Saeco - XELSIS TITANIUM METAL FRONT, SM7684/04 - Titanium

I love this machine. I was looking to replace an older super-automatic that introduced me to the world of fancy coffee drinks at home. I wanted something with a touchscreen and more control from a reputable brand, and in the US that means the Philips/Saeco Xelsis or Jura. The Juras are legendary, but besides the price, the biggest thing that turned me off was that you have to clean things with tablets; you can't remove things to clean if needed. And that also means if something breaks, it's more difficult to repair. I am very pleased with my decision. The coffee it makes is wonderful. Like most machines, it isn't something like you get at a coffee shop, but it's great in it's own way. Also like most machines, it does not get scalding hot. If you're someone who likes to drink your Starbucks right away this might not be hot enough for you. For someone like me, who has to let Starbucks cool for a solid 5 minutes before I can drink it, this is perfection. The bean hopper has a steep enough angle that slightly oily beans don't clump together. The grinder is relatively quiet. The milk is great. The control over pretty much everything is simple and amazing. You can change pretty much everything, should you desire to, and save it to your own profile easily. For those who care about country of origin, mine was made in Italy, and the Philips site implies that's the only place this model is made. I only have a couple small wants. I wish the water tank held more. It's a bit on the small side compared to my old machine. It's also a bit weird to remove. You need to pull the drip tray then remove the water tank without feeling like you're going to break something. Also, I wish the milk hose was longer so I could set the container on the right side of the machine. With the way my counters are, I have to sit the machine on a left edge, so I end up balancing the container on the drip tray or holding it. The plastic on the sides is a little utilitarian looking, and despite that the "titanium" really is some kind of metal veneer, it still looks like painted plastic.

---- Summary ---- Pros: - Customizable drink characteristics - Ceramic grinder - Exquisite design - Easy to use - Simple to clean/maintain - Perfect drink every time Cons: - Small water tank ---- Review ---- Design: I was in awe after opening the box and setting up this Saeco Xelsis Espresso Machine. To describe the design in a few words, I would say exquisite design meets functionality and technological advancement. The brushed aluminum with chrome accents is very appealing, and the attention to detail is astounding. One of the most noticeable aspects of the Saeco Xelsis is its touchscreen. Unursprinsgly, it is not only beautifully designed but also very responsive. Inside the machine is a ceramic grinder that is said to be durable and does not diminish the quality of the coffee like other grinders that can overheat. This machine most certainly looks and feels like a very premium product. As I describe below, the features and performance have not disappointed me either. Features: The amount of customization that is possible with the Saeco Xelsis is definitely a top feature. Temperature, taste, strength, volume, and milk foam amount can all be customized to an impressive precision. Even the order in which the cup is filled with milk or coffee can be customized. Customizing the settings is a fun way for me to change up my drinks, and to make it even better, drink customizations can be saved to a user profile for easy access to my favorite drinks. There are 15 different drinks that this machine can make, so it really can do it all, and each drink is phenomenal. Maintenance and cleanup is a breeze thanks to the ‘HygieSteam’ system and easily accessible internals. ‘HygieSteam’ cleans out the milk circuit with hot steam at the touch of a button, and the brew unit and drip tray can easily be taken out from the side of the machine to clean. The final feature I wanted to comment on is that there is an ‘AquaClean’ water filter included that purifies up to 5000 cups without the need for descaling. Performance: The Saeco Xelsis is arguably one of the top automatic espresso machines on the market for its design, features, and performance. My love for coffee has been renewed because of how exceptional each and every cup is, no matter which of the 15 drink options I choose or how I customize the different sliders that modify the important aspects of each drink. This machine is consistent and precise. I have been conditioned to expect nothing but a perfect cup of my desired drink each time, and it has not even come close to disappointing me. Verdict: I do not think I have enjoyed a product as much as I have enjoyed the Saeco Xelsis. It looks great in my kitchen, it is packed full of fantastic features, and it performs perfectly every time I use it. I cannot say enough good things about the Saeco Xelsis. If you love coffee, this machine is a fantastic investment.

This is the best espresso machine on the market fully automatic one touch programmable with profiles!

