Customer Reviews

Saeco A-EY-Bk Easy Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Black

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

 

 

At first we thought ours was defective, because it had to be primed (letting water flow through the steam wand) after every brew cycle, and the front knob wasn't working. After using it for a week with these problems, it seemed to fix itself, I guess it just needed to be "broken in". But we ended up sending it back anyway, and the reason was that when the grounds emptied into the grounds hopper, it leaked quite a bit of coffee into the drip tray. Well, we found out later that this is something that happens with every automatic espresso machine, and I personally think it's just too irritating, and doubt I'll ever get another automatic espresso machine because of it. If anyone knows of an automatic espresso machine that does not do this, please respond to this review. Other than that, it was a fine machine, and I would recommend to anyone having initial problems with it to use it for at least a week and see if they don't go away.

I too had a minor problem with mine on the first day (the light on the "steam button" sometimes worked when pushed, and sometimes it didn't). After about ten complete cycles of Cappuccino making it began working normally. I've owned it for over a month now without any problems, I guess it just had to get through the "priming" process. This machine makes great Espresso, Lattes and Cappiccino fast,easy and hastle free.

First off, I'm thrilled to have my machine and my lattes taste great. However, I've had my machine for only a couple days and am experiencing some similar issues mentioned by the first 2 reviewers. Now that I've read these, I will be patient and see if they resolve themselves. My problems include:

1) At first not getting any coffee dripping through (finally got a flap un-stuck after taking out the brew group and gently poking around in there).
2) It has to be primed (letting water flow through the steam wand) after every brew cycle.
3) The front knob isn't working - dispenses 1/2 the quantity it should so at this point I can't get an 8 oz cup of "regular" coffee.
4) One thing I don't think will change is that it truly is a bit noisy.
5) I've emailed customer service and left two phone messages and have not yet heard back.

I will see if these problems resolve themselves as they did for the other reviewers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I still get a great latte and love skipping the $4 drinks at the shops. I figure the machine will pay for itself within months by being able to make my own coffee shop drinks at home!

We bought this machine in the US after experiencing espresso from our friend's Saeco Easy in Germany. First the positives: it makes great espresso, it heats up very quickly (it says 1.5 minutes, but if it's been on during the day, it heats up in 60 seconds), it provides infinite steam that froths 1/3 cup milk into a full glass. The negatives: the biggest complaint we have is that there is quite a bit of "play" in the dial, which can change the quantity/strength of your espresso. There is one light that lets you know that it doesn't like something... the "something" is for you to figure out (out of water/out of beans/grind hopper too full/just grumpy?). It's a bit loud, but that doesn't bother us much. We have not had any of the problems that the other reviewers mentioned. But, I also started using the machine knowing of these problems, and was very careful about doing everything correctly. For the value, this makes the real deal! My husband and I are enjoying this luxury to the fullest! I start with a cappuccino in the morning, an iced mocha in the afternoon, and an espresso after dinner. Pure bliss! Because of the consistency of the results from this machine, I know that I'll be very critical of anything I order out anymore!

The Saeco Easy Espresso machine was given to me as a gift. When it works it makes wonderful coffee, but it keeps breaking down. I had to send it back after 6 months ($20 to FedEX), and then a few months later it stopped again. The problem is that the grinder keeps getting jammed. I spend an hour following Saeco's instructions to clean the grinder, and after a 4-8 cups of coffee, it jams again. You would expect a machine that costs more than $350 to work more than a year!
I would guess that all Saeco machines share the same grinder, so I think my criticism applies to all their machines - even the ones that cost hundreds of dollars more.

Bought the Saeco Easy in April 2007 after using a manual Saeco Classico for a few years. The Easy is indeed "easy," and after a little experimentation makes a great shot of expresso. Only feature I would add is a bypass doser, so you can use different beans than what is in the hopper (say, decaf beans instead of regular). So far the unit has been trouble free and has given us no problems.