The Saeco Primea Touch Plus. This is the cappuccino machine that this post is all about. I’ve written quite a bit about he Saeco coffee machines at this blog. They’re good machines, they’re solid choices for most consumers and they have great eye catching designs. What more could you want? Well, okay, they also make a good cup of coffee and latte. So stay with me as I write my Saeco Primea Touch Plus review. I’ve written before about the Saeco Primea as an overview, and more specifically about the Saeco Talea Touch and the Saeco Talea Giro as well. You can brush up on those cappuccino machines by following the previous links. But now, onto the Saeco Primea cappuccino Touch Plus.
Saeco, as you will know from some of the previous information I’ve shared here, is a huge and quick success in the espresso maker market. Started by two pals back in 1981, they quickly rose to fame and dare I say fortune in the cappuccino maker world. Started in Italy like many of the best coffee makers, by 1985 they had delivered the first fully automatic cappuccino machine for home use. In 1999 they expanded by buying up Gaggia and sold out to Philips in 2009. So how do you like them coffee beans 🙂 In less than 30 years they’ve partnered with and become one of the biggest successes in the small appliance arena. And they started practically from nothing. Everyone knows the Microsoft story and Hewlett Packard, but I find this one just as interesting, intriguing and phenomenal.
Getting to the Saeco Primea Touch Plus
However, you came here to read about the Saeco Primea and I’m not about to disappoint. So let’s get right into it. Unlike the semi automatic espresso machines that Saeco offers such as the Saeco Aroma, the Primea cappuccino machine is a fully automatic espresso machine like the Saeco Magic Comfort, Saeco Incanto, Saeco Odea including the Saeco Odea Go.
The Saeco Primea Touch Plus is part of the Saeco Primea cappuccino machines that have been designed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA. It sure is a very unusual espresso maker and not like anything you’ve likely seen before. I personally love the look. But not everyone will. But besides the design features and aesthetics you’ll want to know what sort of features come in such a machine. Well quite a few actually, a ton one could say.
You’ve heard me go on about the Saeco ceramic grinder. I really like this grinder. Inert material, long lasting and quieter than metal burr grinders, I think they’ve started something here that will be emulated as time goes on. The great thing is they offer these ceramic grinders on all of their machines.
Further benefits of the Saeco Primea Touch Plus
Another feature that is only available on the Saeco Primea Touch Plus and separates it from the Saeco Primea Ring is the Insta Steam feature rather than the Rapid Steam that you’ll find on the Saeco Primea Ring. Insta Steam is possible because of the double boiler set up in the Saeco Touch Plus. Steaming your milk requires temperature that is hotter than that used for the water that brews your espresso. So with Rapid Steam and other single boiler set ups, their is a time lag of varying degrees as the boiler has to get the water hot enough for steaming temperatures. Other that this single Insta Steam feature on the Primea Touch Plus, the Primea Ring is pretty much identical.
You also get the Saeco Touch2Cappuccino milk frothing system where the milk is stored inside the machine and frothed automatically for you. This takes up less space than the Milk Island and is a very clever, ingenious setup.
With the Saeco Primea Touch Plus you’ll have no need for espresso machine accessories like a separate espresso tamper. Obviously this is because this fully automatic espresso machine does everything for you. No longer do you have need for coffee pods or espresso pods either. What more could you ask for? A cheaper price perhaps? But then again if you weren’t paying the $3200 recommended retail price (or less if you’re a smart shopper) you wouldn’t be enjoying a Saeco Primea Touch Plus now would you 🙂