Philips Saeco SyntiaSuper-automatic espresso machine

So I've gotten the 8837 and thinking with the reviews, I'd made a mistake. Well, to be honest, I must have gotten a good one. I find by following the instructions from the book it was easy to set up and perfect coffee first time. Yes, the waste trays are a little small but as a rule I check them all each time before using and after all, it is a domestic product. I have soft water if that makes a difference? Two things. I use the same coffee beans consistently that I've used in my esam so with a fine grind and it tastes fantastic. The other thing is, the milk is pretty bubbly but if you steam on the angle then you do get that silky milk froth. Worth experimenting. I love the taste it brings out of the coffee and the colour looks perfect.

Have had the machine almost 1yr. The machine had and LED display issue after a few months of use and under warranty was repaired fairly quickly. The mechanism is very easy to clean and maintain as advised in the manual. I think the water reservoir could have been designed a little larger perhaps 50% larger as I believe there is room to do so in this machine since the low water indicator comes on when there is still 3/4" of water in the container this would avouch of filling the container so frequently.

Ceramic grinder is critical and with proper care this machine has provided years of trouble free and delicious coffee drinks. Stick with medium roast as less bean oil to gum up....also tastes better.

Have had it for 3.5 years, have never had a problem with the machine, and pull 2-6 shots per day every day. I clean it weekly and do other maintenance and it runs like a charm. If there is a problem one can find replacement parts easily and cheaply. Great machine.

Easy to use, clean, user friendly, I can have coffee everyday!

The product work flawless. the only thing I dislike is the dripping when you start the maker or when yuo switch to the use the pannarello. It is kind of messy.

Nice little machine. Have had it for 2 1/2 months and make 4 to 5 cups a day...works great. Just need to drain the tray daily and rinse out the mechanics weekly. The two negative things I have are: A larger water container would be nice and the steamer hangs a little close to the back, causing me to put a couple scratches on the back when steaming milk (not a big issue). Overall...great machine. I use bottled water in it...and have not had to declassify yet...will do so after 3 full months of use.

The saeco syntia makes reasonably good coffee, comparable to another brand's super-automatic espresso/coffee machine we had previously. There are some issues with it, though: 1) The water container is way, way too small. Should be twice as big. 2) The bypass for adding pre-ground coffee has too small a doorway, making it almost impossible to avoid spilling grounds on the top of the machine, and the doorway won't stay open without holding it. 3) If you put even one level scoop (the scoop provided with the machine) of pre-ground coffee in the bypass, the machine will throw away the coffee and not brew anything. You have to use less coffee. 4) The instructions for programming the amount of water to use for the two buttons provided for this are inadequate. It took a while to figure out how to do it. 5) The plastic cover that prevents you from accidentally sticking your fingers in the coffee grinder is useless because who would stick their fingers in there anyway? And it causes the beans not to feed cleanly sometimes. Fortunately, it can be removed. The biggest drawback is the completely inadequate size of the water tank. Second would be the crazy expensive price of the filter.

It would be great to be able to continue to brew when you have to dump the waste bin. Also, the waste water storage is too small.

This is a nice compact machine and fit under my kitchen cupboard very well. The stainless steel material blends well with any kitchen. It makes excellent froth / steamed milk, espresso dispensed was good. Once I got used to the machine, it was easy to operate. However, I was unable to obtain consistent espresso. I measured it with a beaker and sometimes I would get 30 ml and other times I'd get 50 ml and anywhere in-between. I am certain that the computer chip or whatever controls the amount of espresso dispensed was "off". Hence, I returned it.