Sunbeam Cafe Series EM7100

Great machine...but with some reservation – We had a predecessor to this machine many years ago and it was a brilliant workhorse in our household until we eventually went to capsule coffee. Decided to go back to beans recently and thought this EM7100 could do double duty if we wanted to occasionally use capsules too. Great idea but it fails miserably in practice. Unfortunately too many… Read more

grinds escape through the pierced holes of the capsule held within the specially designed group handle making the coffee really gritty. Not something you get with a dedicated capsule machine so this aspect of the EM7100 was very disappointing. Otherwise the Sunbeam Cafe Series machines are still very good products. Just get the EM7000 instead and leave capsules to their dedicated capsule machines! I hear that this machine has been discontinued anyway....perhaps I discovered the reason why.

Great machine, makes good coffee and great milk – Great machine, makes good coffee and great milk. A good grinder is a must of course. Pod option worked as expected. I have 2 grinders, one for my beans and one for decafe. Show details

I want 5 coffees a day from this machine – Received this machine as a gift, and it really is the gift that keeps on giving. Every. Day! Was also looking at cheaper pod machine and a more expensive grounds machine. This one took the prize for me for 4 reasons: + Can do pods or grounds + Has a milk steamer + Milk and coffee at the same time + Switches itself off (most do) I considered the… Read more

machines with the milk attachment that froths milk through a tube. Didn't like the idea of A> letting the milk sit out between coffees; or B> milk sitting inside a tube. Also I much prefer the control and richness of the foam from steaming milk.

I have been using this machine every day for 2 weeks, using only pods. Of the 3 capsule systems, Lavazza pods stand out to me: rich crema, not too fast or slow, simple pod holder. To be fair I haven't yet tried Nespresso-made pods, but the nespresso-compatible pods pour too slowly on this machine. The Caffitaly pods are worst for me (pour too fast, less crema, probably good for an americano)--but again, personal preference. But therein lies the brilliance: You can try all the pods!

Outstanding machine, well worth the money you'll pay for it. Makes some noises while it's keeping warm, but when it pushes out coffees like it does, I don't care about a few clicks and ticks. Adds to the theatre!

Dials on the front are great too. Use the temp gauge every time I froth milk now.

Amazing coffee, quality build, supreme versatility! – This machine is a dream, makes great coffee and built well. Keep the filter in the head clean, too many people don't clean their machine and ruin the taste or the machine. Show details ·  1

The best Coffee Machine! – Purchased this coffee machine 2 years ago. I use this machine daily, sometimes up to 6 coffees a day when friends drop in. Together with the Sunbeam burr grinder, it makes the perfect coffee. Very easy to use and maintain. Easy to descale and replace the filter and the group head seal when needed. It never fails to deliver the best cappuccino or… Read more ·  1

latte! Must admit I do not use to capsule option. Can't beat freshly ground coffee beans! My previous machine, a Jura Ena 5 was a great machine but could not deliver a coffee as good as this machine does.

Have bought every model since the 6900 over 10 years – This is fantastic, the additional pod filter flexibility is great , I have owned 3 versions of this sunbeam machine over the years and it truly makes the best coffee! I use it at least 3 times a day and couldn’t live without it. This was a replacement machine as my Em7000 developed a small leak after using it 3 times a day for close to 4 years..… Read more ·  1

Harvey Norman product care offered a refund so decided to buy the same model for a 3rd time... first machine lasted 5 years, and was still going when I upgraded

Not Happy – We purchased our EM7100 in January 2018 from Harvey Norman and we also purchased the Product care warranty which covers us until 2021, when we first got this machine it would make a noise starting up and sounded like something was dripping, but after a few months that stopped and overall were very happy with our machine. In May of this year our… Read more

machine started spitting out coffee and granules from the group head as well as the spout. We spoke to Sunbeam who advised that by the sounds of it a new seal (the blue one) needed to be replaced. We replaced the seal but this did not fix the problem. As we had the extended warranty we contacted Product Care and arranged to have it looked at. They advised that the machine could not be fixed as they found a leak and the internals had rusted. Lucky that we had purchased this extra warranty as we would be very unhappy that only after 17 months we would have been up for a new machine at our cost - we have been issued a voucher to the value of our original purchase price excluding the new extended warranty that we have to purchase again, but we are unsure if we will purchase another Sunbeam in case this issue or another problem arises.

