Sunbeam Cafe Series Espresso EM6910 / PU6910

Brilliant – After many years of happy brewing, I thought I should submit a long term review of this Coffee machine and grinder combination. I can honestly say that if you buy great beans and take the time to get the best grind you will really produce cafe quality coffee. Please don't be tempted to spend more on fully or semi automatic machines, having full… Read more ·  1

control & learning the art of grinding & tamping will provide a far-better and more satisfying result. I have owned 2 machines over at least 12-14 years and whilst things can go wrong from time-to-time, I see this as acceptable and no different to maintaining your car! The quality of the coffee & the convenience of a latte @ home makes it all worthwhile (not to mention the cost saving..........)

My best tips for consistent crema are..........

- make your grind as fine as the coffee machine can handle, the machine should work hard and produce a slow trickle

- make sure you clean both the grinder, group-head & descale on a regular basis.

- buy top quality coffee beans, I have had great success with the premium Vittoria coffee beans, Oro, Nero & Mountain grown!

Enjoy your coffee:)

Great, but group head leaks - Collar wears out even with gentle use :( – I am sometimes torn with this model. It makes terrific coffee, is a dual thermo-block unit (pour coffee shot and steam at the same time). BUT... the reliability of my unit has been average due to the collar wearing out so easily. I've owned this unit for around 4 years. I am an experienced espresso coffee user/maker, and so I very regularly clean… Read more

my machine, use gentle force to lock in the group handle into the group head... still, the collar has worn out twice. The first time I paid around $300 for the service agent to replace it! Now, after only around 12-18 months, the collar has worn out again. Am I going to replace it?? Well I bought the part myself and did the painful install myself (which requires dismantling a fair bit of the coffee machine). The coffees that this machine makes a great. And its a fairly easy to use machine. But the quality of the soft brass collar (the part that receives the most wear, by design) is just average.

Great value home espresso machine – Have had the machine for over 4 years now and it has produced excellent quality coffee, after I had some tuition from a barista mate. Consistency does depend more on the quality of the beans, rather than the machine and I have learnt that poor coffee is more likely to be poor beans, particularly dry and stale ones. My mate said that if I wasn't… Read more ·  1

prepared to roast my own, then save money by buying high turnover beans from Woolies, Coles or Aldi at 12 bucks a kilo, as they were often fresher than the expensive stuff. How right he was.

The only problem I have had, was when replacing the seal. The new one still leaked, as the portafilter was not tight. Making a gasket from a piece of silicon oven sheet (about 1mm) , using the seal as a template and inserting this first, before replacing the seal, restored the tightness and stopped the leak. It is now perfect again.

An excellent well made machine – These are a great machine,they are rock-solid and do an excellent Cappucino,I have purchased a stack of them as spare parts too, collected over the years too in case they are discontinued,for I want to keep mine working,the only issues I have had is the usual with all Cappucino machines, and that is ,Scale build-up causing reduction of frothing… Read more ·  1

capability,(pumping CLR through the plumbing fixes that), the odd steamer pump failure,(I replaced the pump),seal leakage,(new seal),A great machine all round,well present and well made

2nd machine in 6 years and collar has failed on both SS and red 7000 model too – The coffee is brilliant but as my first machine only lasted 4 years and the repair would have been a few hundred dollars to replace seals and collar, decided to replace with a new machine. Collar started getting sticky a few months back. Now just over 2 years old and this collar has broken and I cant get the handle in. Really upset as service… Read more

here on the coast takes 4 weeks and is ridiculously expensive, will Sunbeam back up its products and replace this collar? No one should have to spend this kind of money if they are going to put such cheap parts in them, this is widely complained about. come on Sunbeam.

Major flaw – Two years old and the collar has worn and Sunbeam will not fix it under warranty. Not economical to fix. If only they used a better quality metal in the collar. Big issue with this machine as lots of people have this issue it seems. Won't be buying a Sunbeam again.  Show details

Good Machine but ...... part 2 – This was my original review of this machine from a few years back. It is funny reading this as it is only half the story "Really procrastinated over writing this. This is a great coffee machine no doubt about that. I have convinced so many friends back in the day to get. Even people with $1500+ machines! However my after sales service was… Read more ·  4

terrible. The machine was returned to me after a service and collar swap almost unusable. service center said nothing wrong it was my fault for not bringing it back for its warranty repair to the stream wand like I promised. I mentioned the stream wand is fine but coffee sprays out like sprinkler. Supplied videos. Got more blame from service centre. Wrote to sunbeam got no help from them. They backed the service centre and blamed me. I just wanted my machine fixed. Decided to run the machine until it died. Doing home servicing and seal swaps as needed. Still sort of working. Steam wand finely stopped five years after service center said it was faulty and needed replacing. Life long sunbeam user with 5 other devices in my house. Sorry Sunbeam but no more. Any company can make a good product but how things are dealt with when things go wrong is a true measure of a company. Sunbeam failed me here. Get this machine if you want great coffee at a great price and are competent in all service and repair tasks."

