Sunbeam Cafe Espresso EM3600

Review is for red version - fantastic little machine, easy to use, great coffee – I purchased this model several years ago based on Choice's recommendation (although I have the retro red version) and I have been extremely happy with my machine so far. Sad to hear Sunbeam aren't making the red anymore - shame as am sure if they made this fabulous little machine in funky colours they would sell like hotcakes. Although I love my… Read more

current machine, if it ever died, I won't be replacing it with the current version since it's such an ugly colour. Important when it sits out on the bench all day. Why did you stop making the red version Sunbeam?? Why? Sunbeam, please please PLEASE make this machine in other colours! (And I don't mean just stainless steel.) Overall a great machine though, especially when paired with the Sunbeam cafe series conical burr grinder. Easy to use, makes great coffee, comes with a great dvd, LOVE the red version! Operating dial gets very hard to move at times; current model is an ugly colour (bring back the red!)

Great Value – I've had this all of 24 hours and made just 4 cups of coffee but, so far, so good. I'm reviewing it now to let you know that if you live near a Joyce Mayne store they are on special for $98 at the time of writing. For that outlay, you get the machine, two cups and saucers, a metal jug and a DVD on how to make coffee. It turns out that I've… Read more

been making it wrong all these years. But that's okay because it tastes no better doing it the right way, so I've gone back to the old way, which is easier.

So, I hear you ask, why should I buy this machine at any price when it only averages 3.0 stars from the previous 35 reviews? The answer is in the DVD, which states that this is exactly the same machine as the EM3800 except the 3800 has a stainless steel warming plate instead of a painted metal one. The 3800 averages 4.4 stars from 19 reviews, giving it the highest smart rating of any Sunbeam coffee maker. Go figure. Maybe there were some quality control issues with the 3600 that did not manifest with the 3800. Let's hope they have fixed the problem. Price, works well so far Nothing yet, except a little noisy

Good – If you are after a basic yet reliable machine that makes great coffee, you can't go past this machine. Unless you are willing to pay $600+ you won't find a machine that makes better coffee for the price. This machine keeps going and going and going and I've never had a problem with it. Excellent value for money. I have had this machine FOREVER… Read more

(well over 4 years?) and it has never once missed a beat. It is reliable, efficient and makes great coffee (provided you know how to make coffee in the first place)

I have even bought this as a present for a number of family members and they have never had a problem.

Comes with all the accessories needed and is small enough to fit in any kitchen place. Considering the price, you really can't fault this machine.

Sure it's noisy, not as powerful as your bigger machines and is basic but it is at the lower end of the market and performs excellently.

I guess it is not a sleek looking or as trendy as some of the other machines in its price range so that would be my only 'con'.

Excellant Coffee Machine – Have had this coffee machine for 5 years now, works a treat every time. Its used every day I can recommend it to anyone who want's a trouble free coffee maker. 6 friends of mine have the same unit as well and would agree with me. Excellent value for money and trouble free. This coffee maker works a charm, always.

Pretty good machine with good value of money – EM3600 can really make a good coffee even though you have absolutely no experience in using of it. You could get a feel of regarding yourself as a barista ... lol. Btw, I got a problem in milk texturing, how can I make good forth? I am now trying hard to practice ... hope to be successful very soon. I bought thin machine in the Good Guys ...… Read more

absolutely good price & have no complaint. Easy to make good coffee with such an amazing selling price Probably my problem ... can't forth the milk good so far

Excellent little machine – I was given this machine 5 years ago as a gift and it is still going strong. It is "flogged" every day, making 6 coffees at least. We replaced the brew head seal about 2 years ago and so far nothing else has worn out. Makes an excellent coffee and we have all honed our baristing skills on this little beauty! Best value coffe machine around - currentl $89 at the Good Guys Reliable, easy to use and clean

Solenoid pump – Coffee maker good little machine,(only first one didn't even see a month out), second one lasted only 2 years with only weekend use, and not every weedend. big issue with the solenoid pumps, they brake springs which is a little part for a great cost of replacing a pump. Time to do quality check on parts so that this does not happen. Cheers John… Read more

good coffee unreliable (made one coffee and spring gave way so I missed out. Not Good.)It seem to be a fault with them why no fix it, as I won't buy another sunbeam produce if little things like this cost a lot

Very disappointing – I bought this machine after having a previous Sunbeam coffee machine for many years (Can't remember the model No.) The drip tray vibrates so much that the cup moves and if you are not watching it the coffeee misses the cup just goes into the drip tray. It vibrated so much that a stainless steel cup fell of the warming tray. Also the knob to turn… Read more

it to steam or coffee is very stiff. I cannot turn it with my left hand.