Its alright loses pressure – Its alright machine i like the extra cup part that does pods thats about it but the expresso loses its pressure to mutch for me shouldve gone with another machine its okay but i do like the steam seperate from the water presser for coffee pumps Show details

Easy for the novice – This machine is my life savour. Every morning I come out switch t on and within a couple of Minutes it has heated. I grind my beans and place the handle ready to pour. Press a button and out comes coffee. There is a little gage with red and green and the dial will always be between the green, which I know tells me it’s perfect to pour. I have… Read more ·  1

never had a bad coffee, the coffee is always consistent pours smoothly and easily. Frothing milk has never been easier as well. The little temp gage tells you when it is the perfect temp. So no more burning your hands whilst trying to figure out if it’s good enough. I love this machine, can’t believe how easy t is to use.

Superb Machine – Our old Sunbeam Espresso Vita finally carked it six weeks ago and we have replaced it with the EM7100. We were so impressed with the old one ( see my previous review - if it still exists ) that for us, there was no other choice but to go with a Sunbeam. The only criteria that concerned me was our new machine had to have a twin pump and thermo… Read more

block ...this allows me to be extracting at the same time as im frothing the milk... multiple cups for a group of friends becomes much faster as there is no "swapping function" down-time. Other reviewers have said slightly negative things about their coffees from this machine but believe me this is a truly superb machine that makes awesome coffee, cup after cup after cup. If you dont get that same result you arent doing something right. Check the operators manual - if your beans are ground too fine/coarse the gauge shows you, theres another gauge for milk temperature so you cant really mess that up either honestly its so easy to use I love it. Its simple design is very easy to clean, easy to top fill and it takes up a small amount of bench space for such a feature-packed machine. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it and congratulate Sunbeam on producing such a great machine. Get one - youll love it too.

Great Combo Machine – Was so pleased to find this machine that can do both pods and ground coffee. I didn't realise it was possible. We really do use both. Pods for a quick blast and grounds when we have the time. That way I can still enjoy my favorite flavored pods and experiment with different coffee roasters. Adding cuppocinno milk is really fun but watch it! That… Read more

steam wand packs some power. I got milk all over the bench the first time. We have already enjoyed this heaps and only had it three months.

Solid Coffee Machine – I recently got one of these coffee machines after the previous one died on us. It's got a pretty powerful steam wand, which has taken some time to get the hang of as sometimes the milk gets too hot before I am able to get a decent froth. The espresso I get can't be faulted. I like that I am able to do the espresso and steam the milk at the same time. I haven't used the pod functionality on it so can't comment on that.  Show details

Want a solid machine to progress beyond puny "pods"? The EM7100 is recommended – This machine has met my morning espresso expectations. Aromatic coffee even with supermarket beans. A good refinement over my EM6900 which still works after 10 years. The thermoblock EM7100 is fast to heat up (over a boiler machine) and easy to cleaner. The machine prefers well ground beans so invest in a decent grinder too. If want to progress beyond the huge shortcomings of a pod machine this is good place to start. Recommended.  Show details

Hubbies favourite toy – We researched well before purchasing the EM7 100, being able to use pods and beans was the extra incentive to buy this model. Coffee tastes great from the pods all of the time. Learning how to grind and tamper the beans perfectly is a challenge. It's been a month of trial and error but I think the hubby has perfected it. I'm still learning.  Show details

Best thing I've purchased! – Was in the market for a coffee machine but we couldn't decide if we wanted pods pr beans. This one was perfect. The fact it can do pods as well as beans is amazing and it can adapt to 3 different brands. Easy to use and well worth the money!  Show details

