We were so looking forward to a Sanremo espresso machine for home use. But the Sanremo Cube is anything but a small Sanremo Racer. Instead, it is a heat exchanger espresso machine, which 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.
Buying the Sanremo Cube R
The following specialist retailers sell the Sanremo Cube R and we can recommend purchasing a machine from these businesses. They all offer to adjust the machine's offset.
Germany: [Partner links] Stoll Espresso
We are looking for specialist partners for you who we know offer good work and good service. We are in close contact with the retailers. These are affiliate links. If you order via this link, it won't cost you any more, but we get a small commission that we put into new test equipment. We are continuing to work on this and are looking for competent partners for you in the DACH region.
Heat exchanger at a dual boiler price
Why does Sanremo build a heat exchanger machine at the price of a dual boiler? And what exactly is supposed to justify this price? With this question in mind, we stand before the Sanremo Cube and are a bit at a loss.
Without a doubt: the Sanremo Cube is a very good heat exchanger! It makes good espresso. It froths milk smarter than other heat exchanger machines. The temperature stability is good, as is the build quality. And yet: it doesn't really become clear to us what Sanremo is actually trying to do with this Cube.
Sanremo is deservedly popular worldwide with its boiler espresso machines for the catering industry and is a major player in the specialty espresso segment. But instead of building a home version of its catering models, like the other market leaders—La Marzocco with the GS3, Victoria Arduino with the Prima, Slayer with the single-group V3—Sanremo is entering the field with a heat exchanger machine.
So the competitors are Rocket, ECM, Lelit, and Bezzera. With a price of 4200 CHF and starting at 2999 €—although the model with colored sides costs a whopping 500 € more—the Sanremo Cube is at the top of the price table.
Faema E61 with a design focus
It is above all the design that makes the Cube special. Because in the background, solid, age-old technology is running, just like with almost all heat exchanger machines. The Faema E61 principle is under the hood of the Sanremo Cube, just as it was in the old Sanremo Treviso, which does not deviate so much in terms of specifications.
The heat exchanger machine 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. To be honest, most water tanks are over-dimensioned if an espresso machine is used primarily for making espresso.
The power consumption of our model with a rotary pump is in the mid-range of heat exchanger espresso machines at 0.32 kWh.
You can choose from 7 color variants if you want to call the cheapest version of the Sanremo Cube your own. We pay a hefty 500 € surcharge for colored panels on the side.
If we look at the other functions of the Cube, the design is arguably the decisive distinguishing feature. And we actually like the idea. Instead of another heat exchanger in 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 to date. It is almost inaudible even during the extraction process. This impressed us a lot! 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 frothing. The machine froths the milk by itself if the wand is positioned correctly. In this form, it is a USP among heat exchanger machines.
- The app is good in principle. The range of functions is a useful addition for heat exchanger espresso machines. Unfortunately, it does not yet work reliably, which is why we will move on to the weaknesses.
View from above opened.
The weaknesses of the Sanremo Cube
- The app is not yet mature. Constant connection drops are frustrating, and the complicated login process is annoying.
- The build quality of the machine is generally good. Unfortunately, the drip tray falls off and has quite sharp edges. The water tank lid also does not close flush. Annoying.
- The steam wand gets very hot, and even with the rubber guard, it is uncomfortable. However, Sanremo has promised improvements here. 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 really reach temperature.
How does the espresso taste?
The Sanremo Cube is a good heat exchanger machine with high temperature stability. Accordingly, the espresso tastes just as good. There is absolutely nothing to complain about there. Both during the extraction and from shot to shot, the machine is precise. However, for particularly high temperature accuracy, a warm-up time of 35 minutes should be planned.
After 25 minutes, the target temperature has not yet been reached.
Subsequently, however, the Sanremo delivers very consistent results even over many consecutive extractions.
Gruß