Home > The Saeco Xelsis Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

The Saeco Xelsis Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

Thinking about a Saeco Xelsis? Here's the real scoop on what it does, how it works, and if it's actually worth the cash. No marketing fluff, just the facts.
Disclaimer: Images on this page are for illustration and informational purposes. They represent general coffee brewing and equipment concepts, not specific brands, products, or cafés.

So, you’re looking at the Saeco Xelsis. It’s one of those fancy, all-in-one coffee machines that promises coffee-shop drinks with zero effort. But is it actually any good, or just an expensive, high-maintenance paperweight? Let's take a look.

What is this thing, Anyway?

The Xelsis is a super-automatic espresso machine. That means it does everything for you... grinds the beans, brews the coffee, and froths the milk, all at the touch of a button.

The Saeco Xelsis super-automatic espresso machine on a modern kitchen counter.

Saeco is an Italian brand that basically invented these kinds of machines back in 1985. Now they're owned by Philips (and a company called Versuni), but the high-end Xelsis machines are still made in their original factory in Italy.

The machine is aimed at people who want a latte without learning how to be a barista. It’s great for a house or small office with lots of different coffee drinkers, since everyone can save their own perfect drink recipe.

Xelsis vs. The Competition

The Xelsis has some stiff competition, mainly from brands like Jura, Miele, and De'Longhi. Its main rival is Jura. The biggest difference is that the Xelsis has a removable brew group you're supposed to clean by hand.

Key Difference: The most significant difference between Saeco and its main rival, Jura, is the brew group. Saeco's is removable for manual cleaning, while Jura's is sealed and relies on automated cleaning cycles with tablets.

Jura machines are sealed shut, you just pop in a cleaning tablet and hope for the best. Jura might make a slightly stronger espresso shot, but it also costs more.

Compared to De'Longhi, the Xelsis is more expensive but uses more metal instead of plastic and has a quieter grinder. It's built on the same basic platform as cheaper Philips machines, though, so you're paying a lot for the fancy touchscreen and stainless steel finish.

The Cool Bits (The Tech)

The Touchscreen

The heart of the Xelsis is its big color touchscreen, which Saeco calls the Coffee Equalizer™. It’s easy to use, with sliders to change your drink just how you like it.

A close-up of the Saeco Xelsis Coffee Equalizer touchscreen, showing sliders for adjusting coffee strength and volume.

You can tweak the coffee strength, temperature, and exactly how much milk or foam you want. Once you dial in the perfect recipe, you can save it to your own profile for next time.

The Milk System

The Xelsis can make two milk drinks at once, like two cappuccinos, which is great if you're not drinking alone. They call this LatteDuo.

The Saeco Xelsis machine simultaneously preparing two cappuccinos into glass mugs using its LatteDuo feature.

The LattePerfetto technology is supposed to make really dense, silky foam. It even works with some plant-based milks, as long as they have enough fat and protein to hold up.

The Self-Cleaning Stuff

The HygieSteam feature is pretty neat, it automatically blasts the milk tube with a shot of hot steam after each use to keep it from getting gross. This removes up to 99.99% of milk residue.

Then there’s the AquaClean filter, which is meant to save you from descaling for up to 5,000 cups. The catch? That's over the life of eight different filters, which you have to buy and change every few months. So... you're not really getting out of maintenance.

The Grinder

The grinder uses ceramic burrs instead of steel. This is a good thing, because ceramic doesn't get hot during grinding and give your coffee a burnt taste.

A detailed view of the ceramic burr grinder inside the Saeco Xelsis.

Saeco says it's durable enough for at least 20,000 cups. Best of all, it's remarkably quiet compared to the grinders in many other machines.

But How's The Coffee?

Espresso Shots

The espresso is pretty decent for an automatic machine. You get a nice, stable layer of crema on top, thanks to a system that pre-wets the coffee grounds to pull out more flavor.

A freshly brewed espresso shot from the Saeco Xelsis in a small glass cup, showing a thick layer of crema.

But let's be honest, this isn't "true" espresso like you'd get from a cafe. Super-autos use a pressurized system to force a fake-but-good-looking crema, even if the coffee grind isn't perfect. It's a trade-off, you get convenience and consistency instead of authentic, barista-quality shots.

