Review: Philips Saeco Poemia Espresso Machine

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Home espresso machines are either super expensive but can do everything automagically, or are cheaper but require a degree of skill, practice and luck in order to get that perfect cup of espresso, latte or cappucino. Philips Saeco's Poemia line of espresso machines promises stunning espressos with crema, as well as more complex cofee beans either using ground beans or pods.

Any coffee lover knows that a great espresso is composed of a great tasting brew but also a lovely layer of crema frothing on the surface. For me, this is where the good stuff is, all the great flavour from the beans concentrated on the surface.

The Philips Saeco Poemia Class Manual Espresso Machine features a stainless steel boiler, a powerful 15-bar pump, and a pressurized crema portafilter for perfect espresso. This essentially takes the guesswork out of making a stellar cup of espresso.

Another feature worth noting is the pannarello steam wand lets you froth milk perfectly, while a warming surface on top of the machine preheats your cups. The Poemia Class accepts ground coffee or prepackaged, single-serve shots for convenience. Personally, I like to buy my own beans and have them ground just right.

The Saeco Poemia Espresso machine is decked out in equal parts aluminum and silver coloured plastic. It looks chic and will easily blend into any kitchen or home office set-up. Making an espresso is very easy. Just pack your ground beans into the receptacle, add cold water to the reservoir and flip the switch to make a single shot or double shot of espresso.

You'll have a perfect demitasse of espresso to perk you up in under 11-seconds.  If you'd rather use pods, the portafilter also has an Easy Serving Espresso (ESE) pod adapter with filter basket, which enables you to use prepackaged, single-serve shots.

I tried both and the results were consistently good although I found the crema on the ground beans I used to be superior in volume and and flavour.

A feature I particularly liked, and most like the biggest reason i would consider the Saeco Poemia Espresso machine over competing products is the Pannarello steam wand for frothing milk and hot water.

If you want to graduate from making espressos to a wide variety of coffee drinks like lattes, machiattos, cappuccinos and others, a great and reliable steaming wand is a must. My own espresso maker's wand left a lot to be desired since I could never get the precise degree of foaming needed to really create great drinks.

This left me with the impression that most of the more affordable espresso makers couldn't muster up the required heat to compete with larger coffee machines. That's not the case with the Saeco Poemia.

just insert the Pannarello steam wand into the milk and froth until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Control lights show when your Poemia Class is ready to brew or steam, so you can prepare a cappuccino or latte macchiato with the press of a button.

The nozzle is also a convenient source of hot water for tea, hot chocolate, and other beverages. The frothing tip can easily be removed for cleaning. I experienced great microfoam that really enhanced my milk-based coffee drinks. With a little practice, I think I could have created some impressive leaf designs on my lattes given more time to practice.

Finally, the cup heating feature may seem like a small thing but makes a big difference when serving to guests and also helps keep your drink warm.

I was impressed by the Saeco Poemia espresso machine. I is an impressive package for $170 and would be ideal for a small office or apartment. For serious coffee drinkers, a good espresso maker pays for itself rather quickly and there's nothing better than getting that great espresso on demand.

Rating: 4 out of 5