Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend 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… Product details and pricing info |
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43 Customer Reviews Posted
- SBUX Barista buys Sirena
- I just got this with my employee discount. I spent quite a long time trying to figure out how to work the darn thing!! About an hour. The problem I have at the moment is the portafilter leaking, and the espresso coming out only one of the spouts consistently (especially with pods). I made excellent foam, but wish it didn't have a frother because it makes it hard to create your "own" foam. It does make good foam, I just wish it made more foam. I am going to try to remove the self-tamper (used only for ground coffee not pods) and hopefully it will stop dripping (sometimes spewing) water into my cup. I timed how long it took to make ONE latte from the time you push the button, to the time the drink is completed and it took about 3 minutes and 45 sec. So, the other reviews about how long it took to warm up don't make sense to me. I like the way it looks on the counter, it is small and light, and who doesn't want a bmw in your kitchen? I will update when I figure out the dang portafilter.
- 2008-12-02, 1 of 1 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Starbucks Sirena is Amazing!
- Ok - I spent hours pouring over reviews of machines before purchasing the Sirena. Because I wanted to do everything just right, I took an hour after the purchase to set it up following the extended instructions word by word. (For more experienced users, the quick setup would work and you would have your drink quick!) My first latte was amazing! I didn't even use syrup - it tasted great.
My initial concern: long time to brew espresso/confusion as to the purpose of the "self-tamper". It took a long time for my shots to pull, mostly just dripping. So, I reread thoroughly all the Amazon reviews (much better than those on the SB website) and found that:
FIRST - those with major issues probably had faulty machines or it was user-error. (no offense)
SECOND - there is some trial and error required for grind, etc.
MOST IMPORTANT - if your shots pull slowly (drip) simply POKE A LARGER HOLE IN THE RUBBER GASKET (self tamper).
Although I tried removing the self-tamper completely as some suggested - it produced zero creme. By simply using a sewing needle to open the hole a bit more, my espresso flowed smoothly out of the portafilter in seconds and it had the most beautiful creme. I AM THRILLED! I tested the heat of the straight shot and it was quite warm - but when added to frothed milk at a temp of 160 or more - it was the most delightful latte I have ever had - definitely rivals that of SB!
This machine is great for quality espresso, quality froth and good looks.
Oh - one more thing - I do agree with other reviewers that the need to drain the excess water from the steam wand before steaming is annoying, however, I have a system. Here is my method:
1. Turn on and warm up, meanwhile warm your mug with hot water
2. Once machine is ready, run 2 shots of water through to heat up the portafilter (I have the two most perfect glasses I use to hold the shot - they are tall slender juice glasses that fit perfectly under the portafilter)
3. Leave the portafilter connected while steaming/frothing milk
a. use one of the juice glasses (or another tall glass) to collect the excess water from the steam wand before steaming milk in stainless steel pitcher.
b. steam/froth milk to at least 160 degrees. I am able to steam first, then froth the top or visa versa. The frother is great!
4. Set milk aside or on warmer (the warmer isn't that warm, so don't count on it for "heat")
5. Remove hot portafilter, wipe out extra water/grounds and fill for one or two shots
6. Replace portafilter and choose your shot size (the time it took to add your espresso grounds is exactly enough to rewarm the machine)
7. Pull your shots, pour into mug and add milk immediately.
**Starbucks trains that you should add your milk to shots within 10 seconds for best results. That is why frothing first is important!
I have it down to a science now after just owning the machine for 4 days. If I learn anything new, I will update/edit my review. I think reviews are so important for others considering a product or having problems. They sure helped me and I hope I helped someone else!
God Bless and Happy Latte! - 2008-11-22, 3 of 3 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Excellent Espresso Maching
- My wife and I were looking to purchased this machine around November of last year. We've had this machine for just under a year and it has not failed us.
We were hesitant in purchasing this machine since it was a very expensive purchase but I'm glad that we did. We did lots of research and finally settled on the Sirena. Our criteria was: 1. It had to be made by a reputable espresso machine company 2. Could use grounds and 3. Could use E.S.E pods. On paper, this machine met the criteria. It is made by Saeco a well known and well respected espresso machine manufacturer. It uses grounds as well as E.S.E. pods without having to purchase an optional E.S.E. pods kit like some other brands. The reason the E.S.E pods were important to us was the fact the most espresso makers have a long set up and clean up time. So when you're in a rush to get to work or serve several people in a party, E.S.E. pods are so much more convenient.
Using the Sirena is very easy and straightforward. There are four buttons on the machine: the On/Off button, a one shot button, a double shot button and the steam/ foam button. An easy to read gauge tells you when the Sirena is ready to make espresso. There's even a Sirena website where you can get tips. I've used Illy grounds and E.S.E. pods as well as Starbucks grounds and E.S.E. pods. In all cases the Sirena has produced great results. Be sure to clean the machine regularly to continue to get great results.
An added bonus of this machine is that it is beautiful. Designed by BMW DesignWorks, this machine looks like a work of art.
Now I make iced caramel macchiatos whenever I want! - 2008-10-22, 0 of 1 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Starbucks Sirena Great Espresso
- Great product, easy to use. Big money saver in the long run. My wife used to live at Starbucks, now she has it at home. Cuts the trips to SBux by lots. Makes very good espresso. Money well spent!!!!
- 2008-10-20, 0 of 0 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- This Is A Machine You Must Learn To Master But Is Very Capable
- I've had my Sirena for approximately 2 months now and am totally satisfied with it's results!! But it takes some learning to master. The comments here are unjustified and I felt the need to respond. It looks good but it's a middle of the road machine and like anything else, you get what you pay for.
First, you need to throw the rubber disc and rubber peg in the garbage. It's just a gimmick designed for folks who never drew a shot before...and besides that, it takes all the fun away from creating your very own perfect shot. Next, you need to buy a nice, heavy 58mm tamper. I bought a beautiful all stainless one for 25 bucks and it is more than adequate. Next, you need to get yourself a quality BURR grinder...and don't let anybody tell ya different, THE PROPER GRIND IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ESPRESSO MACHINE ITSELF!! I found a nice commercial Rancilio on Ebay for less than 200 bucks (nobody said espresso making is a cheap hobby either). When trying to find the proper grind, I found just a few adjustment clicks on the grinder will vary the length of the pour 5 to 10 seconds while all my other prep was identical. I strive for a 25 second pour and this machine will produce a shot that is just as good as commercial machines costing thou$and$ more. If you change coffee beans, you may have to fine tune your grind to get that 25 second pour...but that's the fun part, you're in charge of the results.
Now, the steam wand...I agree that it is not the best but it can be tweaked to accomplish excellent results. First off, there is no separate boiler for the steam like the more expensive machines. It uses a thermal block which takes hot water from the heated boiler and converts it to steam. I found that purging the water from the steam wand first...and then cycling the HW and steam buttons back and forth a couple of times without drawing anything, will produce all the steam you'll need to froth enough creamy, velvety milk for 2 cappuccinos at once!! Frothing is another art form which takes practice but I keep the end of wand near the surface to stretch the milk and then bury the wand until 160 degrees is reached. BINGO, ENJOY!!!
If you want perfect cappuccinos or lattes everytime, get yourself a $4000 fully automatic machine. The Sirena is a more than adequate semi-automatic machine that allows you to be creative and show off a little bit :-)
A Happy Tamper - 2008-10-14, 2 of 2 people found this review helpful, Rated:
