Customer Reviews

Saeco 12-Cup Automatic Drip Coffee Maker with Glass Carafe and Burr Grinder, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I purchased this machine for Christmas 2010. It's got all the features I want and the build quality is great. BUT I had the same problem as others with beans not making their way to the grinder. I called Saeco where upon the woman told me there were no problems with this that anyone had ever heard of. She also said that everyone uses this machine there and loves it. And she knew the details of the machine to a tee so yes they really do use it there. Surely, I told her there has to be a problem since the reports are widely available in customer reviews at various sites. She would send another machine if I wanted it but it seemed like a true waste to me to do that. I would just have the same issue all over again.

So no satisfaction there .. BUT I HAVE A 2 MINUTE FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM and now I completely love my machine. Here's what you do .. Inside the bean basket is a black round shield over the grinder. Mine shipped to me with the smooth surface of it sloping down from the center. I unscrewed the center screw (requires a small straight screwdriver in the triangle screw head), flipped it over, screwed it on smooth face down, and now no more problems at all. Yes it is that easy. Now you have a great machine without any problems. And I use some pretty sticky beans too.

I'm thinking the design dept didn't talk to the assembly department and this problem resulted. The smooth side looks more presentable so it's logical to assume that that's the side customers should see .. wrong. The smooth side is to ensure that beans don't get hung up on the way to the grinder. So there you have it, problem solved!

Now buy this thing and enjoy a truly great coffee machine! You can make really strong coffee with it and with no bitter taste at all. It doesn't burn the beans and extracts all the oils from the beans!

There is just one little issue .. this unit DOES NOT accept no 4 coffee filters as the literature says but it comes with a really nice gold basket filter so you have no need for paper filters anyway. It's a good filter that works even on very fine grinds.

** PLEASE SEE MY UPDATED COMMENTS ON BOTTOM OF THIS REVIEW **

I was an early adopter for the Krups KM7000 and generally had a good experience, contrary to the negative reviews found here on Amazon for that machine. For the purposes of this review, I will use the KM700 as a comparison.

I pre-ordered the "Saeco Bean To Brew" in July and I was slightly apprehensive about trying such a new product prior to any reviews. Saeco has a tremendous reputation for high end espresso machines. But, they have almost no U.S. presence in consumer level home products, especially for drip coffee. So, it was my hope that their high-end features and technology would trickle down to this product. And I am very happy to report that this wish has been fulfilled! The "Saeco Bean To Brew" is a winner as it outshines the KM7000 in several important areas.

Construction
What I really appreciate are the little details that separate the Saeco from other coffee makers that I've used and seen. The Saeco feels solid and well constructed. It is deceptively heavy. The lids are sturdy and require some effort to snap shut. The bean hopper has a rubber gasket, which when sealed, should prevent air and moisture from entering the container. This ensures that the beans will stay fresh. The water lid swings on a hinge and must be pushed tight to close. This gives me a feeling of security that the water will stay relatively free of impurities when I have the unit preset for a morning brew.

Features
* Steam vent - this ingenious feature reduces condensation during the brewing process by releasing the steam out the front of the unit, away from the beans. This keeps the exterior of the coffee maker nice and dry while keeping the beans away from temperature fluctuation. The Krups KM7000, in contrast, does not have a steam vent. The condensation from that unit would drip down the sides and eventually form a puddle on my counter... and, the beans in the Krups hopper are exposed to the heat and moisture.
* The standard glass carafe is typical for this style of coffee maker. However, a very nice surprise is that the Saeco brew capacity is 12 cups and not 10 cups as advertised here on the Amazon product description.
* Gold tone filter basket included - nice touch that Saeco included this in the box. I had to purchase the basket separately for the Krups.
* Charcoal water filter - another unadvertised feature. Amazon does not mention that the unit comes with a built in charcoal filtration system. Unfortunately, Saeco forgot to include the filter in my packaging, so I had to purchase a set of Cuisinart filters from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
* Noise level - not silent, but significantly quieter than the Krups. On weekends, the Krups grinder would wake me up... the Saeco does not.

User Interface
* Simplicity - the Saeco is dead simple to set and use. The instruction manual is not really necessary for basic use. The Krups was only a little more confusing because the clock is set in 24 hour (military time). The Saeco uses a common 12 hour clock which is easy to program.
* Front Panel - nice, easy to read, blue backlit LCD front panel displays the time, # cups, strength and timer on/off settings
* Audible Feedback - annoyingly LOUD beeps confirm your selections and when the coffee has completed brewing. This is a feature that I could have lived without... but, I guess it's ok if you want to be notified (from across the house) when your coffee is ready.

Cleanliness
I can confirm through experience that the primary complaint about the Krups KM7000 on Amazon was the mess that it would leave on your countertop. I am very happy to report that the Saeco does not suffer from these design flaws. The Saeco is very clean and does not spew grinds or water on my counter. Keep in mind that you probably shouldn't place the Saeco directly under a cabinet because the steam vents upward (like chimney smoke).

Taste
* Strength - I like strong coffee. And the Saeco only slightly disappoints in this area. My wife has always complained that the Krups coffee was too strong. She thinks the Saeco tastes perfect. I think that the primary difference between the two units is the volume of coffee grounds used. The Krups grinds much more beans than the Saeco for each cycle. I have learned to compensate for this by setting the grinder for 2 more cups than the desired amount. Example, I set the grinder for 12 cups but only add 10 cups of water. This results in a cup more to my preference.
* Aroma Setting - The conical burr grinder has about 8 different settings that affect the grind coarseness. Through trial and error, I have noticed that the finest setting (#1) is almost too fine. On this setting the coffee tends to clump together and not push out the shoot quickly enough into the basket below before the automatic door closes. I think that the optimal setting (for strong coffee) is probably #3. The grind consistency on this setting travels much more smoothly into the basket.

Customer Service
I had to call customer service to inquire about the missing charcoal filter. The service rep was very friendly, knowledgeable and apologetic. Unfortunately, she could not issue me a replacement filter because the coffee maker was so new that they did not have any in stock. The filter was on order from Italy... but, she didn't have an estimated delivery date. The service rep recommended that I find another brand filter that would fit in filter basket (Cuisinart).

Conclusion
Overall I am very satisfied with the "Saeco Bean To Brew" coffee maker. I am impressed with the quality and engineering of the product. With a little trial and error, it delivers a delicious cup of coffee. I rate the maker 4 out of 5 stars. I am deducting ½ star for the missing filter and ½ star for the slightly weak taste. It is important to keep in mind that the coffee maker can be tricked into brewing a stronger cup... and that the average person would probably be satisfied with the default settings.

** EDIT 12/6/2010 **
I've had this item a couple of months now and I'm taking another 2 stars off my original rating for two reasons:
1) The beans continually get stuck in the grinder. This results in very little ground coffee landing in the basket... and weak coffee. I was able to temporarily fix this by removing the grinder cover which was restricting the flow of beans into the grinder. Unfortunately the beans recently started getting stuck again. I don't know what else I can tweak to get them flowing without tapping on the side of the machine during the grinding process.
2) Amazon dropped the price of this machine by $70. I pre-ordered at the original full price of $149. I've missed my return window by a couple of weeks... to say that I am disappointed is an understatement.

I've had this coffeemaker for a couple of weeks. I ordered it elsewhere since it wasn't available yet on Amazon. I love the coffeemaker but the coffee basket door opens during grinding so I am going to return it. I'm disappointed because I really liked the coffee maker, but I can't risk the basket not being in place during brewing if I'm not nearby to push it back in. This didn't happen at first, but after about a week it started popping open. If it wasn't for this issue I would have given the coffee maker 4 or 5 stars. I loved the convenience of having fresh ground beans for my coffee with no mess or fuss. Besides the obvious problem of the basket popping out the only other negative is the annoying beeping. It beeps when you push the buttons. It beeps 5 times when it's done brewing! It beeps a loooong beep when the warmer turns off. The beeper is louder than the grinder! I guess I'll be trying the Jura Capresso.

Update: I gave the Saeco one last try this morning before boxing it up to return. I was hoping the basket wouldn't pop open. To the contrary, not only did it pop open I had to hold it closed during grinding and ended up with coffee grounds in the pot. I might just have a lemon, but I'm not taking a chance on replacing it with the same unit.

The grinder works well, although it's very loud. However, the ground coffee does not fall down to the brewing basket below, resulting in hot and/or colored water.
I read the manual several times, and seem to be following the instructions. So I called Saeco, but after a 15 minutes wait, no one answered!
So I returned the machine to the store.