Well it finally went to recycling. When the collar really died (NOT THE STEAM WAND which I got working again) but parts were hard to get/no longer available etc. So now I have a cheepie machine running till my new machine turns up (covid delays). My machine has been on backorder for so long I'm thinking of trying something else. Still tempted by Sunbeam but who can you trust to service them here in SA? To their credit back then Sunbeam did offer to help with a new machine but A. had no $$ for a new machine at the time and B. didnt feel like paying for hundreds for a new machine when I had already paid hundreds for for the service on my old machine. New machine would have ended up costing more than the RRP!

All I wanted was my old machine running and the service I paid for performed. I did keep the tamp as a memento. As much as everything went to hell I really liked that machine and still miss its brews.

Extremely well-made machine! – I use this every single day and has not skipped a beat! Such a well-made machine, I have had this for years, and is super durable. Makes such a nice coffee, quite small so doesn't even really take up much bench space! Only downside is it is quite loud but it is an old machine :) Highly recommend.  Show details

Best Buy ever. Makes excellent coffee and for the price you won’t find anything better – This machine has been absolutely fantastic. Brought it for my wife 14-16 years ago and upto now have made 1000s of fabulous coffees without having any problems. Would recommend this coffee to everyone. Fantastic value for the price. Would give it 5 stars. Show details ·  1

very good indeed – i bought mine years ago,maybe 8 to 10 and it has been in daily use since ,and has taken some spectactular abuse and functioned well i replaced the group head seal two days ago and then realised the group collar is competely worn out as well,so hopefully that arrives next week ,its sounds like a chainsaw when the pump goes ,a durable and worthwhile machine,does a mean short black! Show details ·  1

Great coffee and reliable machine – Our machine is 12 years old. Collar went after 1 year. So this is an obvious flaw with the metal and or design used. However, since fixing $$ the machine hasn't missed a beat. Only 4 coffees a day and rarely use the frother. But it nevet fails. Coffee, flavour and crema is perfect.  Show details ·  1

Great Machine - save's $'s – Makes great coffee. Follow cleaning instructions, unit now failing completely to express shots. Will contact a service agent, but concerns that Sunbeam appear to be very quick to complement positive feedback, but absent with responses to requests for assistance. Fingers crossed I don't experience problems, as I greatly enjoy this machine.  Show details

Makes a fabulous coffee! – We have owned this machine and grinder for a number of years now. It gets used 3-4times a day and is still going strong! Good crema, milk froths nicely, grinder set to 7 for us works perfectly. Easy to clean. Consistently produces good coffee. Friends comment on what great coffee we have when they come over. It does take practice to make a great… Read more ·  1

coffee so don't expect that the machine will do it all for you. The user also plays a part in producing a great coffee. We have had Sunbeam machines for over 5 years now and they have all produced a great coffee.

Great entry level – I've had this machine for years and served me well as home machine. It heats up quickly normally within 20 mins. If you need to make proper espresso you would require a better grinder such as the breville smart grinder which is another couple hundred so bear that in mind if budget is a concern. Cleaning isn't easiest and sometimes its easier to… Read more

just purchase a latte from the cafe. Steamer is competent enough to create latte art once youre used to it.

Makes great coffee – I have had the machine for over 5 years now. The pump is now giving up. The machine is easy to pull apart to clean and I clean it by flushing white vinegar through it. All components are easy to pull apart. The pressure gauge stopped worked about 2 years ago but it still makes great coffee. I wouldn't buy this series again as my friends… Read more

machine has done the same as mine. I will also get and extended product care on my next one as I use it every day.

Great option for two and also for entertaining – We have used a POD machine for years and got sick of the cost and less than perfect taste. A friend had one of these and we liked the look of it. Its been a great choice. With practice the coffees are getting better and better. Nearly always i am disappointed with Cafe versions because our home coffee is better. We often use this for two… Read more

coffees - its easy enough to clean this is not a problem. A few times we have used this for guests doing around 12 coffees and find it fast + easy.

Wish we'd never had a pod machine and saved ourselves $100 of dollars. We will pay this back within 12 months.. and have better coffee.

