Saeco 30013 Aroma Traditional Espresso Machine, Black | Superb machine

Saeco 30013 Aroma Traditional Espresso Machine, Black | AWESOME 10 stars! You get what you pay for.

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Saeco 30013 Aroma ...

	Saeco 30013 Aroma Traditional Espresso Machine, Black Saeco Saeco, 2006 average customer review:based on 32 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Superb machine - best value at any price

This is a fantastic espresso maker, period. I fell in love with the espresso made so easily in every bar in Italy, France and Spain, and I wanted the same taste at home. After extensive research, I bought a Starbucks Barista several years ago at the sale price of $299. The Barista is made for Starbucks by Saeco. I felt the Barista was better looking than the Saeco Aroma, so I thought I was settled. Weirdly, it seems that Starbucks may have customized their version with somewhat higher heat to accomodate their own grind; I found that every other espresso brand (Illy etc.) brewed in the Barista came out with slightly burned, brown crema and a mildly burned taste -- only Starbucks' espresso came out unburned, but I don't like the bitterness of Starbucks coffees. So I finally splurged and bought the Saeco, and am delighted. This is the real deal: a simple, no-nonsense, extremely well made espresso maker that delivers the same quality you will find throughout Europe. The main reason this (and the Barista) are better than most is that they're manufactured in Italy by a longtime and well-known manufacturer of coffee machines. Most other brands have outsourced manufacturing to China, and the quality of those machines, no matter the high price, doesn't stand up to simple Italian craftsmanship. Krups used to be made in Switzerland, but no longer. The fact that you can get a well-made Italian machine like this at this price is actually quite spectacular. My advice, if you want quality espresso, is to buy this machine.

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AWESOME 10 stars! You get what you pay for.

Yes, this product is that good. I'm a coffee hound, tasted coffee worldwide while traveling. Nothing beats a good creamy espresso. This machine makes Italian Cafe' style creamy espresso just like the Palazzo Cafe's al fresco.
It uses a pump instead of steam pressure to pressurize the coffee chamber therefore the coffee doesn't burn resulting in that full coffee nutty flavor you get with thousand dollar machines. No bitterness, it tastes like chocolate. MMMMMMGOOD!
This machine is simple, no chips just good old switches. ON/OFF. Nothing to go wrong except the gaskets and pump in about a decade. Cleaning is minimal if you wait a minute or two for the coffee chamber to cool down, if not, you get some grinds in the grip chamber. No problem, just wipe with a damp paper towel and you're done.
I really like the fact that I don't have to hunt for water. I pour in good store bought water in the rear tank and make coffee for the whole week.
The process is quick, it literally takes 2 minutes to get two cups of rich creamy espresso.... (slobbering on keyboard).... I think I'll go have another cup... CIAO'

PS: I use Pilon coffee (that's to my taste), Bustelo is also good.

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Crema - get it here!

Just right for morning espresso, latte, macchiato. Literal, careful adherence to instructions a few times and I have mastered it. The best for the price. Couple words of caution: too much foaming will dilute the milk and best to add water by leaving the tank in place and filling it from a pitcher or the like. Once I replaced the tank after filling and the plastic hose got pinched. No damage but no water either which I didn't realize until the machine started to make the oddest noises. However, no harm done. I re-primed the machine and resumed my barista duties pronto. One other point - the steam knob may not be high enough for bigger, deeper cups. I also recommend Illy espresso coffee grind.

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Saeco Aroma is my new friend.

After much research (similar to many fellow reviewers) I chose the Saeco Aroma because of its good reviews, quality construction and simplicity of use. It seems that Saeco has added an additional quick set up guide to the package contents which made the first use flawless. Still trying to find the right beans, grind and amount of grounds for my perefect cup but during this experimentation I have had many yummy cups of great espresso.

My only complaint is that the steam nozzle only provides three inches of clearance from the countertop where I keep my Aroma, which does not provide enough clearance for a frothing pitcher large enough for one cup of milk.

My solution was to raise it off the counter by placing it on a platform. I tried several solutions and have settled on an "Ikea-Hack". I bought two Ikea Ordning food warmers, tie wrapped them together and now my black Aroma sits on a cool stainless platform that also serves as a storage space for coffee scoops.

Bought my Aroma on sale at Bloomingdales for a steal at $180.

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Alton Brown Recommended

I bought this machine largely influenced by its appearance on Alton Brown's Good Eats and the uniformly positive reviews on this website. Although I normally buy everything on Amazon, I was able to the get stainless steel version of this item for far less at Costco.com where the UPS shipping was included in the price as well. I have been very impressed with the item. Combined with the use of the Capresso Infinity Grinder and a Vanelli stainless tamper (got the heaviest one directly from the Vanelli website - keep in mind that the ones on Amazon are too big for this unit!!) as well as freshly ground beans from my IRoast, I find myself making better coffee than I was getting at the local Starbucks. The item only gets 4 stars though due to its relatively "just ok" appearance. Compared to the FrancisFrancis, this thing is pretty boxy. And the clear plastic back looks weird if you can't put it against the wall. Within a week of buying the machine, the Saeco company even called to make sure I got the machine and that I was happy with the product. Pretty good service for a relatively cheap product.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7

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