Sunbeam Cafe Crema EM4800C

Barista quality coffee – I was a barista at Dome cafe for several years and this coffee machine makes a great quality cup. To be honest, I was really surprised at how good the coffee is from this machine (I know how tricky it can be to get the right mix of grind and pressure) and this machine has given us perfect coffees day after day (and I'm picky). We have used… Read more ·  1

several brands of store bought ground coffee and they all work reasonably well and we also use our own ground coffee beans with no problem at all. (Tip: Cafe Aurora from Coles does an inexpensive ground coffee that seems to work perfectly in this machine).

The water reserve is large enough to make 8 or so coffees easily, so you can make several cups in one sitting. The steamer wand is a good length and froths well, and the cup warming tray is large enough for 4 mugs / glasses.

Things that could be improved:

- There can be quite a bit of rattle when you pour the shot.

This means that your glasses vibrate all over the place when you turn on the shot. (Update: I'm on my 3rd machine now and this one doesn't rattle nearly as much)

- The drip tray locks into place requiring that you tip it backwards to get it out for cleaning. Don't let it get too full!

Other than this, very happy with this machine - it makes a great cup of coffee. Great coffee, creamy shots, compact, sturdy Noisy, rattles, drip tray locks

Love it!!! money well spent – After extensive searching and reading product reviews to try and find a half decent machine for under $200 I decided on this one, which by the way was cheapest at The Good Guys. Anyway I've had it for probably about 6 weeks now and have been using it at least once a day. I was a bit disappointed to begin with as the coffee just ran into the… Read more

cup basically but I have invested in a stainless steel tamper instead of continuing with the plastic one that came with the machine and it is much better. I'm also thinking I may need to grind the coffee finer. As well as the issue with the coffee just running out I was disappointed that I just couldn't get any froth no matter how hard I tried and I was thinking maybe it was the machine. It was also extremely noisy when I was trying to froth/ heat up the milk...

BUT today I made a cappucino complete with heaps of froth so I can no longer blame the machine... just how I was using it. To make lots of froth you need to hold the tip of the steam wand literally just under the surface of the milk- like less than a millimetre, and you will get oodles of froth with minimal noise. I also think that it makes a difference whether you buy homebrand milk or something like dairy farmers for example (if you ever needed proof that maybe the price does make a difference I think I found it)

So besides the teething issues (basically me having to learn how to make coffee because I have never ever made a REAL cup of coffee in my life) I am really happy with this machine. It heats up really quickly, just a couple of minutes after you switch it on the warm up light goes off and it is ready to use. The only other disadvantage I can find is that the knob is somewhat tight so if you have trouble with your hands, as in arthritis or something, it would probably not be wise to buy this machine.

Overall I would highly recommend this machine to anyine that wants a machine that is cheap and relatively easy to use as long as you're willing to spend a bit of time practicing with it to get what you want. inexpensive, heats up quickly, relatively easy to use plastic tamper that came with it was basically useless... buy a 51mm stainless steel one

Good price, great coffee, no problems in over 6 years – Bought this machine whilst on sale locally, after many comparisons online & on the shop floor. Took a little time to master - I was a coffee machine virgin - but soon I was making wonderful cappuccinos with amazing froth. I agree with other reviewers that the drip tray is disappointing in the way that it tarnishes but you can't go past this… Read more

machine's value for money. The only drawback I feel is that you cannot sit taller cups/mugs directly under the coffee stream outlet but in this case, I just make the coffee using the jug, rinse out & then reuse for milk frothing. As a note, I always run the hot water through the machine & the frother outlet before adding the coffee - seems to help with the overall temperature of the coffee plus I also heat up cups beforehand so that I have a nice, hot cappuccino to start my day - enjoy! Reliable for over 6 years & inexpensive Drip tray does corrode somewhat & low coffee outlet means higher cups don't always fit under

Gets the job done – At first i didnt know how to use it and i made bad coffee. I then watched some videos on youtube then my coffee tasted the same as retail coffee. This product gets the job done and can create micro foams for your cappuccino. Easy to clean with tablets if you are not lazy to rinse it multiple times. This product gives you the power to manually pack your grinds. If you dont care, then just spend extra on an automatic machine.  Show details

Makes superb crema on delicious coffee. BUT drip tray corroded almost right through in places. Wher – The EM4800C makes beautifully rich coffee with great Crema. Easy and quick to use , not noisy, looks good on the kitchen bench. Can be cleaned efficiently . Cannot bear to get rid of it but new drip tray is required to replace corroded original. Where can one be purchased if the EM4800C is discontinued?  Show details

Best coffee machine i have ever had – Have had my sunbeam EM4800 for over 6 years and couldn't be happier. Never had any issue with it, always got crema on my long black even for my ('very long') early morning coffee (full mug or even bowl). Recently relocated to Japan and had to purchase another brand (De L.) as my old aussie sunbeam unfortunately doesn't work here without a… Read more

transformer and have to say the coffee is nowhere near as good as the one I made with my old Sunbeam. No or minimal crema, quite messy leaking etc. Hope to one day find your brand in japan.

