The Sanremo YOU is a high-end dual boiler espresso machine. This espresso machine boasts an extensive range of features and allows for pressure control via a rotary pump. We've tested the Sanremo YOU and share our findings in this video. And one important question has lingered from the start: Does this machine replace the La Marzocco GS3, which our tester Michel Indelicato had at home for many years? We address this and many technical questions in this article and test video.
Sanremo YOU at a Glance
The Sanremo YOU is a high-end dual boiler espresso machine. It combines a 0.5-liter brew boiler for espresso with a 1.0-liter steam boiler – both made of stainless steel – and foregoes the classic thermosiphon E61 technology. Instead, it utilizes a PID-controlled, heated brew group (58 mm) without a heat exchanger, allowing for extremely precise temperature control. A volumetric rotary pump builds pressure; its key feature is variable speed, enabling targeted control of pressure and flow profiles. Various parameters can be adjusted via a generous display on top of the machine (from brew temperature and volume to timers and auto-off times). The machine features a modular design and is optimized for maintenance – many components are easily accessible. With its dimensions (W×D×H: approx. 33×50×40 cm) and ~32 kg weight, it falls into the compact professional category. The craftsmanship appears high-quality; the casing and cladding are predominantly made of metal, giving it a robust impression.
Water Tank or Fixed Water Connection
The YOU can be operated with its internal water tank (approx. 2 liters) or permanently connected to a water line – even both simultaneously are possible. A drain connection for the drip tray is also available, increasing convenience, especially during extended use. This makes the machine suitable not only for ambitious home baristas but also, thanks to its power reserves and features, a viable option for offices, catering, or small gastronomic establishments. Sanremo itself markets the YOU as a flexible professional machine in a compact format.
Price and Scope of Delivery
The machine is priced in the upper segment (approx. €5,000). The scope of delivery includes two 58 mm portafilters (double spout and bottomless), matching filter baskets, a tamper, and cleaning accessories. The included tamper is functional, but a higher-quality tamper (e.g., our Kaffeemacher Tamper) feels better in hand. Overall, the accessories are solid – neither disappointing nor exceptional – and cover the basics.
Buy Sanremo YOU
The following specialty stores sell the Sanremo YOU, and we recommend purchasing from these businesses. All offer the option to adjust the machine's offset.
Germany:
Austria:
We are looking for specialist partners for you that we know provide good work and good service, and we are in close contact with the mentioned dealers. The links are so-called affiliate links. If you order via one of these links, you will not pay a cent more – but we will receive a small commission, which we invest directly in new test equipment.
We are still looking for competent partners in the DACH region for you.
Technical Details and Operation
Sanremo pursues an innovative technical approach with the YOU: the brew group and brew boiler are separately heated and PID-controlled to maintain the temperature precisely. Unlike classic E61 brew groups, water does not circulate permanently; instead, the heavy brass brew group is electrically brought to temperature. The heating system reacts quickly and precisely to fluctuations. In practice, this means that the temperature set on the display is very reliably reached in the portafilter – the initial temperature offset in our test was only approx. 0.5 °C. We were even able to fine-tune this minimal offset via a hidden adjustment menu (Sanremo allows technicians to adjust the offset value ex works). With a correctly adjusted offset, the YOU brews exactly at the target temperature – deviations are practically imperceptible.
The pump control allows pressure profiles to be accessed manually or programmed. There are modes for constant pressure (e.g., classic 9 bar) or constant flow, as well as freely definable profiles with pressure rise and fall. In the test, we experimented with various profiles: from gentle pre-infusion with low pressure to fast flow profiles for "turbo shots". All settings are made via the display on top and a rotary knob. The menu navigation is logical but requires some getting used to – the Sanremo YOU is clearly aimed at experienced users who enjoy tinkering. For beginners, the abundance of options may initially seem overwhelming. While there are no superfluous gimmicks, one should be willing to delve into the subject matter (temperature, pressure, flow) to fully exploit its potential. According to the manufacturer, an app connection is planned, but not currently available (as of this test).
A positive highlight is the comfortable standby mode: The machine can automatically switch off or enter an energy-saving mode after a defined time – good for safety and electricity bills.
In terms of user-friendliness, the YOU impresses with well-thought-out details: The brew buttons or the rotary knob react promptly, and the display is large and easy to read. The current boiler and brew group temperature are displayed, as are brew volumes and times. Creating your own pressure profiles via the menu requires some practice – a accompanying app would be desirable here to configure complex profiles more easily. Nevertheless, after a short period of getting used to it, it is possible to create profiles or control them manually. If you prefer to pull espresso without much technical effort, you can also operate the YOU simply like a classic machine: It has a brew button that can also simply run at a constant 9 bar pressure if required. In this respect, you are not forced to change parameters every time – you can, but you don't have to. In everyday life, we often used a standard profile and only fine-tuned it for certain coffees.
