (usually too expensive). Bet there are a lot of returns after Christmas.

My own opinion based on experience is that semi-auto is fine for daily drinker, the auto machines come into their own for parties or at an office, when you are making more than 10 at a time. The chore of cleaning the automatic periodically is more labour than using a semi-auto every day; also grinding/tamping controlled by me makes for much better coffee than any automatic can do, so if you are fussy about bean quality then that is a consideration. Perhaps that is the cause of some of the refurbs (people buy the expensive machines thinking they are buying a better quality cup of coffee, when what they are actually buying is an easier to make cup of coffee).

FlyingDoctorwu

Well I pulled the trigger and got a refurbed Ena 5 from J and R. They had it on sale for $550 with another $15 bucks off (not bad for a machine that is $1100-1200 new)

I love it so far!

FDW

UAPremExecflyer

I currently have a Nespresso Delonghi Latissima Chrome and really like it!
Was looking around at other machines and noticed La Pavoni. Anyone with experience of these machines? http://www.pavonishop.com/lapavnap.html

milepig

I'm hoping to be buried with my Jura. Love it, got it at a steal price at Williams -Sonoma (I think they put it on clearance by mistake as it was regular price a day later) and will need to dig deeply when it eventually dies.