The coffee comes through very slowly I have descaled it and done all the things that the book tells you to do but it is unbeleivably slow. I phoned Sunbeam help line and was told to return it to the store where I bought it. Bit hard when you buy on line and the store is in a different state.

Not impressed with the customer care from Sunbeam.

I contacted the store and they want me to send back and give me a replacement, not sure I want this as it might be just as bad as the one I send back. What do you do? Reasonable price

Not too bad but not perfect either – Had this machine and I think it's very simple and easy insturction on how to use it but it's not the best one in the market but for the price that u are paying I think it's not a bad machine overall. It makes a good cappucino cos the froth comes out beautiful Quick, simple and easy to use, the froth comes out very frothy

Perfect for the price – I have had this machine for over eight years and until now it has given me very good coffee on a daily basis. That is two and a half thousand coffees and counting! It was the cheapest machine at the time, looks great (mine is red, Sunbeam please make more red coffee machines!), fits neatly on the bench with a slim profile, has nice simple design… Read more

and ease of use, is easy to clean, has a nice visible water reservoir... and can make a really decent coffee. I have just had to replace a part that over the years of heat and pressure has cracked. I have been so happy with this item!

Sad to See it Go – After 4 years of faithful service my old Sunbeam has finally died. At a special price of $139 (the last in store and red) it was a great buy. Friends with more expensive machines agreed that it performed well above it's price, and having a more expensive machine at work I agree with that assessment. Now to find a replacement...  Show 3 replies

Excellent! – I bought this cheap awesome coffee machine about 10 months ago and it has been an excellent unit so far. it makes 4-10 cups a day without any issue. starts quickly and ready in less than 2 min! the milk froth is a bit tricky. you need to wait 20 sec for the steam to come. i bought it 89 bucks in good guys! so cheap that i had doubt buying it. i… Read more ·  1

gave it a shot and i can say its totally worth it. use a good bean and grinder with this machine and its brews good coffee for you.

best of the cheapies – I bought one of these years ago & it lasted a couple of years of heavy use. The coffee was to a standard of a good cafe made one. I replaced it with a breville cafe roma & it was almost as good but only lasted 12 months. I've also tried the Aldi ones which were suprisingly good but they only lasted 6 months. For the price the cafe espresso is… Read more ·  1

definitely worth every cent & definitely produces cafe quality coffee. good crema, good milk frothing, inexpensive.

Don't listen to the whingers – Reading other people's reviews of this coffee machine makes me wonder what people expect for $100? This coffee machine is a total gun. I bought mine after a recommendation from my mum who also had one. Since buying mine I have recommended it to 5 other friends who have also purchased it. Yes, it's a little noisy, yes you have to clean it, but… Read more ·  3

this would be the same with any other machine. Also, I should mention again, it only costs around $100. What more could you expect for that price?

I have had my machine for almost 5 years now and it is still going strong despite making a minimum of 2 cups of coffee per day. It makes fantastic crema, the steam wand is powerful, and if you purchase good quality coffee beans and know how to texturise milk you can make a cafe-quality latte every day at home.

And that's nothing to whinge about!

Very happy! – Nice compact unit - came with all the extras, two sets of ceramic cups and saucers, jug, packer, instructions. Very easy to operate, doesn't take long to heat up. Access to water container is good. Smart stainless steel look.Clean-up is simple. Option of single and double shot dispensers and makes a good coffee too! Inexpensive

Happy at last – After trying out a very expensive coffee machine which I had to return and which made disgusting coffee and was almost impossible to use, this coffee machine made me so happy. Easy to use, does make great coffee, looks good too. I did a lot of research before I decided the second time, and this coffee machine seems to be the one that a lot of people liked. So as I said, happy at last. It makes great coffee, simple to use and not big and bulky

Amazing value! – Had the last Sunbeam for 8 years, heavy duty model that cost 4 times as much as this machine and my wife and I think this cheapie makes better coffee! Certainly very nice crema. It's very quiet, fast to heat up and I haven't found anything negative about it at all so far after 4 weeks of use. fast efficient, quiet  Show reply

Waited two years before posting this review - just to be sure – Completed considerable research before selecting this brand and model. For the price - you really cant go wrong so long as you're prepared to clean-up after yourself promptly. This means wiping down the wand straight away (as seen at every good Cafe),run the wand cycle again into your milk jug for another 30 secs to clear the milk and then clean… Read more ·  1

out the dregs from the head and then flush with another cycle of hot water to clear the residue and stop blockages, and then clean the drip tray - and wipe down with a paper towel. Makes great coffee. Look after your machine and it will perform reliably. The DVD is a bonus. Works well - inexpensive compared to other brands/models Slightly noisy

Most used item in our kitchen – We grind our favourite coffee beans in the sunbeam grinder and then use this in our sunbeam cafe series coffee machine....it makes waking up in the morning our favourite time of the day. It's always a request when we have visitors. We also make awesome hot chocolates and of course baby chinos. The freedom to be able to froth my on milk and have a double shot if I want too.

