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Starbucks Sirena Espresso Machine, Stainless and Black | 
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| Brand: Starbucks
List Price: $599.99
Buy New: $411.50
You Save: $188.49 (31%)
Rating:  32 reviews
Shipping Weight (lbs): 21.7
Dimensions (in): 16 x 15 x 19
MPN: 398574
Model: 398574
UPC: 762111731678
EAN: 0762111731678
ASIN: B0010Z9LI6
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 15-bar pump-driven espresso machine with stainless steel broiler and patented back pressure adapter | | • | Dual brewing spout; one-touch pre-measured single and double shots; user-programmable settings | | • | Steam wand with pannarello adapter; Rapid Steam boiler for rapidly switching from brewing to frothing | | • | Accommodates E.S.E. pods and ground espresso, 57.5-ounce removable water tank, adjustable and removable drip tray | | • | Measures 13 by 15 by 12 inches; 1-year limited warranty |
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Product Description
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 portafilter retains heat easily, and features a patented back-pressure adaptor which adjusts automatically to the coffee's grind, for a full, rich crema.One touch button to pull measured shotSelf tamping and back pressure for the perfect shotLED water tank empty indicator lightOwner's Manual
Amazon.com Review
Designed by the award-winning BMW Designworks exclusively for Starbucks, the Sirena is a 15-bar pump-driven espresso machine with dual brewing spouts, a stainless steel broiler, and a patented back pressure adapter to ensure great espresso extraction. The included steam wand with pannarello adapter lets you easily froth milk for lattes or cappuccinos. A ground coffee filter lets you make single or double shots, or use the included pod filter which accommodates E.S.E. coffee pods. Easy to read status lights show when the machine is ready to brew or steam, and the Rapid Steam boiler allows for quickly switching from brewing to frothing. The 57.5-ounce water tank removes easily for cleaning and refilling and a blue LED light indicates when the water tank is empty. Additional features include an adjustable and removable drip tray, a cup-warming surface, programmable brew settings, a temperature gauge, and an auto shut-off safety feature after 90 minutes of inactivity. What's in the Box
Sirena espresso machine; 1 portafilter;1 power cord; 1 user's manual; 1 plastic support peg; 1 rubber gasket adapter; 1 ground coffee filter; 1 pod filter
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 No replacement for Bucks Barista - Have had less than 15 days June 17, 2008
M. Hayner (Phoenix, AZ USA)
All, I was a long time Starbucks Barista user and loved that reliable machine, but it finally wore out after 7yrs. So I went for new & improved..(not) like many of the reviewers I was delighted when I got this baby. It seemed to work great and I was into the Semi-Automatic thing. It made decent shots, a bit watery, yet robust. It made nice frothed milk at first, but then came the problems. This new fangled steam thing seems to be the real downfall. Was working, but now it just chugs & pumps, but the steam is now popping & gurgling in burst in the milk and NOT frothing milk, but just heating it up. I cleaned, re-primed, cleaned it again, and used an entire 1/2 gallon of 1% milk, but the same thing over and over, crappy super heated milk with NO FROTH ANYMORE, sucks.
Pro:
-The look and likely the idea in concept
-Room for drinks under the lid
-Sturdy looking
Con:
- Does not work for more than 30 days and based on the other reviewers I am not inclined to take my chances.
- Also the water container seems poised for more problems in the future. It is a weak link in the system. Has a rubber seal that will go bad sooner or later and thus gravity will start spilling water out. Also where it connects is just a flimsy plastic item that actually fell out when I was trying to plug the power in. You would not normally notice, but when it dropped out of the machine and onto the kitchen floor it got my attention. Again this part of the connection will wear out over time, break or get lost over time... :-(
Honestly I don't want to take it back, but if I am going spend over $400.00 on something that works for less than 30 days it is an awful value. It should work properly for years, not just days.
Fancy looking gadget that just doesn't work very well. May 31, 2008
J. Conlon
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had used a friends Starbucks Barrista and decided I had to have one. I looked for the model that she had, but found it to be discontinued, and used ones were very expensive. The Serena seemed to be the logical alternative.. it offered even more features, was reasonably priced, and looked cool.
I tried to like this machine but it was a disappointment from the get go... inconsistent brewing, leaky portafilter which no amount of cleaning would fix, and even though it looks cool on its own, it looks ridiculous sitting on the counter next to all of the other appliances... a total eyesore! But the bottom line is, it just doesn't make very good espresso... and because it's so automatic, there's not much you can do to improve the results..
I returned the Serena (and I must say that Amazon made the return process very easy) and ordered the La Pavoni Napolitana, which I am very, very happy with. I am a complete novice, but the Napolitana gives me a say in how my espresso will come out, and I am enjoying the learning process.
