Saeco Exprelia HD8856/03

Great machine if it would last more than a year without requiring repair – This is the second Saeco I have had and due to the problems i had with the first i would not have purchased the Exprelia. It was a gift. Unfortunately i have owned now for 4 years and it has required repair now for the third time. I am diligent about cleaning and servicing the machine but regardless it breaks down and is not inexpensive to… Read more

repair and on top of repair costs you have to pay shipping costs. I just can no longer recommend Philips/Saeco espresso machines.

An OK machine, though good for an auto – I put away the Saeco Via Venezia, in favour of this machine (HD8856) as it's fully auto. As much as I love the Venezia, I got sick of grinding coffee, and cleaning up afterwards -my expensive grinder died, which triggered this purchase. I bought the Exprelia in August 2011. It went back under warranty for a leak in August 2013, one day before end… Read more ·  6

of warranty. A pump was replaced. Since then, there have been no issues.

As it's getting older, the descaling light seems to be coming on a lot sooner than it used to. Overall, cleaning is fairly straight forward and easy enough.

Pluses:

It's auto - no cleaning up after making coffee, except for the scheduled cleaning/maintenance

Detachable milk jug goes in the fridge

Easy for when you're getting lazy, or just couldn't be bothered using a manual machine

Once setup correctly, gives consistent quality of coffee - consistently good crema, consistent dried out coffee pucks

Minuses:

Water jug needs refilling when it's still 1/3 full

Milk is warm to hot. Temperature can be increased by replacing the tube in the milk jug for one with a smaller flow throughput

Not the same quality of coffee output as from a manual machine (my Via Venezia) - then again, show me an auto machine that can achieve this ! I still occasionally get the Venezia out - it's such a great machine.

SAECO Intelia EVO model HD8752/03--- A PROBLEM – SAECO Intelia EVO model HD8752/03--- A PROBLEM! We bought this machine in January 2016 from THE GOOD GUYS (Nunawading- VIC). It makes OK coffee with frothed milk. Coffee tastes OK, Nothing Special. The real downside of this type of machine is the CLEANING ---- it is all located on the right side of the machine as one opens the lid/hatch. … Read more

I find, the machine WASTES at least 10-15% of the GROUND coffee which accumulates in the right corner as you open the door/lid/hatch on right side for cleaning. Also the PULL OUT part for cleaning of the machine gets clogged with a LOT OF wet coffee and needs WEEKLY cleaning. In stains the bench underneath the machine with constant overflow of dry & wet coffee. IT IS MESSY.

Saeco-Phillips should have addressed these problems in an expensive ( A$600+) machine but I note that they have recently discontinued this model. So, the current buyers of this machine has to bear all the inconveniences as I have mentioned above. If you find this machine in any outlet selling at a discounted price PLEASE think before you buy.

Also, I am NOT SURE if the replacement new updated model has been rectified on the loss of 10-15percent of Expensive ground coffee as one uses the machine & the cleaning of it .

Old non-auto Saeco machines were a real gem, I used one for 30 years without ANY problem, but these expensive new machines are a different creed.

Dr. ARABINDA PALIT. DONCASTER- VICTORIA. 8 March 2016.

Redeemed – I had previously written a review about this machine based on faulty product. After sending it for repairs three times and still breaking I decided to call customer support and demand a refund. Customer support was friendly and agreed to refund my money. I asked the rep if this machine is inherently problematic?.. She said "NO" that problems are… Read more ·  11

seldom reported.

I gave her one more chance and i agreed to accept a new one. "NO MORE REPAIRS" and give it one more try.

A few days later received a new one and it has been trouble free for almost a year and makes a great cappuccino.

The only deficiency I find on this machine is how often it calls for descaling. They recommend you use Saeco descaling solution "only" which is pricey in my opinion.. Otherwise I happy with it and my wife and family love it.

I've resorted to using CLR in the descaling process to save money. just make sure you remove the filter before pouring the CLR in the tank.. It will render your filter useless.

