Sunbeam Intuitive Digital EM8910

Have enjoyed this machine – I usually use sunbeam machines at home and have another brand at work. This would be my 4th sunbeam machine now. My first 2 were well used and I gave them to my brother in law when he moved years ago as I had updated. reason that I updated was the pump was starting to weaken on one and the other was an older machine. He took the failing one apart… Read more ·  1

and still uses the aging machine today. My 3rd one I still have and it works well, however it's in storage as my wife purchased this one for me because it has the grinder as part of the unit. I've had a few other units with grrinders, however this one is my favorite... So far.

The reason that I don't use this machine at work is because it is a little more complicated to use and everything is operated from the front, requiring minimal bench space. The other brand has less options, and being an older model it is not digital so it is easier to use. The reason behind wanting a simple to use machine is more people will use it and not request it's removal from the communal kitchen bench. The side loading of water and waste removal requires a heap of clear bench space. A $12-$17 bag of beans lasts about 4 weeks and I will have 3 double shot coffees per day. What everyone else uses doesn't worry me as the cost of a double shot is $6 from the only coffee place near us, so from day the first day I have paid the beans off. The following days and weeks is just furthering the savings, hence why I don't really mind if others use it or not.

Where the sunbeam machine wins out massively and the reason it's at home is that the water refill, waste, brewer removal, bean refill, etc can all be accomplished from the front of the machine, meaning it can live on my cramped bench without any issues. It usually makes about 2-10 cups (all double shots) per day depending on who is over and what day of the week it is. More on weekends. The hopper is a decent size and so is the water tank. I have not had any major issues yet

When it' was good it was Great – Brought one and had it a month and had to send it back under warranty as it had a water leaking problem. Fixed it and not a drama with it for about 6 years and the the main pump went. Made great coffee used for 2 - 3 cups a day.  Show details

Sunbeam Intuitive Digital – em8910 - It has finally " blown-up". 2 years old. - had two warranty claims - 2 week waiting. The last one, out of warranty was for the spring in the red flange of the brew-unit. cost me 60 bucks including waiting. I was offered to fit it myself cost 35cents. - but decided to let the pro's handle it. Had to send it back to the Hornsby shop after… Read more

telling them, that the cylinder does not close correctly - pathetic. Yesterday I made my last coffee....a bang and I could not get the brew unit out anymore. Dismantled the whole shebang and see the brew unit jammed - irreparable (200 bucks) Made good coffee, while it lasted. a sensible thing to do is : don't spend money on such rubbish with a no good service. I probably made about 700 coffees = about 2500 bucks if drunk in the shop - where is the economics !! Spend it on a European one rather... I too the whole heap and put it in the recycling bin - water and half-full waste container included.

bad service, inferior design/material

Love this machine – I cant believe there are so many bad reviews. We had ours for 6 years with no problems, but we did service it once a year. We made at least 5 coffees a day, and I am so disappointed I need to buy a new machine. Definitely worth the cost for us as it lasted so long. I loved this machine, so easy to use. Did break down once but had no problems… Read more ·  1

finding a repairer who got it back to us in a reasonable timeframe and cost. Now I am looking for another machine. Ease of use, great coffee

Good – Highly recommend, but I have only had the machine for 2-1/2 months but now I can't imagine life without it. Fingers crossed I don't experience the problems documented here in earlier reviews. This is the best home made coffee ever. If I treat myself to nice coffee when out shopping it never tastes as good as the latte or long black I can make at… Read more ·  3

home. Great flavour every time. The frother is very fast. Overall it is totally easy to use. Now that I have read the reviews I am worried my love affair may not last long. Am just crossing my fingers that I will be lucky. I am due to carry out first full clean and descale, will be very careful to put it all back together very very carefully. If this machine breaks down I will be very depressed, because I totally love it.

