Saeco Intelia

Spare parts impossible to find – Works well enough. Requires rescaling more often that other machines. No hard water here and probably goes through 6 coffees per day. Replacement milk carafe is impossible to find in Australia unfortunately.

Brilliant no-fuss coffee machine – I bought this coffee machine as my son-in-law had one and it is better than you can imagine. I have to do 1 thing: press the button. That's it. It cleans itself. It has a large water tank, a large bean hopper, a large container for coffee grounds. Once every 6 months it wants to do a full clean, and I press the button and fill up the water for… Read more ·  1

this. It was expensive but not as expensive as other machines that don't do as much as this one does. This is magic, its the only way to describe it. I bought it through TVSN and paid it off. What could be better!

Great machine, would be lost without it! – My partner and I have owned this machine now for around 3 years. We no longer use instant coffee, this is our daily coffee machine. Usually makes at least 2 cups a day on weekdays and 4 or 5 per day on weekends/holidays. Would have to made over 1000 cups of coffee now. So it has earned it's keep. We love our coffee, and it easily compares to… Read more ·  1

coffee we get from a coffee shop

Low maintenance, it demands descaling (about a half hour process that you need to be present for) fairly often if you set it to hard water setting. I now only use filtered water in it now, so have changed back to softer water setting and it requires cleaning a lot less regularly. I empty the water tray and waste drawer out every couple of days, pull the brewer out every month or so and give it wash out, clean the insides of stray coffee grinds. Regrease the pivots. It is fairly important to carry out a clean out, as there is a lot of coffee grinds that build up inside.

Some handy adjustments to customise coffee to individual taste and size. We like a strong coffee, so set the grinder to the finest setting (5 settings) and the strong setting on the screen. Also able to customise your cup size so it stops filling automatically. Although, like most similar sized compact machines it's probably primarily designed for smaller espresso cups, it still can accommodate a decent sized mug (what we use). Milk frother tube is quite effective, although we don't often make cappuccinos.

After several years of hard use, only thing that has started to fail is the display screen. Every so often it will go dull, but eventually after several uses it seems to come back on it's own. It's starting to make a few groans, moans, thumps every so often now after it finishes making the coffee, I assume it's the brewer starting to wear out. But can buy a replacement part for around $150. And occasionally the waste drawer shows full when it's only just been emptied. Can't seem to fool it either. I pull the drawer out and put it back in and the same. Isn't happy until I empty it.

Only small whinge is the water tank only just handles 2 coffee mugs. So every time you make a couple of coffees, you need to refill. But no big deal, no doubt a trade-off for it's compactness. And a water temp control would be good. Summer months coffee is just hot enough, winter months I have to pre-warm cups and often put them in the microwave after the coffee is made - sacrilege!!, because it's only warm.

We'd be lost without this machine now. Would I buy another one ? Hell yeah! Hopefully won't need to though! It's still going strong after 3 years

Pretty good but not without some problems – We wanted a coffee machine with a bean grinder built in and this Saeco was in our budget. We were happy with the results for the first year of use. However, despite following the manufacturer's maintenance tips and prompts (from the screen) our machine stopped working after about a year (we make 2 cups per day). We returned it to The Good Guys… Read more

who then sent it to a local agent for repair under warranty. It was returned with no explanation as to the problem it had and it was scratched up a bit by the repairer which was a let down.

More recently the lcd screen has played up - completely blank for a couple of days, and then mysteriously functioned again. Despite brew group and calc cleaning when prompted, this Saeco doesn't produce consistent amounts of coffee - some days we get normal amounts, other days we have to supplement with hot water. We noticed the drip tray gets full quickly too.

Other cons:super expensive water filters and decalcifiers. Don't buy them from Good Guys, Harvey Norman etc - buy them in bulk from various Ebay vendors during a sale.

Great machine especially if you get it for a good price! – I have had my machine for about 8 months now and so far (knock on wood) I have been very happy. I use Aldi coffee beans and organic light milk, after a bit trial and error this is the coffee I love most. I chose the machine because I do love good coffee but have 3 little ones so needed fuss free, press a button kinda perfect coffee - and the… Read more ·  1

machine does this for me.