OK – Good price,easy to clean & use, And does not take up a lot of space on the kitchen bench. Looks like the real deal. Easy to use and makes good cup of coffee. Nothing to dislike,you get what you pay for.

Good – Had this machine for 12 months, a great little machine regardless of price just too noisy when frothing easy to maintain and clean although the porta filters a little fiddly to clear. Good consistent coffee heats quickly. Replaced an Italian made machine yet performance is simular if not a little better. Extremely noisy, need industrial ear plugs when frothing milk.

Inexpensive machine that makes decent coffee – I have had this machine for about a year and have been really happy with it. At one stage I put the "group head" into the dishwasher and it stripped the chrome off the metal leaving dull metal underneath exposed and Sunbeam were good enough to send me a new one, free of charge. (The instructions do state not to put the group head into the dishwasher). Makes decent coffee, well priced machine at under $150 No complaints so far.

Reliable, easy to use machine that delivers great coffee and no problems – Bought this machine based on a friends recommendation and its one of the best appliance purchase I've made. I've had absolutely no problems and thousands of cups of great flat whites over the last 3 years. Not sure how I survived without it. Plus its ridiculously cheap, I think I paid less then $180. While it took a while before I perfected my… Read more

technique, I like my flat white as much as any coffee shop in Adelaide. I found the best results are to grind the coffee finer then other machines and pack it pretty tight. Extract coffee until the fluid turns from a dark brown to a light brown, then stop the extraction. Reliable, inexpensive, easy to use, simple, great coffee For the price I have not right to complain, but it is a bit noisy, and it takes a while to heat up the milk since its not the most powerful system in the world. But assuming you can afford to spend 1 extra minute in the morning heating the milk, you'll be very happy with the Sunbeam!

Great little machine – I have the Sunbeam EM6900 twin thermoblock at home (very happy with it), and wanted a machine for my office. Purchased the EM3600 around 2 weeks ago and very happy with it. Nice coffee pour and the steam wand is fine. The heating tray on top warms up quickly and maintains a good temperature. Making around 8 cups of coffee/day (for myself and… Read more

colleagues) and hasn't missed a beat. Inexpensive, reliable, easy to use The filter baskets are a bit 'loose' in the filter handle and pop out when discarding coffee grinds

Everyday latte, at reasonable cost – This coffee machine provides a fast, quick, coffee at the perfect temperature every time. It is in the lower price range, can be bought online and delivered to your door within a few days. This machine makes two cups at a time providing a wonderful short or long black whilst also frothing milk at a great temperature for perfect latte, cuppacino… Read more

and babycinos. Only negatives are that the pump is a little noisy as it pumps water into the machine and need to make coffee and then froth milk afterwards (or viceversa). Would be better if you could froth milk simultaneously whilst coffee coming out. inexpensive and produces a great coffee pump is a little noisy

Better than a $1200 cappucino machine – This trusty little machine has had almost industrial usage and is still chugging along years later! My friend bought a $1200 machine and it is nowhere as great at frothing as this machine, and the coffee tastes better on this one. I have had no problems with this machine, and I didn't appreciate how easy and reliable it was until I went to… Read more

upgrade. Love the stainless steel and studiness of it and the great froth achieved. Only downside is sometimes there will be no crema for the second cup if the machine has just been used, and the two cup basket is loose in the groupcup. Easy to clean. Steam wand, easy to clean and great frothing ability

Should have bought a higher model – The steam wand is not position properly on top of the removable drip tray. When purging hot water to clean the wand, water splashes everywhere instead of directly into the drip tray.

OK – OK for the price but you get what you pay for. I have had better coffee from more expensive coffee makers using exactly the same coffee. Cheap and makes fair quality coffee. The first one gave up after about 9 months (pump failure) and was replaced with a new one - no questions asked. The second has lasted 3 years 6 months. The rubber seal ($7)… Read more

was replaced after three years, but six months later it is spluttering and making those scary popping noises experienced by others. The water is pouring out around the outside of the filter and another new seal hasn't fixed it.

OK – Italian-made pump but the rest is Chinese. It's simple, compact, stylish and actually feels of good quality, but clearly it isn't. Produces good coffee. Compact. Good accessories. 'Stainless' steel started to rust within 4 months. Returned to David Jones for refund. Fiddly drip tray. Steam nozzle positioning not fantastic.

