Saeco Royal Cappuccino

Best crema ever – Best home coffee machine we have ever owned, producers a perfect crema Show details

Built to last – Purchased in 2005 the year my daughter was born 18 years old made over 45000.00 coffees and still going Show details

Brilliant machine – Still ticking after 16 years. A few repairs required but i will be devastated when they can’t get parts anymore. You can check how many coffees you have done, for us just under 24,000. We average 2 each per day. At $4-5 each that’s a lot of money saved. We figured it costs us about 50c a mug of coffee. Show details

Good coffee machine - needs improvement – I am Italian born and brought up with strong coffee from the cafe` down the street in Rome. With that in mind, I would expect a machine such as Saeco automatic to produce a short black/espresso that would be similar to those purchased from a professional Barista in Italy and now in Australia. Unfortunately since purchased, I found this machine… Read more ·  1

producing a short black with little strength, although using good coffee beans such as Lavazza and of late Aiello, considered the best coffee in Italy.

In a few occasions I have adjusted the grinder according to the youtube videos on the subject and also from the relevant website, but the result seems to be always the same..

It would be great if someone with the expertise could provide additional suggestions as to how make the machine produce the cream of coffee and the strength for which is suppose to be successful for.

Many thanks.

Trusty Workhorse – I bought a refurbished, high mileage Royal and managed to squeeze an extra few thousand cups out of it until the main board went. These machines are the epitome of good old fashioned 'built to last' engineering and now that the Royal line has been discontinued, I don't know what to buy. I think I'll just buy another refurbished Royal off Gumtree.  Show details ·  1

Awesome.....33,764 shots to kill this machine...RIP old friend !!!!! – I have just bought our second one of these machines. The first one we bought approx 7-8 years ago was second hand but with only 306 coffees made (it has a counter) and was in as new condition.. I have had to replace a few "O" ring seals over recent years but they are easy to get and simple to install.. Ours has finally failed and after 33,764… Read more ·  1

coffees I think we have got out monies worth out of this machine..Friends and relatives have bought coffee machines over the years and they have all died without making anything like 34 thousand cups so I think the extra money for this quality machine is well worth while.. All the coffees it has made have been double shots and to go to one of our local coffee shops and buy 17000 double shot coffees would cost me $85,000 LOL... so I think this machine is literally worth it's weight in gold..I have just found someone on Gumtree selling a Brand NEW one in the box for $850 so I am more than happy to buy another... I will want another one in 7-8 years and tens of thousands of coffees from now so I might buy 2 while I can get them soo cheap... LOL...

After 12,000 shots of coffee, still going strong – In a world of questionable appliances made to a price point, the Royal Cap is a refreshing change. My wife got it as a 21st birthday present, and she's 33 now! No signs of age yet, but when she dies, I think I'll get a glass case for it! And definitely shop around for a new one the same.  Show details ·  1

Short black coffee is watery – Hi, can someone please help. Im not sure how old machine is, but when i press button for short black it comes out so water not strong at all. We have cleaned out machine, we have put different coffee, thinking it was the brand. We have always put filtered water.  Show details

Ok, but pricey and nkt without issues – Owned this for 8 years. Made over 2000 coffees when the boiler gave in. Had it repaired, but same issues soon after. Had it repaired a second time, then the grinder packed up. Decided to get rid of it. Great while it worked, but once trouble kicked, it was downhill from there. Not worth the money in my opinion.  Show details

So good even Malcolm Turnbull has one!! – I spied a Royal Cappucino in Malcolm Turnbull's kitchen on ABC's "Kitchen Cabinet" Picked mine up for $20 as a non working machine as a parts donor for a non working one I found on a kerbside cleanup. The funny thing is the one I bought as "not working" had absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's been running non stop, done about 3000 mugs and… Read more

I've only serviced it once in all that time. I work from home so it gets a real beating at around 20 cups a day. I ended up selling the one i found on the side of the road for $80 as a parts only machine so my machine has actually made me money! Buy my coffee only when its on special so I reckon I'm getting really good coffee much less than the price of instant coffee. The machine has a rapid warm up so its actually faster to make a cup of brewed coffee than having to boil a kettle to make instant coffee. Sure, the machine has its little issues - sometimes makes too much or too little coffee. It is easy to clean - all you need is warm water and detergent, then lubricate all the parts with vaseline - follow the saeco cleaning instructions. Decsaling is a breeze, just use McKenzies Citric Acid powder in warm water. The water tank did leak but cleaning the gunk around valve at the base of the tank solved that for a while, then replaced the o ring with one I found in my pack of plumbers o rings so that fix cost me nothing as well. Overall this is a brilliant and reliable piece of engineering and I would pay $2500 for a new one if I had to. In my previous houses I had built in $3000 Smeg coffee makers because they looked so cool but they constantly broke down and I had complete units replaced under warranty. The Saeco runs rings around Smeg but it was nice to having the Smeg ones permanently plumbed into the water supply and not having to fill up the water tank each day. The coffee is not as good as that made on a good commercial machine in a cafe but its the best you will get from a domestic machine. it is a bit "watery" by comparison but I haven't got the space and cant afford $15000 for a commercial coffee machine!