Fantastic machine – I use the pods when I’m in a rush and beans when I have time and don’t mind making a mess. The fact you can interchange between was a big plus for me but make perfect coffee every time. You do have to get the grind right for it to be a perfect coffee but after some trial and error it’s all sorted.  Show details

perfect milk every time – We had the first version of this machine, which lasted 4 years of being used every day, and recently upgraded to the next model. I am a barista by trade and am very happy that the steam wand makes fantastic milk every time, even my 8 year old daughter can use it!  Show details

Top quality machine producing top quality coffee – I was recommended this product from a friend who insisted I spend that little bit extra for a machine that would produce great quality coffee and last years. I was so glad I listened, originally was looking at the EM7000 but purchased this model as it was on special. Although I don't use the pod extension, I can vouch that the machine produces a… Read more

quality espresso made from freshly ground Coffee Cartel beans. Easy to use, once you know what to do and easy to clean. Highly impressed.

Love love love this machine! – I searched for 2 years to find the perfect coffee machine. I wanted the milk frother built in, I wanted the machine to use ground coffee and pods and I wanted to produce hot coffee. Too many machines make luke warm coffee. After two years I came across the Sunbeam EM7100 and I couldn't be happier. I used to purchase a coffee from the cafe… Read more

across the road each morning. I haven't bought one since I purchased this machine. The coffee is even better than at the cafe! Cant fault it.

Nice machine . But ! – After upgrading to this machine I was expecting big things Most of the basics are great but the Group handle gives constant problems When using single bottom baskets you can not produce any crema no mater how fine you grind or hard you tamper coffee pours out fast and watery You get a good crema when using double bottom baskets except when… Read more

using the 2 cup only half of the pour comes out of the group handle making a mess when removing the handle ( drives me crazy )

Im tempted to try a handle from another machine to see if its the handle and basket design

A step above the EM6910 – I purchased this coffee machine to replace a 2 year old "reworked" EM6190 where the pump failed. I make a soy latte for myself daily, and for family about once - twice per week. I have used this unit for 1 week. I didn't buy this for the capsule functionality, it just so happened the EM7100 was on special and cost less than the EM7000, so… Read more

buying more for less is better - right ?

The EM7100 makes great coffee, and brings out the flavour of the coffee bean being used even better than the EM6190 (which already is a competent espresso machine). It is a semi-automatic machine, which means your choice of beans, along with your barista technique (bean / grind freshness; coarseness of grind; correct amount of coffee; tamping) will drive the outcome of the quality of the coffee the EM7100 will make.

For Sunbeam upgraders:

+ It's quiet - no more waking and shaking up the house in the morning

+ Milk steaming wand has a proper rubber sheath - no more accidental burns from brushing against the wand

+ Steaming wand has been turned down a notch (slightly less, but smoother pressure). This is great for flat white and latte lovers where you want some froth, but not too much froth - not so great for cappuccino lovers, where a bit more work is required to create loads of smooth froth.

+ Pressure gauge has been recalibrated so that the green zone is the actual sweet spot for great coffee (the amber zone on the EM6910 made for an ordinary coffee, where I was targeting to get just over the recommended zone)

+ Group head has been changed so you can't overtighten anymore

+ Pump / Thermoblock has pre-infusion programming which overcomes some of the limitations of using a Thermoblock rather than boilers

- Uses polished stainless steel. Looks outstanding, but highlights dust and smears in a big way. Cleaning the unit is more challenging

- You need to benchmark the milk temperature gauge against a thermometer. The green zone is good for milk, where I have estimated the beginning of the green zone is 70 deg. For soy, the 60 deg mark is 4 notches away from the green zone. You can tell from the way I am describing this thermometer, there are no numerics marked on the gauge

Some other notes:

. While the use of thermoblocks to heat water is fast and efficient, the way the pumps work with the blocks results in these machines not being able to create the level of crema a commercial espresso machine that uses boilers can create. This means you won't be able to match a skilled barista using a quality coffee on a commercial machine, but with the right coffee making techniques, you will make better coffee than the vast majority of cafes churn out. That's just because the EM7100 comes close to being of commercial grade, and the care factor. It's unlikely you'll short change yourself on the quality or amount of coffee, and you should be determined to experiment to get the technique right.