My big point is though that I got it for a REALLY GOOD PRICE! I paid $570 at the Good Guys due to them discontinuing the machine and to be honest as much as I love it I would have not paid more than this which I think is a fair price for what it does, etc. And I think a lot of the disappointment comes if you pay over $1000 for sth and then have issues.

The only pain with the machine is the cleaning which is really messy. The coffee around the brew unit is just everywhere and the decalc cycle for some reason runs through the steaming wand which means it comes shooting out and water drops go as far as 1.5m everywhere, even with container underneath. Also the lubricant provided doesn't fit into the space where it is supposed to go which is really bizarre and not thought through.

But this def does not take anything away from this great machine. Fingers crossed it'll last a bit!

NO NEED FOR COFFEE SHOPS – Our Saeco coffee machine just keeps on giving. The prebrew function ensures quality flavour and freshness . A true thoroughbred work horse . Best domestic barista style coffee we've ever had by far. No loss in quality after literally thousands of cups ( factual recording in the machine) I'm sticking with Saeco  Show details ·  1

Good coffee – I owned my Saeco for few years now and it's still working!! I had it service a while a go and it cost more than my car service!!! $300+ for the service!!! It make good coffee but the water tank is too small and I always have to refill it.  Show details ·  1

Great technology – This is the perfect product that I was looking for a long time. It is fully automated and has the one-touch technology. I can make creamy milky frothy coffee. The machine is equipped with ceramic grinders that grind the beans well and are not loud in operation. The coffee has a full-bodied aroma and flavour thanks to the ceramic grinders.  Show details ·  1

Calc clean doesn’t complete – Calc clean won’t finish rinse cycle, it keeps dispensing water even though it has reached the end of the line on the display screen. It’s taken hours to do the calc clean. Any ideas? Show details

Great machine but a nightmare to fix – Makes lovely coffee and Oates etc, and it's fully automatic so just one press of the button however when it breaks down just to get the guy (repairer to haveva look) he says minimum charge $300.00 We have had it repaired twice in 4 years outside of warranty. It's costs us a lot of money I would probably look at Nespresso next time. After sales support is jay not there with this one.  Show details

Love it – Fully automatic coffee machine... versatile with settings. This has worked perfectly and been used at least twice a day for years. Only complaint was the plastic on the dreg drawer warped and wouldn't be replaced by Phillips. Still works. Love that I can control which beans to use and temperature.  Show details

The little coffee machine that can! – Great little product that produces a fantastic tasting coffee. Easy to use whilst also providing a great grind and tamp function creating that really feeling of making a coffee. Milk frother also great for 1-2 cups of coffee or for a jet of boiling water to make a tea or other hot beverage.  Show details ·  1

The perfect alternative to a coffee to go addiction! – I was sceptic with this machine as the reviews weren't too great, and let's face it, these machines cost a small fortune! So my main advise is: make sure you get the very best price available! I was lucky and bought it on a very good clearance special at the good guys. I got the very last one of any local stores and additional discount on it. That… Read more ·  1

was about $200 below RRP which is reasonable.

For the machine itself, the coffee is good. It's not barista coffee but for that you need a full machine that is hand operated. I wanted something as convenient as possible. This machine does most itself. I even use the lazy milk hose. Invested in a good take away mug and off I go in the morning. I calculated that I had my machine value back after only 3 months!

As per other reviews, yes the cleaning is a small nightmare but these machines are all like that. Unfortunately we have to wait for the future for self cleaning!

Perfect coffee every time – This is an excellent machine and works really well. I am very happy with the crema and aroma of coffee that it produces, The machine is fully automated and is very easy to use, I can finally say goodbye to pods. I have not owned a Saeco machine before but hears a lot of good reviews of word of mouth. I anticipate it working well for many years to come.  Show details ·  2

Love this coffee machine! – I bought this machine after it was recommended by my daughter. I have had it about 4 years and it is still producing a perfect flat white, I clean it thoroughly once a week and descale when the machine tells me it is due. This machine was a little pricy, however it cannot be compared to the pod machines - if you are looking for a coffee machine… Read more ·  1

that gives you that perfect cuppa, I recommend this beauty, it is easy to use and only needs a clean once a week.