The perfect coffee machine – So happy for purchasing the saeco exprelia coffee machine. I'm in love with the taste of the coffee it's Same as you buy from coffee shops even much better. It's automatically and easy to use all you need is just to select the button of the type and size of coffee you need and that's it. Even you can use both type of ground or coffee beans. It's easy to clean and descale. Best Buy made  Show details ·  1

Awesome coffee machine! Can't fault it! – We absolutely love our coffee machine as we have had nearly 6 years of faultless service from it. We are dreading if anything happens to it. We just looked at the counters and have made 9420 cappuccinos plus other drinks with it and have had nothing go wrong. I was wondering if you are still able to purchase a new milk carafe as the one we have is a bit tired as you can imagine. Any feedback would be much appreciated.  Show details ·  1

Was a great machine but – Makes a great coffee, very easy to use, reasonably easy to clean but, from 6 months after purchase , got faulty flow meter errors, three under warranty now its up to me to pay for, have tried triple filtered water to no avail, Now the machine has locked up completely and I'm up for a $400/ $600 repair bill , if I was going to spent $2500 on a faulty machine , I would have set fire to the cash instead  Show details

Great coffee but with design flaws – Our Exprelia is 4 years old now and I must say the coffee it produces is excellent. Alas ( theres always a but) there are some design flaws. Due to the grounds collection missing at RHS back corner, one needs a toothbrush and a fair bit of effort to clean thorougly. Incredibly messy job! Also we are now on our 3rd replacement door hinge!! Like others weve had problems with the descale/cleaning program . Fix these flaws  Show details

Hi I have a exprelia HD 8854/HD 8856. I Went to descale machine as I normally do but this time on t – Great coffee machine. Easy to use and clean. Only now it's getting frustrating as I can't get out of descaling process . I haven't had any problems. Only now I can't get out of the descale process. Stuck on the 2nd cycle. Please help . As I loved this machine  Show details

Don't buy it.Save your Money – Hi,I have the same problem with my Exprelia coffee machine over the years and still driving me mad.After emptying and drying the drip tray,warning comes up again and again.Had this problem from the beginning when it was new bought,taken in to repair center to checkup,every time goes in to checkup it needs this or needs that.No More.What is the answer for it? Any body

Rubbish-do not touch it! – Loved it before it started telling us to empty the drip tray and beans after making 1-2 coffee when they were both completely empty; then no coffee was made. Many trips to repair centres under warranty but died lately. Asking $400 for just cleaning it and unblocking some parts. Absolutely rubbish

Lemon machines that have major design issues – Work for one of the biggest retailers in Australia and bought after being told how great this machine was from the Saeco rep. I cared for this machine, serviced, use filters, de scale you name it to get longevity out of this machine. I now get the old "water Priming Circuit - Error E05" that seems to happen a lot with these machines. Turn it off… Read more

do a cleaning cycle and descale and it skips stage one goes straight to rinsing 2/2 and stays on a continual loop. Locks up turns off, turn back on and loops again. Basically I have one shiny looking block in my kitchen that brews nothing. Guess who will not be pushing Saeco in one of the biggest stores in Australia.

Problems – I am on my second machine in 3 years! The first one was sent away to be repaired 3 times as the water dispenser was spluttering and spitting all over the place. The next time we claimed our warranty and replaced the machine. Now after only 9 months the new machine is doing exactly the same thing! I am very frustrated by this, especially as we live… Read more

in the country and the machine has to be posted away to be repaired. Then I have to go without it for weeks at a time. The machine is very heavy and having to pack it up and carry it to the post office with an injured shoulder is very painful for me. I want someone to come to my house and fix it this time!

Unreliable, expensive and only lasts 2 years – Purchased our coffee machine 27 December 2012. Have regularly cleaned it, replaced filter etc but after just over 2 yrs, we keep getting error 05- and water circuit priming, restart to resolve. restarting does not resolve problem. tried to do another clean of machine, get part way through, machine stops and then reverts back to beginning of… Read more

cleaning cycle. Machine was retail over $2000 NZD and for this sort of money should last longer. Very disappointed.

Kudos to Philips Chat – I am quite impressed with the service i had with Philips. I must say Philips chat service was fantastic! The advisor was very intelligent and accomodating. Aside to giving the answer to my question, she also gives me tips on how to clean my Saeco coffee machine. I will spread the news to my friends and relatives. Good job Philips! You have the best employee in her.  Show reply

Love Love LOVE it! – Purchased from Grays Online and after 4 weeks of continual use could not be happier. Easy to use and adjust pre-programmed coffees. The waste water and coffee need emptying much more frequently than the specifications show, but for the quality I get from this machine, I'll live! When I read the other reviews I was concerned about temperature of… Read more

the coffee/milk, but perfect, in fact I had to lower it. Ease of use, adjustability, looks gorgeous Drip tray and dregs drawer need frequent emptying

Great machine – We have had this machine for over a year, and it is still making good coffee. Was easy to set to our preferred coffee settings and the machine overall is very easy to use, clean and maintain.We love our coffee and at the push of a button this machine does it all. Is easy to clean and maintain, as it tells you when to do it. Have to empty coffee grounds after only three cups.

