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Consumer Reviews for the Saeco Vienna Plus
The following reviews were collected from Amazon.com, WholeLatteLove.com, and CoffeeGeek.com.
There were fewer reviews online for this machine than for most others. However, from the smaller than typical sampling of reviews, the majority of reviews for the Saeco Vienna Plus were favorable, with a few dissenting opinions.
To help you gain confidence in your purchase decision we have gathered what we feel is a very fair and balanced collection of consumer reviews for the Saeco Vienna Plus 4045 Espresso Machine.
We think you’ll agree with us that reviews made by actual owners of the Saeco Vienna Plus 4045 are the best source of honest, reliable feedback, which you will find invaluable when choosing a home espresso maker of your own.
By doing the research and collecting a wide variety of reviews for this generally popular, easy to use, and affordable espresso machine, we hope that we can help save you many hours of time scouring the Internet yourself in order to gather this information.
Review By Donna Tate
The Saeco Vienna Plus is my third fully automatic machine. I loved my first, Saeco original Vienna, hated the second, Saeco Incanto classic. The original Vienna worked for 3 years every day, making consistently good espresso before the pump gave. I should have paid for repair, but I succumbed to that stainless steel twinkle and went for Saeco Incanto classic. More expensive for sure. Worse, better said inconsistent, coffee quality, constant small problems relating to built quality concerning the brew group, the grinder and the steamer wand. After a year of irritation a pump seal has failed while making espresso, nothing like a small explosion in the kitchen in the morning, I tell ya. Well, gone back to the trusted Saeco Vienna Plus, now with the plus in the name. Good old days are here again …. Compared to previous- it is a lot quieter, when both grinding and steaming, it is also a lot quicker to warm up then before, steam is ready a mere 15 seconds after pushing the button. Espresso has a beautiful rich crema right out of the box, I didn’t have to experiment with grind setting at all. The steaming wand (Panarello) has been redesigned and is now foolproof maker of perfect frothed foam. For the newbie I would like to add that I spent a lot of effort to find the right roast – tasted more than a few before I settled on one (Peerless Coffee Espresso Perfection) that I buy now in 5 lb. bags and keep in the freezer. I should for fairness add that I never want any other coffee through the machine like some decaf or flavored stuff, so I don’t miss the alternate ground coffee option that Incanto had. My priority has always been flavor and consistency and that the Vienna Plus delivers. My friends drive miles to “see me” and, by the way, get a cup of espresso, praising each one as “this is the best espresso in the world”. If that is what you desire, don’t get mesmerized by stainless steel shine or computerized display magic and save yourself some money by getting this machine. You won’t regret it. And I am unanimous in that.
Review By Always Shopping
We had a Saeco Vienna Deluxe for several years. The machine finally died on us. In searching for a new machine, I saw the Saeco Vienna Plus and knew this would be the next machine. It is very similar to our previous model. It is much cheaper than when we had purchased our first unit. I feel there is value in what we are getting. It saves us a fortune from having to run to the more expensive coffee shop chains to pick up a mocha when it can easily made at home. At the touch of a button or two, the coffee is ready to go. The ease of use is amazing. Clean up is easy. I would definitely recommend this machine for those who want to be able to make espresso with ease.
Review By I. Pelofsky
Easy to use machine that works well making espresso or just an single cup of coffee. The only complaint I have is if you are using a large cup for regular coffee you have to angle putting in and removing the cup since the bottom of the drip spouts are not high enough even when adjusting the pull-down or push-up spout that is provided. The Saeco Vienna Plus is a well priced unit for what it provides you. You can adjust the grind of the beans but it comes manufacturer set for a medium grind. It comes with lights that once turn solid green let you know that you are ready to use whatever function you choose and dial for adjusting espresso to a full cup of coffee is clearly marked and easy to read. Steam is provided when pressing the 3rd button on – when it is off you get very hot water dispensed. The area for grinding the beans handles a lot so if you like switching types of coffee then you have to keep only the amount for what you are using in the grinder since there is no way of easily switching coffee beans once the container is full. Overall I would recommend it for anyone who likes to prepare their own coffee because of it’s price and ease of use.
