Since the early 1980’s Saeco have been at the cutting edge of coffee making technology, indeed they were the earliest producer to fabricate a two cup espresso machine. Saeco went on to buy Gaggia taking control of almost two thirds of the domestic espresso machine market, and over 30% of the total European coffee machine market including commercial use. This power in numbers approach has allowed Saeco to have an lead over a lot of other espresso machine brands in the marketplace.
We are considering the Saeco Vienna machine today and so it is crucial to know where the Saeco Vienna Espresso machine is aiming at – domestic or commercial? In this case most certainly domestic. It definitely isn’t one of the least expensive entry level machines on the market; however the good news is that it is one of the most feature rich and most fully automated. This goes a long way towards justifying the premium price label. Powered by a 1250 watt commercial level element the Saeco Vieena is designed to automate the whole process of making an Espresso, Latte or Cappuccino.
With the press of a button the Saeco Vienna grinds coffee beans from the integral bean hopper, automatically tamps the ground coffee into the brew cup, before pushing water through the freshly ground coffee. This brews a cup of espresso,or the base coffee blend for a latte or cappuccino. Lastly it deposits the spent grounds into a waste container, the total process taking about 30 seconds from start to close.
When producing a cappuccino or latte, there’s a hot water and steam wand with a milk-frothing attachment. The Saeco Vienna has around a 35-second delay from brewing to steaming the milk, and conversely a 15 second delay from steaming to brewing. The machine is extremely simple to use, a button choosing one or two cups, a knob adjusting cup size right up to 10 ounces, and a button to make it all happen meaning that fresh coffee is an instant away.
If the machine runs out of beans or water it will automatically shut off the power, the control panel status lights showing the particular cause of the interruption. This safety system means that there is no likelihood of damage if things run dry. You will need a fairly spacious and robust counter top as the Saeco Vienna measures 15 inches high, 13 inches wide, and 13 inches deep; weighs 19 pounds dry and comes in a tasteful marble-gray plastic. The coffee bean hopper holds just over 12 ounces of coffee, whilst the detachable water tank holds 57 ounces – more than enough for a cup or two.
The coarseness of the coffee grind is of principal significance for best espresso, it is therefore satisfying to note that the Saeco’s grinder adjusts from extra fine to coarse. For cleaning and maintenance most components remove simply and the machine comes with exceptionally thorough and clear instructions on assembly and care. It also carries a one-year warranty against defects
If you are a serious coffee drinker you will welcome the ability to produce two good sized doses of espresso at a time, and the simplicity of use puts every other Espresso machines in the shade meaning that the Saeco Vienna must be on your shortlist if looking for a new espresso machine.
Geoff Cliffe is a afficiado of all things coffee and enjoys reviewingall gadgets and machines in the search for Espresso Perfection. He has an interesting website where he has a lot of Espresso Machine Reviews. Be sure to read his latest review of the Saeco Vienna Espresso Machine.
