Saeco HD8761/03 Minuto Fully Auto

[reiimondo]

Hi Coffeesnobbers,

I'm planning to purchase a coffee machine for Mother's Day, I don't drink coffee and know nothing about it, so I've been doing some researching . My budget is around $500 (can stretch a little if absolutely necessary) and Mum probably drinks coffee once a day. I'm the kind of person that goes by "you get what you pay for", so I figured I'll spend a little more on an entry level (but not too much!) rather than buying a $150-$200 machine.

Besides the fact I have no idea what the review means (I kind of just skimmed through reviews and seeing whether it's good or bad), I narrowed it down to a Saeco Via Venezia which is going for around $449. Then I read that, grinders are just as, if not, more important than the machine, where a decent grinder may at least around $150? (So a little to much for my budget)

So then I find the Saeco Minuto going for $599 with a $75 cashback on top, from Phillips. Not many reviews, certainly non of CS. So just wondering if anyone has experienced using this machine and can provide me some opinions regarding this or just automatic machines in general.

Thanks!

[zirkie]

Hi. I brought this machine a week ago, as an upgrade from a Delonghi Latissma (pod machine) and so far it is going well. We're trying out lots of different beans to find the best one. It has a good degree of configurability, and like you wanting a mid-range machine this is what we went for. I tend to make my coffee while getting the rugrats ready for school, so I liked the fact that it grinds/tamps the beans saving time/mess. Our local good guys gave us a discount, I think it got marked down to $449 in the end (but we added extended warranty taking it back up around $600. Anyway... good luck to your mum, I think it's probably a good investment.