Perfect coffee – I love my Coffee machine It is simple to use and does it all. Grinds The Coffee. You choose which type you want. Expressing, Capuccino or your choice. It will froth the milk and make your cafe latte gust as you want it. It was a present from my children but I would not be without it . Coffee time is the best .  Show details ·  1

Good machine, would recommend it! – This is the second Saeco coffee machine that I have purchased for my household. The previous one lasted for just over 5 years and I never descaled it. This is a new addition to my coffee routine and I am committed to making it last. Purchased a descaling kit and watched some videos how to do it properly. I like the idea of fresh coffee and love… Read more ·  1

the taste. The pressure is just right for me and produced good crema. I was thinking of buying a Nespresso, I am glad that I di not. Would have spent a fortune on podes. This gives me more variety to experiment with different brands of coffee.

Good machine and happy with the taste of my coffee – This the second Saeco machine that I have purchased and I trust them for the quality of the machine and the coffee. The machine is easy to use, relatively easy to clean and the best part is that I can finally grind my own coffee and make it perfect. I am free to purchase any brand and use it with the machine. I only owned it for 6 months so far… Read more ·  1

and have not experienced any issues. My previous Saeco machine was more expensive and lasted just over 5 years. After it broke down, I bought a Nespresso system and got sick of buying pods all the time. If I can get 5 years of this new machine will be fantastic, money well spent!

Great coffee with a little fuss – Makes a great coffee with a good crema. Easy to use but a little fiddle to clean. The steamer is quick and does a great job, creating a good rich microfoam. It is fiddly to clean , but only needs it once a week or fortnight. The drip tray gets filled up fairly quickly so you need to keep an eye on that. I tend to keep a. Spare jug handy to… Read more

catch a lot of the waste water before it hits the drip tray.

I really like the ground coffee option because I can grind my own choice of beans when I feel like a change or a Decaf!

Very happy with it for a fully automatic machine.

Works well! – The taste of my coffee is always good - and the machine doesn't cost you an arm and a leg! Very easy to use, fill beans up top, water slides in and out, etc! It's a bit of a juggle to do a full clean out, but all the slots slide in and out smoothly. Obviously descaling takes its time! We've had it for years now, and it's still going strong.  Show details ·  1

Work horse – Had machine at work for years. It was poorly maintained but kept on working. Every few months the forced cleaning cicycle would pop up and we had to keep pressing cancel every time we used it until someone could be bothered spending the 45 minutes going through the cleaning system. Eventually others at work voted to buy a capsule machine so I bought the old one. I cleaned it up and now I have a great machine at home.  Show details ·  1

Best Best Coffee Machine – This is the best coffee machine. It grinds coffee beans, froths milk and does a self clean after use. It has some draw backs but it is well and truly worth the draw backs. Biggest drawback is the tube that froths the milk must be kept extremely clean - thoroughly washed after every use. Second is that the machine tells you when to empty used… Read more ·  1

coffee grinds even though you may of just emptied it. Apart from these two it makes the best coffee ever.

Not Fit For Purpose – We bought a Intellia One Touch Cappuccino in September 2012. At first everything was great and with regular maintenance everything worked fine, however after approx twelve months we had nothing but faults appearing and numerous trips to the repair shop. It seemed no matter what we did it always needs some seal or o ring and most of the times all… Read more

blamed on bugs and not covered by a warranty. The final straw happened last week when we put it on and a loud popping noise was heard and now nothing. Considering a coffee machine with a rrp of over a $1,000 we would have expected better from such a reputable brand. We now face another trip to the repair shop and imagine it won't be cheap if at all repairable. Clearly an item as costly as this should last more than 4.5 years and not have had so many issues. We will never buy another Phillips machine based on our experiences and recommend perspective buyers be aware of frequent trips to the repair shop.

Great Machine! – Great tasting coffee once I found good coffee beans! Easy to use. Cleaning is simple enough (I clean the brew group regularly) and descaling is easy, once I realised I needed to put a huge bowl underneath, to stop the water going everywhere! It's my second Saeco (last one lasted 8 years) and price wise I find it good value and simple to use.  Show details ·  1

Really happy with this coffee machine – I like making my own coffee but not necessarily with all the fuss of grinding and packing my own beans! This automatic machine makes it easy but still makes me feel like a home barista. Consistent flavour and adjustable strength works well. Descaled for the first time on the weekend. Purchased online, seamless experience and the coffee tastes even… Read more ·  1

better now, if that's possible. Would buy again, hopefully this one lasts us for several more years!

