Just like the previous reviewer I got this awesome machine at a great price from Walmart at $350! No body can beat that price and believe me I did my research for quite some time. My parents visiting from Canada fell in love with it and wanted to buy one as well but unfortunately Walmart has run out of them (I wonder why? :). I have seen this machine priced for as much as $800, talk about greed! Do your research people, I hate to pay a penny more than I have to. Anyway, what can I say about the machine? It's fantastic and I don't even drink coffee. I bought it for my wife and she loves the rich aroma and crema! No need to messing around with a tamp and a grinder, just press the button and in less than 30sec you got yourself a nice espresso or cappuccino. No need to wait for frothing the milk since the machine has two boilers. Very easy to clean since the brewing group is removable unlike some other more expensive brands. Overall I'm very pleased with this purchase that makes great quality coffee and it didn't cost an arm and a leg :).
I bought this machine 2 months ago. it works great, delicious espresso and cappuccino. I paid $449 + $15 shipping here on Amazon through J&R. The price has gone to over $750? What happened? I wouldn't buy it at this price.
Update: 6-2010: I am happy with the machine, no problems. However, I have received a lot of feedback that this model has problems. Be sure to look further into the reviews before buying this particular model.
February 2013: I am happy to report that the machine is going on 4 years old without an issue.
Buy Saeco 00566 Espresso Italiano Super Automatic Espresso Machine - Silver & Black Now
After only a month with this machine, I feel compelled to share my enthusiasm. Its my first Saeco, and my first (actually my second) super-automatic. I had bought a Jura and spent an uneasy month before returning it. I then happened to notice a great price on the Italiano, and placed my order. Right out of the box, the quality of the espresso was the best ever, with easy programming and outstandingly consistent results. After some tweaking of the beans used and the grind settings, the crema and underlying aroma are almost beyond description. I'm still in a learning mode with the pannarello, but my frothing skills are increasing steadily. Cleaning the brew group is easy, the water tank is adequately large, and the dregs drawer makes me smile each time I empty the perfectly-compacted pucks of spent grounds. One or two small quibbles: the finger guard on the bean container was a huge nuisance, so I removed it, and the adjustability of the coffee spout is limited. For the price, though, an absolute steal.
UPDATE: Another two months have passed and my love affair with the Italiano has matured into a long-term relationship. We've even stopped using our drip coffeemaker completely, as the large cup setting on the Saeco makes a far superior drink.
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I got this machine in February, so I've been using it for about 5 months now. (What a deal, too......it was only $289 at my local Costco! I had seen it for much higher prices, so I snapped it up!) Anyway, it is a GREAT machine. My first automatic, and I just LOVE it! Although it's at the low-price end of the automatics, I am completely satisfied with the quality of the machine. (Ok...at first, I was a little put off by the plastic...but if that is what makes it affordable, then fine. (Besides, being lighter, I can pull it forward on the counter easier, and push it back into place more easily after use) Basically, I check the water level daily, and empty the water tray and discarded grounds. It probably doesn't need to be done daily, but if you run out of water, you may end up with only 1/2 cup of coffee. The water tank holds enough for about 4 drinks, so I just prefer to do it daily. It makes a PERFECT cup of espresso for me, and my husband is totally happy with the cup of coffee I brew up daily for him. I like a strong brew, but it's all very adjustable, so we can please everyone. (you know...there's no such thing as "too strong coffee", it's just "weak drinkers". :-D
I also use the steam wand daily, and get wonderfully perfect foam for my mocha cappuccino about 90% of the time. (As hard as I try, for some reason there are days when I just can't get it right....but it's me, not the machine!)
I love that the machine tells you (on the display) when you need to do things, like add water, or empty grounds, or close the door, or descale the machine. (just did that recently, very easy to do) Cleaning the brew group is also very easy, it comes out in one unit and pops back in nicely. The only very tiny complaint.....I know it will also tell you when to add beans, but I ended up brewing a cup of plain hot water one time, because it was out of beans. So it either didn't register that it was out, or I didn't notice the display indicating to add beans. Since then, I just usually check every weekend, to be sure. Using this machine has greatly reduced the time I used to spend cleaning the pot, cleaning the grinding basket, and refilling beans/water on our old Grind & Brew machine.
I actually can't believe that I have such a wonderful machine, and that I got it for a great price. I love using it every day, and can recommend it heartily!
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I just bought it elsewhere on the web for only $350 (excluding tax but free shipping) so not sure why $599 here. I found coffee grounds in the box and the machine and thought it was an opened/used item, but later learned that each Saeco machine was tested with coffee before shipping and thus could leave residues.
The initial setup took awhile as the user manual instructions were tedious and a bit confusing, but I eventually got it. The machine also requires a few tries to grind the coffee just right. In the end, I got great tasting coffee that's as easy as push of a button. The aroma of coffee also filled up the entire kitchen and pretty much the entire first floor (since I have open-kitchen). Now my house smells like a coffee house... no complaint from me.
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6/28 Update
I've had this machine for over 3 months now and still very satisfied. Coffee is still consistently good and hot. Regular maintenance/cleaning is required but nothing too complicated or unreasonable. Lately my wife and I are getting less sleep so we have double-shot espresso and it's as simple as pushing a few buttons. At $499 it's still a good value, now that I'm loving it, but just can't beat the $350 price that Walmart once had.
