new automatic espresso machine

[aliénor]

we are considering the purchase of a new automatic espresso machine. i was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the saeco talea giro. it aint cheap and it seems to do everything. we have used our son's saeco magic comfort many times and found it to give a good cup of espresso,but now it seems to be supplanted by a newer model. would like to hear from anyone about their experiences with saeco and in particular the new talea model.

btw, we are coming off a $150 krups model and looking forward to the upgrade.

[pax]

I had a Saeco. It was great while it lasted. Sadly, it's life span was unnaturally short and we don't know why.

We got a year and a half out of it...just past the warrantee period, and then the thing crapped out and could not be fixed.

If I were going to spend money on a machine again, it wouldn't be that one.

Right now I'm making do with a french press.

[phaelon56]

we are considering the purchase of a new automatic espresso machine. i was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the saeco talea giro. it aint cheap and it seems to do everything. we have used our son's saeco magic comfort many times and found it to give a good cup of espresso,but now it seems to be supplanted by a newer model. would like to hear from anyone about their experiences with saeco and in particular the new talea model.

btw, we are coming off a $150 krups model and  looking forward to the upgrade.

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Saeco superauto and Gaggia superauto are now made by the same company. Saeco espresso machines in general have long had a reputation for a higher frequency of need for repairs than some competing brands. Based on anecdotal evidence I'm inclined to point you towards Jura rather than Saeco.

But I'll also note that superauto's have an inherently more complex design than traditional espresso machines and are therefore far more likely to need repair at some point. Some people believe the ratio may be as high as 5 to 1.

My candid opinion is that you'd be far better off to buy a Rancilio Silvia for under $550 and get the adapter that lets you use espresso pods instead of having a grinder. Yes - the per shot cost of pods is higher but you'll have a machine that looks better, is far more sturdy, takes up less space, does a vastly superior job of steaming milk.

Did I mention that an espresso shot made from a good quality pod on a proper espresso machine will always be far superior to the espresso shots made by any consumer level superauto?

[s_sevilla]

I would echo the other comments and go for the miss Silvia, or similar (pretty much the only other one in the same class is the Isomac Venus), and buy a decent grinder. For 1000$, you could easily go for the rancilio rocky grinder in addition to the Silvia or Isomac machine.

It takes more time in the mornings, but for some people, it's the ritual as much as the caffeine that keeps you going. Once you have the grinder and tamp dialed in, the cup is way better than anything a super-auto can make. In the case of the Miss Silvia, people have already figured out it's quirks enough that there are a lot of step-by-step guides to get you well on your way to a good cup of espresso, with only a small jump and some practice to get you to the (very) occasional god shot.