. One technique for making coffee that is specific to Sunbeam is the double tamp process, where you fill up the head with ground coffee once, light tamp to compress, and then fill again, proper tamp, where the ideal fill after tamping is you should be able to see half of the steel that lines the tamper. This process is described in the instruction manual using mm. It's important that you get this measure right, and does require practice, as you'll be eyeballing all the quantities. Under tamping or underfilling the basket does make for a sub-standard coffee using the EM7100.

. Do experiment with the coarseness of the grind, as this will change with the beans used (i.e. every time you open up a new bag of coffee beans, the coarseness of the grind will need adjusting).

. When cleaning make sure you fold a soft wettex up and get into the gap between the group head cover (the underside of the shiny curved surface that stands out on the machine) and the seal. My experience with the EM6910, found that coffee grinds can build up on the seal, and this can cause pressure failures as the head does not properly sit against the seal when tightened. It's also quite tough to clean as the group head cover prevents direct access to the seal.

. While I have never used the capsule (nor ever intend to use capsules) function, Choice rates the coffee results from using capsules on the EM7100 as sub-standard (45% - using the espresso heads - 75%). As all the capsule handle does is punch 3 holes into the capsule and then brew it as an espresso. I assume this causes flow problems, where the water can't properly circulate around the coffee within the capsule. I think this would be a great machine to demonstrate that capsule coffee is just good filtered coffee at best, and nothing can beat a true espresso using good technique and a good espresso machine :)

Not worth what you pay for it – We bought this machine, because we like to be able to control the steam when frothing the milk. There's very few machines around nowadays that allow you to do this. Our Saeco finally died after six years of great coffee with a crema almost as high as the coffee, and pretty good milk frothing too. We tried a Breville & were not impressed,… Read more

especially with the automatic frother, so finally went for this sunbeam after a friend recommended it.

Sadly we are not impressed & will be taking it back to the shop this weekend. There is no crema, none. No matter what we do with the few factory setting options (as per the user manual), how fresh the beans are, how fine the grind is, how much the weight of the basket. The guage doesn't move and the coffee looks like filter coffee only not as strong.

The milk frother is also not too good. We've been using coffee machines for over 20 years and do not recommend this machine at all.

Brilliant coffee machine – Ok now I did prefer the twin series to this one I found it really hard to find parts to repair it so I had to move on my friend recommended this one and said he had great success with it now even though I'm not an actual barista it really easy to make coffees with and it's coffee are amazing  Show details

Great coffee machine – After doing a lot of research and being sceptical of the brand we decided to purchase this machine. So far it has really impressed me as we moved from our Gaggia Baby Dose. It does what it needs to do so a semi automatic and once you learn how to heat milk and get the extraction right it makes very good coffee and a lot better than most in a… Read more

coffee shop.

It's great that you can heat milk and extract coffee at the same time with the twin boiler.

My tips:

- Always use good coffee beans

- Use a good grinder and play with the grind to get the best consistency with your extraction (we ended up buying the sunbeam grinder which is very good as well)

- Read the instruction before use :)

Does the basics but the finish quality is questionable – Purchased in January 2016 from Myer. RRP was $999. Purchased because, in addition to making espresso, the machine could also use nespresso pods. It also presented beautifully with a mirror chrome/stainless steel finish. Previously I another Sunbeam cafe series which was reliable, long lasting and made a great coffee. This machine make a good… Read more

espresso but the nespresso pods are slow to run through the machine. It is quick to heat and all the gauges are still working. Disappointingly the finish near the dials and the sides turned a grey color noticable after three months of use - possibly from the heat generated by the machine. Sunbeam consumer hotline was not helpful with the problem, I was advised to clean with a microfiber cloth which made no difference.

In summary, this machine does make a good espresso, but if you also want for looks, consider other products. At $999 the quality of the finish should last beyond three months.

I hope my review is helpful.