Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black Review

Bottom line up front:I'm happy with the Sirena.

I'm not a coffee snob and don't really care one way or another what name comes on the outside of the machine.I like strong espresso and this machine doesn't disappoint.There are a couple of things that I like and a couple of things that I don't.Here they are:

Like:
- Easy to use
- Can grow with you, i.e. if you want to pull out the Pressurizing disc and start tamping your own shots, you can, and after some practice, will probably get a better quality of crema and espresso.Bean quality, grind, etc... dependent.
- Quick heat up time (less than 2 mins in the morning) and quick steam (less than 10 seconds.
- Good micro-foam on the steamer.My wife likes capuccinos and the good quality foam makes her very happy.

Dislike:
- The water level sensor drives me crazy.It comes on, I refill the container, and it doesn't go off.I have to mess with the container where it attaches to the machine to get it to turn off....eventually.I've read more than a few reviews about this problem.Small overall, but annoying.
- Price.I purchased this machine at the X-mas special (499 w/grinder, barista kit, 1lb coffee with a 30% employee discount ($375 paid in the end).It was an incredible deal...that made it very worth the money.Full price...I don't know.I like this machine, but I'm cheap and I'd rather pay for quality and performance than looks.This machine offers both, but without the discount it would've made my choice more difficult.

There is a great thread on coffeegeek.com about the Sirena.A guy named Wayne, a.k.a. roastaroma, has made it his mission in life to break this machine apart and extract every bit of usefullness out of it.For true coffee lovers looking for a great machine his insights might help make up your mind.

Happy Shopping.

6 month update (1 July 2008).

The steam knob stripped out about 3 weeks ago.One minute I was frothing milk, the next I was trying to get a scalding hot jet of steam to stop...awesome.I contacted SB and they gave me the number to their warranty dept.I called their warranty dept and they told me that SAECO not SB warranted the item.Okay, so I call SAECO and was not exactly pleased with the response.First, they confirmed that the unit was under warranty..good.Second, they sent me a form to fill out detailing the problems with the machine.They had me fax that form back to their warranty dept...okay so far.Third, they informed me that I was responsible for packing and shipping the machine back to them with no reimbursement.Fourth, they told me that if anything other than the previously faxed deficiencies were discovered that it would be repaired at my cost.Bottomline, if something breaks during shipment, you pay for it out of pocket along with the shipping and handling you've already spent sending a defective item back to the manufacturer.

I haven't had a lot of problems getting things serviced in the past.SAECO's warranty repair system seems a little too involved and isn't user friendly in my opinion.I contacted the Starbucks that I purchased the machine from and was able to swap out the machine...but the less than ideal experience with SAECO is important to share.

Other than that the machine is still working well and am still happy that I purchased it.Starbucks customer service made up for the problems with SAECO.

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Product Description:
With this beautiful, simple, and impeccably engineered espresso machine, you'll pull shots so perfect and steam milk so frothy-your passion for superb coffee will only grow deeper. Bring home performance and beauty in every cup.Engineered to be simple.Designed to be timeless. Created to produce the perfect shot of espresso at home. Sirena's Rapid Steam ™ Boiler gives you continuous, powerful steam--and lets you move from frothing directly to brewing without waiting. At just 15 inches tall, Sirena is just the size to fit into any kitchen. Commercial quality portafilter retains heat easily, and features a patented back-pressure adaptor which adjusts automatically to the coffee's grind, for a full, rich crema.

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