Customer Reviews

Saeco S-OG-SG Odea Giro Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is a great machine for the price! At first I was nervous because of the plastic feel, but it seems to be holding up really well. It is very quick to heat up. VERY quiet considering the ceramic grinder. It is given 4 stars because of how quickly the drip tray fills up (near the coffee grounds drawer) otherwise I would give this a 5 star rating. It has to be emptied once a day if you have used the machine a lot. We do because it has the awesome feature of sending out hot water with the spout just by pushing the water button and turing the knob on top. So we use this machine for hot tea too! Also the water tank is a little hard to get out. Maybe we are being too gentle with it, but you do just have to give it a little extra pull. The adjustable drip tray (in front) is great. I just make my latte to go in a travel mug. The ability to switch from frothing the milk - which is very fast - to immediately making the espresso it my favorite feature.

Overall this is an excellent machine, makes great espresso, easy to use, and looks great too!

OK, so I did a ton of research on this and the plethora of similar machines that are out there. I also went the route of using the 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond and I could not be happier.

Right out of the box it was very easy to follow the 4-step directions. It fired right up and made what I hope to be the first of thousands of perfect lattes. It truly is a wonderful machine!!

I love that it swivels back and forth for easy access to the water tank and the dump bin for the used grounds. I don't think I even have to wait 30 seconds for the milk frother to produce steam--it's very fast.

A few tips:
1. steam your milk first before you pull your shots as the shots will go bad after about 10 seconds (this is what I learned as an employee of one super-popular Seattle-based chains).

2. Keep a little container under the frother attachment so that when you turn it on there will be something there to collect the small amount of water that spills out.

3. Keep a supply of decaf onhand because once you start making these you won't be able to stop and you'll turn into a caffeine zombie.

All of the negative points that have been raised in the majority of reviews (on both this and other similar makes and models) are a non-issue for me. The indicator lights tell you when things need to be refilled or emptied; the machine is very solid (albeit solid plactic), and it heats up super quick.

I am a super picky coffee/latte drinker and I am in love with thing!!!

It was easily going to be 10 times more money than we had ever considered spending on a coffee machine before. We did our research, read reviews, etc. This seemed like the best bet, except for all of these people who say it broke right away, and Saeco customer service is a problem. This was a scary thing.

We decided to investigate how hard it would actually be to get it fixed if we should need to. From the Saeco website we found out that the official repair center for Illinois is only a few miles from us in Chicago. (first good sign) I had read that it is impossible to get parts from Saeco, so I called to ask about this. The woman on the phone explained that they repair a variety of machines. She was super nice, totally willing to answer all of my questions, and she spend a good 15 minutes on the phone with me knowing that I didn't even own a machine yet. (2nd good sign)

She told me that they do see a lot of these machines in for repair, but that in general, automatic one touch machines of any brand break all the time, regardless of how expensive they are. She also reiterated several times, that there's no problem that can't be fixed quickly, usually inexpensively if it isn't warenteed anymore.

We then talked to several stores about their return policies. After quite some prodding, Bed Bath and Beyond told us that it's not their official policy to let their customers know this, but it IS their official policy to accept any returns no matter the age or condition of the product. They actually said we could bring it in five years later with no box, and they would exchange it if we are unhappy, as 'customer unhappiness' is their criteria for return eligibility. We bought it with one of their 20% off coupons.

Since then we have performed all suggested maintenance, and never had to bring it in for anything. We are totally in love with this machine. It was one of the best purchasing decisions we have ever made. I know several people/places with more expensive automatic one touch machines, and our coffee at home is better than all of them. (could just be a 'what we're used to' bias) Buy this machine. Take care of it. Love it as you would a child. Don't worry about it breaking down. It hasn't for us yet, and if it ever does, I will amend this review.

EDIT:
2 Years, still working perfectly, wow.

EDIT:
It's 3 years later and it still works perfectly. We are in Europe now, and I use a 3000W transformer to convert the power. Since it doesn't change the frequency (50Hz here instead of 60Hz) it runs a bit slower, but it still kicks ass. This coffee machine is one of the few items we brought with us.

We took a long while researching what machine to buy and was told by the espresso zealots that if you want authentic shots you have to work for them... Meaning that you need to grind separately, hand press the puck into the porta-filter and pull the perfect shot.. and so on. So, ive had espresso in several corners of the world; so for all of that non-sense, I say 'meh'. We started looking at quality super-auto's and kept coming back to Saeco. Picked the odea-giro out for its balance of features vs simplicity, cost and previous reviews, company rep, etc.

