Saeco VIA Veneto Espresso Machine

I replaced an old Krups machine with this Saeco back in 2001. I got the machine at a close out price on eBay. From what I understand there are 2 different versions of this machine, one with a gimmicky pressurized portafilter (to supposedly enhance crema production, I say BS) and a non pressurized portafilter which is the one I got (thankfully). I was a bit concerned when I first purchased this machine that it wasn’t going to hold up with years of use, as the body is all plastic and has a bit of flex to it. I was quit wrong in that assumption though, it still looks and operates as good as when I took it out of the box 5 years ago. The main reason I purchased the Saeco Via Veneto is because it features the same electric pump (Ulka) that the more costly Rancilio Rocky espresso machine uses. The pump is the most important part of a machine and will set apart from the steam toys that you see in the mega marts for $15, if you enjoy espresso I beg you to stay away from steam type machines they do not provide enough pressure (Bars) to produce decent espresso.

In order to produce a quality shot of espresso you will need a few things though, 1.) The freshest whole coffee beans you can find 2.) A quality burr type coffee grinder my least expensive recommendation would be the Solis Maestro Burr Coffee Grinder, (stay away from the mega mart $10 whirrly blade grinders they won’t produce a fine enough grind.) and 3.) A 53MM Espresso tamper (that will allow you to compact the espresso into the portafilter tightly)

Some of the short comings of the Saeco Via Veneto:
Priming - When you first take the machine out of the box it has to be primed it sounds simple but I had quit a time trying to get it primed. To prime it you fill the water reservoir tank, put it into place, open the steam valve by turning the knob, switch the main power on, and then switch the espresso switch. From the instructions it said water should start coming out of the steam nozzle, well it didn’t just the pump was vibrating and not getting water through (very bad for the pump) so I picked up on the water reservoir and clunked it back into place kind of hard a few times and then it primed right up. (That tip was not in the manual)

No cup warmer - There isn’t a cup warmer, but I put the cups on top of the machine well it’s heating up, I usually give it a half hour warm up and warm the cups even further by running some water through them and discarding before pulling a shot.

Boiler – The boiler on this machine is quit small and it can be a race to steam milk to 160 degrees before it cuts out. One tip I got from another site, when the ready light comes on open the steam valve all the way (with a container under it) till the light goes out, when the light goes out immediately start steaming your milk, that has worked every time for me.

I bought a refurb Saeco Via Veneto for home and liked it so much, I bought another one for the office. Its not much in the style department compared to current stainless models out there, but then again, its not $300.

This is an older, discontinued model, but a good buy if you want good espresso without breaking the bank. This machine has the same pump as several more expensive and more current machines on the market. With a good grind, good fresh coffee, you can make top notch expresso. (HINT: Use the money you save on this machine to buy a good quality grinder.) The pressurized portafilter will give you a little grace if you are grinding too coarse, but your espresso quality will improve dramitcally if you can grind properly. I eventually even removed the pressurized device from my portafilter which improved things further.

The weakness of this machine is probably the small boiler. You will have difficulty making "long" shots and dont even think about steaming milk and pulling shots at the same time. The max I can get from a full dose of coffee is a little under 2 ozs. Frequently my double shots start blonding at 1.5 oz. Again, for the price you find the machines at now, you will not find anything better.

Some dont care for the optional milk frother, but I love it. You stick the tube into your milk pitcher open the valve and frothed milk comes out the spout. Its easy and not too much to clean up.

The other thing that sold me is that Saeco parts are readily available. So, if your machine should break, you dont have to throw it away and find another. In my research I came accross many testimonials for people getting years of reliable service from their Saecos, so hopefully that wont be an issue.