Temperature Stability: New Reference Values
Temperature consistency is the Sanremo YOU's great strength. In our lab test, we measured the machine using both the Kaffeemacher protocol (individual extractions with breaks) and the demanding WBC protocol (14 extractions in quick succession). The result: no machine we've tested so far has been as stable as the YOU – neither in moderate operation nor under full load.
In the WBC stress test, the brew temperature remained remarkably constant across all extractions (standard deviation: only 0.36 °C). The curves of the individual shots practically overlaid each other – proof of the excellent temperature control. The YOU also excelled in normal extraction scenarios (with heating phase and pauses between shots): The deviation between the set temperature and the actual temperature in the puck was less than 1 °C after a short warm-up time. Already the first espresso after 10 minutes of heating time came out of the brew group at almost full temperature. The subsequent extractions showed no noticeable fluctuations at all. We have rarely seen anything like this before. For comparison: With many dual boilers and E61 machines, the first extraction often appears significantly cooler than the subsequent ones – not so with the YOU.
An important question for us was the temperature offset: How great is the difference between the displayed target temperature and the actual brew temperature in the coffee puck? Here we could give the all-clear – after minimal correction, it fit perfectly. An offset of about 1 °C was built in ex-works; we adjusted it to 0.5 °C in the service menu. As a result, the display then practically matched reality (e.g., 93 °C target resulted in about 92.8 °C actual). This value held both at the beginning of the extraction and towards the end. The YOU reaches its target temperature very quickly at the beginning of the extraction and holds it stably until the pump is switched off. The temperature curve of each espresso in our test ran like a board – no sagging, no overshooting. This impressed us.
As a small conclusion on temperature, we can state: The Sanremo YOU plays in the absolute top league here. Even more expensive gastronomy machines or dedicated competition machines rarely show such consistent performance. Home baristas will love the reproducibility – once the parameters are found, espresso after espresso can be extracted at the same temperature. For our evaluation, this means almost full marks in this category.
Heat-up Time and Energy Consumption
The Sanremo YOU is not a fast sprinter when it comes to heating up – despite modern technology, the heavy brew group needs some time until everything is thoroughly warmed. Although the machine visually signals readiness after about 5 minutes (the boilers are then at temperature), it should really be heated longer. In our tests, it took about 15 minutes until the brew group, portafilter, and boiler were stably at temperature. Before that, no serious extraction should be started ("Please don't brew an espresso after 5 or 7 minutes!" was our credo in the test and also in daily practice). After fifteen minutes, however, the YOU is fully ready for use – still faster than all traditional E61 dual boilers (which often require 20–30 minutes). Tip: If you want to save time in the morning, use the programmable switch-on time or a timer. Michel, for example, let the machine preheat while brushing his teeth, so he could start right away.
With and without steam boiler: A special strength of the YOU is the option to switch off the steam boiler when needed. Via a switch/option, only the espresso boiler can be heated. This significantly affects energy consumption and heat-up time.
The table clearly shows the differences: Without the steam boiler, our machine was ready for operation in ~15:00 minutes and consumed only approx. 0.08 kWh until operational readiness. With the steam boiler switched on, it took similarly long (~15:12 minutes), but the energy consumption was around 0.22 kWh – almost three times as high. It is clear here that the 1-liter steam boiler requires a lot of energy to heat up. In pure espresso operation, however, the YOU is on par with efficient thermoblock machines. For example, a single espresso extraction including preheating consumes only about 0.09 kWh (without steam boiler). With a steam boiler, it's around 0.23 kWh for the first espresso (because the boiler is also heated). Once the boiler is hot, only about 0.014 kWh is used for each subsequent espresso – a negligibly small value.
In continuous operation, a similar picture emerges: The machine draws about 72 Wh per hour in idle mode (~90 °C boiler temperature maintained) with the steam boiler switched off. With the steam boiler activated, idle consumption rises to around 131 Wh per hour. This means that over the day, the energy appetite of a continuously switched-on YOU adds up significantly, especially if the steam part is running. Those who primarily drink espresso and only occasionally froth milk can significantly save electricity by switching off the steam boiler. In everyday life, this means around 50% or more savings. Our measurements show that after about 1 hour of idle time, the machine (brew boiler-only) consumes as much energy as a renewed heating from cold would require (~0.08 kWh).
