Saeco builds a couple of convenient coffee machines

Aussies love their coffee, but we also like it to be easy, and so we’re big buyers of the capsule machines out there. But if neither Nespresso or Lavazza work for you, what then?

Fortunately there is at least one other variety to work with, and Map is it, with Saeco building a couple of Map Coffee systems, the same sort used by Woolworths for its Caffitaly machine, as well as Starbucks in the US.

Over here, we haven’t seen a new Map machine in over two years, but now two are dropping by, delivering models made for either espresso with the option of making milk on the side, or one with all the bits built in if you’re more into making cappuccinos and flat whites more regularly.

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First is the Bravista Espresso+, a machine that bundles in the milk frother with a separately controlled canister, and offers colour coded buttons for various coffee lengths.

The machine is fairly similar to other brands out there, and includes a 15 bar pump for the coffee, while the machine itself is made of a combination of metal and plastic.

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Meanwhile, a machine built with the milk frother inside the design is also provided — with space for 500ml of milk — with more than just the coffee lengths provided as buttons, throwing options for quick cappuccinos, too.

With both of these machines, we’re told the coffee is a little different again, at least in comparison to other brands, with eight grams of espresso in its pods over the typical five to six Map says is used in other machines, making for a more punchy cup.

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“Australians are some of the most discerning coffee drinkers in the world and we know there’s a real demand for a café quality coffee at home,” said Gale McLardie, Marketing Director at Tata Global Beverages in Australia, the company responsible for bringing Map in.

“Those who have been searching for a coffee capsule machine which delivers a barista-sized eight gram espresso shot need look no further. Our new Bravista range combines the very best Map coffee with the expert brewing coffee-extraction technology from Saeco for a café quality coffee every time.”

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We’ll wait to make up our minds about these until we see them, but the pricing may not be quite as compelling as some would hope, with the Espresso+ grabbing a price of $399, while its milk-friendly Latte+ edition fetches a price of $499.

With the milk tank found inside, the Latte+ is at least closer to what we would see as value, but without it, the $399 for the Espresso+ appears to be a little more expensive than what one would pay for competitor models.

That makes the Espresso edition harder to find compelling, so if the Map system is more tempting, the just-under-$500 Latte+ would probably be the better option.

Regardless, you’ll find both in stores now, with these machines landing at Harvey Norman and The Good Guys across Australia.