The Reluctant Barista: Finds Out the Saeco Intuita is a Super Hot Superauto

Everyone’s caffeine requirements vary. Coffee can be highly customized to your specific taste, which is one of the reasons why there are so many variations of coffee makers and espresso machines available today. In fact, there are so many, it is hard to know how to narrow the options to find the right machine for you. When I'm considering the right machine for my personal needs, I like to start with my drink of choice: Not every espresso machine will accommodate my predilection for a hot hazelnut latte. Some superautomatic machines do not offer milk-steaming capability, which is great if your drink is an Americano, but you are out of luck if you want a Macchiato. Next, I enjoy hot milk in my latte, around 160 degrees to be more precise. A common drawback to one-touch superautos is that often the milk does not get this hot. This works fine if you aren't picky about your milk temp, but disappoints if you like your lattes hotter than the center of the sun (like me). We just got the new Saeco Intuita superautomatic espresso machine in last week and I was curious to investigate where it fell in the spectrum of taste and versatility. Would the features meet my latte-making needs? At first glance the Intuita has a nice small footprint, a satin black retro color reminiscent of a 1980s tape deck and a selection of 6 backlit buttons to match. Fast forward to the good stuff: It also has a powerful panarello. The cup clearance is such that I was able to steam milk and brew into my double wall glass mug. The panarello was so powerful I got a little out of control with milk splatters until I got the wand to the right depth in the cup. I stuck a drink thermometer in at the end and it measured a perfect 160 degrees. Then I set my cup under the spout and selected a double shot of espresso. With a splash of Monin Hazelnut Syrup I was able to craft my favorite beverage from start to finish in less than three minutes. Better yet, there was no clean up required except to wipe down the panarello with a damp cloth afterwards. The Intuita is versatile enough to make a variety of beverages. With the combination of buttons you can have a single espresso, a double espresso, hot water for tea and milk-steaming with the panarello. This covers the basic elements needed for most drinks you’d care to make, and it does so with ease. While this machine lacks the high tech level of programmability and an LED screen others offer, the six buttons really do make the Intuita more intuitive. Consider this if you like the convenience of push button espresso with minimal cleanup and maintenance.