Review By asdopuiwfhepn
Overall, I cannot recommend this machine.
The Saeco Vienna Plus machine made excellent espresso for the first few weeks we had it. Once it was broken in, the espresso was average, and the crema was more of a large-bubbled foam. The grinder is able to create a fine grind, but unfortunately the machine can’t pass any water through it, so you have to use a mid-level fine grind. The machine is able to adjust the amount of water used per shot, but anything more than the smallest available setting creates, well, coffee. Not even an Americano, just coffee.
After three months the grinder broke. When I opened up the machine’s door a broken part flew out. One month in on the new one, the brew group jammed. I thought it was broken, but after four days, the machine was able to pry itself loose. Ground coffee was all over the brew group, as if it had exploded. We’ll see how it works out.
Review By CapeCod
We bought an Incanto Sirius at twice the price. It looked Marvelous with it’s stainless and digital exterior. It cleaned itself and did interesting tricks with the display. Then on the third day it went bizerk and consumed a full hopper of Lavazza Oro without delivering a single cup of coffee. The seizure was fatal and the machine could not deliver another cup. Oh did it hurt being coffee-less after those three days of pleasure with the cost of a short vacation.
Returning the Incanto Sirius to the store, I came home with the Saeco Vienna Plus. It is a little plastic-y looking and the tray does not click into place the way the Incanto did. There is a blinking green light to indicate that the machine is warming instead of an LCD temperature indicator. There is only one boiler that has to be shared for steam and brewing. It is somewhat Spartan in fact.
The coffee brewed by the Saeco Vienna Plus is excellent. The crema is thick and rich. Frothed milk climbs vertically out of the cup. The dregs pucks are firm and lightly moist. There is no leaking and very little spillage from the brew group which is easy to remove and clean. This machine might not be the expensive, flashy, big show, high maintenance beauty queen, but it does deliver at about half the price.
Review By Aynur
This is my first automatic machine, I had bought a manual one before this one but it was a pain to use. It may not look as fancy as some other ones, but the Saeco Vienna Plus does an excellent job. It’s relatively easy to clean, and Saeco’s customer service is excellent if you have any issues. I had contacted them about the panarello (frothing wand) that I was having issues with and they sent me a new one under the 1-year warranty within 3 days! I use it mainly for making lattes, mochas, and caramel machiattos. All of which turn out even better than Starbucks, even though I use their beans, mocha powder, vanilla syrup, and caramel sauce. All in all, I give this machine a 4, not because of how it works but only because it is a little plastic-looking.
Review By Benjamin Hardisty
The Saeco Vienna Plus espresso machine was recommended to me by a former employee of Starbucks, who said that for a mid-range machine it simply cannot be beat. To be frank, I owned a Rancilio Silvia when I did my Master’s degree, all 3 years of it in fact. The Rancilio was great, but it took real finesse and way too long to make quality drinks. This machine, with the right settings for you, will churn out quality cappuccinos in less than 5 minutes. I should add however, as a caveat, that it makes better lattes than cappuccinos. I’ve had the Saeco for 3 weeks now and it works amazingly well. Every morning I wake up, turn it on, grab a mug, get dressed, go back to the kitchen, hit brew and I have a perfect double shot of espresso in about 1.30 minutes. It takes another 2 minutes to steam the milk. All in all not a bad machine for a busy full-time PhD student! If it’s fast enough and makes espresso well enough for me, it should for anybody. Also, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! If you don’t, I have a suspicion based on the one time I didn’t and it got weird quickly, you can avoid any problems. Finally, don’t forget to descale the machine every month or so if you’re a heavy user. So, go out, grab yourself a Saeco Vienna, call up your math. friends and get rocking & rolling!