Frustrated – I will never buy another Saeco coffee machine, I originally bought a refurb machine which when delivered was not working, I took it in for repairs and when returned it broke down again straight away. My 2nd refurb broke down 5 times and was exchanged for an Exprelia, which was great for about 10 months. It used to make about 10 Espressos before… Read more

having to empty the drip tray, now it makes 3. I have taken it to two different repairers who have not been able to fix it, now the latest repairer said 3 is normal and there is nothing they can do to improve it.

That is one of the reasons I would not buy or would recommend to anyone buy anything but a Saeco machine, but the main reason is the Service from Philips Saeco is the worst I have received anywhere, no-one returns calls or replies to emails, a Service Manager actually told me he hadn't replied to me email because he hadn't checked them for days, another time he was away on paternity leave but had not put his out of office on or forwarded the emails to someone else in the office.

When I rang Philips Head Office I was told to put in writing, and guess what they forwarded the email to the Saeco manager who was not returning my calls to respond, seems like no one at Phillips really cares how bad service in their Saeco Customer Care Team. Customer Care ?? What a joke!!

Machine prone to breakdowns & customer care team just don't care!!!

What customer service??? – Although I love I love this coffe machine the same cant be said for the customer service! I sent my machine for repair as there was no water pumping through in the rinse and cafe lungo cycles and water leaking from under the machine. When I got the machine back it was still doing exactly the same thing! There is no way the repair centre could… Read more

have turned on and tested it as the fault was very obvious. I then took the machine back to the repairer and asked for it to be looked at again....again the problem was not fixed!!! I called the customer service number and spoke to their hopeless call centre in Manila to complain about the repairer and get the number for a different repair centre.

Third time lucky!!!! The new repair centre were fantastic... tested the machine over a few days and replaced two major parts! Bravo!!!

I decided to call customer service back to give some feedback on the two different repair centres I had delt with, hopefully no one else had to waste so much time dealing with incompetent repairers!

I had a call from a call centre in New Zealand wanting to get feedback on my experience with the repair centre...I asked him which one as I wanted to sing the praises of the second repairer. Well as it turns out my bad review was given to the good repair centre!!!!

I wanted to talk to someone in Australia!!!!

There is no head office number!

I have left my phone number with the hopeless Manila call centre twice!!! Great machine Non existent customer service!!!!

Expensive disappointment – Having used a manual Krups coffee machine in the past, my wife thought it would be a good Fathers Day present to buy something a bit more upmarket. The local Havey Norman store had a Philips Saeco rep on site promoting their machines on the weekend before Fathers Day and he talked us into the Saeco Exprellia. Everything was going fine until early… Read more

this year when it came up with an error in the LCD display and wouldn't do anything. After a bit of a run-around trying to find out where to go, talking to people in the Phillipines who had no idea that Mackay is a regional centre 1000kms from Brisbane and telling me to drop the machine in to a Townsville business (420kms north). Eventually, I was directed to the Gold Coast service agent and they emailed me a courier sticker with instructions on how the machine should be packed for shipping. While the courier cost was covered, all the mucking around organising a suitable carton and buying all the packing materials to protect the machine in transit as well as my precious time were not covered. Anyway, it was sent off and I was told the turn-around was five working days. Seeing no sign of the machine returning after a week, I contacted the service agent who explained it was an unusual problem and involved them having to install new computerised firmware into the machine and this could only be done with an older operating system as it wouldn't work with Windows 7. Anyway, after more than two weeks, I got the machine back (missing the tray that sits under the cup as you make your coffee) and when I switched it on and it came up with exactly the same error message. I don't know whether the service people actually tried running the thing but, if they did, they must have used some magical technique to make it work for them because it certainly wouldn't do anything for me. I called the service centre and they asked me to make a YouTube video of what was happening when I tried to operate the thing. Now, it just so happens I know how to use this technology and upload it but I wonder what would happen with the average punter who is bewildered by all that tech stuff. The service guy said he was appealing to Philips on my behalf to get a replacement machine for me but was knocked back, so again, packing up the thing for shipping back to the Gold Coast. After another couple of weeks with calls in between asking for updates, I eventually got the thing back (missing a cover plate for the milk carafe slot which was definitely on there to begin with and has been promised, but nothing arrived after another two weeks) and, fortunately this time it actually worked and is making coffee OK again. Now I'm freaking how long it will last before it sh*ts itself again. It's supposed to have a two year warranty and I guess I'll be lucky if I get that long out of it. So, at the price I paid, I never expected to go through all that.