Love it! Used it every day for two years. Great coffee! – Fabulous, shop-style coffee at home for a fraction of the price. Grinds the beans itself, easy to use with LCD display with simple instructions. Since I worked out to release the steam pressure by running the hot water after use until steam stopped coming out, I've had no problems at all with the unit for over 18 months of constant use. Friends… Read more ·  1

with the same unit have found the same result. Excellent machine, great value! Reliable (now), cost effective, great coffee! Sunbeam should have told users to release the steam pressure after use as it saves the machine from internal leaks and ensures the steam wand is clean for next use.

When it's good it's great – I'm on my second EM8910 machine. The first I had for two years, the current one for a bit longer. When it's working this machine is excellent. Great coffee, great temperature, good steaming function etc and relatively cheap compared to similar fully automatic machines. Also looks great and very simple to use. "Intuitive" is a good name because… Read more

it really is. We've always looked after the machine ie, cleaned it, descaled it etc as instructed by the machine itself on a regular basis, which is also relatively simple. No appliance lasts forever and when I do the math, I console myself that the machine has effectively cost me just a little bit more then a shop purchased cappuccino per week over its life. When the first EM8910 I had started playing up, it started with LCD messages saying "heating" but never did, it then went on to short the house circuit breaker. I thought I was just unlucky and went out and bought another one. Well, the current one has done exactly the same thing at a similar age, so I'm now guessing that perhaps the thermablock has leaked each time and shorted internally. The brewing unit has also played up occasionally (makes an awful crunching noise when something goes wrong) but we've luckily managed to fix each time with a quick removal and clean. I was just going to buy another one, but stumbled across this site and now realise that perhaps I wasn't just "unlucky" and in fact there are clearly some design/quality issues that Sunbeam should be able to address quite easily through all this feedback so that upgraded future models last longer. Whilst this Sunbeam machine is cheaper then the equivalent Jura's, Delonghis, Saecos etc at approx $600, I think most customers would reasonably expect that it should last longer than 2yrs. I'm going to explore having this one repaired, but after, reading the reviews on this site, I confess I'm not confident that it will prolong the life of my much loved EM8910 and it might be time to explore other brands. Great tasting coffee. Clean, no fuss quick and simple fully automatic. My 97 year old granny could use it. Longevity.....my 97 year old granny will outlive a new one.

Dommed from the begining – Failed in the first week, over the first 12 months repaired 5 times over...Same issue each time Failed PCB board, When ever the steam comes out of the top of the machine rest assured it was going to fail soon after. The machine is out of the warranty period now, cost of parts based on the history of this model machine , not happy periodly. When… Read more

the machine was working, what can an Expresso lover say, "Perfecto". Hmmmm the model was discontinued almost 5 months after my purchase. When it worked, the coffee was magic Big Brand product, poor customer service lack of support with a known problem model. Will not puchase Sunbeam again, based on customer service.

We've had it for 3 months and it's made only 1 coffee EVER! – It continually says "clean brewing unit" It's been cleaned, taken to dinner and a movie, given diamond rings generally shown a good time but refuses to work. Sunbeam sent us some service instructions to make some changes but it still refuses to function. What an expensive boat anchor it is, because it is useless at making coffee. we've wasted 2 X… Read more

$45 kilo bags of Toby's estate coffee in the process without ever having had a sip. We want a refund! looks ok it hasn't ever worked despite hours of fiddling.

Terrible – Tomorrow I am on my way for another machine, and it is not going to be Sunbeam. I will not buy anything from them, just like Sony. When worked, the coffee was great. But the first lasted less than 12 months, the second only seven. All problems started with that stupid cleaning processes every two weeks. It is not a job for young people without… Read more

technical skills.

I dismantled the thing, it appears to be a solid design, except some sick ideas with the brewing unit and cleaning.

Save more and buy a real thing.

Shame Sunbeam. it did not explode; I did :( finally the machine gave up, the brewing unit stacked for good. One little bit holding the brewing unit is broken.

Terrible – Very disappointing experience even though this machine is not the most expensive. We expected much better performance as we have other Sunbeam products which are working OK. We will not be buying any more Sunbeam products and I think Sunbeam should take the product off the market after reading the other reviews on this site. Good coffee when it… Read more

works Since purchase 18 months ago has been fixed three times and now it has blown the electrical fuse in our home so it is unplugged and won't be used again.