Espressos and biscottis for all!
Review By Sarah
My husband and I both drink a lot of coffee and have wanted a nice espresso machine for home use for quite some time. I splurged and purchased the Saeco Vienna Plus for his birthday last week. We have used it every single day and are very pleased. While we’ve had small machines for home use, we were always disappointed because it was difficult to make a decent latte with them. This machine is so easy to use, pretty quiet and I feel like I’m getting a coffee house product in my own kitchen.
Review By Y. Reinberg
The Saeco Vienna Plus did not work at all straight out of the box. called customer service, Kenneth B , who offered immediate replacement. However after I mailed faulty machine back it took me a month of frustration, calls, emails, etc, until finally replacement was send. Stay away from Saeco if you can. If you bought it from Costco or Starbucks just take it back, instead of Saeco recommendation in the box: “do not take it back, call us ,blah, blah”
Review By Anne
So far so good. Have owned the Saeco Vienna Plus 4045 for about a month and it makes great coffee. It’s a little bigger and bulkier than my Krupps, but that won’t matter if it doesn’t break as fast as the Krupps broke. It doesn’t have a digital screen, so it actually is a simpler machine. The grounds drawer is large and holds plenty, but the machine doesn’t let you know when it’s full and ready to be emptied. Otherwise, it’s a great machine, that requires a bit of time to get used to. But once you learn how to use it and figure out the settings you want for your coffee it runs great and makes delicious coffee.
Review By June
The Saeco Vienna Plus was very flimsy. Almost entirely made of plastic. Sent it back before first cup.
Review By ashmason
Why buy a fully automatic coffee machine? This is a question I had to answer both to myself and to my wife, and you may be asking the same thing.
Now back in England I was brought up with Instant Coffee, Nescafe to be exact and I enjoyed it. Then I moved to the US and bought myself a jar of American Nescafe, nothing like a familiar hot drink to settle the nerves and help you get moved in. Then I made a cup… and didn’t finish it, Ack… what is this stuff? Same label, same company, but definitely not the same taste. After trying various brands I can only conclude that it’s the same as Chocolate. Sure you can get a Mars bar here, and it looks, smells and feels like the same, but it’s not made the same way as the English one and tastes very different. Sigh….
So I spent copious amounts of cash at Starbucks. It used to be ok, but I noticed the quality has gone down hill and more often than not I get a very average coffee that’s certainly not worth the $3+ I pay. We do have a drip coffee machine that grinds and makes coffee on a timer, but we usually only clean it when we are ready to make more, and I have the nickname of Instant Ash, I can’t wait the twelve mins or so for it to brew, let alone the hassle of cleaning it first. Besides which I am usually running late and don’t have time anyway.
So the problem was to get a good cup of coffee with minimum fuss. I looked at an espresso machine soon after my discovery of nasty US Instant coffee, but that was back in 97, in fact I almost bought a Starbucks Barista, but they just seemed to be too much hassle. Fast forward to today and after monitoring the amount both my wife and I spend at coffee shops I was able to justify the high cost of one of the new super automatics. Even then I hemmed and hawed over it, then my friend (in England) got himself a Gaggia Syncrony and raved about how easy it all was. So I did my research, the model he got wasn’t available in the US but the Saeco Vienna Deluxe seemed to do the same thing. I went as far as putting it on my Amazon.com wish list. And there it sat until this month, when my wife finally bought it for my birthday.
