Don’t miss my comparison of Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Saeco Picobaristo espresso machines! After some months of daily testing, I find them to be very similar in some operational aspects, but the worthy winner is still Saeco Picobaristo, with its more diverse programmability.
Saeco Picobaristo boasts 11 one-touch beverages and a potent ceramic flat grinder that delivers even coffee powder/ ground perfectly. It has a slim and modern visual design and should be the star of any kitchen space. Regarding its milk carafe, the system can froth microfoam to perfection, which is amazingly accurate for models in this price range.
As for the runner-up Gaggia Anima Prestige, the device offers ideal milk foam, flavorful espresso, and good temperature performance. You’ll be impressed by the leak-free operation as well. However, its grinder is slightly faultier, with the no-beans error and occasional jamming.
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Saeco Picobaristo: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Saeco Picobaristo: Differences
Saeco Picobaristo wins 2-0 and ties 3 times against Gaggia Anima Prestige. Both brew delicious espresso, but Saeco Picobaristo has more impressive presets and programmability. Check out how well both devices perform in their own way!
Espresso extraction
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With their 15-bar pump pressure, both machines do a fantastic job with the espresso flavor. The pump pressure extracts every flavor note, and it never fails to produce a silky layer of coffee crema as well.
With Saeco Picobaristo, it takes about 1 minute to prim itself for the brewing session. After that, the temperature is high, and I get very hot drinks that don’t cool off easily, especially if I preheat the cups beforehand. There are 5 coffee strength settings with this device, and I tend to choose the highest levels for bolder flavor, mostly when I brew milk-based drinks cause I want to taste the authentic coffee flavor alongside the milk of choice.
With Gaggia Anima Prestige, the preparation time for extraction is between 12 and 15 seconds. The outcomes are also excellent. I can use this to make hot espresso. According to my thermometer, the beverages heated up to 175 and 182 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this model’s outstanding heat performance, I suggest it.
Milk frother
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Microfoam isn’t a big task with the pair. I have been able to enjoy amazing cappuccinos and latte macchiatos with them. The foam texture is airy and dry, just as the original recipes and baristas have been making them for years, including me.
There are chances for programming the milk length. But the milk texture is fixed with the integrated beverages. So, for example, I can’t change how dry the foam is with the cappuccino, and I can’t make the foam drier for Saeco Picobaristo’s flat white, as it will defeat the purpose of the original recipes.
One-touch beverages
Winner: Saeco Picobaristo
Including the milk portion, Saeco Picobaristo has 11 presets, and Gaggia Anima Prestige has 5. Undoubtfully, the former is much more diverse!
- Saeco Picobaristo: espresso, espresso lungo, caffe crema, cappuccino, latte macchiato, ristretto, flat white, latte macchiato, cappuccino, baby cappuccino, and milk
- Gaggia Anima Prestige: espresso, espresso lungo, cappuccino, latte macchiato, and milk
Grinder
Winner: Saeco Picobaristo
Saeco Picobarsto’s grinder is flat, against Anima Prestige’s conical grinder. Each has pros and cons, which I will debunk right away. With a flat grinder, it’s impossible to get uneven coffee ground. The flat grinder delivers the finest batches I have ever seen, and it’s a universal characteristic of this grinder, not just the one in Saeco Picobaristo. Conversely, most conical grinders are less prone to jams than flat ones.
Contradict to my general belief with a conical burr grinder, Gaggia Accademia accidentally falls into the dark side of the moon with its slightly unstable grinder. I have experienced jamming with this device, even though scarcely. It’s best to avoid dark roasts with this device and Saeco Picobaristo as well.
Cleaning and maintenance
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Their identical structure makes no difference in how we clean them. It’s necessary to descale the device from time to time, even though we use a water filter to eliminate scale.
What takes away a bit of work is the auto-rise function. The device rinses the brew path when turned on or off without asking any questions. When they do ask, though, is when the milk circuit is put to work. Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Saeco Picobaristo will ask users quickly right after milk frothing, and we have 10s to decide whether we want to clean the milk system.
It’s important to use a special cleaning solution, though. There is no way normal hot water can eliminate all the oils and gunks in the brewing system. So, it’s advisable that you don’t skim on it and purchase a few bottles to deep clean once every 2 weeks.
Gaggia Anima Prestige vs Saeco Picobaristo: Similarities
Wondering if this pair shares any similarities? Don’t miss my verdict on this aspect.
Water tank size and position
With a 60-61 oz water tank, these machines can last 2-3 days if you brew with moderation. If not, the daily refill is normal and shouldn’t be too hectic because removing the tanks is not obligatory. If you want to remove them, they are located on top of the devices and are up-pull. Make sure there is enough space above the machines if you decide to get one.
Bean hopper operation
Both bean hoppers have manifested an error: empty bean hopper alert while half-full. When this notification appears on the interface, I have to manually push the beans down and around for the alert to stop ringing and for the machine to grind properly.
Quick Rundown Of Saeco Picobaristo
- The largest variety from a compact machine: brews 11 Coffee varieties
- Enjoy up to 5, 000 cups of Coffee without descaling
- Delicious hot cappuccino and latte macchiato at one touch
- Extract maximum flavor with the 100% ceramic grinders; Material boiler: Stainless steel
- Adjust and store your individual length, strength, and temperature with 5 aroma strengths and 10 grinder settings
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Gaggia Anima Prestige
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted
- ONE TOUCH BREWING AND FROTHING: Bean-to-cup feature with automatic milk frothing for cappuccinos, macchiatos and lattes
- PROGRAMMABLE: Programmable brewing options for lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and espresso
- TEMPERATURE CONTROL: 3 different temperature settings. Min/177.5 °F, Med/182.9 °F, Max/184.5 °F
- EASY ACCESS TO WATER RESERVOIR AND BEAN HOPPER: Features a removable 60 oz water reservoir that can be accessed on the top left of the machine, and an 8.8 ounce capacity bean hopper with access from the top right of the machine
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Product Video
References:
- Gaggia Anima Prestige: https://www.gaggia.com/automatic-machines/anima-prestige/
- Saeco Picobaristo: https://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/HD8927_47/picobaristo-super-automatic-espresso-machine
I am Ralph Mason and I am a passionate coffee drinker. I worked as a barista for a few years and since 2012 I have been trying to convince as many people as possible of good coffee.
I started writing on the barista blog on RepublikCoffeeBar in 2018. It was a pure hobby site and I tested coffee products like coffee machines, beans, mug, and other accessories. After the first year, my blog is becoming a well-known coffee site with about 100 thousand visits per month.
In 2019 I decided to focus on RepublikCoffeeBar only. I became a full-time coffee blogger and was declared crazy by many.