The Giro was designed by BMW. This makes it less boxy looking, like most other espresso machines, and therefore much more pleasing to the eye. The controls are simple and straight forward. Turn it on and it heats up in 30 seconds. Select the amount of coffee to be ground, turn the dial for the amount of water you want and press the brew button. Of course, once you set the first two options, then you only have to press the brew button for the next cup. And that is it. The maximum amount of water it will dispense is about 9 ounces. Of course, if you press the brew button 2 times then you will get twice the amount or two cups of coffee. This amount of water works fine for me because I drink cappuccino.

I have tried different brands of coffee such as, Lavazza, Starbucks, Peets and Illy. I have found that Illy is the smoothest and no bitterness, but is the most expensive. I usually use Starbucks because it has a nice flavor and fairly mild. Coffee is subjective. Just try different brands and blends until you find the one you like the most. Just do not use a flavored or highly oily coffee bean because it could plug up the grinder.

There are four lights on the front. One is the on or ready light. Another one is to let you know when to decalcify. The third light tells you when you need to empty the used grounds, dump box. The forth light has different functions that could mean one of several things. This light will either be on steady, slowly flash or rapidly flash. This light will warn you of one of the following. The water tank is empty, bean hopper is empty, drip try is full, water tank is not pushed in all the way, service door is open, brew group is not installed correctly, coffee bean cover is not securely in place or the water circuit needs to be primed. Just read the manual to see what the light status means.

There is an optional Aqua Prima water filter you can buy. This filter is a must have if you use tap water. Otherwise, you will get a buildup of calcium and other minerals that decalcifying may not totally get rid of. Plus, your coffee will taste much better.

I can not address the froth wand because I have a separate machine I use for cappuccino, but I am sure it works just like other espresso machines.

As with most espresso machines the coffee is not quite as hot as I would prefer. So, I preheat the cup by simply putting about one third cup of water in the cup and microwave it for 40 seconds. This also helps keep the coffee hot longer.

Maintenance is easy and quick. Fill the bean container when it needs it. Empty the dump box every day or whenever it tells you. Empty the drip tray when needed. Fill the water tank when needed. Rinse the brew group at least once a week.

Here are some helpful hints. If the machine has not been used for a few hours and is cold, when you turn it on it will dispense a small amount of water out of the spout. This action primes the pump and cleans the spout of any coffee residue. Place a cup under the spout to collect that water and dump it. That way it will not go into the drip tray and you will not have to empty it as often. Also, do not let the water tank get too low or it will stop in the middle of brewing.

I highly recommend this espresso machine. You could spend a few thousand dollars on one with all the bells and whistles, but the end result is the same. They all make coffee or espresso in the same way.

UPDATE: This was the second Saeco espresso machine I have bought. The first one, which was a different model but the same brand, broke down after a little over 1 year. This Odea went out in less than 6 months. Therefore, I have to downgrade my star rating to 2 stars because of reliability. I will no longer buy this brand. I bought a Delonghi and am very happy with it thus far.

Dont buy it! Customer Service is BAD! Machine is all leaky! – USAImmigrationSupport – Chicago, IL
I have purchased this product back on March as a birthday gift for friends. I paid around 800.00. And a month or two later the machine started to spill coffee to the dump instead to coffee cups. These people contacted Saeco-USA to schedule the repair, but now they want to get away from repairing this machine. They ask lots of things that just does not make sense. They ask for proof of purchase, they refuse to contact Bloomingdale’s store, once we fax them the proof of purchase they never receive it (faxed over 20 times). The customer service is mean, and highly uneducated. So 800.00 for 2 months worth of machine life is way too much in my opinion, better get a Delonghi coffee maker! With his machine I never had any issues.

Great value!!! – R. Harris – Flatlands
Had it about two weeks now and it makes super espresso. I had a semi-automatic and didn’t use it as much because it was a pain. Grind your own coffee, pack it and hope you get it the same quality each time. Results were not consistent. But this one is great. Load the water, beans and you are ready to go for several cups of espresso. Now when I get up in the morning or want a cup in the evening, just press one button, put a cup under the spout for the machine to clean the water from the lines, then pick your grind strength and one shot or two with the stroke of a button. Enjoy!! The frother is better than I have seen on any of the semi automatic machines. Sometimes I just cheat and heat the milk in the microwave and have a latte. It is the flavor that I love but I am a coffee lover… I would definitely buy this machine again. I am anxious to see how this one lasts but it has already saved me about 0 keeping me out of the coffee shops so I figure I will be far ahead regardless. My spouse really likes this because now he doesn’t have to ask me to fix him a drink. He can just punch a button and he has his drinks ready to go. I can pull one shot right after the other. Pulling shots back to back has the same quality from first to last. This machine is really a 10 star in my book.

leaky – M. Shocklee – Marina del Rey, Ca
I have had this machine for just over two years. The espresso it makes is very good. It is very easy to use and easy to clean. It even looks good. BUT…it continually leaks watery coffee grinds all over the counter.
A Saeco service center told me that I need to clean part of the brew group better. I have been cleaning the brew group and surrounding areas until I am sick of it…it still leaks. Also, the water tank and coffee grinds door are very sensitive and causes the machine to stop working frequently until I jiggle everything. Now the motor that turns the brew group is sounding very sick and weak. I am trying to decide whether to send it in for a major overhaul or buy a different machine that does not leak. Either way, it is still cheaper and better tasting than driving to a coffee shop!