Buy one at your peril. Makes good coffee It's obviously very unreliable.

new machine – after owning a saeco for 8 years we had to replace and i thought a time to upgrade, this machine lasted 2 weeks before an heating error stopped it dead, Service and repair was good though so we hoping it was a one off error , after googling it though we are worried as it seems a few people get the same error. simple 1 button coffee a little slow and continuously needing to be emptied

Big mistake - don't purchase – Very disappointed with both the machine and the customer service provided by Phillips Saeco. This machine has been repaired 4 times under warranty. Goodness knows how much we'd be spending after warranty runs out. Also Phillips Saeco have the worst customer service you could ever find. Once they finally agreed to refund us the cost of the… Read more

machine $1,850 they have failed to refund the money to our account despite another phone call to them on Thursday (it's now Monday!). Don't purchase this machine - you will regret it!

Whilst under warranty we have to have the machine repaired 4 times! Could not believe this. We've also had to drive the machine to Brunswick to have the repairs carried out which is most inconvenient. On the 4th time we decided that this machine was a dud and tried to return it under warranty however given that Retravision is in receivership this proved quite difficult.

We were very unhappy with the run around we were given by Phillips. Then finally we contacted the Saeco store in Darebin Road. They finally agreed to refund the price of the machine ($1,850) to us. But to date we still have not received the refund. We returned the machine on 17 January to their offices and despite another phone call last week they still have not refunded us the money. Don't touch this machine. It will cost you heaps of money in repairs. And Phillips Saeco in Darebin Road are not to be trusted.

Excellent bit of kit – Since I got this machine, I rarely go out for coffee any more. Functions well, makes great coffee and has all the adjustments you could require. We had a Delonghi in the house before this one, and in my opinion this produces a much better coffee. It's going on 12 months old now, has made over 1000 coffees and has never missed a beat. Would I… Read more ·  2

recommend it? You bet. Reliable, makes great coffee, inbuilt water filter, lost of adjustment and customisation Cleaning is an expensive exercise

Great Superautomatic Coffee Machine! – I've had 3 Saeco coffee machines in the last 4 years. The first machine I purchased was a brand new Syntia, but when I started to get hasselled by having to froth my milk with the pannerello every morning I decided to upgrade to the Syntia Cappucino. Unfortunately, the Syntia Cappucino does not froth milk that well, and only makes a very bubbly… Read more

lukewarm foam for cappucinos. After decided to upgrade, I looked at the Exprelia and the Xelsis. The Xelsis seems to have a bit more progammability in terms of milk (can adjust froth/foam amount), but I didn't think that justified the added expense (about 700 dollars more at the time) when I was the only one that was going to use the machine so negating the multiple programmable user feature of the Xelsis.

When I unboxed the Exprelia I was blown away by how much better it looked than the Syntia. The stainless steel just looks much nicer, and the build quality seems to be much higher. It has a smiliar footprint to the Syntia, but in general because the brew unit is accessed through front, and the water/coffee is on the top I found it actually easier to fit on my counter top. The other nice feature is that the drip tray rests a bit off the counter and is much easier to remove. I found the Syntia constantly overflowed its drip tray and when I removed it, and despite the baffles, I usually got water over myself, the floor or the counter.

The water container is still quite small, but this is a good thing unless you make more than 4 cups of coffee a day. Most coffee manfucturers recommending replacing water in the tank if its more than 3-4 days old. If you make only one coffee a day you will use the tank up within this time period. The coffee dregs drawer is a bit small, but I like the fact that an additional drip tray is combined with it. Not only is this tray/dregs container really easy to access through the front, the machine reminds you to remove it when its filling up so you never get any water overflowing. This is the reason the front drip tray never overfills unlike the Syntia where there is one front drip tray that slides out.

The grinder has six adjustments, and seems to grind coffee fine enough so that its not bitter, and I've had really fresh beans taste a bit on the underextracted side when the grind setting was on the finest. I found like with every Espresso machine, automatic or superautomatic, it takes a while to get the right grind and coffee length. One of the disadvantages with all the Saeco machines is there is no quantative method in predeterming the amount of water in each shot unlike the Jura. I've found I've had to waste a bit of coffee for me to get the right tasting espresso shot because 1) it takes a few shots before the new grinder setting comes into effect 2) Saeco's adapating system requires at least 3-4 more shots before it stabilises its tamp.

One of the other pluses with this machine compared to the Syntia is that it has the Saeco Brewing System (SBS) that regulates the pressure. It means you can have a pretty tasty longer coffee that tastes similiar to a brewed coffee. I use this time of coffee when I make Irish Coffee after a dinner party. The Syntia and other models don't have the SBS and can't really make a great long coffee, as I found it tastes overextracted and not very smooth. The other great thing is that when on the opposite side of the SBS (more pressure) you get a really good shot with plenty of "crema". I would recommend that if you are going to put money into a superautomatic machine that you should invest in one with an SBS as it gives you much more flexibility.