First of all, many review on Amazon are complaining about the price they paid for the machine which was followed by subsequent price drops. Yes, the machine's original MSRP was too high, but that is how appliances / technology works -- they start high and fall sharply very quickly. My review is considering the current amazon price of the machine which is 130.xx

The machine is simple to operate and requires very minimal maintenance / cleaning. All of the parts are easily washable and operation is as simple as turning a few knobs and tweaking the settings to your liking. I personally use dark for my coffee setting and about the third to finest setting for how fine the coffee is grind -- this gives me a good cup of coffee.

One thing to note is that even though you can control how many cups you want to brew (2,4,6,8,10,12 are the options) the machine is ONLY using these settings for how much coffee it grinds. This is actually a benefit as long as you use it correctly. For example, if you want a rich cup, set it to brew 6 cups (so it will grind more coffee) but only put 4 cups of water in the reservoir. Alternatively, this gives you the option to make other sizes as well (a strong 1 cup would be ground to make 2 cups with water for 1 cup, etc.) Just keep in mind that like almost all machines, this will brew until the reservoir is empty, it will continue to brew. So if you set it to 2 cups (again this is the grind setting for how much coffee is ground into the filter) but put 10 cups of water in, you are going to end up with muddy water and not much else.

Another thing that is nice about this machine is the fact that it comes with everything you need. This includes a Goldtone filter (NO MORE BUYING PAPER FILTERS -- EVER!), a cleaning brush, a water filter, etc. Literally all you need to start making coffee is to buy some whole beans and get going!

With regards to the carafe, no, the design is not the best in the world, but it also is not as bad as many reviews make it out to be. You have to pour it somewhat slow and pay attention, but I have yet to spill from it (maybe they have fixed it since the older reviews? I'm not sure..) but there are no real issues there if you use some common care. One tip of advice is to pour a very little bit out in the sink before you pour each cup. Because of the design, it seems like a little extra water (on its way to evaporation) tends to collect under the ring so I pour that off first because I like my coffee as dark as possible.

One final word of advice is with regards to the water filters. These are not necessary if you have a good water source (the better / purer the water, the better the coffee will taste) ALSO, you can save some money by using your fridge if it was a filtered water dispenser, if you have a Brita filter, etc. If you do want to use the charcoal filters (I personally use them) they are hard to find the exact model listed but I have personally bought and tested that these are the correct filters for the machine below just under a different name:

Capresso 3-Pack Charcoal Water Filters for CoffeeTeam GS and CoffeeTeam TS only

Overall, this machine has a lot of bang for its buck and is definitely worth the price.

Just recieved this in only 5 days thru amazon found the product very commercial like and heavy duty,grinder pretty quiet amazing coffee with beans or not you can turn off the grinder and use ground coffee,strengh settings work well.would recommend instead of others had a starbucks barista maker for 5 years but this is far nicer...

This is my fourth grind and brew machine. My previous machines were:

Capresso - it still functions, but I have to run the grinder three consecutive times on the 10-cup setting in order to make 4 cups of coffee that are strong enough.
Krups - I've gone through two of them. First one, the grinder stopped working; second one, the brewing function gave out. Both happened just outside the warranty period. Although we have a local Krups service center, they recommended I buy a new machine (and they don't sell them; they only service them) rather than repair it. If you're thinking I should not have bought a second one, I'm sure you are right. But when it worked it was wonderful.

Now, the Saeco.

The beeps drive me crazy. Five loud beeps when it's "done" (however coffee continues to drip for several minutes longer), one ridiculously long, loud beep when I turn off the machine. This is not appreciated by members of my family who do not have to get up as early as I do. If anyone knows of a way to shut that feature off, please share.

As mentioned in several other reviews, the beans get stuck before they reach the grinder. I suspect most of us who are willing to pay $150 for a coffee machine are serious about our coffee -- I do use oily beans and you probably do, too. I have tried the "flip over the plastic shield in the bean bin" trick, but they still don't feed into the grinder reliably. The only way I have been able to count on a consistent pot of coffee is to stand over the machine using a utensil to push the beans down while the grinder is running. This means I cannot use the timer.

The water reservoir is inconveniently located at the back of the machine (behind and lower than the bean bin) and the opening is very narrow. It's hard to fill without spilling unless you scoot the machine around 90 degrees each time to make it more accessible, or keep the machine about a foot away from the wall.

Opposite of most other coffee machines I've owned, the burner temperature runs very hot. If the pot has been sitting on the burner for half an hour, the coffee is hot enough to burn the roof of your mouth. Pavlovian training has finally kicked in (I'm a slow learner, what can I say), and now I know I not to drink my second cup of coffee immediately after pouring. The temperature is great when first brewed.

