Saeco

All Saeco espresso machines take 120 Volts, and run between 1200 and 1500 Watts (see table below). All of the Saeco espresso machines use the same pump, which provides 15 bars of extraction pressure when brewing espresso. The main differences between the various models of super automatic espresso machines are in the footprint (size), the grinder type, and the number of extra features (basically, the degree of automatic programmability).

Some of the super automatic espresso machines have a chute into which you can pour preground coffee (to bypass the built-in coffee grinder). This is useful if you want to accomodate guests who want decaffeinated coffee, or if you want to experiment with flavored coffees without imparting the flavors to the internal coffee grinder. All machines have hoppers that will accommodate either 1/4 pound or 1/2 pound of coffee beans. The boiler sizes on these espresso machines vary between 50 and 82 ounces. The new ceramic grinders used in the Seaco espresso machines are a Seaco innovation, and feature a very quiet grind - nice in the early morning if people are still sleeping.

There are five "families" of Saeco super automatic espresso machines, and their features are shown in the table below. These are the Primea (shown in Red) espresso machines, the Talea (shown in Purple) espresso machines, the Royal (shown in Blue) espresso machines, the Incanto (shown in Gold) espresso machines, and the Odea (shown in Green) espresso machines.

Model	Watts	Water Tank (oz.)	Hopper (lbs.)	Weight (lbs.)	Width (in.)	Depth (in.)	Height (in.)	Grinder Type	Can Use Ground Coffee?	Price
Primea Touch Plus	1500	68	1/4	33	18	19.25	22	Ceramic	Yes	$2,399
Talea Touch	1500	57	1/2	21	12.5	16.25	14.5	Ceramic	Yes	$1,799
Talea Giro	1500	57	1/4	20	12.6	15.75	14.6	Ceramic	No	$899
Royal Professional	1250	82	1/2	33	15.35	18	15.55	Conical Burr	Yes	$1599
Royal Coffee Bar*	1250	82*	1/2	33	15.35	18	15.55	Conical Burr	Yes	$1699
Incanto Deluxe	1250	68	1/4	26	11.25	16	15	Ceramic	Yes	$1200
Odea Giro	1500	50	1/4	19	11.4	15.25	14.6	Ceramic	No	$699
Odea Go	1500	50	1/4	19	11.4	15.25	14.6	Ceramic	No	$599

* The Royal Coffee Bar can be connected to your home or office's plumbing so that you never need refill it.

At the very high-end of the Saeco line is the new Primea espresso machine: the Touch Plus. This is the first "Ultra Automatic Espresso Machine" in the Home & Office espresso machine category. What is meant by an "Ultra Automatic" espresso machine is that it will automatically froth or steam milk, and add it to the espresso when it is brewed to make a cappuccino or a latte directly. All you have to do is push a button! This is a feature that (until now) has only been incorporated into commercial espresso machines. Saeco now offers this for your home espresso machine use.

In the mid-range of the Saeco Fully-Automatic Espresso Machine line are the Talea, the Royal, and the Incanto espresso machine families. These are all superb espresso machines that are full of features, and that can be programmed to make a wide range of espresso drinks at the touch of a button.

The Saeco Talea espresso machines are featured at three price points, with slightly different features: the Talea Touch, the Talea Ring, and the Talea Giro espresso machine. All three espresso machines feature the "Seaco Brewing System" (SBS), which is a new innovation which allows you to vary the intensity of the brew with a mere twist of a knob. This allows you to "tailor" the brew to a wide variety of espresso drinks. The Talea Touch comes with a Milk Island which basically allows the user to fill it with milk and the machine will froth it for you (nice if you're not in the mood to do it yourself!) The Talea Ring Plus espresso machine is called a "Ring," because it has a ring-shaped touch-pad controller just like an iPod. The Talea Ring Plus espresso machine is also a bit larger (although the boiler capacity is the same as the Talea Giro espresso machine), and it has a chute that allows you to use pre-ground coffee.

The Saeco Royal espresso machines are the Royal Professional espresso machine, and the Royal Coffee Bar espresso machine. These two are the same basic espresso machines (although the colors are different). The only difference is that the Royal Coffee Bar has a feature that allows you to connect this espresso machine directly to your home or office plumbing line, so that you never need to manually refill the reservoir. This is the only espresso machine in the Home & Office category with this feature. Note however that both of these espresso machines have a very large (82 ounce) boiler, so for moderate home use, you would not need to fill the espresso machine that often anyway.

The Saeco Incanto line are Saeco's original Super Automatic Espresso Machines, having a 68 ounce boiler and about a 11.5" X 15" X 16"  footprint. They are also fully programmable espresso machines, featuring easy to use controls, the SBS, and all of the same basic features as the other Saeco espresso machines in this price range. It has that sleek stainless steel outside which many people find attractive.

The Saeco Odea line of espresso machines (featuring the Odea  Giro espresso machines, and the Odea Go espresso machines) are a lower price-point family of espresso machines that are smaller than, but contain many of the same features of the mid-range super automatic espresso machines.

Note that most of these espresso machines (including the new "Ultra Automatic" espresso machines) feature a new coffee grinder technology: the ceramic coffee grinder. Not only are these coffee grinders very durable and not only do these coffee grinders give an extremely uniform grind, but they are uinique in that they are extremely quiet coffee grinders. As mentioned, this is nice in the early morning if people in the house are still sleeping. And it is nice at dinner parties where the noise of a coffee grinder will tend to interrupt your conversations.

We recommend that you first choose an espresso machine based on the footprint that best suits your purposes and space, and then read the detailed features of each espresso machine to choose the features and price-point to find the espresso machine that you are the most comfortable with.