Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Run, run away!, January 7, 2007
Either my machine is a lemon or there are some serious design flaws. In short, ours' clogs up very easily. I finally bought Lavazza beans at the recommendation of a Saeco retailer who said that the beans are that much more important with conical burr grinders. At first the lavazza beans seemed to solve the clogging issue but after about 8-10 coffees it happened again. I can't imagine Saeco would intend consumer to clean the brew unit every couple days and not everyone buys the "perfect" gucci italian coffee bean. Also, when my wife set the dial to 7 to make basically a full cup of regular coffee, part of it leaked out the bottom of the machine (it's happened twice now). It's amazing how quickly coffee will stain a countertop if yr not aware the leak is there at first. Needless to say, for marital harmony the machine is going back and I'm going to pop more $ for a gaggia or Jura Capresso. We had a Saeco Royal previous to this one and honestly we abused that machine with oily beans, we didn't clean it often and it just kept on ticking. When the Rondo did brew a shot in the last few weeks of use the coffee was very good with a nice crema. Saeco customer service blamed the clogging on the coffee beans I was using previously (Cafe Vivace - seattle) which I found hard to believe. We have not called them about the leaking as we've just given up at this point. It CAN make good coffee but either there is a serious design flaw, or again, we got the lemon. Just be advised since many of you know how poorly a day can start at 0530 when yr denied coffee.....
|
|
|
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great espressos - all the time!, November 25, 2009
I've had this machine for about 10 months now, and it's simply GREAT. Sure, it's an espresso machine, not a $20 Mr Coffee, so it does require some maintenance, but I was surprised how little of it.
Pros:
-It's remarkably easy to use. Put on the coffee beans, fill the tank, and you're good to go!
-It makes GREAT espressos. I can't find a reason to pay starbucks prices now, when I can make just as good or better at home.
-It let's you customize your drink anyway you want it. You can select how fine or coarse you like the coffee to be ground. You can select how much coffee it will spit out (for great espressos, select between 2.6 and 3.2 oz), you can make anything from an italian "this barista just raped me" espresso (as tall as a pinkie), to a full cup (lie 10oz or so). You can also select how strong you want it in the SBS.
-The water tank is good for about 8-10 espressos. Good enough for a single family home, but not so convenient for an office.
-Maintenance is a BREEZE. There are basically 3 maintenances required:
a) basic basic - after some 10 coffees, a light will come on. You open the door, empty the pot with the used coffee, replace it, and you're good to go.
b) basic v2 - Once a month or so, open the door, take the drip tray, used coffee compartment, and brew pub system, and just wash it all with water. And I mean it just like that: but the whole brew pub under a faucet, shake it here and there, and it's done. All the other parts are machine washable I believe. Put it all back and you're done.
c) Advanced maintenance - Every 3 months or so (depending on your water), you should descale the machine. It's simple enough, just follow the instructions on the booklet, and it should take less then 5 minutes.
Cons:
- It doesn't tell you what's wrong, it just tells your something is wrong. In time, you figure out it can only be water tank needs to be refilled, or you should empty the used coffee cup.
-It's kinda hard to get the coffee beans out. I wanted to use a different blend, and had to put the machine upside down to get everything out. I guess that's not necessarily a problem, but...
-If you want to make 2 coffees at once, the machine will fill out both cups halfway, then make it some more... it's like doing 2 coffees one after the other. Just 1 button pushing less.
-No compartment for pre-ground coffee.
I think this list speaks for itself. The pros are great, and the cons you can live with. Ah, it also swivels! =)
|
|
|
5.0 out of 5 stars
Consistently Good, December 4, 2007
We have had this machine for a year now. It makes great Americano, espresso, etc. The adjustments and settings are convenient and easy. No waiting time between shots and steam. The brew group pops out and cleans in a minute and does not need cleaning for another month or more. The only thing that we would like is if the beans would feed better into the grinder. All in all it is automatic bliss. We would buy it again today.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