Good machine but bad service support – User manual was not included in the box, so we didn't learnt the many controls that we could have used and missed doing a lot of the regular daily maintenance steps. The cal-clean alarm lit up after about a week in use and the water was definitely soft water. Customer Service was not very helpful  Show details

Good machine while it worked but after 4 years it is a lot of trouble – I have owned this machine for 4 years and have found the quality of coffee great. I regularly cleaned the machine when a calc clean is required with Calc clean solution. Within the first year the grind adjuster wore away and I was unable to adjust the grind. This is because the grind adjuster is in with the coffee beans and they seem to have… Read more

disintegrated the knob. I am disappointed in the machine as in the last two months I have had it serviced twice for two different reasons. First the water filter magnet failed so the water would not work then the water would not come out of the coffee spout. After the last service the water is pouring out of the machine in areas it should not be coming from. For this price I would expect not to have so many issues with the machine and for it to last a lot longer with less maintenance. I live in the country and the nearest servicer is 1 hour away which means it is difficult to drop it off and pick it up all the time. Don't buy this machine if you want one that will last.

My best mate – I have owned this machine for a number of years without any issues. It is important to follow the cleaning time frame for the best brew. The coffee beans you use will influence the taste so do not be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. I am finding the Coles Fairtrade Organic 250g packs to be quite good (surprisingly) at present and better than more expensive beans from coffee Brewers (in many cases), so well worth a try.  Show reply

Love this machine! – Replaced a Korean automatic machine that made bad coffee/ hard to maintain with Intel recently . The Saeco meets my needs: * It makes barista quality brews- quick, hot and tasty coffee * Simple intuitive controls - easy to adjust/clean/ maintain * Auto /manual frothing options * looks great/no downside to date  Show reply

Good Coffee – Easy to use, easy to clean and makes a dam good a coffee. It took me a little while experimenting with different flavour beans to find the one I really enjoy. I don't really use the hose/frother that comes with it. I brought a stainless steel jug and just use that instead. Pod machines are second rate in comparison.  Show reply

Good Coffee Maker ! – This machine has been very good since I purchased it. The coffee it makes is good, and the machine is easy to use (and clean). The stainless steel also looks very good in the kitchen. The only problem has been Saeco Customer Support ... completely useless .... I queried the parts to be "greased" and they sent back two useless message about ordering parts? I hope nothing goes wrong with the machine.  Show 5 replies

Absolute disgrace / rubbish / approved repairer service just as bad as philips saeco customer service – Where do I begin. Coffee machine purchased from Goodguys in October 2015. By December 2015 (2-3 months) leaking filthy coffee coloured water all over our benches. Have followed the instructions as per the booklet, re cleaning descaling etc. I called Philips Saeco to report the fault in December 2015 and that is where my nightmare began. After… Read more

our 15 year old trusty Krups died, we decided to upgrade and purchased the Saeco Intelia. The worst decision I have ever made.

In December I was told that the service centre was closed until mid January. Dropped it off at Service Sphere North Melbourne based on Philips Saeco recommendation. I got there and they had no paperwork/authorisation from Philips Saeco - after 12 phone calls to Saeco Customer Care and asking to speak to a manager, I got an authorisation reference number.

Machine was repaired - Service Centre calls me to tell me the machine is repaired but cost of repair is not covered under warranty. The machine is 3 months old - receipt of purchase provided to service centre and Philips Saeco customer care. .

I call Philips Saeco twice a week to discuss and escalate - to this day, while writing this review I am on hold and have been for over an hour to Saeco Customer Care.

DO NOT BUY A SAECO COFFEE MACHINE - they are absolute rubbish. An Aldi/Kmart machine will be miles better from a quality perspective, and I'm sure the customer service will be far superior too.

Its okay but parts are ridiculously expensive – Easy to use but the grinder section get mouldy frequently. Spare parts are expensive and hard to get. Milk carafe are hard to clean with small crevices stuck with milk. when soaked in water, it filled with water within the enclosure and takes some time to drain out. Just okay for me.