Terrible – 1st machine went in for repair I think 4 times before it was replaced. my new machine was replaced just over 12mths ago and the new machine has been in for repairs twice and was given an extra couple of months warranty which expired last month and now it is cactus. Need to buy a new machine and will not be buying sunbeam ever again. I think it… Read more

was at the repair shop more than my kitchen bench. totally discusted but that is Sunbeam for you, and I can say this as I had the same problem with their mixmasters... Great tasting coffee easy to use totally unreliable, more time being fixed than what it spent on my kitchen bench - honestly.

Terrible – My first machine lasted a week, as it was producing this terrible noise. It was sent back and replaced promptly. So far so good. After the new machine arrived, it started giving me these messages that were untrue or unneccessary. At one stage the brewing unit was stuck and the customer service officer was quite rude. The machine did not return… Read more

from the repairers for at least three weeks, and then without a word of explanation of what was wrong. Since its return, messages abound, like "waste container is out", and whilst in the middle of cleaning, the message "turn hopper to pre-groud" keeps flashing on the screen even though that is exactly what I had already done. It is now in the process of going back to the repairers and it is nearly out of warranty. I wish I had read these reviews before I purchased the machine - nearly all my appliances are Sunbeam and when they now need replacing, they won't be!! Looks good and makes good coffee Its unreliability. You never know when you wake up in the morning and dying for a cup of coffee what the machine is going to do. Will it say "Waste Container out" when it is in, "Clean brewing unit" when it has just been cleaned or make this horrible horrible noise that makes you want to leave the house?

Terrible – Pity it is so unreliable. The repair shop is close by, and we are on first name basis. Warranty extended by Sunbeam, but every CPU on board failed, water leaked, grinder/brewer unit did not function as it should. Gave up when the repair quote was $600. Hot coffee when working Various strength and cup size selections Unreliable. Brewing unit needed cleaning, automation did not ever tell you the correct information.

Terrible – This is the new "improved" machine. The first died after 6 months, was repaired under warranty. Died again - repaired again. Then died a third time out of warranty because the drive shaft was stripped, and was replaced under advice by this one. The brewer unit jams in so you can't get it out to clean. This is because it has a dodgy lever that… Read more

jams. Sent away for repair - the rattle around with the courier fixed it. Not covered by warranty as they dropped the period from 12 months to 3 months for workplaces. It makes on average 4-5 coffees a day, not a big workload!! Now the thermoblock heating unit has gone and we have been quoted $170 to repair it + $45 freight each way. The machine is not 12 months old yet. The repairer says it is a common problem in these units. There is no service offered between Southport and Newcastle on the east coast by the way.

My guess is they reduced the warranty period because they had so many claims they could not keep up.

Along the way Sunbeam have advised us to remove and wash the brewing unit daily. And soak it weekly in dish washing detergent and vinegar. This is in addition to the required clean and descale cycles.

I doubt it would be possible to make and sell a worse appliance in this day and age. If this is the best Australian industry can produce, then all power to the Chinese, as they probably deserve it for at least trying.

In less than 3 years we have had 2 machines, which have been out of action 5 times lasting anywhere from 2-5 weeks each time, not to mention hours on the phone trying to sort this mess out with indifferent Sunbeam staff.

I would strongly discourage anyone from going anywhere near a Sunbeam coffee machine. The space on the bench where it used to be!!! Absolutely diabolical machine. As was it's predeccessor.

Won'e be buying Sunbeam again – Machine has been to 2 Sunbeam approved repairers at least 4 times. Up until now Sunbeam have paid for the parts, still leaves me the labour costs though. The first repairer doesn't touch this model any more. Repairer had machine for 6 weeks over the summer, had it back for 3 wks then returned for another problem. Sunbeam won't help with the… Read more

repair cost this time so I told repairer to keep the machine for spare parts. Coffee was okay, not cafe quality though Totally unreliable, numerous mechanical problems, repairers don't want to touch this model.