I won't say I'm a coffee snob. If you ask my wife, family and friends...I am. I like dark roast, light roast, espresso, french press, pour over, drip...but I'm always searching for the next best thing to kick my morning routine into action. At the end of the day, I drink coffee to survive. My at home coffee world is a drip maker and french press. I keep french press for the weekends when I have a little extra time in the day, but I really wanted an espresso machine for the weekend or an after dinner coffee with guests. Enter Saeco Xelsis... It serves all my purposes. It makes coffee (more like espresso with water), cappuccino, espresso, latte...some different drinks I've never even heard of. You can customize everything...you want to add more milk. Done. Do you like your coffee a little stronger than most? No problem. The menu is extremely easy to navigate and make changes to your drinks. The best part, is you can save different user profiles with several different drinks (I have 4 or 5 saved under my name) that contain my different preferences. This means my wife and I can both have our own drinks specially crafted to our liking without compromise and without leaving the comfort of our house (super beneficial with the crazy winters we had this year). If it's so wonderful, why the low rating you ask? My coffee has yet to be hot. My wife who isn't a coffee drinker (I know I shouldn't trust someone who doesn't drink coffee, but she quit drinking coffee after we were married), has even commented on the low temperature of her cappuccino. So I conducted an experiment after following the troubleshooting steps of ensuring I'm using a warm coffee mug...I know it's cold here, but my mugs are at least 70*. Most recommendations are to brew coffee between 190-205 degrees Fahrenheit and serve between 160-185 degrees. I can't say I've ever gauged my lip/tongue thermometer, but the coffee out of the Xelsis didn't feel that warm. Time for an experiment. I ran two cycles of hot water to warm my cup and develop a baseline. Each of those came out at 120*. I'm not sure if this is acceptable for hot tea, but it'll at least warm my cup and get the machine operational. Using the factory coffee profile, which is more of a Cafe Americano than it is drip coffee, the default setting produces coffee around 110*. This is a bit off from the recommended 160*. So I used my coffee profile, which has the temperature set to the max temp possible and brewed two cups...each came out at 128*. This is using room temperature water, the hottest setting on the maker and a coffee cup around 100*. In my opinion, this is unacceptable. I loved the options and it made me try a few drink variations I wouldn't normally try. I'll keep it around when I have company over, but for my daily use, I'll be going back to my drip maker.

It a great machine, but with the 120 volt on the USA is the coffee not hot, only warm

As advertised. I love the coffee machine! And it does everything and more. Highly recommended!

This is my first foray into the world of automatic coffee/espresso makers, and honestly, I don't intend on going back. The Xelsis takes all the guess work and manual labor out of making the vast number of drinks on tap here (from regular espresso, coffee, and steamed milk all the way through machiato, ristretto, etc), and even alerts you if you need to add water, add beans, or clean out the grounds catcher. Not only can you make any of the drinks on tap, you can alter how they're made (strength, amount of coffee/milk, milk froth amount, body) and save your edits to custom profiles, allowing you to quickly remake your favorites. Frankly, once you add flavor shots, you'll never need to go to a coffee shop again. Arguably my favorite part, however, is not the absolute ease of creating the drinks. It's the fact that this thing cleans itself completely, the most important aspect of which is the "Hygiesteam" function that steam cleans the milk line. One thing to note is that you're well served to keep a cup around solely for the cleaning cycles. The machine has a waste water reservoir, but it'll fill up quickly if you don't have a cup under the spout. The one annoyance I have with the machine comes with the automated cleaning cycle, actually. The machine does a rinse cycle on power up AND power down. If you make your drink and don't turn the machine off, it'll power down automatically and run the rinse cycle. As mentioned, if you don't have a cup under there, it'll dump the water into the reservoir. Overall, this is a luxury device that does exactly as it promises; completely automates the brewing and cleaning processes and creates great tasting drinks that remove all the guesswork.

Ill admit Im a coffee addict. I get some sort of coffee drink basically everyday. The $5 or so per day adds up. So whats the solution? Make it at home. Save on gas, and having to pay for someone else to make your favorite drink everyday. The Saeco Xelsis comes with everything you need to get started brewing your own drinks at home. You can make 15 beverages easily. Latee's, espressos, and more. Setting up is very easy with a well laid out and pictured quick start guide. It comes with a measuring cup, brush for cleaning, milk container, aqua filter, and even a test strip for water hardness, and more. The coffee's are very easy to make with profiles you can set up, and brewing with a few taps. You can make up to 2 drinks at at time. Change the strength, size, and type, and more easily. And when its done you have great coffee at home. Its raining now where I am and this is great. No need to battle the rain to get to my local coffee shop. Maintenance of the machine is easy as well. Follow the cleaning table for what needs to be done and when. Its easy to follow and will of course extend the life and quality of the machine for years. Its well worth the effort, especically if you dont want your new machine to have any issues. As said in the title in the long run you will eventually save money, not to mention the convenience of being able to brew up amazing coffee, latee's, and espressos at home. Nothing better than waking up in the morning to your favorite drink at the touch of a button. If you love coffee and want the ease and convenience of making amazing coffee drinks at home this the Saeco Xelsis does it, and does it well. Easy set up, maintenance, and brewing all in one well made, as well as great looking machine. How cool is it going to be on holidays to ask your family “So what will it be” and be able to brew them up drinks?