Great machine for price but must maintain – Had this machine nearly a couple of years. Fabulous coffee when the grind and pressure are correct - pressure just in the top of the red. Easy when you understand how to setup the extraction. Requires maintenance: Frequent descaling (each 1-2 weeks) descaling with tablet for coffee to taste best. A couple of times the steam wand has lost… Read more

pressure - I used descale through the water tank and through the steam wand (even thought Sunbeam don't recommend). This is what worked for me: descale solution in water tank, open steam for 5-15 mins, wait 5 mins, blob of dark brown residue may come out, pressure increases, do over until back to best pressure and no dark residue.

The group head on the machine distorted creating a lip (alloy too soft I guess) making the porta-filter hard to get in and out - jamming on the basket. This at about 14 months - I removed the lip with a file. All good. the same problem has recurred and I just filed it again.

Leaking round the group head. if coffee grounds get caught around the seal it will leak. Clean it. When the seal wares out it does require replacement that can be done easily at home (17-25 for the part). In my case it needed a seal at the two year mark (4-6 extractions per day).

All in all a great machine for the price but need a bit of maintenance.

Fourth replacement and still doesn't work!!! – This is the worst purchase I have ever made! I bought the EM6910 coffee machine and brought it home, turned it on and the pressure gauge did not work, no water came out at all and it made a horrible sound! exchanged it - same thing! I am now no joke on the FIFTH coffee machine and still no coffee! some of them gave me a little water but all that… Read more

did was ruin my coffee! I don't know if there is a bad batch out there but I would recommend not putting yourself through the ordeal of buying this machine!

Workhorse of a machine – The coffee machine: This machine lasts for years when taken care of properly - I haven't read through the reviews but if anyone had issues with longevity I guarantee they didn't do maintenance. If you're prepared to look after your machine you'll easily get 10+ years out of it. We've sold these machines when moving or quitting coffee and bought… Read more

them again. I learnt to buy from people who said they cleaned and maintained their machines after buying some clearly neglected.

Easy to pull a great shot with good crema.

Steam is strong enough to froth milk quickly.

Machine can do cup after cup, I've made around 20 in one session.

The grinder:

Not so great, never quite perfected the fine grind I was after and blades dull very quickly. Ranging from too sensitive on the dial to not sensitive enough I got rid of it pretty quickly in favour of a different grinder. I would give this 3-4 stars if on its own... having said the above, it is better than a spice grinder, or any grinder I've come across in-built into a machine.

Secondhand I've bought these machines from $50-$300 depending on age, current state of residence and accessories included.

Nine years old and still excellent – I purchased my machine used in eBay, way back in late 2009, and have moved homes with it six times, and it never misses a beat. Simple to use and clean, as many have mentioned it's really the perfect beginners machine. Only one whinge really, that being the water level sensor, which tends to dislodge easily, but it's an easy fix. Could not be happier with this unit, and have no plans to replace it.  Show details

Fantastic coffee machine at a great price – This coffee machine produces great tasting coffee without the bitterness, and grinds the beans down very finely to extract the flavour. It's comparable in quality to a lot of other more expensive and high end Brands and the sleekness and finish of it make it look really nice on the bench top. It's easy to use and also easy to clean, but you need to be careful when taking it apart in case any parts break off.  Show details

Excellent machine for beginners! – I bought this machine so I could stop using pods. It's excellent for beginners. I was worried I would become frustrated and go back to pods but it's very simple to operate and having the dual boiler makes for an efficient machine. My only gripe is that the magnet in the water reservoir has become demagnetised but they appear easy to replace.  Show details

Great Machine – Great home coffee machine. I got this as a gift last year and haven't had many issues with it at all. It's a bit of a learning curve at first but once you get the right consistency and like the results then it's just a matter of practise, practise and practise. Makes about 3-4 cups of coffee a day, haven't skipped a beat until I decided to sell it off and get the newer EM7000.  Show details

Good value for money for entry espresso machine – Bought it on clearance from Myer, and the machine works well. However the included EM0440 Grinder makes a bit of mess when grinding the beans, which seems to be a consensus for many reviews online. The steam comes out strong, the coffee pressure is good - although I am still learning to make that perfect cup of cuppa. There's a tiny leak of water… Read more

drops on steam / hot water wands when not in use but if they are pointed on the drip tray it's a no big deal.

Poor quality – I have bought this brand long time ago and lasted for almost eight years. I was very happy with the quality and it made very good coffee. I use it every day 2-3 times a day, so when it broke down I didn’t hesitate to run to shop and to buy exactly the same brand. But I soon realised this one is far from the best as I have before. I need to use a… Read more

cloth to manage to turn steam button to make a good frothing (only good part of the machine). Coffee was terrible, wasn’t able to make one good coffee. I couldn’t believe it because last one was excellent. I just stopped using it and I bought a different brand that turned out to be very good. The grinder is a bad quality as well compared the one that came with my fist machine. When you finish grinding and start making coffee, grinder spills what is leftover that goes to your waste. Not happy at all. Disappointed.