The happiest 8 months of our lives, Over – Grinder works. Nice expresso at the touch of a button, with no mess. Good steam pressure for milk. The height allows for smallish mugs. We never left the house (happily). We were happy, until it broke. It broke down in the first 3 month, and we had it repaired. Then, we were happy again. And then, it broke again. No one will fix it, not… Read more

even the service agents listed on the Sunbeam website. NO ONE!! It is sitting on our kitchen bench like an ancient artifact. We dust it occasionally, and curse quietly.

Today, we ventured out to look for a new one. Although, we would like to learn to love another Sunbeam, I do not think we will take that risk. $800 for a kitchen appliance that lasts just longer than a takeaway cup seems irresponsible. Everything worked, when it worked. Breaks frequently. No repair people or parts.

NOTE. read the Cafe Barrista reviews – This is the same internal mechanism as the Cafe Barrista with an LED interface on the control panel. After having a read through these reviews, go through the Cafe Barrista reviews for some more in depth details on how the machines fair over the long run. Easy to use, great when it is working. Reliability is poor.

Perhaps mine was a lemon – I bought a Sunbeam Intuitive coffee machine brand new from Myer.  The machine is less than one year old and has never performed properly.  From the begining the steam nozzel did not work when first plugged in.  I tried returning the machine to Myer but was advised that I needed to go through the Sunbeam help line.  I phoned them a total of 4 times… Read more

each time being given a different fix quick remedy and each time spending at least 20 minutes or more on hold.  After having a major melt down over the telephone, I was told to post the machine to them and they would fix it.I received a phone call one week later to tell me that they did not have the part available to fix the machine and they would replace it with a new machine.The new machine worked some of the time.  We have persisted with the machine even though it makes you clean the brewing unit after every second coffee.  (This process takes around 10 minutes).It got to the stage were the machine would not work at all.  After cleaning the unit it would just shut down (and dump expensive coffee grounds) and tell you to clean it again.We rang the help line and were told to reset the machine by turning the hopper to preground and then back to beans.  That did work and the machine was back to telling you to clean the unit after every second (maybe third, and if really lucky forth) coffee.Two months later we are back to not being able to use the machine at all.  No matter what we try we can not get even one cup of coffee out of the machine.  Even when the machine was working at its best we could never do the following:+ make two coffees at once+ change the size from medium to large+ change the strength from medium to strong as a last resort we decided to take the ground (unused) coffee out of the dump bin and put that in the preground bypass.  That did not work either.This morning we went out to buy another machine and got really annoyed thinking that we would be spending around $1000 to buy a machine when the one we have is not even one year old. I looked on the internet to find out which coffee machine had the best reviews (saeco, gaggia, delongi) and was shocked to find that it was sunbeam.  If we already have one of the best what is the point in throwing good money after bad?As I've said maybe we just bought a lemon.  It is strange that we have had two machines and both have not worked.  The machine looks great and when you get a coffee it tastes great but it really is very tempramental.  We have looked after the machine and clean it as per instructions religously.  Neither of us are massive coffee drinkers and the machine is certainly not over used (a busy week would be 1o coffees).  Coming to our house for a coffee has become a joke with family members and they all laugh and say things like "make it a tea we need to get home in time for bed" etc.Our problem is that when we returned our origional machine we included the receipt in the box.  Sunbeam replaced the machine with a new one and never returned our purchase receipt.  Accordingly we have no warranty at all.  Not happy jan!!!

If you buy this machine understand that you are unable to return it to the store if it does not work. You have a repair warranty only. Dealing with the sunbeam help line is almost more trouble than its worth and make sure you get your receipt back from sunbeam after you've returned the machine for repair. Great tasting coffee and looks fantastic Hard to clean brewing unit, water leaks from machine.