Great for beginners – Bought this as my first coffee machine and it serves the purpose well. I worked as barista at a cafe and knew this was just a beginner's machine so I did not expect much. The pump is slow and leaks at times, and the overall build and quality of the unit isn't perfect.. the espresso tends to spit out as well at times. I have recently sold the… Read more

machine to another guy and will be upgrading, but to all the other posters out there - this was one of the lower price range machines and for that I think you should expect that it's a very basic model with basic features, simple to use and good for beginners..does the job just fine.. but not meant for serious coffee lovers :) Affordable, easy to use, does the job Low quality

Knob difficult to turn – I have had the same machine twice, as the first one didn't seal properly and spat coffee everywhere and had a very difficult knob to turn. I returned the first machine and got a new one, exactly the same model and although makes a really great coffee again the knob is very difficult to turn. This caused my sister to exchange hers (I bought her one also) as she just could not turn the knob. Great tasting coffee Knob difficult to turn

Morning Cuppa – Sturdy Machine with clean lines and good looks. Frothing is hard to achieve when in a hurry but the coffee taste is great. Water storage could be a little larger when you have a crowd over and the spill catchment area at base, fills quickly. Was the first coffee machine ever owened and since son (that used to make the coffee for us) moved out… Read more

it can be a bit of a process and often too much trouble. Very easy to clean, good looks, nice coffee. Bit complicated and froth/crema sometimes hard to achieve.

Good budget coffee machine – Bought as a gift for my partner a few years ago and it is still going strong. Sometimes gives the coffee a slightly burnt taste if the head isn't cleaned thoroughly enough, but that is to be expected. After 4 years the only issue with this machine is that the milk frother doesn't seem to get as hot as quickly as it used to.  Show details ·  1

Great machine, great coffee but didn't last long enough – I really like this machine, it is easy to use and the coffee quality is very good. I use a professional two group head machine in an organisation I am involved in and I can get the same quality out of my little Café Crema, however, at a much slower rate. I only have two gripes, I had to modify the drip tray cover so it would fit properly and not… Read more

keep falling off and secondly after two years the machine started to leak internally. I am in the market now for a new machine as I need my home coffee and I would consider buying another one to replace it.

Great machine – I have found this machine easy to use and it makes great coffee, 9 out of 10 times. The switch can be really hard to turn and the drip tray has corroded badly on the inside but it is still powering on so I can live with that. Instead of buying a coffee I'm happy to wait to get home and make my own which I have found I enjoy more.

Value for money – I received this machine as a Christmas gift 2 years ago and it works amazingly. The only time i ever had a problem with coffee spitting out was when the coffee beans were not ground properly. The knob can be quite difficult to turn at times but honestly for the price that is ALL i can fault. Considering a coffee costs $5 every time you buy one it has been an excellent money saver. Everything Nothing

Good machine for beginners – I bought my machine secondhand and when I took it home the frother didn't work properly. I ran descaling liquid through it and now it works like a dream. I frothed a full mug of soy milk...It's true the drip tray has corroded but I'm not too worried, because it doesn't affect the coffee. Burnt my tongue on the coffee so it's hot enough! It's a… Read more

pretty basic machine but it's good enough for a beginner like me :) The water tank. Other budget machines have an internal water tank that is under pressure like a car radiator which makes it hard to refill when hot. This tank is easy to refill or top up. Although it doesn't affect the coffee quality, the drip tray is flawed design. Why did sunbeam use cast instead of stainless steel?

Pretty good for a cheaper machine – For a cheaper coffee maker, this one is pretty good. Easy to operate and, with a bit of coaching, makes an awesome cuppa! It looks great and is lightweight so easy to store away if you want. It's a bit annoying that you can't fit a mug under the head but I just use a small cup and transfer to a mug. Easy to use and relatively cheap Can't fit a mug, or big milk jug, under the head.

Great machine for the amateur barista – I purchased the Sunbeam Cafe Crema four years ago. I did read the instructions thoroughly, and have been able to create a great coffee from the get go. The steam appears to be a little lack lustre, but that may be my impatience for a java in the morning .Recently I stayed in a B&B with a similar machine, and it made a terrible coffee. Its… Read more

group handle hadn't been cleaned since I guess its inception. So cleaning the machine is obviously essential to producing a consistant favourable flavour. I would recommend this machine as an economical and solid machine to start making coffee at home. Solid machine, with good instructions to make it perform well. Could have more steam, to speed up the milk frothing and texturing.