The milk functionality is really good on this machine. It is one of the few superautomatic machines that has a "one-touch" milk frother, as well as a one hole (non panarello) steam wand. The steam wand produces pretty powerful steam, but requires a bit of practice to use. I find I can make decent textured milk with it, but it does take quite a bit of practice. I don't think it will be able to texture milk to the quality of a "prosumer" semiautomatic machine as the steam seems a bit wet. The good thing about the steam wand is that it will heat up milk really hot, as the automatic milk frother creates steamed/frothed milk at moderate temperatures, which is really what steamed milk should be to avoid burning the milk and losing its sweeter teaste. The milk carafe is really easy to use, and it creates decent textured milk for cappucinos and latte machiattos. This machine unlike the Xelsis, you can't control the amount of foam, although you can control the amount of milk dispensed in both milk drinks. The automatic milk system is really easy to use, and probably one of the easiest to maintain and clean. The self-cleaning function is great (it purges the milk line twice: right after dispensing milk, and when you move the arm back to the lock position which dispenses steam through the arm and into the handle and then into the drip tray). You can also store the carafe in the fridge. Overall I find I get a better quality drink when I steam my own milk with the wand as I have more control, but on mornings when I just want a quick latte machiatto the automatic milk function is great!

The interface on this machine is monochromatic amber, and most of the interface is text based without many icons. Some people may like this, but I do think the Syntia red/yellow/green system is pretty intuitive. The buttons as other people have mentioned are kind of hard to press as they are made of a softer smooshy plastic, and there is very little tactile feel that you've depressed the button far enough. I would say if you have arthritis or other problems with your hands/fingers this machine may pose a problem. I think

Overall this machine is well worth the price as it does create cafe quality coffee drinks without the mess, skill, and time of more manual machines. Can you get a better shot and steam higher quality milk with more manual machines? Yes? Is the difference really worth it though? I say no. It looks great. Makes good coffee. Automatic milk frother really easy to maintain and clean. Buttons are a bit hard to press with little tactile feeling to know you've pressed hard enough.

Great once you get the hang of it! – After my expensive Saeco Talea Touch Plus died after only 3 years, I purchased the stainless steel Exprelia for only $350 more than what it would have cost to repair it. After spending some time at the controls I was very pleased to be able to regulate the coffee output. After some fine tuning my coffee is just the way I like it. This couldn't be… Read more

done on my previous coffee machines. As I like my coffee hot I changed the milk tube to the smaller diameter which resulted in milk squirting everywhere. I quickly reverted back to the larger diameter tube. I have yet to try the middle-sized diameter tube. Due to the short life of previous saeco coffee machines I have opted for a five-year replacement warranty. Not expensive compared to previous coffee machines. I like its versatility and it is easy to use.

Very Disappointed – I bought this machine to replace a DeLonghi that I had had for quit a long time but was playing up. The good is that it is small and neat and, after a bit of fiddling around, the coffee is quit good, but, in my experience the the same can be achieved with most machines, . The bad: The water tank is tiny. I seem to be forever topping it up. There… Read more

is an "overflow" tray inside the machine, something I have never come across before. It fills up constantly, presumably one of the reasons the tank needs to be refilled so often. I was so concerned about this that I rang Philips to ask if it was normal and got some garbled explanation, which frankly, just didn't make sense. The milk dispenser is quit awkward and trying to make a milk based coffee not really a straight forward affair, having to shuffle the cup around to make sure you get both the the milk & coffee in the cup. The milk also "spurts" at the beginning and end of the excercise, which can be messy and a little dangerous if you happen to have your hand in the wrong place. I really wish I had done a lot more research before buying this machine. Small & neat Size of water tank, water overflow, "spurting" milk

Great Machine if you can overlook a couple of minor design flaws – After getting off to a shaky start with our Saeco Syntia Cappuccino, we upgraded to the larger Exprellia hoping for a better experience. We purchased the Saeco Exprellia approximately 4 months ago after having to return our Saeco Syntia after 2 months of frustration and disappointment (see our Saeco Syntia Review). The Exprellia was more… Read more

costly than the Syntia but promised better performance and features for the money.

We opted for the non-fully Stainless Steel version of the Exprellia based on the salespersons description of the product claiming that the top and front were stainless and only the left and right side panels of the unit lacked the stainless steel skin. This decision saved us at least $400-500 over the fully stainless version which seemed like an unreasonable mark-up for a couple of stainless side panels.