Terrible – Dont waste your money as i have. I wish i had read some of these comments before i purchased this machine, because i certainly would not recommend it to anyone looking for a good machine. I don't drink coffe but my husband does and he say's it makes great coffee, and he absolutely loves the machine. I have to agree with almost all the comments… Read more

about this machine.I have also learnt the hard way and am out of pocket as a majority of people are.The machine did work great until end of warranty and yes the sunbeam help centre are useless and rude, but some of their warranty places are worse so be weary where you get it repaired.I have had the machine almost two and a half years and was great for first 11 months, now im looking at a $720 waste of money on my bench. At the moment i am ringing around to see if it's worth fixing again.

Couldnt live without it – This is a great coffee machine for its price payed around $700 Makes great latte or short black. Easy to use i really couldn't live without my morning coffee. quick and easy to use, just a press of a button

Jennifer – I bought thi machine July last year, I had a lot of problem with the machine and now it has broken down. I was told I would have to wait at least 3 week for the part, I know someone who has been waiting since January for the same part. NOT HAPPY SUMBEAN!!!!!!!

had it for 5 years and never broken down – ive made at least 10 cups a day for the past five years and it has never failed me yet, i was thinking of upgrading"mmm" but i might hang on to this one. fully automatic good value for money

Terrible – very very disappointed in Sunbeam and the product in particular.I previously had a high opinion of the company and its products. would certainly not recommend the product makes lovely coffee thankfully also purchased extented warranty first machine replaced under warranty, second machine made a total of 6 cups trouble free, then contacted… Read more

sunbeam, then exctented warranty supplier, the nominated repair persoin, heaps of identical machines awaiting repair!!!! now collecting 3rd machine as warranty folks will replace only sigh.

Terrible – Very annoyed, now I am going to have to go through their customer service and I am not looking forward to that... When it worked (1 day) it was great The second day I went to use it, it doesn't even switch on :-(

Bad – Certainly not a "value for money" product whcih is disapointing as Sunbeam were once such a reputable operation and consider a benchmark product. When it operates it does make a good coffee, however I believe the coffee beans is a key driver for this outcome. Unit is not yet two years old. It has been in for rectification under warranty; it has… Read more

also been repaired out of warranty for leaks. Like other comments on this site, also express the concern of the arrogance of Sunbeams customer service. it would appear they are tasked with getting the customer off side as a means of avoiding a warranty claim. Appears cleaning is a get out clause for Sunbeam. the unit in question is periodically cleaned and decaled per instructions. When the cleaning cycle runs the electronic visual display is get a condensation / water film over the display and am sure this is not good for the unit.

The unit has failed again. This time an "O" ring in the brewing mechanism has split, resulting in the majority of the brew ending up in the wast tray. Uncertain how this could eventuate. it is likely the result of substandard material in the "O" ring or damaged during the units last repair.

Terrible – Worst experience ever dealing with a company. The surclip breaking and going through the brewing unit is a common problem as i have since spoken to others with similar horror stories about sunbeam srvice. It happened to mine again just outside warranty - it went to the tip the 2nd time. The machine is a gimmick - shame on you sunbeam! warning - do… Read more

not buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Customer service is appaling, had me in tears when i rang for a warranty claim.I was blamed for not cleaning the machine so they would not fix it, and when i argued, I was threatned by the operator! ended up complaining to the supervisor.He finally agreed to fix it and when i dropped it off to the service agent there were at least 15 of these machines there waitng to be fixed! service agent said he was doing very well out of sunbeam! and also said the machine is only good for 100 cups. The surclip snapped and went through the brewing unit.

Bad – Bought one second hand of eBay which was said to be in good working condition. (Luckily) it was in a good condition and worked exceptionally well for about 6 months. Now has various issues with the water pump, hopper and brewing unit. Because I do actually love the coffee this machine is capable of making, I am currently deciding whether to buy… Read more

a new one from a retailer with an extended warranty for 5 years (www.insanesales.com.au) for a total of $681.95 (which i think is a good investment over 5 years) ... but i really don't want to regret having to go get it serviced over and over again. Makes excellent espresso, nice customisable options A little noisy, a little larger machine than i would have liked. many notification messages would come up on the LCD screen at various times - such important, some unnecessary

Good – There are lots of people complaining if this machine's unreliability but we've had ours for 4-5 months now with no issues whatsoever (touch wood). On the basis of my experience I would have no problems recommending this machine. Good taste - not quite as good as the Saeco it replaced but it's still nice coffee Not to speak of now (see following),… Read more ·  1

except maybe plasticky finish. We did have problems getting good tasting coffee initially but after a week or so of experimenting we got it sorted.