One year after buying this machine and using it every day, we are pretty sure that I can finally say that the zealots are full of steam. ;)

The Odea is a great compact machine. There is a plastic feel but it is pretty durable and we have been pretty rough with it.. Its supposed to be an appliance.. right? We use the machine once or twice a day and more on weekends. Good espresso is pretty addicitive. We use oily beans and have no issues.

So the truth to all the haters of red-blinky lights and moving parts: This not a toaster with a crumb tray. This thing needs maintenance. Some of it is obvious.. Fill me, clean me, brush me off, wipe me down. The rest is not so intuitve..

To keep this machine happy you need to clean the brew-group under the faucet once a week. Its easy, stop whining. Keep the booklet near-by so you can diagnose the red-blinkys that happen with a complicated electro-mechanical device. De-scale, grease, empty, fill, clean and you wont have trouble with this machine.

I advise that you purchase the extra filter for the water tank. Even if you feed it britta water like we do, the steam wand tip gets pretty scaly. Hard water is the enemy of a system that boils water for a living! Fill it with RO if you can.

So enough. Its a good machine, get it, love it, drink espresso and be happy.

I did not hesitate to purchase my second Saeco after 4 years of good experience with my first one - a Saeco Vienna (which is still running fine). Compared with the Vienna, the Odea Giro does almost everything a little better, despite having a smaller footprint. It is more stylish, heats up (and cools down) faster, and froths better. The espresso quality is excellent with rich crema and aroma. I am especially impressed with how fast and easy it is to switch between the modes - steam and hot water/ brew, despite it having a only a single boiler. In other single-boiler models like the Vienna you would have to manually purge the water and wait as much as 30 seconds. In the Odea Giro it is done automatically within 10 seconds.

As noted in other reviews, the water tank capacity can be a problem. The bean hopper is also smaller than Vienna. However I am happy to trade off tank capacity for less counter space. My previous experience with Vienna is that you always want to dump and refill the tank with fresh water before turning on the machine. The coffee tastes much better than with day-old water.

I liked the machine for the few weeks I was able to use it. However, one part dropped and cracked, and then it was a struggle to find someone who could supply the part. Once I had the part, I needed help with putting a small spring back in - I just needed to know which end is up, and what the two ends need to catch on. There is no detailed documentation that comes with the machine. It makes two weeks since I first started dealing with Saeco, and they have only bounced my message around. The supervisor of customer service thought I was trying to order an entire new brew group because she couldn't be bothered to read my actual question. Saeco's service is extremely disappointing, and would probably prevent me from purchasing another machine from them.

This is our third or fourth Saeco machine so,obviously,you know we just love them. Our first two machines were the Vienna superautomatica models and then a Villa super automatic. All of them performed nicely.
We have had the Odea Giro Super-Automatic for a couple of months now so I feel qualified enough to make comparisons. This machine is a little more stylin' than our previous ones , it isnt as boxy as the vienna's and takes up less counter than either the vienna or villa models. It is easier to work around its nice rounded shape. It does heat faster than the others and really does froth on demand. overall it does out perform our previous machines one of which still lives. The only complaint we have pertains to the water tank. I just hate running the pump dry. It just doesn't seem good for it and I hate to wait for my fix. the other machines we had had larger tanks and they were "see through" so you could anticipate refilling them. this one is smaller and could really use atleast a level window. for some reason this oversight really annoys me. otherwise, this little buddie has more style,works faster, and makes one great cup of coffee.
We like dark dark bean and would suggest Jeremiah's Pick coffee bean sold also by amazon. Our favorite is the Fogbuster,it has a nice strong flavor without the bitter bite a lot of darker roasts get. 33 bucks is a great price and if you buy one of these machines you are going to need a 5 pound bag.

I can't say enough about this machine. It has literally changed my espresso/cappuccino life forever. I had researched quite a bit & debated over the price at the time. After deciding to buy it, I thought to wait a few months before writing a review to see if I would have any of the mechanical problems experienced by a few. It's been over a year now (15 mo) and I've been using it EVERY EVERY DAY & it still runs like a champ!

