
The Robur is not exactly portable, so I left the Gaggia Factory at home. Now I wish I hadn't. My friends have a fairly pricey superauto, and I brought a pound of Coffee Klatch House Espresso blend to tide me over.
Saeco Royal Professional, currently priced at ~$1500
To put it mildly, I'm singularly unimpressed. The only way I could get something remotely drinkable:
First few seconds of the pour. Looks much better than it tastes.
Was to toss out this
Rest of the pour was pure dishwater.
I wonder if the new QuickMill superauto can do any better? This Saeco is certainly convenient, and the owners are very proud of it. But the end product is no better than relatively inexpensive home superautos I've used in the past. In a word: unacceptable.