My Coffee Tastes
I just want to post the caveat about my coffee tastes. Yes I do appreciate great coffee and will guzzle 100% Kona when I can, that said I also drink the filter coffee at work. It’s wet, warm and is the right color, and if you put enough sweetener and creamer in it, then it’s not half bad. I do have colleagues who refuse to drink it and bring there own in. So please bear this in mind when reading. A coffee connoisseur I am not.Out of the Box
The Saeco Vienna Plus arrived and had double sticky tape sealing it up. My first thought being it was an open box item. Not impressed. Then online it looks solid and nice, in reality as I lifted it out, it’s silver colored plastic that doesn’t feel all the sturdy. That’s one against it. Despite my misgivings about the packaging, all the instructions were in heat sealed bags, so maybe it was not a returned or open box unit after all.The English instructions are somewhere in the middle of the booklet, and they refer to numbers that seem to belong to a diagram. Took me a while to figure out that this diagram was on a fold out flap inside the front cover, duh. That said it only has three buttons and two knobs and they are pretty clearly marked.
I followed the instructions, fill the water reservoir, Check. Put the beans in the hopper, Check. Prime the steam wand…er.. this is where I hit a snag. The instructions say to Press button 32 and turn the knob 14 until water comes out in a steady flow. I pressed button 32, and turned knob 14 and got a spit of water then the thing just clicked ominously. I read the instructions again, then re-read them, no change, still clicking.
Thinking back to the open box type packing you can imagine I was starting to feel bitter disappointment.
Still, I decided to soldier on and just make coffee and see what happened. The instructions say to place cup under nozzles, wait for light 2 to stop flashing, adjust quantity using knob 12 and press button 19 once for one shot and twice in succession for two shots. That’s it? OK, the machine made some interesting noises then 30 seconds later produced a shot of espresso, cool! Now to try the steam wand again. Fill a jug with milk (forever the optimist) stick the wand in and turn the knob. No clicking now, it’s working…. YES. No, Wait the milk level is getting higher, though it is getting warmer. Yes folks button 32 selects hot water not steam. Ditch that milk and try again, OK, now it’s giving me steam. One large latte coming up.
Now for the taste test. Smooth…..
Usage
Ok so what can you actually do with this thing and how long does it take to make a coffee?The Time Trial. It takes about 2 mins to heat up enough from a cold start before you can hit the gimme coffee button, and another 30 seconds to grind, press and give you coffee. Not bad!
I don’t want Espresso, can I just get coffee?
Sure, dial in the amount of coffee you want, put a mug under the nozzles, hit the coffee button then top up to taste with hot water from the steam wand. Add milk and sugar as desired.
I ran out of milk, what does the espresso taste like? OK so this isn’t a real question but let me say this, into a cold cup (Yes I know that’s a sin, so sue me) it tasted so smooth and good with one spoonful of cane sugar, that I had to have a second cup! Just like the little ones you get at street corners in France. Delicious, or should I say Tres Bien! I should also note that I was so wired nobody could understand me for almost two hours.
Size matters not! Not true, the one challenge we have is they damn thing won’t fit under the kitchen cabinets. It will just squeeze under if you take the coffee bean lid off, but then I have to drag the machine out every time I want to add coffee. Not good as every counter has cabinets above it. The long term solution will be a coffee cart or sideboard. Something to consider before buying, and this thing is not small either. Be sure you have a spot for it, check the dimensions first! Hindsight is always 20/20!
All complaints aside this is so easy, as I said there are three buttons. Power, Gimme Coffee and Hot Water/Steam. A knob to adjust dispensed coffee quantity, and another to control the steam/hot water. There are two additional adjustment knobs in the coffee hopper, for grind and quantity. I just left it sat at the factory default, but it’s nice to know I can fiddle if I want to.
Cleaning the thing is a snap. Here the plastic is a bonus as nothing gets too got to touch and it all slides out easily. The grinds are automatically dropped into a draw, the front tray slides out and is easily cleaned, the front door opens and the whole automatic black box coffee producing unit comes out for simply. Very good design in this aspect I think. The machine itself will not work unless all these components are back in place which is good to know oh and the base has a built in swivel stand so you can spin it around easily without having to pick it up and move it, very accessible.
Other reviews note that the coffee grinder is loud. I don’t think it is, not compared to the chainsaw in our old Cuisinart! There will always be noise associated with grinding stuff though.