Milk Drinks

The foam texture is usually great, nice and thick for lattes and cappuccinos. It creates a rich and creamy feel.

The biggest complaint, though? The milk often isn't very hot. A huge number of users report that their drinks come out lukewarm, forcing them to microwave their fancy latte. (Ouch.)

Common Complaint: A significant number of users report that milk-based drinks are not hot enough, often describing them as lukewarm. Many resort to microwaving their beverages, which is a major drawback for a premium machine.

Living With It Day-to-Day

The Look and Feel

The Xelsis looks pretty sharp on a counter. The front panel is real stainless steel or titanium, which feels fancy and gives it a robust look.

The rest of the body is plastic, though. It’s a big machine, so make sure you measure your space first, it needs a dedicated spot.

The Good and The Annoying

The best design choice is that it’s all front-loading. The 1.7-liter water tank and the bin for used coffee grounds (which holds about 14 pucks) both pull straight out from the front. You don't have to awkwardly move the machine to get to them.

Showing the front-loading design of the Saeco Xelsis, with the water tank and coffee puck container pulled out.

The bad news? The tank and bins are pretty small for a heavy-use household. You might feel like you're emptying and filling them constantly, which can get old fast.

When Things Go Wrong...

For all its fancy features, the Xelsis has a reputation for some common problems. Here are the big ones to watch out for.

Grinder Jams and Blockages

The grinder can get blocked, especially if you use very oily or flavored beans (don't do it!). You'll see an error code (like E02) on the screen. Usually, you can clear the compacted grounds from the funnel yourself with a spoon handle.

Important Warning: To prevent grinder jams and potential damage, never use oily, dark-roast, or flavored coffee beans in the Saeco Xelsis. Stick to medium-roast, dry beans for best results.

Milk Frother Fails

If you're getting sad, flat milk instead of foam, it's almost always because the system is dirty. The automatic steam clean is good, but it's not enough. You have to regularly take the milk carafe parts apart and clean them by hand to prevent clogs.

Water Leaks and Software Freezes

Water leakage is one of the scariest and most common issues. It can be a minor drip or the whole tank emptying onto your counter. This can be caused by a bad filter seal, an air lock in the system, or a broken internal part.

Some owners also report major electronic glitches. The screen can freeze or the machine might not turn on at all, which often means a trip to a repair shop.

The Stuck Brew Group

The main coffee-making part inside, the brew group, is removable for cleaning. But sometimes it gets stuck in place and won't come out. It can also cause problems like weak coffee if it gets clogged with old grounds or isn't lubricated properly.

A person's hands carefully removing the brew group from the side of the Saeco Xelsis machine for cleaning.

Keeping It Happy (The Cleaning Routine)

Owning a Xelsis means committing to a cleaning schedule. The automatic cycles aren't enough, you have to do some manual work to keep it running well.

Daily: Empty the drip tray and used coffee puck container. Run the HygieSteam clean after making any milk drinks.

Weekly: Pull out the brew group and rinse it thoroughly under lukewarm water (no soap!). Take apart the milk carafe and wash all the pieces.

Monthly: Run a deep clean cycle using a Saeco coffee oil remover tablet to get rid of buildup. Do the same for the milk circuit with a special cleaning solution.

Every Few Months: This is the weird part, you have to re-lube the brew group with food-safe grease. Yes, really. You'll also need to replace the AquaClean water filter.

Maintenance Note: Yes, you read that right. The brew group, the heart of the machine, requires periodic lubrication with food-safe grease to ensure smooth operation. This is a crucial, and somewhat unusual, step in the maintenance routine.

So... Should You Buy One?

The Saeco Xelsis is for a very specific person, the Convenience-Seeking Tinkerer .

This is someone who wants tons of fancy coffee drinks at the push of a button and loves fiddling with settings on a touchscreen. But, they also have to be okay with a strict, hands-on cleaning and maintenance schedule. They see the regular tinkering as part of the deal for getting that convenience.

The Xelsis is not for the coffee purist chasing the perfect, authentic espresso shot. You'd be much happier with a semi-automatic machine and a separate grinder.

It's also not for someone who just wants a machine they can set up and forget about. If you ignore the cleaning, this machine will punish you with error codes, clogs, and leaks. You've been warned!

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