We were immediately disappointed when we unboxed the product and found that the top and sides of the unit were glossy black plastic. Only the front panel retained the stainless skin.

We found that the Exprellia "Black" version that we purchased differed from the full stainless version only by the lack of the skin panels. The unit appeared somewhat unfinished without the panels and it was clear that the plastic housing was designed have the panels. The black plastic top and side panels were very thin and tinny plastic. It was clear that no modifications had been made to the design to accommodate the lack of the stainless skin. They were merely left off. Even after 4 months of use, I still find that bugs me a little when I open the flimsy plastic beans and water container panels.

The theme of tinny/thin plastics continues into the water container department and Beans Container cover. When I first removed the water container from its recess, I likened the look and feel of the water container to the thermoplastic packaging that surrounds many retail products these days which is discarded after slicing open with a knife or pair of scissors.

Fortunately, that's where the lightweight components finish. The rest of the machine is decidedly more robust feeling. The front stainless panel is coated in a clear lacuqer which makes it fingerprint resistant and easy clean. Opening the Brew Group requires only releasing the catch on the left hand side of the side which reveals the Brew Group, Grounds and Dregs draw. The brew group is basically the same in every Saeco Automatic coffee machine and this is no different. With the front door wide open they are easily removed for cleaning.

The great feature of the front door is that the door can be opened and the internal components refreshed without having to remove any of the milk frother or even your cup from the front panel.

Filling the unit with water and coffee is easily achieved with top access. Re-filling can be achieved on the run, without having to remove the milk frother or cup. The water container can be fitted with Saeco's proprietary water softening cartridge which claims to eliminate or reduce the need for descaling the machine however, they are costly at approximately $20 each.

The dispenser spout is adjustable for cup height however, the milk frother discharge is not.

Powering up the machine is met with a monochrome glowing LCD Display when displays simple text messages along with graphical icons that represent certain machine operations.

I actually think that our previous Saeco Syntia had a much better display than the Exprellia which was both multicoloured and had better text descriptions for functions and alarms. The Exprellia relies more heavily on graphical icons which in some case can be hard to decipher. I had to refer back to the manual a couple of times to find out what a specific icon meant.

When starting up, the machine will do a short rinse cycle so have a cup under the spout or you will need to empty the water tray often.

Making the first cup of coffee from the machine was simply a case of pressing one of the pre-programmed buttons. On our first attempt, the machine warmed up, ground the coffee and then started to pump the water. This was immediately followed by a loud continuous rattle. It sounded like all the previously mentioned plastic components were rattling against each other making a particularly unnerving noise.

I say it was unnerving because our previous Syntia was extremely quiet. Even our 10 year old Saeco Automatic coffee machine made less noise.

On the second cup, the machine rattled and carried on again. I thought to myself at this stage "we have another lemon!" I soon realised that the so-called Saeco SBS adjustment dial was set at minimum and that winding it up to maximum reduced the rattling substantially, but not completely to a level that I would find acceptable.

From what I can gather, the Seaco SBS system simply varies the amount of backpressure on the water pump by restricting the coffee discharge from the brew group. By altering the discharge flow, it varies the amount of time and rate at which water flows through the coffee grounds. The longer it takes for the water to discharge, the stronger the coffee and the better the crema.

When the SBS dial is set to anything less than maximum, the lack of backpressure on the water pump (which is a piston pump) causes it to vibrate violently and the vibration is transferred throughout the entire machine and benchtop. The plastic components amplify the noise when they rattle. The only option here is to leave the SBS dial set to maximum all the time.

Each successive cup of coffee from the machine got successively better as the machine "learned" the optimised settings. The coffee pucks started our very wet and loose but during successive cups of coffee got more compacted and drier indicating that the machine was starting to get the most out of the coffee dose.

The coffee produced was a deep dark black with an acceptable crema. The default machine temperature was good.

Next we tried the automatic milk function. This is where our Syntia was a let down so we started to make our first cappuccino with mixed expectations.

The milk container is inserted into the machine by inserting the top and rotaing the bottom of the jug until it snaps into position. Rotating the discharge nozzle to the left puts it above the cup ready for action.

Pressing the Cappuccino button starts the grinding and pre-brewing functions. A second boiler dedicated to the milk function warms up and the water pump starts. A few moments later, milk starts to discharge from the milk spout. After the preset quantity of milk is discharged, a shot of steam is passed automatically through the milk spout to clean the milk lines. (You need to have a towel handing at this point to stop milk being splattered in all directions). Next the water pump starts again the coffee starts to flow. After the preset coffee has discharged into the cup, the cycle is finished.

