Saeco 10008 V'spresso Superautomatic Espresso Coffee Machine
by Saeco
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: SaecoBrand: Saeco
Release Date: 2005-02-07
Model: V'spresso
Color: Black
Product features:
- 1,250-watt superautomatic espresso machine with stainless-steel housing and backlit digital display
- 1-touch-button technology; adjustable conical burr grinder and coffee strength; 3 programmable brew buttons
- 15-bar pump; 67-ounce removable water tank; 10-ounce bean hopper; removable brew group
- Rapid Steam technology; Pannarello steam wand; dual-spout dispensing head; hot-water nozzle
- Ships within US only; does not ship to Canada
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Saeco 10008 V'spresso Superautomatic Espresso Coffee Machine
Customer Review: Great Design
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this espresso maker for about 2 weeks. I am worried about reliability (from reading the other reviews before purchase), but I have an extended warranty. Hopefully I won't have to use it.
From my reading, I think this machine has to be well maintained (cleaned) to continue working correctly. The newest models of this machine do not have a "brew group key", so you don't have to disassemble the brew group to clean it.
The machine is rated for no more than 20 cups of espresso per day. This isn't a problem for me, but keep it in mind if you are considering a small office installation. According to the warranty information, using it for anything other than home use invalidates the warranty.
PROs:
- The housing seems sturdy, made of steel. The door and trim items are plastic.
- It offers a cup heater on top, which I haven't used. It is set to OFF at the factory.
- Makes excellent americano and espresso. We don't make cappachinos, so I haven't used the frother.
- Fast heat up. Goes from cold to coffee poured in under three minutes.
- Dual boilers - don't have to wait for steam!
- You can also select to deliver hot water instead of steam.
- You can select the temperature of the water, from low to maximum. We use "medium" and it seems plenty hot.
- You can change the grind of the coffee.
- You can change the amount of coffee used between 6 and 9 grams.
- You can program the buttons to put as much water through the machine as you like. So my "large cup" button puts out 9 ounces, while my "medium cup" is still set at the factory 4 ounces.
- Pressing the "cup" button twice puts out a double shot, and the machine pre-grinds the second shot while the first is brewing.
- If you are doing several shots at a time, you can set the machine to pre-grind shots while the current shot is brewing. Since this leaves ground coffee in the chute, it is not recommended unless you need to make a lot at once. I have not tested this.
- The machine offers a "pre-soak" setting to wet the ground beans. It can be set to short or long, but I have only used the short time (got to have the coffee).
- The machine offers a setting to rinse the coffee brew group with water before a new brew begins. Note that this is only done if the machine is turned on, not before each cup.
- The grinder is very quiet.
- The machine warns you if any of the parts are not in place, or there is no water / coffee beans left / discard tray is full. I have seen these warnings come up and then they clear once you fix the problem.
- The components are easy to clean.
- The machine supports a water filter. A new filter is included in the box. It lasts about 3 months and costs $10 or so to replace. It can be used without the filter if desired.
- The display tells you when to descale the machine, based on your own water hardness level. They provide a test strip to determine the hardness of your water.
- You can bypass the grinder and put in pre-ground coffee instead.
- It has a small size (for a fully automatic espresso machine).
- It automatically goes into power save mode after a period, which can be set from 15 minutes to 3 hours. Mine is set to 15 minutes. Note that you have to hit the "M" key to get the machine going again, even if you powered the machine off while it was in power save mode.
Cons:
- It is expensive to buy.
- The machine makes three loud "WHACK" noises for each cup of coffee. It is startling at first.
- The tray is a bit difficult to remove.
- The machine has to be manually primed the first time you use it, and possibly if not used for several days. It is easy to prime (turn on the hot water and pour some out while the unit is heating up), but it is still a bit of a hassle. The machine also came with a manual prime plastic device, but I haven't had to use it.
- The hot water delivery is a bit slow.
- The coffee grinder setting must be done when the grinder is running. I haven't changed the default, but it seems this might be hard to do.
- Setting the grinder to maximum fineness is "not recommended". One wonders why the manufacturor left the setting in if they don't want one to use it.
Summary:
So far, this machine is everything I wanted in a super-automatic.
*** UPDATE ***
After 5 months, I am still enjoying this machine. I have had it warn me about every possible problem - no beans, low water, dredgedrawer full. In each case I fixed the problem and the machine worked perfectly. I even forgot to prime the machine after I changed out the water filter. It gave me the "VENTILATE" error. I primed the machine and everything was back to normal.
I now use the "Long" setting on the pre-brew. It uses about 3 seconds rather than the "short" 1 second delay. I have also tried the espresso, which is as good as the Americano.
***** Update *********
I have now had the machine over a year. So far it has performed well. I clean it approximately every week, usually after 2 dredge-drawer fill ups. I haven't had to descale it yet.
***** Long Term Update *****
It has been two years, and the machine is still going strong, still haven't had to descale it, though I bought Saeco descaling solution a long while ago.
***** Three Year Update *****
I have descaled it once, and everything is working fine on the machine.
Description of Saeco 10008 V'spresso Superautomatic Espresso Coffee Machine
Gaggio Montano, Italy, 1981. In a small Apennine town in the Italian province of Bologna, Italy's passion for coffee partnered with Swiss precision to create the perfect home espresso machine. Sergio Zappella, an Italian espresso machine manufacturer, and Arthur Schmed, a Swiss engineer, spent four years testing and perfecting their design for the first fully automatic espresso coffee machine. After seven years of successfully marketing their machines in Europe, their company, Saeco International Group, came to the States through their subsidiary, Saeco USA Inc.Espresso Machines
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