Finally, steam… I expected the thing to spit steam from every vent or crack and was worried about the finish on my kitchen cabinets. In reality it does not steam (except from the steam wand) and it doesn’t even get any more than warm to the touch. So it’s pretty safe to be around which is a good thing.
Conclusion
To wrap up then, the Saeco Vienna Plus makes a great cup of coffee (in my Epinion anyway) it’s fast, I have no reason to go to Starbucks now, and it’s easy to clean. Bottom line if you want the coffee without the ritual, this is a great buy. I do have an open question about the durability, time will tell. Research shows that you have to spend twice the price for stainless steel or metal Super Automatic.Oh and it impresses the heck out of your friends!
Review By Monica Jacks
The Saeco Vienna Plus may not have the wealth of electronics and blinking lights that some other automatics have, but we have been brewing fantastic espresso for years without interruption. I keep checking out the WLL website looking for my next machine, but this one keeps going strong! With regular maintenance, it has performed year after year. I lost the outer frothing wand casing once and was able to order a replacement without a problem.
Review By Jose H.
Had it for 6 years and it still makes great coffee. Tried to replace it with the Incanto Sirius ($1500 machine), but I like the taste of my espressos with the Vienna Deluxe better. I have my dose adjusted to the maximum setting (+), the grinder is set to 7, and the volume to 1oz per shot. I mainly use Italian Roast coffee beans from Starbucks. I usually run hot water through the steam wand for at least 30 sec to make sure the machine internals are hot before brewing my coffee. I”ll guest I will be keeping the Saeco Vienna Plus for little bit longer until I find something else I like better.Review By Cubmannc
Author’s Rating: 5/5 stars
Pros: convenience,quick&easy to use,consistent results for our tastes,easy to maintain, good bang for the buck
Cons: minor:small water tank,plastic construction
The Bottom Line:
easy and fun to use,makes you drink better than drip coffeeOkay this is a review from a local coffee shop/Starbucks junkie. I love to try the exotic blends, espresso and coffee drinks hot and cold. So I may not be and expert but I do love coffee. After reading lots of reviews;there are pluses and minuses to all machines and no end to bells and whistles.. that said wanting to get as close as possible to the above experiences without doing it the manual way, I settled on the Saeco Vienna Plus. All the basic features I wanted (hopefully less to go wrong)after 3 months my wife and I plus a few friends are delighted. Espresso’s are as good as I have had nice crema not as bitter as some from stores, cafe americanos are our staple..the mochas and frappachinos are pluses and as good as above stores.frothing milk seems to work okay as this is the first time we have tried this it works without a lot of hassle..plus we can play with grind, etc to our liking..np’s so far but we do basic maintenance as recommended. As far as the plastic construction, most we looked at were plastic except high end automatics and that seems to be the norm in most things made today!
(UPDATE)
OK I got some feedback and here are some things added to above. This was my first review so I missed some things..I probably should have commented on, but these do not change my opinion or rating of the Saeco Vienna Plus Espresso MachineFirst.. there is some condensation in drip tray..I believe it is from the cooling of the frother, boiler and minor dripping from coffee dispenser (residual that I don’t wait for).not leaking enough that I worry about it.
secondly..all you do is put beans in; fill water container turn on push water/steam button depending if you want water for coffee or steam for milk wait for blinking light to go solid(means water is hot) push once and dispense you hot coffee per dose setting..add hot water to taste or froth milk..enjoy the easy part..
thirdly there is no warmer for cups..no biggy here..I just put hot water in my cup first or froth milk in cup first.
fourthly..no bypass doser which allows you to use pre-ground decaf/or favorite coffee..again..no biggy here..those maybe add more to price of unit and all I wanted was basic brew stuff..
fifthly…no second boiler for steam/frother..but this thing heats pretty quick..so second boiler not needed..