Summary
Heat-up time ~15 minutes until full stability – this is absolutely fine given the massive brew group.
Energy consumption: very low in espresso mode, moderate to high in dual boiler mode. This duality reflects a common trade-off: maximum steam power costs energy. Sanremo elegantly circumvents this problem by giving the user the choice to switch off the steam part when not in use. We find this to be an exemplary solution. In our evaluation, the YOU therefore receives good marks in the energy efficiency category (for a dual boiler) – if desired, it can be operated extremely economically.
Steam Performance and Milk Drinks
Despite its relatively small 1-liter boiler, the Sanremo YOU does not need to hide when it comes to steam power. In the test, the machine produced dry, powerful steam with ~1.2 bar boiler pressure. Frothing milk is quick: Cappuccino quantities (~120 ml milk) were perfectly frothed in just under 10 seconds. The two-hole steam wand is well placed and allows precise control of the milk vortex. Multiple milk drinks in a row did not make the YOU break a sweat – after five consecutive frothed milk portions, no significant pressure drop was observed. The professional tuning pays off here. Thanks to the separate boiler system, parallel use of the brew group and steam wand is also possible without problems: You can froth milk simultaneously while pulling an espresso shot without the brew pressure dropping.
For home baristas, this means: If you want to serve several cappuccinos in a row at a family celebration, the YOU is ideally equipped. The machine can also hold its own in a small café or at a catering event – but one should consider that there is only one brew group. Although the frothing performance per cup is excellent, the overall speed is limited by the single group (one barista, one espresso at a time). For the intended area of application (home, office, small events), however, we see no limitations in terms of steam and milk performance. We particularly liked that the steam boiler – once heated – maintains a very consistent performance. In the endurance test, a minimum pressure of ~0.9 bar was measured during over 10 minutes of continuous steam output, which proves that there are sufficient reserves even with longer frothing.
From a purely technical perspective, the YOU could even handle small gastronomic quantities. Sanremo itself states that the machine is intended for coffee roasters and professionals as a demonstration unit – accordingly, the performance reserves are designed to be high.
Design, Workmanship, and Maintenance
The Sanremo YOU presents itself in a sleek, modern design. The housing is angular with rounded edges; the front is dominated by the brew group, its mounted controls, and the spout below. A striking feature is that the massive machine "floats" due to the tall and angled supports. This gives the machine a certain elegance despite its size.
The machine is available in various color options (including stainless steel, white, black); our test unit in stainless steel/black appeared very high-quality. Gap dimensions and material thicknesses are exemplary: nothing wobbles, nothing rattles. The drip tray sits stably, but it is significantly smaller than the drip tray of a La Marzocco GS3. A minor point of criticism:
Behind the facade, the YOU impresses with a maintenance-friendly design. Sanremo has arranged the components modularly: boiler, pump, electronics – everything has its place and is comparatively easily accessible. According to the manufacturer, great importance was attached to easy maintenance. In the test, we took a look inside: After removing a few screws, the housing cover can be removed. Beneath it, a tidy interior is revealed. The wiring is neatly routed, important components are not built-in or hidden, but directly accessible. For example, the rotary pump is easily accessible at the front. Overall, the design is more reminiscent of a gastronomy machine than a typical household machine – robust and uncomplicated. Of course, everything appears compressed due to the size. This suggests high durability. Sanremo also advertises that all installed materials are designed for continuous operation and undergo strict quality controls. In the field, there are already reports from users who have been using the YOU daily for several years and have not experienced any problems (no leaks, no electronic failures, etc.). This makes us optimistic.
Cleaning is also easy thanks to the features: The machine has an automatic cleaning program for the brew group (backflush function at the touch of a button). With a suitable cleaning solution (e.g., coffee fat remover powder), the brew group can be conveniently cleaned. The included blind filter basket and brush complete the cleaning setup. Here too, one notices: The YOU wants to be used and be easy to maintain.
Espresso in the Cup: Taste and Practice
Technology is one thing – but how does the espresso from the Sanremo YOU taste? The short answer: Excellent, provided the barista knows what they're doing. The machine allows for incredibly consistent and reproducible shots. In our test, we tried various coffees, from bright, fruity roasts to classic espresso roasts. A complex coffee from our own farm was particularly exciting: the Doña Margarita Espresso. This coffee shows very different flavor profiles with different settings. With the YOU, we were able to fully exploit its profiling potential: a shot with a higher flow rate (flow profile) emphasized the lively citrus notes and subtle mandarin sweetness of the Doña Margarita, while a shot with longer pre-infusion and lower pressure produced a denser texture and more chocolatey tones. It felt as if we had two different coffees in the cup – simply by varying the pressure profile. This gave us a lot of joy and impressively demonstrated how finely tunable the extraction with this machine is.
