Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black

Manufacturer : Starbucks Coffee Co In Stock : 3 List Price: $599.99 Price: $399.00 You Save: $200.99 (33%) Quantity : 1 2 3

Features

• 15-bar pump-driven espresso machine with stainless steel broiler and patented back pressure adapter
• Dual brewing spout; one-touch pre-measured single and double shots; user-programmable settings
• Steam wand with pannarello adapter; Rapid Steam boiler for rapidly switching from brewing to frothing
• Accommodates E.S.E. pods and ground espresso, 57.5-ounce removable water tank, adjustable and removable drip tray
• Measures 13 by 15 by 12 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Description

Designed by the award-winning BMW Designworks exclusively for Starbucks. Bring home performance and beauty in every cup. Engineered to be simple. Designed to be timeless. Created to produce the perfect shot of espresso at home. Every single time. Sirena's Rapid Steam™ Boiler gives you continuous,powerful steam -- and lets you move from frothing directly to brewing without waiting. At just 15 inches tall, Sirena is just the size to fit into any kitchen.Sirena's commercial quality portafilter retains heat easily, and features a patented back-pressure adaptor which adjusts automatically to the coffee's grind, for a full, rich crema.One touch button to pull measured shotSelf tamping and back pressure for the perfect shotLED water tank empty indicator lightOwner's Manual

Amazon.com Review

Designed by the award-winning BMW Designworks exclusively for Starbucks, the Sirena is a 15-bar pump-driven espresso machine with dual brewing spouts, a stainless steel broiler, and a patented back pressure adapter to ensure great espresso extraction. The included steam wand with pannarello adapter lets you easily froth milk for lattes or cappuccinos. A ground coffee filter lets you make single or double shots, or use the included pod filter which accommodates E.S.E. coffee pods. Easy to read status lights show when the machine is ready to brew or steam, and the Rapid Steam boiler allows for quickly switching from brewing to frothing. The 57.5-ounce water tank removes easily for cleaning and refilling and a blue LED light indicates when the water tank is empty. Additional features include an adjustable and removable drip tray, a cup-warming surface, programmable brew settings, a temperature gauge, and an auto shut-off safety feature after 90 minutes of inactivity.

What’s in the Box
Sirena espresso machine; 1 portafilter;1 power cord; 1 user’s manual; 1 plastic support peg; 1 rubber gasket adapter; 1 ground coffee filter; 1 pod filter

Customer Reviews

Average Rating of 4.50 out of 29 reviews

Rating :
Sirena makes very good espresso but too many little inconveniences - George Massaro, May 13, 2008

I was very excited to be able to buy the Sirena for $299.99 on Amazon recently. What a great deal! I knew from reading the reviews here to immediately make the hole larger in the rubber disk if I wanted to use the portafilter in its pressurized configuration. Since I don't have a good tamper I decided to try it with the rubber inserts. It worked perfectly, no leakage or problems, so I must have successfully opened up the hole enough. Thanks to all of the reviewers who mentioned this!

From my very first shot the espresso was delicious. I am using the new organic Sumatra from Starbucks and also use their espresso roast. I was worried about the grind being fine enough since I'm am using a cheapie grinder, not a burr, but had no problems and I am amazed at the consistency of the wonderful taste of the espresso. I like my coffee strong so I fill the portafilter more than the recommended 3/4 full.

Now for the little problems/inconveniences. I did not see this first item mentioned in any of the reviews I read. The stainless steel filter insert fits so tightly into the portafilter that the only way I can get it out is to pry it out with a thin screwdriver. Even my strong son could not get it out with his fingers. This becomes a real inconvenience for cleaning purposes if you frequently make espresso.

Also, the portafilter unit itself is extremely hard to twist into place. One reviewer mentioned that this machine was heavy enough that when guiding the portafilter into place you did not have to hold onto the machine. Well, that is not the case with mine; I have to practically "hug" the machine to hold it in place while I insert and move the portafilter into place. I thought it would loosen up after a few days but it has not.

Two other smaller issues. The top cup warmer simply does not warm anything. Even after the machine has been on for a couple of hours you can still place your hand on it. To truly warm up cups it would have to be way too hot to touch. Not a big deal but they shouldn't advertise a cup warmer feature that doesn't work. The other small annoyance is the water level warning light. It goes on when the tank is still 1/3 full and the machine will not function until you put more water in. Again, a small thing but basically you don't get the benefit of the amount of ounces of water the tank holds. There is enough water left in the tank when the warning light comes on to have been able to make several espresso shots.

