Customer Reviews

New Saeco USA Nina Espresso Maker

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just got the Nina and after taking a few minutes and following the well detailed instructions to a T had made one of the finest home-brewed cups of java in a while. For those who enjoy the good cup and cannot afford(or as I justify) spending a few thousand bucks on a real fine machine this one takes the burden away. If you want to brew a full cup you simply hold the brew button down untill your cup is filled.
I've been trhu a few of the 200+ dollar machines and this one is well to compete with the 500+ dollar machines minus the bells and whisltes and it makes a cup just as good as the two-thousand dollar machine without the bling.
If your looking for a fine home-brewed espresso machine then look no further as this one wil make you exactly what you want.
Thanks for reading
-Jeff

I got this machine because it looks cool and modern and not boxy like the majority. It's more streamlined for my small kitchen.

It make really nice espresso and cappuccinos, very tasty and no ground coffee in my drink.

I read two bad reviews of how it's annoying to have to prime the machine with each coffee but it's not a problem, it primes in seconds and is ready to go, you just need to practice, that's all!

It's very simple in function, meaning it's not over-complicated with too many buttons.

I love the fact that the steamer nozzle comes off for proper cleaning and it just the right length (not too short as some machines and not too long!)

This machine makes easy cleaning, everything comes away for a quick rinse after use and goes back together easily.

It's still fairly new so I hope this review doesn't jinx my machine but so far I am very pleased with my purchase!

I have had the Nina for 2 days and it seems pretty good so far. I owned a wonderful Turmix 10 (discontinued, sadly) for 21 years..awesome machine. I am a bit of a coffee snob, and returned a DeLonghi EC155 Espresso maker (supposedly highly rated), it was just awful. I like the ritual of making espresso, so I didn't go for the all automatic version. I think for the money this is a sweet machine. I will update this after about a month of use and give you all the scoop. Below are the pros and cons to this point...

Pros- Really great crema (used store bought espresso, not my burr grinder, to give it a fair test). It is reasonably quite. Looks pretty trick. Steaming milk works very well.

Cons- The 50 oz. water tank is difficult to access. You need to prime the machine (had to do that with the Turmix also, never a big deal for me).

I hope that it will be as good as my old machine...however can't imagine any machine working for 21 years like my Turmix (good ole Swiss quality). Hope this helps, good brewing to you all....

12/2/2009 It's almost a month now, and wanted to update the review I gave when I first purchased the Nina. I have put 100+ espresso shots through it now, and am still pleased. I will pretty much stay with the above review. The only thing that is a pain (a small one at that) is filling the water tank. Should be able fill it without moving the machine IMHO. You really only have to prime the pump (its easy) once per tank filling in my experience. It makes a really great espresso and the crema is a thing of beauty. All the best brewing...

PS- I purchased the Nina from J&R in New York through Amazon. It was priced $[...]...a week later it had a $[...] price drop. I called J&R, asked about price protection...and they rebated me the $[...]. Thought a company that acts with integrity should be lauded.

The Nina Traditional has produced one of the finest latte's I have ever made. It produces crema as good as any machine costing thousands of dollars. The controls are simple and straight forward allowing you dispense as much espresso as you like or steaming milk as hot as you want.

The only issues I have with this machine is that it is difficult to "prime" so the lesson I have learned is not to run the tank out of water after you have primed the system. I wish the steam wand was a little higher, but it is manageable. The machine is 50% larger than any other machine I have had in the past.

Overall, good machine worth the money.

This machine can make good cappuccino, but it is awkward. The handle feels flimsy, (because it is) and you have to carefully align it to fit onto the machine. It takes a while to figure out how to prime the machine (a critical step). Filling the machine with water is very awkward. The top of the machine is not suited to storing the cups on top. However, despite these shortcomings, for the price, it is a decent value.

Have had this for about 20 months now - as the others say, its plasticy and NOISY (was originally quiet but that didn't last long), but I haven't had a problem with that - used it almost every weekeday since getting it and lately it has started to drip water ans steam from the the outlets even when they are closed - seems like the seals are worn out.
This morning I steamed some milk and went to turn the steam off with the top knob and it just rotated in my hand - pulled off and it had melted on the metal shaft - needed pliers to turn it off!
Not worth repairing I'm guessing so I'll look out for a new one - better made.

I found this machine to operate as well as others that cost twice as much. It does seem to be constructed of a lot of plastic, so I am interested in seeing how long it holds up. Have used it daily for 2 months and is still turning out nice espresso. It is easy to use and has a nice rich crema every time.

First off the coffee that this machine produces is excellent. IF you can live with the annoyances, it makes really excellent espresso.
But:
1.) It's noisy. Everything is plastic (except for the brew cup) on this machine; my Delonghi EC270 has metal parts where it counts and they don't rattle. When the pump is going (which itself is not overly loud), it rattles like crazy. I usually put my hand on the top and back and press lightly while it pumps. This leaves only the pump noise; which I said is not bad at all.
2.) NO power light. The only way you know the unit is on is to see that the power button on the side is pushed in. When it reaches temp, you get a ready light.
3.) You cannot fill the water from the top. You have to remove the entire container to fill it.

IT's easy to use and doesn't seem to be picky about the coffe grind.

This little guy makes wonderful espresso drinks. you really have to LOVE coffee to get one of these. They are messy and it is much more involved than just making a pot of coffee. As others have said, the back water tank and having to prime it when the tank runs empty is a bit of a chore. After you do it a few times you get completely used to it and it is no bother. I have contacted customer service 2 times. Both times I had to leave a message which I thought was kinda crappy. Although, they always did call me back and were very friendly. All that being said, I love this machine. It is the first thing I think about every morning as soon as I open my eyes. My .75 cent Iced Vanilla Lattes taste JUST as good as any $3.50 coffee house!

For $100, it's hard to beat the Saeco. The water pressure is considerably more powerful than many machines 5x the price, and the boiler is ready to go within 30 seconds of hitting the power button. The water tank is somewhat awkward to access but this seems to be a common theme in the kitchen counter cappuccino design - on the plus side, its capacity is bigger than the FrancisFrancis which we used to have. The drip tray is easy to clean and remove, as is the steam wand that literally detaches in one movement, a design which I hope becomes the standard for these machines (if you've ever spent hours trying to clean burned milk from a hard-to-remove wand, you'll know what I mean).

The unit feels plasticky, mainly because it is, but this hasn't been a problem for performance. The espresso-based drinks are easy to produce and pretty much indistinguishable from those produced by a gourmet coffee shop. Compared to the FrancisFrancis, aesthetically it's a downgrade but functionally it easily outperforms - the water tank airlock problem was driving me crazy on the FrancisFrancis and I've had no problems here. I've had the Saeco a couple of months now and so far so good - it's an excellent budget cappuccino option.