Excellent – I have had mine for 18 months and have not had a problem with it and friends of mine have the same one and they had it for a year longer than me and it is still going strong. I have worked in coffee shops for years and I have only used two other home espresso machines and this one is really easy to use. It comes with a professional scoop and… Read more

coffee press that my brother’s of another brand. The scoop is the perfect size for the double coffee attachment but the single needs a bit more than a scoop to get the perfect compression for a good coffee. It could use a warning light to tell you when the water level is low, but I have run out a few times and it makes a bad noise but it has not done any damage that I can tell.

Excellent – I have had my unit for over 3 years, gets used on a daily basis and hasn't missed a beat. I feel sorry for those who have had problems, they must have received brummy machines. Would happily recommend to anyone looking for a nice looking, space saving benchtop espresso maker. Great little unit - Easy to use, makes great coffee, very little fiddling about. Needs a warning light to advise when water is low

OK – Besides the fact that is wont last a year if you drink coffee regularly, if you keep the receipt in a safe place, the machine will make great coffee. Dont expect it to keep pumping out coffees straight after each other as the quality drops drastically. For a one cup or 2 small cup machine it does quite well, but the old made in China does let it… Read more

down on being a reliable quality unit. If you do buy it knowing these things you will go into the purchase with your eyes open. If I was to do it again I would still buy this unit as the end product is very nice and beside every 3-6 months you get a new machine and accessories. Cheers - bottoms up! I would give it a 2 and a half out of 5 but that doesn't exist so I have made it a 3. It makes a great cup of coffee. Easy to clean. Easy to look after. Sales staff happily replace it with another one when treruned fauly. Looks good. The first cup tastes as good as a coffee shop. Will take and make nealry all coffee beans and freshly ground beans on the market. Good value for money when working. Can make 2 cups at once but they wont be large coffees unless the people like them large and a little weak. Does 2 x small ones well at once. Has 2 different size dispenser units to fit to machine for making one cup or two. Very handy. It is portable enough to take on camping trips or to freinds places for visits (which everyone likes) You have to wait a couple of minutes to make a second cup if using the single cup dispenser. It does not like heating up a lot of milk for 2 or more cups at onlve if they are large cups. I prefer to make 1 coffee at a time as it struggles a little to heat the milk up for a large coffee. NOW FOR THE BIG POINT - This is the third machine I have had in 1 year. I make 2 x coffees a day everyday. Admittedly the machine gets used. But you buy a machine you expect it to work. THe GOOD GUYS happily exchange it. I get a new receipt I even paid for the $19 extra year warranty (a very good thing) and away I go hoping to get a year out of it. I think it does quite well considering it is only $135 for a coffee machine.

Good – Overall I am pretty happy with my little coffee machine. I don't mind that it isn't all too speedy, and the issue with the small cup size sometimes turns out to be a good thing when a small cup will do. I also find that the two cup feature can come in handy if you know someone who isn't fond of strong coffee. It is reasonably cheap(I paid $115 for… Read more

it)and makes a nice cup of coffee. As someone else has mentioned it does hold a decent amount of water so even though the small cup size means that you might have to make two lots of coffee to get one reasonable cup out of it, you won't have to refill the water to do so. I also was extremely happy that I was able to buy it in red so it matched the other appliances in my kitchen. One problem I have found that seems to be a common complaint is that it makes small cups of coffee, and if you use the 2 cup feature, one of these is rather weak. Also, if you use the one cup feature and try to push more out of it than a very small cup's worth, this also turns out very weak. I have been able to get around this, however, by using the one cup feature twice. This does take a little while longer but it is definitely worth it.

Terrible – I could not recommend this machine. Although it did make fair coffee when it worked, it stopped working after about three months. There was some spectacular popping noise (it was all very alarming) mid-coffee. As a previous reviewer mentions here, getting it replaced was a simple process (at Myer, they just handed over a new one). But the point… Read more

is, it shouldn't be breaking in the first place. And then, perhaps nine months later, the replacement broke as well. The machine went straight in the bin after that, we didn't even bother checking if it was still under warranty. Bought a nice Gaggia instead. Made an okay coffee, when it was working Broke twice within a year

Terrible – The first six or so cups I made were good. It was quick to heat up had good water storage that was easy to fill. It steamed and frothed the milk well. Now to the down side, it developed a bad leak around the seal of the coffee filter unit and started spewing water all over the place under pressure. The good news was I took it back to place of… Read more

purchase and they replaced it straight away with another one. Although I did go for a different brand this time. I would not recommend this unit to anyone. Looks Good Broke Down