I have problems with the steamer/frother wand but I know that is probably more my own inexperience than anything else. I'm used to frothing my half & half and milk in the Bodum pump frother and it creates wonderful microfoam each and every time. Only one time was I able to create a quality foam with the Sirena. From reading reviews here I knew to put a cup under the wand when first opening up the steam knob because hot water comes out so that wasn't a problem, but with the knob all the way open, which is the only way to get enough time to create froth, it was pretty stressful for me....very powerful steam pressure. I'm trying to "surf the hole" as they say to create the quality foam but not splatter milk all over the place, which I managed to do a few times, trying to not scald the milk which I also managed to do twice. I know I will probably get better with practice but I'm tempted to just use the Bodum to froth the milk since it is so reliable and "stress-free".

I'm a Cappuccino gal so have been pulling the shots right into my mug but at first in order to program the double shot quantity I wanted to come out I used two shot glasses. How in the world are you supposed to pick up those little glasses filled with boiling hot liquid to pour into a cup?? Pot holders are too big and awkward for such little glasses. I used a folded paper towel which worked okay but a little did spill onto my finger. Any advice on that when you want to use shot glasses?

Bottom line is that you buy an espresso machine for the purpose of creating quality, good tasting espresso which the Sirena certainly accomplishes, but for frequent usage I think the small problems will become more of an issue. Of course, I've only owned one other espresso machine, a low priced steam driven one, so I don't have a lot to compare to. If I had paid the original $600 or even $400 after the second price drop, I would really have more of a problem with the issues mentioned, but for $300....that softens it a bit.

Laura


Rating :
I dont know what Im talkin about - V. Pallari, May 05, 2008

I wouldnt exactly call myself an espresso aficionado, but I do love my coffee. Ive had the sirena for a week now (and only have it because amazon dropped it to a sensible price, if only for a couple of days). 299.99 is by far the cheapest this thing has been. Anyway, my wife and I have been having a blast with this thing. She loves all the fuzzy starbucks drinks (decaf soy vanilla nut macahino 2 pump somethin or other) and seems to think I make them right on. Almost as soon as I had it set up, she had 10 bottles of syrups on the counter. So thats savin me 20 bucks a week right there.
To keep the review short, ill say that It looks great, its a perfect size, it functions completely as advertised, the steam wand is awesome for steaming or just getting a hot water for an americana. The only issue that Ive noticed is that it seems to be pretty inconsistent with the amount of water it dispenses for both single and double shots. Sometimes I get 2 oz's sometimes 1 3/4...sometimes even as little as 1 oz for a double shot. thats pretty annoying. However, Im guessing that their intention is that you learn to use a consistent amount of coffee and then program the buttons to get the perfect amount every time. Ill work on that when i get my burr grinder.

Update: FYI 2 times now, ive put coffee in the porta filter, pressed the double shot button and walked away only to have the porta filter flung from the machine spackling my kitchen with grounds and breaking my mug. Now, Im sure its not really a flaw with the machine, I think im just not getting the filter locked in properly. However, this may require a better locking mechanism in V2. Definitely something for users to watch out for.


Rating :
my wife likes it - shoo, May 03, 2008

looks great, works great. i was concerned with the tamper, but it works decent if you don't like to load up your filter. has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from an above average machine. buttons are a little flimsy, but don't appear to be so bad that they'll stop working. for the price (300), it's hard to beat.


Rating :
Beached Mermaid - J. Miller, May 03, 2008

Beautiful machine. First one did not function out of the box. Replacement lasted about 10 days when portafilter began spewing water when brewing. Cleaned all joining surfaces no help. Never did get the programing buttons to work. Finally, gave up and returned for refund. Purchasing the Gaggia classic. Things I really liked about it: excellent steam wand; nice piece of sculpture. Things I didn't like: everything else.


Rating :
ok - Gosia, May 02, 2008

I purchased the machine on 3.21.08 and I started having problems with it the end of April. I had some small problems with it but later the water would not dispense for the espresso. The full warranty would cover it but you have to pay for shipping and since I just bought it I decided to return the machine. I don't want to put up with the shipping costs every time it breaks.
Starbucks was great and took back the machine.

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