Our second Saeco Auto coffee machine – Our first Coffee machine bought new 16 years ago was a Saeco Profi Magic, and it's still working perfectly after regular use with only ONE professional service in all that time. Based on such a brilliant machine we purchased a Saeco Royal Digital, (against our serviceman's advice, he said that motherboards were impossible to buy, but he was wrong)… Read more ·  1

for the princely sum of $100. The Royal had seen little service in all it's life with just 1300 cups on the recorder. Now in it's second year with us it is performing perfectly,just as good as the Profi. A couple of complaints though, the steamer knob is difficult to grasp and turn, and the drip tray does not project far enough to forward and the steamer spout just manages to drip and splash over the edge.Small problems for such great tasting coffee.

Continually breaking down – The coffee tastes good which is definitely this machines saving grace as it continues to break down one way or the other. We've had one at work for two years and it has been sent for repairs numerous times and replaced twice and still continues to be a problem. Like everybody else that's reviewed this machine, the milk frother is unreliable, it… Read more

consistently wanted to be ventilated and the new replacement now has parts leaking inside. When it goes in for repair the service company sounds like they don't care, and they continually require being 'chased up' to get any sort of answer. This third replacement is the last round!! Despite how good the coffee tastes, never again would I put up with this brand!

Second thoughts – I purchased this about 7 years ago, it went into a food van but had minimal use and removed after a few issues...I found this unit highly frustrating as the water levels of coffee's we not consitant, dreger drawer too full at time of notification to empty making it a messy process...I have recently been using it as my home machine now due to these… Read more

issues to familiarise myself with the machine as I am considering to put it into my new food van, but now the water tank is leaking...so having second thoughts again!!

Best 2k spent ever – Produces could quality coffee with very little issue. The twin boiler is a godsend and provides flexibility of use. We've used it in our office since 2006ish. So for 10 years we've only ever had a couple of minor issues which were fixed during the initial warranty period. Great product.  Show reply

Definitely purchased a very reliable machine! – Excellent coffee machine..purchased it over 12 years ago and has never failed us. I use Aldi's Coffee brand and it tastes great! ..Easy to use and clean.Service it every couple of years..I will eventually have to replace it. I will choose the same brand again...Can't live without my coffee I love this machine.  Show reply

My second machine after 14 years – We had the Royal Professional model for 14 years and finally replaced it for the Royal Cappuccino model just recently (being able to froth and brew at the same time was a big plus for us). So far, excellent! You need to give it a few days until all planets get aligned, ie grinding setting, strength setting, playing with pre-brewing settings,… Read more

etc. but once you get the balance right for YOUR own machine, it's a great cup of coffee at home.

The auto frother device in the 2014 model seems to be well improved but I recommend you froth the milk yourself, that's why it comes with a frothing wand. If this is not what you want then manage your ecoectations accordingly.

Good luck and buon café! Ease of use, clean, fast More space under pourer for higher cups

Saeco Royoal Cappuccino – I have a Royal Capp. at work and at home. Both machines need de-scaling as ALL coffee machines do This is part of they regular maintenance as well as lubricant on the brew group, keeping these machines running is not that hard (just read the manual that came with it). When these Machines leak as all do, because the O rings get hot then cold they… Read more ·  1

get hard and need replacing specially in the boiler area. Both of my machines have done over 10,000 and still going strong. Turn the machine off when not in use and keep the power saving mode to a minimum this helps as well.

A tell tale sign if the machine needs a de-scale is the cappuccinore will not froth the milk.

Only use de-scale solution that is designed for these machines (Not home made remedies).

Use filtered water ALWAYS, if you can't use a filter in the water tank.

As for the coffee it all depends on the beans you buy and how you set the grinder settings.

This can be achieved by your own personal taste and a bit of experimental to the dose and grind (read the manual).

All machines have there faults and problems. Have patience and get leaks fixed early, if they get worse electrics and water don't mix well.

Overall Good machine and the more you use the machine the more it needs a service (Just like a car). Ease of making coffee High price in purchase

Good Coffee, No Mess but Unreliable – If I were to summarise all of the reviews to date, it would be 'Good Coffee, No Mess but Unreliable' As with many others ours has periodically been in and out of the (Brisbane) repair shop and they concede that Saeco Royal Cappuccino models are regular visitors. For us, the problem is always due to the milk frothing component. The repair bills… Read more

quickly add up, plus we are without the machine for lengthy amounts of time.

Whilst I have doubts about the capabilities of the recommended service agent (as did another reviewer), I think this model has inherent faults. This time around if the repair costs more than $250, I will have the machine put down and would never consider purchasing another Saeco. Good coffee, no mess Unreliable and costly to repair

Our guests love the coffee this machine produces – Although i'm not a coffee drinker myself, I am always making coffee's from this machine. It only a few minutes to warm up and do it's self test before you can produce excellent cups of coffee. It's simple and easy to use and you can program the amount of coffee to suit the size of your cups. The milk frother is easy to use but does take a while… Read more

compared to a professional machine. I have found the automatic coffee frother doesn't work as well as it should but I prefer to froth the milk manually.

