We were so looking forward to a Sanremo espresso machine as a machine for home use. But the Sanremo Cube is anything but a small Sanremo Racer. Instead, it is a heat exchanger espresso machine, and it is also the most expensive one we have tested so far. What on earth justifies this price?
You can find our thoughts on the Sanremo Cube in two videos (short and long version) as well as this review.
Buy Sanremo Cube R
The following specialist shops sell the Sanremo Cube R, and we recommend purchasing a machine from them. They all offer to adjust the machine's offset.
Germany: [Partnerlinks] Stoll Espresso
We are looking for specialist partners for you whom we know provide good work and service. We are in close contact with these dealers. These are affiliate links. If you order via this link, it will not cost you more, but we will receive a small commission, which we invest in new test equipment. We are still working on this and are looking for competent partners for you in the DACH region.
Heat Exchanger at Dual Boiler Price
Why does Sanremo build a heat exchanger, and at the price of a dual boiler? And what on earth is supposed to justify this price? We face the Sanremo Cube with this question and are a bit at a loss.
No doubt: the Sanremo Cube is a very good heat exchanger! It makes good espresso. It steams milk smarter than other heat exchangers. The temperature stability is good, as is the workmanship. And yet: it's not entirely clear to us what Sanremo actually wants with this Cube.
Sanremo, with its boiler espresso machines for gastronomy, is rightly popular worldwide and a major player in the specialty espresso segment. But instead of building a home machine from its commercial models, like other market leaders such as La Marzocco with the GS3, Victoria Arduino with the Prima, and Slayer with the single-group V3, Sanremo throws a heat exchanger into the ring.
The competitors are therefore Rocket, ECM, Lelit, and Bezzera. With CHF 4200 and a price starting at €2999 – with the model with colored sides costing a proud €500 more – the Sanremo Cube places itself at the top of the price table.
Faema E61 with Design Claim
It is mainly the design that makes the Cube special. Because in the background, solid, old technology is at work, as with almost all heat exchangers. The Faema E61 principle is under the hood of the Sanremo Cube, just as it was in the old Sanremo Treviso, which doesn't differ that much in terms of specifications.
The heat exchanger has a 1.9-liter insulated stainless steel boiler and a 1.8-liter water tank. This water tank is smaller than many other water tanks in the same segment. Honestly, most water tanks are oversized if the espresso machine is primarily used for making espresso.
The power consumption of our model with a rotary pump, at 0.32 kWh, is in the mid-range for heat exchanger espresso machines.
Seven color options are available for those who want the cheapest version of the Sanremo Cube. For colored panels on the side, we pay a hefty €500 surcharge.
Considering the Cube's other features, its design is probably the crucial distinguishing characteristic. And actually, we like the idea. Instead of another heat exchanger with a stainless steel look, something completely different – but why this price?
The Strengths of the Sanremo Cube
- The Sanremo Cube is the quietest heat exchanger espresso machine we have tested so far. It is almost silent even during extraction. This impressed us greatly! Really good and a strong argument for anyone who needs a truly quiet machine for acoustic reasons.
- The special shape of the steam wand allows the pitcher to be placed on the drip tray for steaming. The machine thus steams by itself when the wand is correctly positioned. In this form, it's a USP among heat exchangers.
- The app is basically good. The range of functions is a useful addition for heat exchanger espresso machines. Unfortunately, it doesn't work reliably yet, which is why we'll now move on to the weaknesses.
Top view opened.
The Weaknesses of the Sanremo Cube
- The app is not yet fully developed. Constant disconnections are frustrating, and the complicated registration is annoying.
- The machine's overall craftsmanship is good. Unfortunately, the drip tray comes off and has rather sharp edges. Also, the lid of the water tank doesn't close flush. Annoying.
- The steam wand gets very hot, and even with rubber protection, it's uncomfortable. However, Sanremo has promised improvements. The new Cubes are to be equipped with a double-walled steam wand.
- The Sanremo Cube needs at least 30 minutes, preferably 35 minutes, to reach its operating temperature.
How does the espresso taste?
The Sanremo Cube is a good heat exchanger with high temperature stability. The espresso tastes correspondingly good. There is absolutely nothing to complain about. The machine is precise both during extraction and from shot to shot. However, for particularly high temperature accuracy, a warm-up time of 35 minutes should be planned.
After 25 minutes, the target temperature is not yet reached.
After that, however, the Sanremo delivers very consistent results, even over many consecutive extractions.
Gruß