Sunbeam Cafe Crema II – This was my first espresso machine ( a Christmas gift) bought less than 12 months ago. I took a baristas course so I would know how to make a decent coffee and realised that this is very much the bottom end of the market. For the first few months it has worked fine. My main complaint is that coffee grinds get up into the machine from the basket… Read more

and requires regular cleaning. Over the past few months the seal has started leaking and today it just totally broke down and sprayed water and grinds everywhere. In addition the plastic covered base plate under the drip tray is now corroding with the plastic flaking off. So in ten months making 3 cups a day it has failed big time. Overall very disappointing. There may be a replacement warranty, but I wouldn't buy such a cheap machine again. Simple to use Loss of pressure. Severe leaks (silicone seal has failed). Base has corroded badly.

worth every cent!! – i never thought an espresso machine under $1000 could ever make a decent cup, but this one has proved me wrong. i use it nearly every day and have never had a problem. it's very easy to use and clean and never disappoints . for under $200 you can't go wrong t!! highly recommended inexpensive, quality coffee, value, easy to use

Sunbeam EM4800C On my 3rd replacement since november 2011 – This has a wonderful taste and works easily with no real issues other than complete failure iminant . KEEP YOUR WARRANTY AND RECEIPTS. I am the only coffee drinker in my house so it hardly gets a work out. Today from the goodguys i was given my 3rd replacement machine due to power being always on to the pump. The only way you can stop it is turn… Read more

it off. It wont make coffee, it just leaks . So far the most amount of coffee i have been able to make is about 50 cups before total and complete failure causing the risk of electrical shock. good thing i have a rcd fitted . this product should be withdrawn from sale now. First looks price Stainless steel is crappy, rusts inside a month. leaks like a sieve and continually fails . poor build quality

I thought it was good, as the price is not that expensive – It is good, as my friends say it is hard to get a good coffee machine with that price, but as it is second handed, I just wondering where can I buy the plastic tamper and 1 cup filter, because it didn't come with the coffee machine that i bought from the pre owner, I asked him, and he didn't know where to get it. Thank you, if you can tell me… Read more

where to buy it in the Melbourne CBD. It can make coffee! I found it weird as every time I make coffee, they just not hot enough.

Biggest Piece of Junk! – Garbage ! Biggest piece of junk I've ever bought. Drip tray corroded after a few months (and no I didn't leave it wet), and constantly blocks up. Disaster ! I'd rather have bought a ticket on the Titanic. Stay away from Sunbeam. Just love the way the bottom turns into some kind of chemical reaction - like a battery. Epic fail!

Terrible – Coffee splatters and is almost impossible to pack to manage a consistant pour witht his machine. I have owned other Sunbeam machines with same set up and have had no trouble, but this one is Terrible. Seriously by something else - buy anything else. I have had mine for 12 months now and only use it to warm milk for cereal. The black rubber end for frothing milk is a good idea. Everything else.

While it makes wonderful coffee, it makes a huge mess! – While this machine makes wonderful coffee, every time you use it water leaks all over the counter from somewhere at the back of the machine. I have not been able to track the source of the leak, but it is not a good sign when it leaks about half a cup of water onto the counter every time you use it. Simple, very fast (1 minute warm up) Leaves a mess every time you use it.

OK – Was a good price, easy to make coffee's, however i am disappointed that the machine gets so hot, that the first one flooded everywhere, the second one is already faulty. Will not purchase a third machine. Will not use Sunbeam products ever again. Bought this to basically practice on as I am studying Hospitality. Steaming milk takes less than 1… Read more

minute, extraction rate great. I only had my first machine for a week when it flooded everywhere, so i took it back. The second machine i bought, the group handle won't lock into the group head properly, it takes a lot of effort to get it to fit in, and because the machine has warmed up, its really hot. The water tank doesn't sit right and the drip tray was already dirty before i even bought it! Disappointing!

Terrible – Do not buy this machine. If a product is dead on arrival then it is not from a reputable manufacturer. makes a strong hot cuppa. Its Chinese manufactured junk. The day we got it and set it up, it flooded the benchtop.

