Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black
|
List Price: Our Price: $247.95 You Save: $352.04 (59%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black
Customer Review: Good product
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Starbucks Sirena is Amazing!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok - I spent hours pouring over reviews of machines before purchasing the Sirena. Because I wanted to do everything just right, I took an hour after the purchase to set it up following the extended instructions word by word. (For more experienced users, the quick setup would work and you would have your drink quick!) My first latte was amazing! I didn't even use syrup - it tasted great.
My initial concern: long time to brew espresso/confusion as to the purpose of the "self-tamper". It took a long time for my shots to pull, mostly just dripping. So, I reread thoroughly all the Amazon reviews (much better than those on the SB website) and found that:
FIRST - those with major issues probably had faulty machines or it was user-error. (no offense)
SECOND - there is some trial and error required for grind, etc.
MOST IMPORTANT - if your shots pull slowly (drip) simply POKE A LARGER HOLE IN THE RUBBER GASKET (self tamper).
Although I tried removing the self-tamper completely as some suggested - it produced zero creme. By simply using a sewing needle to open the hole a bit more, my espresso flowed smoothly out of the portafilter in seconds and it had the most beautiful creme. I AM THRILLED! I tested the heat of the straight shot and it was quite warm - but when added to frothed milk at a temp of 160 or more - it was the most delightful latte I have ever had - definitely rivals that of SB!
This machine is great for quality espresso, quality froth and good looks.
Oh - one more thing - I do agree with other reviewers that the need to drain the excess water from the steam wand before steaming is annoying, however, I have a system. Here is my method:
1. Turn on and warm up, meanwhile warm your mug with hot water
2. Once machine is ready, run 2 shots of water through to heat up the portafilter (I have the two most perfect glasses I use to hold the shot - they are tall slender juice glasses that fit perfectly under the portafilter)
3. Leave the portafilter connected while steaming/frothing milk
a. use one of the juice glasses (or another tall glass) to collect the excess water from the steam wand before steaming milk in stainless steel pitcher.
b. steam/froth milk to at least 160 degrees. I am able to steam first, then froth the top or visa versa. The frother is great!
4. Set milk aside or on warmer (the warmer isn't that warm, so don't count on it for "heat")
5. Remove hot portafilter, wipe out extra water/grounds and fill for one or two shots
6. Replace portafilter and choose your shot size (the time it took to add your espresso grounds is exactly enough to rewarm the machine)
7. Pull your shots, pour into mug and add milk immediately.
**Starbucks trains that you should add your milk to shots within 10 seconds for best results. That is why frothing first is important!
I have it down to a science now after just owning the machine for 4 days. If I learn anything new, I will update/edit my review. I think reviews are so important for others considering a product or having problems. They sure helped me and I hope I helped someone else!
God Bless and Happy Latte!
Customer Review: I dont know what Im talkin about
Summary: 4 Stars
I wouldnt exactly call myself an espresso aficionado, but I do love my coffee. Ive had the sirena for a week now (and only have it because amazon dropped it to a sensible price, if only for a couple of days). 299.99 is by far the cheapest this thing has been. Anyway, my wife and I have been having a blast with this thing. She loves all the fuzzy starbucks drinks (decaf soy vanilla nut macahino 2 pump somethin or other) and seems to think I make them right on. Almost as soon as I had it set up, she had 10 bottles of syrups on the counter. So thats savin me 20 bucks a week right there.
To keep the review short, ill say that It looks great, its a perfect size, it functions completely as advertised, the steam wand is awesome for steaming or just getting a hot water for an americana. The only issue that Ive noticed is that it seems to be pretty inconsistent with the amount of water it dispenses for both single and double shots. Sometimes I get 2 oz's sometimes 1 3/4...sometimes even as little as 1 oz for a double shot. thats pretty annoying. However, Im guessing that their intention is that you learn to use a consistent amount of coffee and then program the buttons to get the perfect amount every time. Ill work on that when i get my burr grinder.
Update: FYI 2 times now, ive put coffee in the porta filter, pressed the double shot button and walked away only to have the porta filter flung from the machine spackling my kitchen with grounds and breaking my mug. Now, Im sure its not really a flaw with the machine, I think im just not getting the filter locked in properly. However, this may require a better locking mechanism in V2. Definitely something for users to watch out for.