If she fails or any problems develop I will add my experiences in followup edits…
Review By Tampico
Pros: produces wonderful espresso, lattes, cafe cremas, and cappuccinos
Cons: pricier than non-automatics
The Bottom Line:
For the price I think this is an unbeatable super-automatic espresso machine!I’ve owned the Saeco Vienna Plus machine about two weeks. From day one I’ve been able to produce coffee drinks to rival those served at the best espresso bars in Italy, and coffee houses here in the US. Because this is a super-automatic machine, with only the touch of a button the Vienna Deluxe processes coffee beans to a pre-selected fineness using an on-board burr grinder, tamps the precise amount for a single or double espresso, pre-infuses the tamped grounds, delivers the chosen amount of product with a near-perfect crema (from a ristretto to a single espresso to a cafe crema)and then deposits the used grounds into a dump box. Unlike a drip coffee maker the Vienna Deluxe does not offer a timer feature, but from start to finish the wait time to go from a “cold start” to a piping hot latte or cappuccino is less than 3 minutes *including* steaming/frothing the milk! Because the machine produces a double espresso using two “spouts”, you can place one cup (for a double) or two cups (for two singles) on the drip tray. If you need more than two servings you need to begin the process again, but this is not a problem because the machine is ready to go for another round without having to wait for the water to heat.
Does life get any better? Well, actually, it does because the Vienna Deluxe also has a rapid steam feature and pannarello attachment which makes even the novice (I’m raising my hand here) a steaming and frothing expert. The pannarello is simply a foolproof way of steaming milk and getting a near pitcher’s worth of froth. If I want just hot water for tea or chocolate, I’ve only to push a button. I’ve also used the steaming function to heat and add a bit of froth to apple cider in just a few seconds.
I was tired of buying a variety of coffee makers (drip, french press, etc.) to try to produce a quality cup of coffee at home. Nothing worked to my satisfaction. Now with the Saeco I’m producing amazing quality coffees and espressos and cappuccinos in under three minutes. But make no mistake, the Vienna Deluxe is not an ordinary coffee maker-it is a serious 15-bar pump driven espresso machine which happens to make great Cafe Creme/Americano (i.e., American style coffee). To me, that makes the Saeco Vienna Plus worth every penny. My only wish is that it had a metal, rather than plastic, housing. And a warming tray would be nice too.
Review By shannonvolfson
Pros: Love it! Buy It! Easy to Use! No trips to Starbucks!
Cons: Wish it came with a frothing mug and other accessories.
The Bottom Line:
Buy it and save your gas and $. No more obligatory trips to the local coffee shop. It is easy, convenient and soooo tasty!WOW! If this is an entry level cap maker…I am impressed! I have had my Saeco Vienna Plus for over 2 months, used it daily and TOTALLY love it! Easy to use. Easy to clean. I haven’t been to Starbucks more than 3 times…and that was because I was away from my beloved machine! I can’t imagine drinking drip again. The used coffee comes out in little discs.. (which I hear are great for your roses). When full, the red light comes on. It also comes on if water is out, beans are out, or your tray isn’t pushed in all the way.
I can only imagine what the Jura $2000+ models do. I can’t imagine why I would want anything more than my Saeco. If I had money to spend, I would put another one in our second kitchen in the basement before I bought a more expensive model.
I researched the cap makers extensively before purchasing this. I checked out opinions, bought it on eBay for a reasonable price. It was my first purchase of something so luxurious. I mean, come on, $500+ for a cap machine??? But total up your Starbucks (my dear old friend), and you will probably find you will have paid for it within 6-12 months!
I do wish it came with the milk frothing cup, and other accessories. I also am not totally thrilled with the froth when transferred to a travel mug. I am sure that part is my fault. I just need to practice!
Review By epinionateacom
Pros: Great coffee/espresso/cappuccino, instantly, 24×7. Reliable. Great conversation piece.
Cons: Grinder is loud.
The Bottom Line: Great coffee, hassle-free operation and cleaning, reliable.