Rotating the milk jug discharge arm back into the storage position starts the purge function. Again, a shot of steam is passed though the milk lines to clean and purge the unit. At this point the jug can be removed and place inside the fridge.

We can say that we were pleasantly surprised with the results. The milk foam was by dense and thick. A serve of sugar dropped on the milk foam refused to penetrate the creamy layer of milk. The aroma from the coffee was pleasant and the taste test did not disappoint.

In the few months following the machine continued to make consistently good cappuccino/coffee. Whereas we thought the milk jug would be somewhat of a novelty and difficult to use, we now use the jug almost exclusively for all our coffees. The jug is stored in the fridge full of milk always ready to be used for a quick coffee.

Although the machine is a resounding success in the coffee quality test, it comes with a couple of quirks that may annoy some people.

A graphical bar displays the progress of the water/milk dispensing during a cycle. If you want to increase/decrease the quantities, the programming menu shows a similar graphical bar where the amounts can be increased/decreased however, the indictor on the programming menu bears absolutely no relationship to those shown during coffee making so setting the amounts to be discharged becomes a trial and error process.

The push buttons on the machine require a significant amount of force to operate. Pressing a button is like pressing your finger against a hard rubbery surface. You dont' really get any tactile feedback that the button is moving. Any person with difficulty pressing buttons will find this a particular challenge and I would recommend anyone not purchase this machine for that reason alone if that is a problem.

The next problem is the frequency that the machine needs to be cleaned/emptied. Again, Saeco engineers appear to have been a little lazy when they designed the machine to prompt the operator for cleaning after a fixed number of coffee cycles. Even if you choose to clean the machine before being prompted, the machine will stop and demand to be emptied even after it has made its pre-set number

of coffees. The machine is not smart enough to reset the cleaning cycle counter when the door is open and the grounds draw removed. I can't understand why Saeco can't figure this out. It’s not that hard.

The machine dregs draw needs frequent emptying. For some reason the machine consumes an extraordinary amount of water during its cleaning/flushing cycles and between cups. After 3-4 cups of coffee, the dregs draw can contain 250 ml of water. Its more frustrating when you consider that the very expensive Water Softening Filter is being used up to soften and purify water that is going down the drain.

The previously mentioned noise and rattling is a issue that may prove to be a turn off for most people. Its not very elegant having to raise your voice over the noise of the coffee machine when trying to impress your guests with your most recent purchase.

If you can live with these minor complaints, your will find yourself completely satisfied with the coffee produced by the machine. Though, given its circa $2000 RRP I would have expected the quality of the materials of construction and the controller intelligence to be a much higher standard.

I have seen other reviews on this site that indicate that the milk frother had the same issue as our previously tested Syntia but, I can say they we have fortunately not experienced this problem with out machine.

Our final thoughts. It makes an excellent and satisfying cup of coffee. Materials of construction should be better. The Exprellia “Black” version looks like it is unfinished.

For the asking price, I would definitely shop around to be sure that you can’t get better for the money before committing to the Exprellia but if you do settle on this machine, you won’t be disappointed.

I'd give it 3 1/2 stars, but as I can't, it get's a three as 4 would be too generous. Terrific Coffee and Cappuccino. Milk function works well. Some issues with quality of construction. Not very intelligent. Uses a lot of water. Needs frequent cleaning.

Disappointed with Milk Frothing! – I am so disappointed with our new Saeco Exprelia!! We have had a Saeco Incanto for many years and it froths the milk beautifully to a think, creamy consistency! The Exprelia cannot do this! The milk is light, too much air, very, very disappointing and the steam wand is very noisy to use! I have gone back to using my old Saeco Incanto and I have… Read more

called Saeco with my complaint....awaiting an outcome!!

Sad, unhappy customer!

Milk Frothing-not creamy, has too much air and very, very noisy using the steam wand unlike my old Saeco Incanto machine!

Would be a great machine if customer support replied to emails and fixed problem – We called Customer Service early January to advise that our Exprelia automatic milk frother is not functioning correctly. We were initially advised to change the plastic tube inside the carafe to a larger hole however we do not want to do this as the milk is too cool with the larger hole. We were then told to clean the carafe. We have done this… Read more

and there has been no improvement.

The problem is that any first cappuccino (or other milk drink) that we make from the machine, the automatic milk frother spits out/makes a mess of the milk and only dispenses approx 2 tablespoons of warm milk. Any coffee following this works fine.

To make a cappuccino (due to the carafe not working correctly first go) we tried doing an espresso then adding milk from the "special" menu - hot milk. The milk spits out everywhere. We thought by doing this the machine may have warmed up after doing the espresso, however no improvement.

