It doesn’t take an army to recognize the beauty of both super-espresso machines, the Saeco Xelsis vs Gaggia Cadorna Prestige. However, the better competitor out of the two has a lot more to do with you, the one who will be using it daily.
It is also important to point out that the Saeco Xelsis and Gaggia Cadorna Prestige have a lot more in common than you think. They both have flat ceramic burr grinders, automated cleaning functions, and a sturdy and convenient design.
But the Saeco Xelsis is more popular than the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige. And the latter has a higher rating than the former.
There is a reason behind those conflicting values. It all boils down to Saeco’s more advanced cleaning functions such as the HygieSteam. And from the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige, you can expect barista-style milk drinks with its commercial steam wand that is not present in the Saeco.
Saeco Xelsis vs Gaggia Cadorna Prestige: Comparision Chart
Last update on 2023-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Saeco Xelsis vs Gaggia Cadorna Prestige: Differences
Given the popularity and features of both machines, you can expect more from the Saeco Xelsis (3 – 2) than the Cadorna Prestige with regards to the quality of espresso and overall performance.
1. Espresso Flavor
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
Heating System
The difference between the heating system between the Saeco Xelsis vs Gaggia Cadorna Prestige is an important one.
The Saeco offers a dual Thermoblock heating system which is faster and more energy-efficient. The Gaggia Cadorna Prestige has a QuickHeat Single Boiler which is more standard but not as fast, quiet, and effective as the dual Thermo-block.
One more point, the QuickHeat Single Boiler takes more time to heat up, again, between 2 cups. And it cannot perform simultaneous brewing like the Saeco which has two (Dual) heating systems working for espresso and milk frothing. So there’s practically zero waiting time between cups.
2. Programmability
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
The Saeco Xelsis offers its user the ability to customize not just the type of coffee you’re about to drink, but its strength level as well. With 5 Aroma, or strength, settings, you can alter how strong, mild, or light you want the espresso to taste.
These aroma settings won’t do anything specifically to the volume of the espresso shot but it will increase/decrease the number of coffee grounds used per cup.
So you can grind more or less depending on how strong you want the espresso to taste. And the Saeco offers 5 levels of strength of this kind, which is something that the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige does not have.
Speaking also of customization, the Prestige offers up to 4 user profiles for saving your personalized drinks. The Saeco Xelsis, on the other hand, lets you save only a single user profile.
3. Milk System
The Winner: Gaggia Cadorna Prestige
There’s no denying that the Saeco Xelsis offers incredible milk frothing features. It uses its own patented cappuccino system using a siphon milk system to produce fine, creamy, and rich milk.
If you were to see the Saeco’s design, you’ll notice that it has a unique milk frothing setup. So you have a glass flask, or carafe, that comes with accurate cup markings. There’s a plastic tube, or hose, attached to the main housing and the glass flask.
Once you add the milk to the flask, the machine will transfer it to the internal milk frother which then pours directly into your cup.
And in the Saeco, you can program the milk volume, texture, and temperature – so that’s easy!
But, here’s the thing: the Saeco froths the milk, it doesn’t authentically steam it. That’s where the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige comes into the picture. Because it froths and steams the milk effectively!
You have 2 milk options to pick from. You can either use the integrated milk frother with the carafe or the commercial steam wand. And it does perform both functions simultaneously with a quick one-touch brewing system.
You can store the milk in the carafe and keep it in the fridge. And the steam wand gives you the option of producing barista-quality latte art at home.
4. Cleaning
The Winner: Saeco Xelsis
Cleaning and maintaining the Saeco Xelsis is more advanced than the Gaggia. Here’s how.
Both espresso machines share automated cleaning cycles and cleaning alerts. But the Saeco goes that extra mile to provide an automated milk and coffee circuit cleaning feature. It has an extra alert for notifying you when the drip tray is full – this the Gaggia doesn’t have.
And then there’s the incredible HygieClean function that uses hot steam to flush out the internal parts of the machine, including the milk system.
This model of the Saeco Xelsis also comes with the AquaClean filter that keeps the water scale-free for up to 5,000 cups. This means you wouldn’t need to descale the machine at all. I can’t say the same for the Gaggia which does require frequent descaling.
The Gaggia comes with a simple and quick “Milk Clean” button for automatically cleaning the milk carafe right after use. You should be able to see that option on its bright LCD display.
The machine does have a few pre-programmed maintenance alerts such as for when the water in the tank is running low, the coffee drawer needs emptying, for descaling, and carafe cleaning.