Great...... but coffee pods info confusing on your website – We bought this machine recently, husband loves it. Already owned a top of the range grinder which works well with it. I discovered on sunbeams website that they say this machine uses ese coffee pods. Searched online and told to purchase a pod filter basket for it. Then Sunbeam advised which one too, did this. As I'm not too confident in grinding… Read more

the beans.

Bought appropriate pods. Pod filter does NOT fit in group handle but seems to work without it. Sunbeam is telling people to buy the pod filter basket, why ?

Manual for this machine though does not state anywhere about using pods but your site does. This part of the machine is very confusing. I've messaged sunbeam on Facebook and they will not reply or help at all, why advertise this on your site ?

It has lasted me years with daily use – Had this 10 plus years and with daily use it is finally starting to show its age. I have replaced the group head collar myself once in this time and regularly replaced the group head seal. If you do a little maintenance these machines give you hassle free daily coffee for years. Why write a review now you may ask. As stated my red demon of a… Read more

machine is not sealing as it once did and the prospect of replacing the group head collar again which was a lot of fiddly youtubed inspired work, i have been looking at replacing it. So off to the good guys to look at the em7000 and em7100 to see which i would choose and was surprised at the quality of these new machines. Although more compact and a sleeker looking, everything seemed like it would break in a year or two. So i went and bought a brand new Em6910 in grey as the red is no longer available and a new em0480 grinder. Set it up to test it works for warranty this morning and was impressed with the slight modifications this later model has. It has a broader mouth for the drip tray and a redesign tray float with a stainless steel front. This will make a difference as these 2 things were my only gripe about my current model. So if you are in the market for a mid priced espresso machine that outperforms much higher priced models grab one of these as they are heavily discounted and being run out. So back in the box for my new machine until little red goes to god. Best of luck in your search and hope this helps in some way.

8 Years and still going strong – I've had my EM6910 for over 8 years now and it has been pumping out the coffee since I got it. I use it everyday and by all reports, I'm shocked it has lasted this long. If you care for it properly it'll reward you. The group head collar on mine is starting to wear so the seal isnt 100%. Twin thermoblock system makes coffee preparation super… Read more

quick in the mornings. Paired with a good grinder and beans it produces consistently good coffee. So good, that I have just bought another one from The Good Guys as they must be running out final stock.

I've read that the new EM7000 & EM7100 aren't made as tough as this old beast.

Not as good as expected but ok – Coffee tastes fine but the machine is very noisy and have to clean the group head often or it doesn't cream the coffee well .l would prefer to go back to our saeco automatic machine which was much easier to use and less messy .the grinder works good but is messy  Show details

Faulty product with appalling customer service – I got this in June/ July and straight off the grinder did not work as it should. The beans were ground far too coarse, even on the finest setting. I researched the issue and it was a common problem. So much so that when I contact Sunbeam they said it is a known issue, and that the solution is to send out more washers. They made me count the… Read more

current number and they sent me two washers out. I needed to go and buy more at Bunnings! If this is a known problem, do your customers a favour and notify them in the box and provide additional spare washers. This is a no brainer.

The bigger issue is that the espresso machine started to short the power in my house every time I turned it on (machine under 3 months old). I tested on multiple power points. Within 2 minutes, the fuse switches. I contacted Sunbeam and they sent me to drop the product at a service centre. This is reasonable. What is not reasonable is that three weeks later I have heard NOTHING. When I dropped the product I was told it would be 2 weeks minimum, I said well what is the maximum? The man scowled at me and said take it up with Sunbeam if I have a problem.

To ask a coffee lover to go 3 weeks without their coffee suggests Sunbeam don't know much about your customers. I have asked the Sunbeam customer service team to follow up with me, to give me an update, in multiple emails, and I get completely ignored. This is really bad customer service.

Fantastic machine – My coffee machine gets used every day and at least 5 times a day on the weekends, it just keeps on going and makes a beautiful coffee every time. I do recommend buying good coffee beans and learn how to heat the milk correctly, but once you have mastered the heating it is so easy and coffe tastes as good if not better than any café.  Show details

Awesome Machine – This is an amazing machine for the price. It pulls a great shot (as long as you have correct and freshly ground coffee) and the milk texturing with the wand is easy to do and it makes a terrific coffee with practice. Easy to clean, solid and I'll be letting all my friends know about this machine. Recommmend.  Show details