Terrible – Overall very disappointed that with a new machine knob has jammed and products no longer functional and with the time taken to run around and claim on warranty or get a replacement, we'll go off and get something more reliable. Be prepared to toss it within a couple of months. We bought it because Choice had rated it well in terms of overall… Read more

functionality and value for money, but after having it for a few months this has turned out not to be the case. We recently bought a Sunbeam EM4800 for our weekender recently, so has been used maximum 20 times. It is fiddly and hard to clean and the knob has become so hard to turn I can no longer use it. At our home we have Saeco Magic Comfort & Via Venezi and frankly, we should have invested in a better quality reliable machine rather than chasing a bargain which has not turned out to be a bargain after all.

Bad – I have had 2 of these before both gifts. First one lasted just beyond warrentee when the pump stopped working. Second machine lasted 18 months and the thermostat is gone.....blows steam only and burns coffee :( NEVER AGAIN Good price for unit. Makes great coffee (when working). Easy to use. Comes with jugs and cups. Sometimes handle difficult to… Read more

lock in. Had 2 machines over last 3 years both have broken down. Seem to have only 12 to 18 month lifespan. My friend also has one and has more than once had the handle 'fly off' during coffe making......big mess and dangerous!

Excellent – I love it, the best machine I have had! it has been a part of life for years, never broken, really quick heating (I can turn it on and about 10 seconds later make a hot espresso, that may be due to the huge amount of times I have used it though, it took a while in the beginning when it was new). I keep it on all day long as it is used A LOT! it's… Read more

the perfect companion :) It is quiet, doesn't take long at all to heat up - exactly what I need in the morning! I have had this machine for about 5-6 years and it has never broken, never had any problem at all. I absolutely love it! I like that the water level is easy to see and fill up, the drip try is easy to remove and clean. I really love this machine! It doesn't have enough room to make a mug of coffee contrary to what they write :(

Sometimes, if you don't clean it properly, the steamer will get blocked, a pin prick fixes that easily.

It has now in the last week started to leak water - first bad thing, but as I mentioned, I have had it for years, so I really can't fault it on age.

Excellent – After 8 years of faithful service my EM4800 has finally poured its last shot! For a quick, small, good quality machine you cant go past it for value for money. If you know coffee you'll be able to get a cafe quality shot out of this machine every time. Love it. Great value for money. Quick heat up. Indicator for the spill tray being full doesnt really work which can lead to overflow. Apart from that, cant complain.

Replaced twice due to faults – Purchased the cafe crema II on 8th Oct.The first machine stopped working in a week so took back to Myer for replacement. Second machine started flooding water all over the bench top within 3 days. Have contacted Sunbeam with no response. will take back to Myer and choose another brand. VERY dissapointed Made a nice cup for the fist 2 days 2 faulty machines in 2 weeks. 1st machine just stopped working, 2nd machine Flooded bench top.

amazing value for money! – This machine is perfect! you just need to get all the details correct. get the your grind to the right consistency, learn to froth the milk correctly and you can definitely get an excellent coffee out of this machine. honestly, i am a complete coffee snob, and i am obsessed. this machine is great. my roommate had one and now i'm going to buy… Read more

one for myself. heats up very quickly watch that the drip tray doesn't over fill because it makes a mess. a little noisy aswell.

Not bad – Makes a decent cup of coffee once you get to know it.A bit noisy. A capable machine. Con:Whats with the drip tray?It corroded within a very short time,so I had the whole machine replaced for free. However ,the same thing happened with this one,doesnt matter how much care you take cleaning and drying it after each use. Anyway it still works… Read more

fine,and i've covered the drip tray with foil so I dont have to look at the ugly mess.I hear its been replaced with a plastic one.Good move... Cheap,reliable - makes a good cap. A little noisy - and that corrosive drip tray- uggggh!

Great Basic Machine - We love it! – We have had this machine for about 7 years and it is still going strong. Makes great coffee when you know how to use it. Yes the drip tray does have some corrosion but it is minimal - we always run water into it to clean the head before making our coffee - maybe this has helped - but lets face it, you're not eating off it, and you cant see it. … Read more

I have replaced a few seals over the years myself - a cost of about $10 a pop and we make about 5 cups of (beautiful) coffee a day.

Now looking for a replacement but only because we want something that looks more impressive. Also maybe one which can pour two coffees at once and froth at the same time is appealing - but this would definately be in a different price bracket to this one. inexpensive, reliable, great machine None over 7 years

Amazing longevity – We have had a cafe crema for about 10 years. A couple of months ago a small part gave up, but we're still hoping to replace that rather than the whole machine. (we have used tap water so the longevity not just about using filtered water) Absolutely would recommend - my parents have been through 3 or 4 coffee machines (other brands, more expensive… Read more

models) in the time that we've had this one. Love it. Will definitely go with another sunbeam next time. Reliable, great value for money, long-lasting