This is an update. I reviewed the Saeco Vienna Plus shortly after buying it in 2001, and again in May 2003. It’s still an excellent machine; I downgraded it to four stars only because Saeco’s parent company is now selling a virtually identical unit called the Spidem Trevi which is even better. See my review of that one if interested. Saeco unit would still be a great buy if you can find one at a substantial discount (say, $350 or less).
Here’s the rest of my earlier review on the Saeco Vienna Plus unit:
In October 2005, after more than four years of basically never being switched off, the machine developed a leak. (It was my fault for not cleaning it.) I had it serviced. After five years of regular use it’s still going strong. I shipped it to Saeco’s repair center in Ravenna, Ohio. Turns out it the boiler was clogged — I was surprised because I have always used distilled water and thus figured I never needed to de-scale. They called and told me that grocery-store distilled water still has some minerals in it and thus I still need to de-scale the machine from time to time. The boiler is expensive to replace ($250 in all) and it took two long weeks for turnaround. At my request they sent me the old boiler; it is an interesting and complex piece of equipment. I also noticed that they replaced a few minor plastic pieces, such as the strainer stem, that showed wear. In all the machine is like new again.
Bottom line: The Saeco Vienna Plus makes GREAT coffee of all types – regular, espresso, cappuccino. Now that we’ve had it for several years, we can’t imagine doing without it. It’s always on, so we can always grab a cup of coffee at the push of a button.
Using distilled water is still a good idea, but as I found out you still have to de-scale sometimes.
Considering that the alternative is Starbucks, it has paid for itself many times over. And it’s still a conversation piece.
Review By darlynd
Pros: A perfectly fresh brewed cup every time.
Cons: A bit loud and small water reservoir.
The Bottom Line: The Saeco Vienna Plus allows for freshly ground, freshly brewed, by the cup servings that are adjustable to taste and taste great each time.
I fell in love with the Saeco Vienna when my mother bought her first one. Then she gave me her old one and bought a new one. After two years of steady use, it still grinds the beans fresh for each cup without problems and I love being able to select what size cup of coffee I want to enjoy. The smaller the cup, the stronger the coffee.
It takes a little time to clean and care for, about 15 minutes a week and 20 minutes a month for a thorough cleaning.
I also wish it had a larger reservoir. We go through a lot of coffee in our household and it seems we fill it a couple of times a day. We’ve gone to keeping a Brita Filtration pitcher next to the machine for faster refills.
The other down side is that it is a bit loud at the start of the brew and only small to medium mugs will fit. But it is better than making a full pot that gets stale after a half-hour and the brewing time is super fast, so making 2 cups and pouring into a travel mug is still faster and taste better than using a conventional machine.
The foamer is easy to use and not too difficult to keep clean. I took the Starbucks method of using a hot, wet cloth for cleaning it and it makes it simpler.
The construction is plastic, but so are many coffee machines these days and I’m not sure that a metal one is worth the weight to move and clean. If a machine this size were made of metal, it would be called clunky.
I give this product 4 STARS out of 5 because it is worth the money and the noise to enjoy that perfect brew every time. For those that think the price is too much, consider this: $4 a day each weekday at Starbucks is $20, not including tips. Save your money for 6 months, buy the Saeco and you won’t regret it.
Review By gadget_ken
Pros: Consistent crema and very good coffee. Like the double dose feature.
Cons: Plastic construction, small water reservoir, large physical size, noisy.
The Bottom Line: A good entry level espresso machine with numerous adjustments. I would recommend it to most except demanding coffee drinkers.
Bought the Saeco Vienna Plus machine NIB on eBay and got a good price. I really wanted a few more features (like a bypass for pre-ground coffee or a warmer) but couldn’t justify the increased price to all the non-coffee drinkers in the house.