I DO follow the directions for regular cleaning, as well as occasional lubing & descaling as instructed. These procedures are simple but IMPORTANT. Well worth the few steps 1-2x a week in exchange for being able to PUSH A BUTTON & WALK AWAY every morning & evening for my fresh ground espressos. I suspect some of people who have had problems may have neglected these steps on a regular basis. I do remember calling Saeco Customer Support in the beginning, to clarify a couple procedures that were a little vague. The manual could use to be a little clearer. But once I got familiar w/ the machine & played w/ the personal preferences (grind size, espresso strength, etc) the rest has been a dream. Such a pleasure to use and you only have empty the pellet bin & rinse the brew group every doz-or-so shots, which for me is about every 4-5 days. (The "brew group" is the chunk of machinery that does all the work.) Refilling the water bin & bean hopper whenever it needs it is very easy, esp compared to the tediousness & mess of constant measuring, tamping & washing of a regular strainer basket for each cup. Everything about the design is SO SMART! It functions & looks like it was made by BMW, whose engineers apparently helped design it. Sleek lines, nice balance between size & function. It's slightly smaller & so much less "boxy" looking than other high end automatic espresso machines. It's the only model I know of w/ an adjustable mug tray and one that has 2 holes in JUST the right spots so that you NEVER have that ugly splotch of dried coffee below the dispensing spout. The unit SPINS on a circular ball-bearing ring, which makes it easy & super slick to turn the unit & remove the water reservoir & used pellet bin & brew group. For me, it's well worth real estate it takes up on my small kitchen counter. I've been using it every day for over a year now with great pleasure every time I push that button.

A few tips: DO turn OFF the machine between uses, like overnight (this was not clear in the instructions). The warm-up rinse cycle keeps the tubes cleaner. DO rinse the brew group regularly. I do it every time the pellet bin gets full. It indicates when it needs to be emptied. Be sure to let the brew group DRY thoroughly after rinsing before reinstalling it in the machine. And don't use soap or very hot water when you rinse it (verified w/ cust support). You don't want to wash away the lubricant in the grooves on the sides too quickly. DO lubricate as instructed every 4-6 months & descale when it tells you to. I use filtered water & have only had to descale maybe twice in over the 15 months that I've had it. And if you store your beans in the freezer, be sure to let it THAW first in the sealed bag before refilling the bean hopper or grinding it. (The condensation could promote rust or clogs.)

The only downside I can see is if you like to switch beans from cup to cup. It would mean emptying the bean hopper on top. I am a loyal fan of Caffe Verona beans (Starbucks), so for me it's not an issue. You also should use ground coffee, like if someone gives you a bag. Cust Svc said it will clog the grinding mechanism. It's a joy to maintain this machine. Perhaps feeling like I'm THANKING it every time I clean it is making it run so well for me. I hope it keeps working for many years to come.

I had a semi automatic and it was such a mess to use it. coffee grounds everywhere, wait to make a second shot, dump grounds after... If it is a hassle to use, I get tired of the product easily. This one is great. Load beans in the hopper, water and you are ready to go. I read review after review before purchasing this one. The two SS boilers makes all the difference. Steam makes tremendous foam using fat free skim milk. I am always watching my calories. I heat the milk and then pull the shot. You can dial the shots, long or short. It has 3 settings from mild to strong. When you start it each time, it will cycle through and dump previous water so always put a cup under the valve when starting. Several people have listed this as a problem. But it is normal operation. The frother wand comes off easily to rinse. I like it so much better than my last frother. It makes 3 times the foam much much faster. I love the machine. I would definitely buy this one again. If I had to change machines, I would not consider anything other than a super automatic and it must have 2 stainless steel boilers or better. Enjoy!!

I agree this coffee maker does an excellent job when it works; Unfortunately about 2 months after purchasing, it clogged itself. After numberous calls to Saeco (and getting hung up/transfered to vmail) I finally got a very helpful live person. She sent me some instructions to clean/modify the coffee maker that *might* solve the problem. I will try this out when I get home. The instructions are simple and clear, but not expected for a product in this price range.

I'm a strong believer high quality, and willing to pay a premium for such quality. I am disappointed with any device that fails this quickly (perhaps 100 coffees over a 2month time). That is why I will only give a 1 star rating.

After 3 phone calls to Saeco customer support (everybody was very friendly, but never actually solved anything) I was told I need to return the coffee maker to Saeco (I pay to pack and ship to Saeco). I was then told it will take 4-6 weeks for the repair. It's sad to say that if my $400 laptop breaks, LaptopCompany will send me a box, and pay shipping both ways... but my $600 coffee maker doesn't have near the customer service.

Simply because of the hassle factor, I have just purchased another expresso maker from a different Italian company. I will return my coffee maker to the large warehouse store with a very generous return policy.