All in all, the Gaggia promises quick, effective automated cleaning cycles to keep maintenance low but performance and consistency high. But it requires more time and effort than the Saeco.
5. Utilities
The Winner: Gaggia Cadorna Prestige
The ergonomics of both machines are great! The Saeco Xelsis features a touchscreen TFT display. A coffee spout that you can adjust back and forth to accommodate taller mugs (up to 6 inches). The display screen is wider with a colourful array of coffee icons so that it looks more modern and sleek to use.
The Gaggia Cadorna Prestige features a more basic design. The TFT display is wide and bright with buttons. It accommodates mugs that are .5 inches taller than the Saeco Xelsis – up to 6.5 inches. The Saeco Xelsis also comes with a scratch-resistant drip tray but there is mention of such superior drip tray quality for the Prestige.
Saeco Xelsis vs Gaggia Cadorna Prestige: Similarities
1. Coffee Grinder
To sum up, both the Saeco Xelsis and Gaggia Cadorna Prestige have a flat ceramic burr grinder with multiple grind settings. They both offer 14-15 customizable drink options for quick espresso extraction. So if you have a favourite drink you love to have every morning, you can just press a few buttons and voila!
In case you don’t have coffee beans at home, or you’ve run out, you can go for pre-ground coffee. The coffee spouts on both machines are adjustable with flexible milk frothing.
2. Automatic Milk Frothing
The integrated milk frothing system, which is present on both machines, is fast, consistent, and offers incredible milk results. Even the size and capacities of the Saeco and Gaggia are similar. Plenty of room for water storage, coffee beans, and used coffee grounds.
3. Ease of Use
Unique but similar, they also have cup warmers and a removable drip tray with storage. The right maintenance alerts for a variety of cleaning reminders let you know what to do so you won’t have to remember anything!
Both are super-automatic espresso makers with dose, temperature, and delightful programming controls. The brushed metal accents, solid bean hopper, and smooth-to-touch buttons and handles machine the entire experience of brewing espresso at home unique and convenient, even for a complete beginner!
Quick Rundown Of Saeco Xelsis SM7864/04
- 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
- 15 coffee varieties at your fingertips: Explore the world of coffee - Espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, and a range of specialty drinks
- Personalized Preferences: Everyone’s custom coffee favorites can be saved in up to 6 user profiles for instant selection. Personalize each profile down to the finest detail
- LatteDuo System: Prepare and enjoy single or double serving of any coffee recipe with one touch, including Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato
- LattePerfetto: The external milk carafe creates a dense milk foam with a fine, silky texture
Last update on 2023-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Gaggia Cadorna Prestige RI9604/47
- 14 Pre-Programmed Beverages|Build your home barista menu with 14 pre-programmed beverages including a ristretto, espresso, espresso lungo, coffee, americano, cappuccino, cappuccino XL, café au lait, café cortado, latte macchiato, latte macchiato XL, flat white, frothed milk, and hot water for tea, hot cocoa, or infusions.
- Integrated Milk Carafe|An integrated milk carafe creates the perfect temperature and texture of milk foam to make a beautifully layered milk based beverage. It runs through an automatic rinse cycle to get rid of any residual milk so you won’t have to worry about a messy clean-up process.
- 4 User Profiles|Create up to 4 user profiles on the Cadorna Plus and save your favorite drinks for everyday consistency.
- Intuitive User Interface|A full color TFT display allows you to scroll through 14 specialty beverages with backlit buttons and experiment with a number of customizable settings to build your favorite barista-style beverage.
- 1 YEAR : Hassle free 1 year handled by Gaggia directly.
Last update on 2023-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- Saeco Xelsis SM7864/04 from Saeco https://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/SM7684_04/xelsis-super-automatic-espresso-machine
- Gaggia Cadorna Prestige RI9604/47 from Gaggia https://gaggia.com/automatic-machines/cadorna-prestige/
I am a passionate coffee drinker. Since I left my job as a barista a few years back in 2012, I’ve been sharing my expertise on coffee and buying the best coffee equipment online. That’s how Wild Boar Coffee came to life.
I write about everything coffee-related under the sun. Where to buy the freshest coffee beans from? How to test coffee beans based on texture, aroma, and acidity?
I know all this from scratch – all thanks to my years and years of experience as a barista. So I’ve gotten real up-close-and-personal with coffee beans and different brewing techniques.