$249.99 tonight:
Amazon $379.99, 3+ stars, 89 reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Saeco-4038-15-Bar-Pump-Super-Automatic-Espresso/dp/B002PI82P0
$399 with overview (pros/cons) 6 reviews, more positive and video: (EDIT: gtoal pointed out I should have said price is for new. See his link below)
http://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/Saeco-Vienna-Plus-Superautomatic-Espresso-Machine-p/scg10515-02.htm
[youtube=cn_xJdCWKLY][/youtube]
The post above mine was edited to include the video after I linked to it.
And here I was just looking for a plain old automatic espresso machine. Superautomatic though?! I don’t know…
Nope, needs more gauges. Increase the Flash Gordon noise and put more science stuff around.
I’ll have a twist of lemon.
This may seem like a lot for a coffee/espresso maker, however when I add up the amount I spend on Starbucks every month (which isn’t really all that good), I could be saving a ton with something like this.
I don’t get why you need to spend that much moolah on an espresso machine. My Mr Coffee: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EU9UTM was less than $100 and kicks some serious espresso butt.
Check out this crema: https://p.twimg.com/AjuHzaxCQAAwByT.jpg
$250 for an expresso machine?! What’s so “superautomatic” about it? This thing make your coffee cakes and biscotti for you while you wait? 
[QUOTE=bpr2, post:3, topic:340952]
The post above mine was edited to include the video after I linked to it.
[/quote]
Sorry, I didn’t see your link before I put the video in. I got the first link, found the next two links together, and decided to add them to the first link. When I edited my original entry, at the time, I had the only post. I was too busy trying to put the second and third link in to see yours. (if you click the second link, you’ll see the video embedded in it–that’s how I found it). Sorry. I don’t need the credit, the moderator can give it to you.
Honest.
Had this very model for two years. This is a great price.
It is best to think of this as a coffee machine rather than an espresso machine. The comparison you should draw is not with a quality espresso machine (you will be disappointed), but with something like a Keurig or Tassimo (you will be thrilled).
It will not produce a great espresso shot (though it’s fine for lattes), but it will produce an excellent cup of coffee (i.e., a very long espresso shot). If you do the math, you’ll find that it is cheaper per cup than the Keurig after a few months, even with good beans. And the product is infinitely better, with similar easy maintenance. Storing beans and occasionally dumping grounds is hardly more work than storing and disposing those little K-cups.
And it does froth well, to boot. So if you like to drink lattes or mugs of coffee rather than shots, don’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
I am IMPRESSED, home.woot! Other than wine.woot, I think this is going to be the death of me for woot.
Saeco arguably makes the most usable and robust home espresso machines on the market. I have one, (not the Vienna Plus, but the manual one, for specific reasons) and it has always been solid and makes some of the best espressos that my visitors have ever had. Of course, that also took some learning and RTFM.
$249? That’s an insanely cheap price. Don’t complain, at all.
With this automatic unit, all you need are espresso shot glasses: I use Bodum’s Canteen, but if you want something more robust, try their Pavina line.
And you would want to have a frothing stainless steel pitcher. I like the Rattleware ones.
And that’s it. You don’t need any temper (or even learn to use one) or a burr grinder (I personally like the Capresso’s burr grinder). This pays for itself so quickly you wouldn’t even believe it. And the shots you pull will be much better than ANY k-cup type owners can ever imagine (but RTFM, ok?). Plus it’s impressive to watch.
I HIGHLY recommend this, if you are looking for a budget automatic espresso machine.
And for those who think this is “expensive”, you are obviously not the target users for this product. A Saeco at $249, 15-bar pressure and fully automatic, “cheap” would be an understatement.
I think I’ll stick with the machine I got for $5.00 at a thrift store…
Its one of these
I had owned the previous model for about 7 years. I made at least 6 shots a day and I took horrible care of it, I never cleaned the pucks out in a timely fashion, I didn’t descale it and I never cleaned the grinder. Each and every day it woke me up and kept me awake throughout the day. It finally died so I purchased this same model from costco a while back for about 100$ more. People scoff at the price, however I think this is quite a bargain. 4 shots a day from $bux costs about 3$ - 3$x300 days = 900$. This is a great unit for everyday use. yes its plastic, yes it doesn’t have knobs and dials and gauges, but those machines cost 1K+ for a good one. If I had a complaint about this unit is that the water reservoir seems a bit small, but thats just my laziness, in a perfect world i’d stick a 5g jug on it, or plumb it in to the household water supply.
[QUOTE=rluxemburg, post:8, topic:340952]
I don’t get why you need to spend that much moolah on an espresso machine. My Mr Coffee: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EU9UTM was less than $100 and kicks some serious espresso butt.
Check out this crema: https://p.twimg.com/AjuHzaxCQAAwByT.jpg
[/quote]
A Mr Coffee is a cheap machine for a reason. It is NOT a true espresso machine. It’s a steam machine, rather than a pressure machine.
And if you think a Mr Coffee can pull anything close to a real espresso shot, you are sorely mistaken.
Bahahaha, $5.00, nice price!
[QUOTE=lll0228, post:15, topic:340952]
A Mr Coffee is a cheap machine for a reason. It is NOT a true espresso machine. It’s a steam machine, rather than a pressure machine.
And if you think a Mr Coffee can pull anything close to a real espresso shot, you are sorely mistaken.
[/quote]
Thank you. I’m so glad someone took care of all this typing for me!
I really want this machine, have even been in the market for one lately. Unfortunately, thanks to college taking up almost all my scholarship money this semester, it’s between this and a new turntable. I just can’t decide!
We have this machine. My husband is a coffee/espresso snob, and I’ll drink day old coffee to avoid having to wait for a pot to brew…we are surprisingly both happy with this machine.
Only complaint is that the body exterior is made of plastic and seems cheaply made.
This link tells us that the ‘Plus’ model is actually the successor to the ‘Deluxe’ model.
And Coffee Geek seemed to like the Deluxe model ok.
The Amazon price for this is $370 new. The woot price is $250 for a refurbished model. These things seem to have reliability problems (from reading the reviews) so I’d say the Amazon deal seems like a much better value…