The machine couldn’t be easier to use as there are no filters and the machine empties the used grounds into a hopper all by itself. Just fill the coffee hopper with whole coffee beans, ensure there is water in the reservoir, adjust the water level to your liking (affects the strength), then push the button – once for a single dose and twice for a double dose. After 6 or 7 cups, you need to slide out the hopper for the used grounds and empty the contents in the trash. After making a cup of coffee, the system depressurizes and releases excess water into a drip tray at the front. This has to be periodically removed and cleaned; an easy task.
Saeco uses an idiot light to tell you when something is wrong, like out of water or the removable sections are not properly installed. The machine stops when any of these occur and you need to turn it off then back on to continue.
Saeco could have eliminated some of the crevices in the molded plastic or made the parts dishwasher safe (which they are not). I find clean up to be very easy requiring just a damp sponge for most of the machine but need a bristle brush to reach the crevices in the drip tray and the grounds hopper.
Find the machine a bit noisy and very “plastic-y”, but looks good. A great conversation piece and the hit of every dinner party. The water reservoir seems a bit small and must be refilled often. I had trouble with the grinder one time when trying to make adjustments. There is a warning in the manual (pretty poor manual) that says don’t adjust unless it is running, which I followed. However, the machine jammed anyhow and required dis-assembly to reset a small rubber ring at the top of the hopper which had dislodged. Not very difficult but I’m pretty handy at these things and others may have been intimidated in the process and required a trip to the service depot. Another annoying problem was a small trail of coffee and grounds frequently dragged onto the counter when removing the drip tray. It grew gradually worse until I began detailed investigation and discovered a blocked drain hole entering the drip tray. Again I was able to clean it with a toothpick and flush it out (has happened twice) Appears to have been caused by powdered coffee coming out of the packer and getting into the drain area eventually plugging it.
Other than these minor problems, I believe if you clean it regularly, and particularly the drain hole for the drip tray, the machine works quite well. We use it 10 times per day, most of which is mine. We don’t have a lot of counter space and this takes a permanent chunk; the machines with more features are about the same size just more dollars. On the bright side, it does fit under the overhead counters and has a swivel base that is very handy for refilling the water or bean reservoirs.
We have noticed that we use much more coffee than with our previous drip machine or an old espresso machine. Not a problem because it is probably due to the better taste which creates more demand.
Review By kushnir
Pros: Easy to operate, clean and use!
Cons: no bean bypass for decaf,
The Bottom Line: Simple, basic no frills other than a good cup of fresh coffee.
This machine has been in the Saeco line for a couple of years already and is the workhorse of the line. I am on my 3rd machine, since friends have hounded me for mine, and this have me an opportunity to sell them my machines and get a new one each time! The operation of the machine is a no- brainer. It is simply to understand for either making regular coffee, espresso, cappuccino or hot water for tea. The whole Saeco secret is their “brew group” This is a pull out module that does 90% of the work. It tamps the coffee, runs the water through it, and disposes of the spent puck! It is easily removable to clean, and has been trouble free for years! The machine grinds the whole bean coffee, tamps it, brews it, and then tosses out the spent puck into a small reservoir for later disposal. Water for all the functions is provided by the reservoir which holds enough water to do about 8 full cups, 15 espressos. The Vienna has a digital machine which is exactly the same, only silver colored, and in my opinion just has digital electronics to be exposed to “fritzes” so for me plain vanilla is best. The steam panerello, which foams your milk, is simple and foolproof to operate! Setup is instant and they even include a videotape for instructions.You can adjust the volume of liquid into your cup, so you can make your coffee as strong as you want or weak like a normal cup of coffee. Warning lights will tell you when you need to refill the water, empty the bin and add more beans. The burr grinder is adjustable so you can have super fine for espresso, to coarse for normal “cafe Americano”. All in all this machine is moderately priced and better than the cheaper machines that are flimsy. Other brands are imported without any local factory warranties. If I was going to pay this kind of price, I wanted a US factory location for parts etc. This is a very reputable brand, well know in Italy! I had one, and finally got this one.
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