Comments on: Saeco 21103 Royal Professional Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Blue

By: Dr. David H. Smith

Dr. David H. Smith — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:02:24 +0000

Saeco 21103 Royal Professional Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Blue I've had one of these for a couple of years and use it 4 or 5 times a day. Generally it's excellent, though I have a few little complaints. Mine doesn't seem to handle pre-ground coffee too well, though I have to confess I've only tried that a couple of times. And it requires a fair amount of attention: adding water, emptying grounds, adding beans, occasionally cleaning the brew unit. And it's complicated--I have to get out the manual every time I want to descale it. But apart from those minor irritations, which may be more problems with the consumer than with the unit, we have been very happy with it, and feel lucky to have it. Makes great coffee. Rating: 5 / 5

By: E. Dale

E. Dale — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:52:21 +0000

Saeco 21103 Royal Professional Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Blue When our Saeco Vienna died, we were frankly desparate for an new machine. The Royal Professional (new) was available from Amazon for $900 including shipping and looked to be a whole lot better and had more useful features than other Saecos - new or rebuilts - in the $700-$800 range. The price from Amazon was about $400 less than any place else at the time. We love the machine. The only small grip is the bin that holds used ground coffee needs to be emptied after 10-12 shots. The capacity is much bigger than this, but the grounds enter at the lowest part of the back and just pile up there. Saeco 21103 Royal Professional Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Blue Rating: 5 / 5

By: P. Carvalho

P. Carvalho — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:51:04 +0000

Saeco 21103 Royal Professional Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Blue Followed all the instructions right out of the box. The result was an error code (DREGDRAW MISS). Customer service was helpful... so helpful in fact I could tell I wasn't the first person with this problem. They emailed me info to remove the brew unit using a screwdriver to over-ride the program that was locking it in place. Still no luck. Then they thought maybe it was one of the three pressure switches. In the end they offered to have it shipped back for repairs. I delcined and returned it to where I bought it. I'm sure the thing works great, but you had better be prepared for breakdowns and have a plan to deal with them. Rating: 1 / 5

By: Boon Ong

Boon Ong — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:40:40 +0000

Saeco 21103 Royal Professional Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Blue This machine makes good espresso and good cappuccinos. In terms of fully automatic machines, its price is infinitely more reasonable than that of a Jura. The price of a Jura X9 at $6500 is about that of a commercial machine. This Saeco will do nicely until I get my Faema E61 or Prestige semi-automatic 2-groupers with a Mahlkonig grinder. I doubt if my commercial machine will make a much better espresso or cappuccino but I think a manual machine has fewer maintenace problems and I have more control over the milk foaming. However the Saeco does offer the manual steam wand as well as its cappuccitore (milk foamer) and they both work well. I also like the energy saver feature of the Saeco since I prefer not to power off the machine. I also like the cup warmer. The screen menu is easy to use and the different options and diagnostics are useful. Rating: 5 / 5

By: J.C.

J.C. — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:30:14 +0000

Saeco 21103 Royal Professional Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Blue We've had our Royal Professional since August 2008. When it works, it works fine. For us, we only make 2-3 capppucinos/lattes per day, so if it isn't flowing right that day (inexplicably), then it is annoying. It is back to Saeco for its 3rd repair for the same problems - inconsistent coffee flow. Saeco cannot explain the cause of the problem, as they seemingly repair or replace different parts each time. BTW, they will ask you to be burdened with taking it to UPS or a UPS Store (where you will be charged the return shipping); If you escalate it to the Customer Service Manager, they will cover the shipping and have UPS come to your door. However, the point of buying a $1,400+ automatic machine is to expect it to reliably make 2-3 coffees - when it doesn't, the inconvenience of being without it for weeks at a time during repairs is unacceptable. Saeco is now offering to replace the unit, but with the negative comments on all their products, I am disappointed and exhausted with the brand. So, if you're hoping to save your Starbucks or Caribou budget, not sure this is the answer. Rating: 2 / 5