We've had this machine for 8 years now with no problems. I always use a good coffee, descale the machine when needed and clean it regularly.

Overall, I always receive good comments about the taste and quality of the coffee it produces. Easy to use, has an energy saver option, adjustable coffee grinder and a choice of three coffee cup sizes. Automatic coffee frother could be better.

Workhorse of a coffee machine – I have been making coffee religiously from this machine for 8 years, and have never had a problem. If you are looking for a machine that males an elegant coffee, expect to do the work on the milk frother yourself, as the automatic frother is above average, but not as sophisticated as some of the newer machines. The espresso that comes from… Read more

this machine can be a touch too watery, and you will really notice the difference when you go to a cafe for an espresso. The store bought, barista made espresso just seems to be more desirable.

If it was not a wedding present, I would consider trading it for a newer, probably cheaper machine. Reliability, consistency, easy to use Big heavy machine, cleaning cycle can take a long time, maintenance is a pain, dreg drawer sensors are a little faulty, causing me annoyance when I am in a rush in the morning and it won't brew a coffee till I reset the machine.

OK – We paid $2600 in 2002 for this machine and have made in excess of 15,000 coffees. (It is now Sept 2010). The only issues have been leaks. The initial leak was simply solved but it took 3 visits to the repair shop in Brisbane. It has now developed a major leak on the internals. What to do? Given that there are cheaper models on the market now… Read more

we'd buy a new one but maybe not a Saeco. Great coffee Leaks. Went to repair shop 3 times to solve simple problem of replacing washer to tank.

Poor but expensive service.

Excellent – This is our second Saeco Cappuccino machine. The last one kept failling and i also had difficulty with the milk frotting as it was difficult to do because you didn't had enough space for the container. So, by the third time after bringing it back to be repaired we decided to swap it over for a newer model. They gave us $500 for the old one (it… Read more

was only 1.5 year old) and we bought that one for a bit under $1000. That machine its so easy to use. I love the fact that its bigger, you can put so much more coffee beans in the container; all the different features that you can adjust to your liking. Also, since we have had this one, we have put the kettle away and we are using the hot water system when we want hot water for tea. I don't have problem with frotting my milk for my Cappuccino anymore. I find it easier to clean than the old one we had also. Make great tasting coffee; easy to use; no mess; so very easy to frot the milk! None so far

Terrible – this is my second machine the original one was fantastic this machine has had two new boiler units and is always in getting fixed would not recommend it at all

Bad – I have a real love/hate relationship with this machine. It makes fantastic coffee, has huge water, bean and grounds tanks, is very easy to use, can accept full sized coffee mugs, has two boilers so you can dispense water/froth milk and brew coffee at the same time.... The automatic milk frother has never worked well. The overall design of… Read more

the machine is great. It's big, but is on a swivel base and fits into a corner nicely. It's easy to open the side and clean it out periodically.

However. The boilers (it has two) seem to be poorly designed, as they keep developing leaks. Water leaks inside an electrical appliance can be rather... inconvenient! We've had one of the boilers repaired twice, at a cost approaching $600 (!) and we found the local service centre to be very rude and unhelpful. They said that the boilers failed as we were not descaling regularly - this is completely untrue, we've descaled religiously every three months. Some Googling will show you that this boiler problem is a universal one...

One of the boilers failed a third time, so we just disabled it (you can turn them on and off in the Menu). We are still able to brew coffee using the other boiler - but when it finally develops another fault, we won't be repairing the machine. We paid about $2k for it a few years ago - I've never been unhappy with the coffee, but you'd think a device worth that much money would be a little more reliable.

I will look at other brands in the future. Makes great coffee. Boiler keeps leaking.

Excellent – This machine has been very popular with us and our family and friends after reading your reviews I am feeling concerned about the boilers however we have had it around three years now and so far no trouble at all. Makes wonderful coffee and cup after cup no waiting .

Bad – I don't mind the machine as an office unit, however I am glad I don't have it at home, it doesn't heat the coffee as it should and this is despite having been serviced regularly. I wouldn't buy one by choice. the coffee just doesn't seem like a real cappucino coffee and might as well be just a plunger coffee for its taste and consistency. I would… Read more

definately recommend that you try some alternatives to this one. I think there must be better. holds many cups and good for office use the coffee is luke warm

Bad – Like another reviewer, this is our second Saeco machine. After a very good 5-6 year run with our first (manual) Saeco, we decided to buy something a bit bigger and automatic. The new machine? Makes great coffee, the 2 boiler system and good sized water/coffee containers are convenient, and easy to clean and descale. However...we have needed… Read more

repairs on 3 occasions within 2 years (boiler related), and have been wholly unimpressed with the service (several weeks wait). As much as we love the machine when it works, we've begun looking around for a (non-Saeco) replacement. Makes great coffee Unreliable

Good – Bought this cheaply second hand. Machine is approx 5 years old. Spent $200 initially to get it going right. Has worked great for the 6 months i have had it. Easy to use, no mess, steams at same time as making coffee. none so far