When you push the "on" button the machine does not actually start up -- you receive a "check basket" warning, so you must push the "on" button twice. Again, the machine is training me, so while I find this slightly annoying and unnecessary, it's not a a huge deal.

The positives are that it does make a nice strong cup of coffee if you help the beans through. And it does not spray coffee grounds all over your kitchen counter.

Would I buy it again knowing what I know now? Probably not. But I'm too lazy to box it up and return it, and I do enjoy not dealing with the mess of a coffee grinder every day, so I will continue to use the Saeco as long as it lasts.

I love this coffee maker. It is replacing my decade old, sick and tired Capresso. It brews hotter (about 195F) and grinds both coarser and finer. I have not had any problems with beans flowing into the grinder - I never use frozen beans and I prefer a lighter roast - so the beans stay dry. It is quieter than the Capresso - but MUCH larger, taller with a big footprint. I have a large kitchen with some stainless appliances so it goes fine, but in a small space it would be too big for me. It has a 12 cup capacity, not 10.

The carafe that came with my machine is a special dribble carafe - like the gag dribble cups that spill no matter what. Pouring a cup of coffee would leave about 1/4 on the counter or in the sink. The carafe has a plastic rim attached to the glass with a silicone bead. If the silicone is good, the carafe should not leak. Well - mine dribbled. I called Phillips Saeco and they offered to send a replacement carafe right away. They did not send it. When I called a week later I was offered no explanation, but they did send me a carafe which arrived a week later. The replacement carafe does not dribble. Research reveals that the carafe issue may actually be a razor-blade revenue generating strategy. The machine and carafe are parasitically identical to the Cuisinart model which has known carafe issues. Had Saeco sent a replacement carafe the first time I called I would have given this brewer 4 stars, and if I had been lucky enough to get a good carafe the first time - 5 stars.

UPDATE: the new carafe is a two weeks old and does not dribble. One thing I have noticed is that after coffee is left on the warming plate for a while, little black rings or burnt coffee form on the bottom of the carafe. I have solved the problem by putting a paper towel between the warming plate and the carafe and the burner - no burned coffee. It would be nice to be able to adjust the temperature of the burner.

2nd Update: After about nine months the replacement carafe cracked. I contacted Saeco to buy a replacement and was told that although the carafe was under warranty, they would not replace it since they have discontinued the machine. They offered a full refund. My check arrived about 2 weeks later. Anyone know where I can get a replacement carafe? Amazon no longer sells this item. :~(

I like everyone else here want a GREAT gind and brew coffee pot and I for one wasn't affraid to spend the money to get it. Sorry this one isn't it, nor are any of the others on the market from what I can tell. Yes, everyone is right about the beans not getting to the grinder and yes inverting the cone inside the bean compartment does help, but for me anyway wasn't a complete fix. Where I had the most significant problem was the ground beans clogging the grinder and never making it to the shute. After spending $175.00 for it in December of 2010, and being ready to throw it away I tore it appart. Had to buy triangle screwdrivers on the internet to do it. I got it appart and the grinder out though it wasn't necessarily easy and I am handy. The ground beans were PACKED like a brick inside the grinder chamber, nothing could exit. Back together again and working ok but I am still frustrated I have had to go through all I have with it. It makes good coffee but for how long... who knows. Today the plastic from the top of the carafe came off the glass portion. No nothing broke but now I have to find a glue of somesort to put it back on, without it coffee pours everywhere. Not willing to invest another $55 rediculious dollars for a replacment carafe. Maybe I should have given it one star.

I very surprised how terrible the first few batches of coffee tasted. The coffee was horribly weak and looked like water with just a hint of brown color. I checked the basket and it barely contained 1 tablespoon of coffee. I thought that the coffee grounds were getting stuck in the chute, but after reading the reviews here realized that it was the coffee feed. Once I flipped the cover upside down over the grinder, the results have been spectacular. The coffee is a rich black color and tastes very smooth! It's definately the best tasting coffee I have ever brewed at home. For 6-cups of coffee, I set it at 8-cups and strong setting. It's dissapointing that a design flaw as big as this was not fixed before releasing the product. A minor issue is that the coffee chute is not steep enough so a few tablespoons of ground coffee will remain in the chute until the next batch pushes it into the filter basket. However, with the little jimmy-rig-fix the machine works great and produces a wonderful cup of coffee.