Doesn't perform as good as it looks May 29, 2008
Louis McNease
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this machine from a local Starbucks as a replacement to our Solis Crema sl70. We had the Solis for 10 years and loved it. The Sirena was at the same price point and looked great so we opted to change. What a disappointment. The Sirena has a plug, rubber gasket and basket, all of which are challenging to remove for cleaning. There is also wait time to which we were not accustom; wait for the machine to heat up, make espresso, wait again for the espresso to heat so you can select steam and wait for that to heat up. The steam pump would produce a good amount of water before actually pumping steam. We allowed time for us to get used to the new machine however after 10 days of use, we took it back for a refund. Positive note about Starbucks; they took it back without any hassles stating they stand behind their products.
Sirena makes very good espresso but too many little inconveniences May 13, 2008
George Massaro (Austin)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was very excited to be able to buy the Sirena for $299.99 on Amazon. What a great deal! I knew from reading the reviews here to immediately make the hole larger in the rubber disk if I wanted to use the portafilter in its pressurized configuration. Since I don't have a good tamper I decided to try it with the rubber inserts. It worked perfectly, no leakage or problems, so I must have successfully opened up the hole enough. Thanks to all of the reviewers who mentioned this!
From my very first shot the espresso was delicious. I am using the new organic Sumatra from Starbucks. I was worried about the grind being fine enough since I'm am using a cheapie grinder, not a burr, but had no problems and I am amazed at the consistency of the wonderful taste of the espresso. I like my coffee strong so I fill the portafilter more than the recommended 3/4 full.
Now for the little problems/inconveniences. I did not see this first item mentioned in any of the reviews I read. The stainless steel filter insert fits so tightly into the portafilter that the only way I can get it out is to pry it out with a thin screwdriver. Even my strong son could not get it out with his fingers. This becomes a real inconvenience for cleaning purposes if you frequently make espresso.
Also, the portafilter unit itself is extremely hard to twist into place. One reviewer mentioned that this machine was heavy enough that when guiding the portafilter into place you did not have to hold onto the machine. Well, that is not the case with mine; I have to practically "hug" the machine to hold it in place while I insert and move the portafilter into place. I thought it would loosen up after a few days but it has not.
Two other smaller issues. The top cup warmer simply does not warm anything. Even after the machine has been on for a couple of hours you can still place your hand on it. To truly warm up cups it would have to be way too hot to touch. Not a big deal but they shouldn't advertise a cup warmer feature that doesn't work. The other small annoyance is the water level warning light. It goes on when the tank is still 1/3 full and the machine will not function until you put more water in. Again, a small thing but basically you don't get the benefit of the amount of ounces of water the tank holds. There is enough water left in the tank when the warning light comes on to have been able to make several espresso shots.
From reading reviews here I knew to put a separate cup under the steam wand when first opening up the knob because hot water comes out. I find it very annoying to have to do that and I know that other espresso machines do not have this problem...I wonder why this one does. I also have problems regulating the steaming pressure, it is either too much or not enough as I move the knob, can't seem to get it right. I have edited my original review a bit....at first I attributed my steaming problems to my inexperience but now that I've been doing this awhile and also now have a second machine, the DeLonghi Bar32 (needed two) I realize that it wasn't just me; the DeLonghi steams/froths milk beautifully, no hot water comes out, and the pressure is perfect.
The bottom line is that you buy an espresso machine for the purpose of creating quality, good tasting espresso which the Sirena certainly accomplishes, but for frequent usage I think the small problems will become more of an issue down the road. For the price it is a great machine.
Laura
I dont know what Im talkin about May 5, 2008
V. Pallari (California)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I wouldnt exactly call myself an espresso aficionado, but I do love my coffee. Ive had the sirena for a week now (and only have it because amazon dropped it to a sensible price, if only for a couple of days). 299.99 is by far the cheapest this thing has been. Anyway, my wife and I have been having a blast with this thing. She loves all the fuzzy starbucks drinks (decaf soy vanilla nut macahino 2 pump somethin or other) and seems to think I make them right on. Almost as soon as I had it set up, she had 10 bottles of syrups on the counter. So thats savin me 20 bucks a week right there.
To keep the review short, ill say that It looks great, its a perfect size, it functions completely as advertised, the steam wand is awesome for steaming or just getting a hot water for an americana. The only issue that Ive noticed is that it seems to be pretty inconsistent with the amount of water it dispenses for both single and double shots. Sometimes I get 2 oz's sometimes 1 3/4...sometimes even as little as 1 oz for a double shot. thats pretty annoying. However, Im guessing that their intention is that you learn to use a consistent amount of coffee and then program the buttons to get the perfect amount every time. Ill work on that when i get my burr grinder.
Update: FYI 2 times now, ive put coffee in the porta filter, pressed the double shot button and walked away only to have the porta filter flung from the machine spackling my kitchen with grounds and breaking my mug. Now, Im sure its not really a flaw with the machine, I think im just not getting the filter locked in properly. However, this may require a better locking mechanism in V2. Definitely something for users to watch out for.
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