Saeco Vienna De Luxe 4045 Buyers Reviews, Praise And Problems

The saeco vienna de luxe is among the best selling expresso machines on the market at the moment. In this article I you will learn, I hope, enough so that you can decide if it is the right machine for you, we will cover technical facts and hear what real owners have to say about it.

First the basic overview and facts:

- Full product/model name – Saeco 4045 Vienna Plus 15-Bar-Pump SuperAutomatica Espresso Machine

- Manufacturer: Saeco International Group (saeco.com)

- Prices: Retail is $700 but your target price should be no more than $520.

Description
This model has 15 bars of pump pressure and 1250 watts of power which is a good high level of power for a home superautomatica espresso machine.

Users report that the control panel is easy to use. There is a button knob for defining the level of coffee that goes into a cup, a simple make coffee button, a button for the steam function and lights for temperature-ready, coffee-function, steam temperature, alarm and power on.

Upto 12 ounces (300 grams) of whole coffee beans can be held at one time and the built-in bean grinder lets you finely model the granularity of your coffee bean grinding. If you have not used fresh ground coffee before you’re in for a nice flavorful surprise.

A function called the OptiDose controls the amount of ground coffee used for each cup (from 6 to 9 grams). The removable Pannarello wand froths milk for cappuccino’s and lattes and works well to dispense hot water for Americanos, teas and hot chocolates.

A popular feature is the machine’s removable brew group that allows you to tamp, brew, and dispense all in one cycle. For quick rinsing and chemical-free cleaning you simply remove the brew group by pressing a button.

Other beneficial features include a removable 57-ounce(1.4 litre) water tank which makes it easy to fill. A stainless-steel boiler, 15 puck capacity dreg drawer and height-adjustable dispensing spout for several cup sizes.

Technical Factsheet
– Power output: 1250 watts
- Pump or steam: Pump
- Maximum pump pressure: 15 bars
- Color: Silver or black
- Water tank capacity: 7-1/8 cups
- Built-in tamper: Yes
- Built-in water filter: Yes
- Timer: No
- Coffeemaker attached: No
- Removable water tank: Yes
- Built-in grinder: Yes
- Steam wand: Yes
- Espresso pod adapter: No
- Programmable brew amounts/cup sizes: Yes
- Automatic: Yes
- Height: 15-1/2 inches x 15 inches long x 14 inches deep
- Weight: 18 lbs

User Reviews – the good the bad and the ugly!

These are snippets of comments found online from real users. I have cut snuppers from longer comments in order to present key points.

The Good
- Espresso has a beautiful rich crema right out of the box, I didn’t have to experiment with grind setting at all.

- The steaming wand makes perfect frothed foam.

- My priority has always been flavor and consistency and that the Vienna Plus delivers.

- Don’t get mesmerized by stainless steel shine or computerized display magic and save yourself some money by getting this machine.

- The ease of use is amazing. Clean up is easy.

- The coffee brewed by the Vienna Plus is excellent. The crema is thick and rich. Frothed milk climbs vertically out of the cup

- This machine might not be the expensive, flashy, big show, high maintenance beauty queen, but it does deliver at about half the price (of an Incanto Sirius)

The Bad and Ugly
The only complaint I have is if you are using a large cup for regular coffee you have to angle putting in and removing the cup since the bottom of the drip spouts are not high enough even when adjusting the pull-down or push-up spout that is provided

The machine was very flimsy. Almost entirely made of plastic. Sent it back before first cup…we wonder why they didn’t give it a chance and just went on first impression…The plastic exterior on the Vienna saeco expresso machines is often cited as a minor complaint but most then go on to say how it becomes insignificant once they start to use it.

Parting shot
…used it every single day and are very pleased. This machine is so easy to use, pretty quiet and I feel like I’m getting a coffee house product in my own kitchen

In summary
It’s no surprise that the Saeco Vienna 4045 expresso machine is so popular. It has a ton of features normally only found togther on much more pricey expresso machines, as the users say, it makes great coffee and apart from some niggles over build material and larger cups has very few drawbacks, plus, it is priced very well at a level that is affordable for many of us. If it is in your budget range and you can’t afford to step up to one of the more fancy $1000+ type machines then the saeco vienna superautomatica is a worthy contender.