Terrible – This is the 4th sunbeam product i have had in 2 years that hasn't lasted more than a week. will never buy another sunbeam product again. Automatic Had 1st one for 1 day broke. Replaced had second one for 3 days broke again. Taking back for refund. Going to buy a delongi or saeco

Terrible – BEST AVOIDED. First one broke within weeks, replaced by DJs. Second one replaced by DJs because Sunbeam service was useless. Third one replaced by Sunbeam but didn't seem like a new machine although it worked longer than any of the others. Replaced brewing unit with reconditioned one at cost of $130. That worked for a month or so but now needs to… Read more

be cleaned every cup of coffee I make. Makes great coffee when it works. Spending a few thousand $$$$ on another brand of coffee machine that works suddenly seems like a very attractive option after using this heap of junk!!! Doesn't work often and totally unreliable!!! Instructions for cleaning brewing unit are totally inadequate. Conflicting information from Sunbeam Service Centre

Terrible – This is a machine unfit for the purpose for which it was sold. It is a lemon. In my view Sunbeam should refund the purchase price. Unfortunately there does not seem to be any consumer protection once the warranty expires, despite repeated operational issues throughout the warranty period. Looks good. When it worked properly for around 25 cups,… Read more

the coffee brewed was good. Had similar problems to other reviewers. Unreliability. Grinder failed. Brewing unit failed. Flakey message system, nearly always wrong, eg waste bin out when it was in etc etc. Coming from the Far North Queensland, had to send machine to Brisbane for repairs so waiting time is ridiculously slow. Prior to this was advised to send to a regional centre agent who after 3 separate enquiries as to how repairs were going finally said he does't do them anymore. Great. That decision took 10 weeks.

Terrible – When it's working it's great but unfortunately that is such a rare occurrence that most of the time it just sits on the bench looking pretty. The fact that the house circuit breaker now trips more times than not when we turn it on doesn't instill me with much confidence in the overall safety of the machine either! Let's not forget having to run… Read more

around setting all the clocks in the house each time it blows !! When it was working the quality of the coffee brewed was excellent. The unit is neat and tidy looking and makes little mess. The cleaning process is a pain! The tablets are expensive and it comes up for a "descaling" or "clean unit" at the worst possible times, ie. usually in the middle of a dinner party.

Now it only works every 3rd or 4th day ie. it trips the household circuit breaker on the days in between so you can't use it. I'm guessing that moisture is getting into the circuit board somehow, because, after it's "dried out" for a 3 or 4 days then it works again.....but only then for one round of coffees, after which it goes back into circuit breaking mode for 3 days !!! Very frustrating and completely unacceptable. I haven't even bothered to try and ring Sunbeam about it yet after reading others reviews of the poor customer service received.

Terrible – A machine that costs this amount should go for longer than 12 months before major repairs are needed, we don't want to be shelling out $150-$200 each year for a new thermoblock so we won't be getting it repaired, instead we'll put the money towards a better machine which will NOT be a Sunbeam. Reading the other reviews it seems that these machines… Read more

are lemons, should have looked at these reviews before we paid for it, an expensive lesson. Reasonably easy and quick to use, once you had your settings down pat the coffee was good. Compact all in one unit takes little bench space. Makes two cups at a time. The stainless finish scratches easy revealing white plastic underneath. Needs cleaning/descaling at the most inconvenient times. Ours had a microswitch come loose on the inside and it stopped working when only 3 weeks old. Only just 12mnths old now and the thermoblock is leaking water into the internals causing a short, we dried it out but it has stopped working altogether.

Terrible – think i will be looking for another brand that is more reliable i thought it was a good price but that is no good if it keeps breaking down makes great coffee had the first one for less than 48hours replaced it,had this one for a week now it has broken down.