Update - Getting close a year and this thing is still working great. Ive only had a few problems. The above mentioned porta-filter tossing feature is out of control. I simply wont walk away from this thing while its brewing...hell...i wont event take my had off the porta filter. Honestly, I think this thing is possessed. If i brew 100 shots while watching the porta filer it works fine...on the 101 shot if i walk away, it flings across the room. Seriously, I dont trust it. Other then that it works great. One more thing. Ive heard a lot of people talking about removing the rubber gasket and using a tamper. If you read the instructions carefully, it tells you to only remove the gasket if you are using PODS...not for manual tamping. I tried it a few times since so many people have said they are doing it and it wreaked havoc on the machine. It appeared to cause so much internal pressure that water had a hard time coming out, the water pump wouldnt turn off after the normal 10-15 seconds..it would keep pumping till it was obviously strained and then Id have to manually hit the shot button again to get it to quit. this also caused me to have to re-prime the machine each time. Leave the gasket it in...if you want to tamp, get a different machine. Just my opinion
Customer Review: This Is A Machine You Must Learn To Master But Is Very Capable
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had my Sirena for approximately 2 months now and am totally satisfied with it's results!! But it takes some learning to master. The comments here are unjustified and I felt the need to respond. It looks good but it's a middle of the road machine and like anything else, you get what you pay for.
First, you need to throw the rubber disc and rubber peg in the garbage. It's just a gimmick designed for folks who never drew a shot before...and besides that, it takes all the fun away from creating your very own perfect shot. Next, you need to buy a nice, heavy 58mm tamper. I bought a beautiful all stainless one for 25 bucks and it is more than adequate. Next, you need to get yourself a quality BURR grinder...and don't let anybody tell ya different, THE PROPER GRIND IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ESPRESSO MACHINE ITSELF!! I found a nice commercial Rancilio on Ebay for less than 200 bucks (nobody said espresso making is a cheap hobby either). When trying to find the proper grind, I found just a few adjustment clicks on the grinder will vary the length of the pour 5 to 10 seconds while all my other prep was identical. I strive for a 25 second pour and this machine will produce a shot that is just as good as commercial machines costing thou$and$ more. If you change coffee beans, you may have to fine tune your grind to get that 25 second pour...but that's the fun part, you're in charge of the results.
Now, the steam wand...I agree that it is not the best but it can be tweaked to accomplish excellent results. First off, there is no separate boiler for the steam like the more expensive machines. It uses a thermal block which takes hot water from the heated boiler and converts it to steam. I found that purging the water from the steam wand first...and then cycling the HW and steam buttons back and forth a couple of times without drawing anything, will produce all the steam you'll need to froth enough creamy, velvety milk for 2 cappuccinos at once!! Frothing is another art form which takes practice but I keep the end of wand near the surface to stretch the milk and then bury the wand until 160 degrees is reached. BINGO, ENJOY!!!
If you want perfect cappuccinos or lattes everytime, get yourself a $4000 fully automatic machine. The Sirena is a more than adequate semi-automatic machine that allows you to be creative and show off a little bit :-)
A Happy Tamper
Customer Review: So-so machine while it works. Not recommended.
Summary: 2 Stars
I used my Sirena for almost 2 years and was mildly satisfied with it, but now need to repair it and believe it is not worth fixing. This would not be the case with a better name brand.
I do not recommend this machine.
I used my Sirena for almost 2 years and was barely satisfied with it. However, now that I need to repair it, I do not believe it is worth fixing. This would not be the case with a better name brand. From reports and personal experience the older Starbucks Barista worked better and was more reliable. Starbucks had the Sirena designed to look better and thus be able to charge more for it.
Likes:
The machine does look nice
I like the gauge. You have to perform a few tricks to make, say, a cappuccino, where you clean out the steamer of weak, sputtery steam and then preheat the espresso side by making a coffee-less espresso before attempting to steam & brew. Once you've played with the machine enough, you know how to monitor the gauge to help determine when you have performed the tricks properly.
Dislikes
I am not a fan of the rubber piece that produces "fake crema". I say fake, because espresso connoisseurs depend on the crema to show whether the espresso was properly made. It is not supposed to be the end in itself, but rather shows whether you had the right temperature, pressure, and tamping. And, even those espresso experts can make a bad cup once in a while. Starbucks/Saeco should not try to dumb down the machine. It only disguises mistakes.
The plastic piece on the steamer wand breaks easily. Most companies would replace such a simple part for free. Saeco charges $5 each time. Bad.
The riser for making a cup of espresso is a pain. The machine is really only designed for putting large cups underneath.
The metal tray does not drain well. Most drips form a pretty big puddle before they drain into the pan.
The portafilter can leak if you do not use force to tighten it. My wife has a problem with this.
Reliability is not good. In researching my problem with poor steam output, it seems people have had a wide variety of problems.