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| As a child I have vivid memories of my parents, aunts and uncles sitting around a table after a big meal smoking cigarettes, laughing, always having a cup of coffee in their hands. A very close aunt and uncle lived on the next block over from our house and they would often just stop by for coffee, I remember my uncle would always say, “put the coffee on we’re coming over!” Coming over for coffee was a reason to get together, it didn’t have to be a big meal all the time, coffee was enough, providing there was always something sweet to go with it, usually something homemade or purchased from a favorite Italian bakery. |
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| Maybe that’s why I’m crazy about all things coffee, it’s ingrained in me from childhood. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing better than the smell of espresso brewing in my house, it makes me happy! I can drink it in the morning and into the wee hours of the night, which I often do. |
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| Even my friends and I meet together every Tuesday for coffee, we talk about each others lives and try to solve the worlds problems. My girlfriend Jean is a talented baker who specializes in Italian cookies, she often brings us all a goodie box filled with her sweet creations, recently she gifted me with her famous pizzelles, freshly made and crunchy! |
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| Perfect timing because I had just received a brand new Philips Saeco Syntia Automatic Espresso Machine for review so I called my daughter who is an avid espresso drinker and suggested we get together for a little afternoon espresso. This is a very sleek machine, it doesn’t take up much room and it looks absolutely gorgeous on your counter top, a far cry from my stove top moka pot! |
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| It has all the bells and whistles you could think of, for one thing it’s easy to use, not complicated, no need to read a manual over and over again to figure it out. With a single touch you can have a shot of espresso, a long coffee, some steamed milk or hot water. What I really love about this machine is that it automatically cleans itself, after each use you will find the compressed coffee disks right in the dump tray. All the compartments are easily accessible, from refilling the beans and water to emptying the dump and drip trays. |
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| You might be wondering what the quality and taste is like, well for one month now it has been consistently brewing rich, complex and well balanced cups of espresso with beautiful caramel colored crema on top! |
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| The pressure on the steamer has also worked consistently well, I only wish that the water tank was a little larger as well as the bean hopper. |
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| I enjoy having an occasional macchiato, which is basically a shot of espresso with a dollop of foam on top, the Saeco Syntia produces the perfect cup! |
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| Is it a little pricey? Sure, but if you frequent those popular coffee shops on a regular basis, add up what you’re spending over the course of a year you might feel justified to be your own barista at home, plus you can share the love with all your family and friends! If you’d like to know more about Philips Saeco you can visit their website, as well as their Facebook page. If you’re craving homemade pizzelles after this post, here’s a link to one’s I’ve made. Disclaimer; I was provided a Philips Saeco Syntia machine for review, my opinions are totally my own. |
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