So for now we are having to go to the "special" menu to warm up/spit out the first bit of milk until it warms and produces a steady frothy stream. After this we click on cappucino and the drink is produced fine. This is quite frustrating and wasteful.

We emailed customer support on 6th Jan. Today is the 16th Jan and we have had NO REPLY! Now I have to chase them again.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'll post any progress.

This would be a good machine if it worked properly. A bit expensive though, quite standard. Doesn't allow you to save personal settings for each person in the household. Doesn't give very hot coffee, even when special hot milk tube is attached. Easy to clean Customer support

Easy-to-use machine with great coffee – We purchased our Exprelia from the Good Guys 2 weeks ago. This is our second coffee machine, having moved on from the sunbeam cafe barista when it packed it in after 5 years. We were looking for the same features - an integrated grinder and dispenser, and something priced below the $1000 mark. (Please excuse my naivety when it comes to describing… Read more ·  1

my coffee making, I care less for the process and features, and more for the ease and final product that I am drinking). My husband loves to manually froth the milk, and if I am making coffee for one, I am also happy to do it manually. I find making coffee for more than 2 quite painful, especially frothing each cup individually.

When we walked into The Good Guys, we were looking at the Philips Saeco Intellia - purely because of price and reliability. I had seen the Exprelia - but thought I had no chance of convincing my husband to spend another $700 minimum! Luckily I had a Saeco rep there to do it for me. And we are soooooo happy with our machine. We were able to acquire it on special at $1599.

It has lived up to its great reviews. It makes delicious coffee (with the right beans) and the cappuccino frother makes great milk. I now never have to froth milk for friends!! My husband loves it soo much he hasn't even used the manual frother as yet. This coffee machine is so easy.

I would recommend a full demonstration from a rep or on youtube for the functioning of the machine. Just so that you can operate this machine to its full capacity. Our rep did a wonderful job.

My only negative is the frequent cleaning process. We make 4-6 cups per day, and i feel like I empty the coffee waste container daily. I also see this as a positive - it keeps the machine fresh. I hope this machine lasts as long as our last one. It is soo easy. Anyone can make great coffee. Expensive & regular cleaning required

Great Machine – Makes great fuss free coffees, plenty of choices, expresso, cappuccino, lattes,etc. Easy to use just water one side, beans the other, Milk via the Carafe provided which is self cleaning and hooks in at the front. The machine is neat and compact does not take up a lot of bench space. Only down side to this you have to top up water after… Read more

approximately 4 cups and empty water tray and grinds. It does indicate when these are needed to be carried out. Ideal unit for the home and family. Makes great coffee

Excellent Coffe Without the Hassle ! – I bought the Saeco Exprelia after my DeLonghi ESAM3500 machine went back for extended warranty repair two months AFTER the factory warranty ran out. It was going to take about 5 weeks to get it back.... too long ! I was all set to buy the Saeco Xelsis machine but being the only coffee drinker in the house it seemed a bit decadent considering that… Read more ·  1

the Exprelia is almost identical bar the 6 person settings.

It makes a very nice cup of coffee indeed ONCE you get the settings sorted out. This can take some time but it is worth the effort. The automatic frother works better than the DeLonghi and it is quite hot froth ! You also get the option of the steam wand for manual froth so you can have your milk as hot as you want (within reason).

On the down side, I find that the water container is too small at 1.6 litres & I am always being prompted to empty the drip & grinds container - they are all too small. I have owned it since mid April 2011 & so far there have been no problems. The maintenance is a bit more "tricky" than the DeLonghi machine but it is not too difficult if you read the manual.

It has a double boiler system which heats up a lot more quickly than the Delonghi, both being stainless steel for longevity.

Overall I can recommend this machine thus far.

( The DeLonghi machine is back from repair & being used at work now) Nice coffee, relatively easy to use, HOT froth, manual steam wand, Stainless Steel casing, Works well to date Water container is too small. Drip & grinds waste container is way too small

Nice Coffees but very messy – Makes nice coffees but it has a downside. It creates a mess in the brewing area. Grounded coffee everywhere which ends up spilling out on to the kitchen bench if not constantly cleaned. Went back for repairs and still did the same thing. Saeco replaced it with a new machine and guess what............it did exactly the same thing but worse. In the… Read more

process in dealing with the issue with Saeco Makes very nice coffees Water container and wastage containers are small

Easy, less maintainance, Quick and easy – My mate has one of these. Tried it out. It makes coffee making even greater - easy. Just takes a mere 60 seconds to operate and generate a great delicious coffee. Easy - Less Time consuming - great coffee - less maintenance - quick Pretty Expensive