It should be noted: the YOU provides the prerequisites for excellent taste – but the user has to extract it. Factors such as grind size, distribution in the basket, and tamping, of course, still come into play. However, its excellent temperature stability and pressure control make it significantly easier to find and repeatedly hit the sweet spot of a coffee. Once the right settings were found, our espressos were consistently balanced and delicious. Reproducibility is top-notch – shots are very similar shot after shot, which is invaluable, especially for tastings or dialing in different coffees.
Even in conventional use (without fancy profiles), the machine fully convinces in terms of taste. In standard 9-bar mode, the YOU produced very balanced espressos. We could not detect any off-flavors resulting from instabilities – bitterness due to overheating or sourness due to cooling did not occur. Compared to Michel's previous machine (also a dual boiler, but with significantly less control technology), the espressos from the YOU tasted clearer and more nuanced. Especially with more challenging coffees (light roasts), the YOU had the edge.
Flow and Pressure Profile Control Compared to Decent & Maro
The flow and pressure profile control of the Sanremo YOU seems somewhat outdated compared to modern machines like a Decent DE1 or the Maro Model 1. While these high-end devices offer the user almost unlimited possibilities in profile design – with numerous phases, smooth transitions, and intelligent, event-based controls – the YOU is limited to a static three-phase profile. There is a pre-infusion, extraction, and post-infusion phase, each programmed with fixed parameters (pressure and either duration or volume). This relative simplicity of profile control makes the YOU appear technically outdated compared to its more flexible competitors.
A significant point of criticism is the lack of smooth transitions between segments. The YOU only knows abrupt pressure jumps instead of gentle modulation. For example, after the pre-infusion time, the machine abruptly jumps to the predefined main pressure instead of gradually ramping up the pressure to the target value. Similarly, the reduction to post-infusion pressure occurs without an adjustable ramp: the pump simply drops from, e.g., 9 to 4 bar as soon as the final phase begins. Such harsh transitions noticeably distinguish the YOU from the finely tuned profile curves of a Decent or Maro and generally no longer seem up-to-date.
Specifically, the post-infusion phase in the programming appears technically questionable. For the last, e.g., 15 ml of water output, a fixed pressure is simply specified, with which the pump continues to run stubbornly. Towards the end of an extraction, however, the flow naturally decreases and the puck loses resistance – ideally, the pressure would then be gently reduced. The YOU, on the other hand, pumps in the post-infusion with a constantly set pressure until the defined remaining amount has passed through. It does not adapt to the actual puck behavior but maintains the post-infusion pressure regardless of any channeling effects or changes in resistance. This rigid approach can lead to inconsistent results and misses the actual purpose of precise profile control at the end of the shot.
Another difference from the profiling systems of the Decent or Maro is the absence of event-based phase changes. With the YOU, transitions cannot be linked to conditions such as reaching a specific pressure or flow – they occur exclusively according to a predefined time or volume. Modern machines, on the other hand, allow a phase to be ended, for example, as soon as either a defined pressure or a defined flow is reached (whichever comes first). Such intelligent changes are sought in vain with the YOU; the profile runs strictly according to schedule instead of reacting to the extraction process. In practice, this means: if the conditions change (e.g., due to a different grind size or coffee), the YOU still goes through its unchanged program. It does not "know" when the puck is fully saturated or begins to deteriorate – adaptive intervention as with Decent or Maro does not occur. The user then has to manually readjust the profile because the machine itself does not provide dynamic control.
A positive aspect, however, is the manual profile control via the paddle on the front of the YOU. This allows an individual pressure profile to be driven manually in real-time – comparable to the operation of a lever machine, but implemented electrically via the rotary pump. Via the paddle, the barista controls the pump pressure and thus directly the flow rate during the shot. This "pressure surfing" feels very immediate: one can react to the extraction process virtually by feel and thus create a desired profile. If a successful shot has been created in this way, the driven pressure curve can even be saved and stored as a profile. In this way, the YOU combines an analog, direct operating experience with digital reproducibility – something that is quite a unique selling point in this machine class.
Nevertheless, the paddle does not replace modern profiling logic. The most precise recipes are still best created via the digital input mask. A manually recorded paddle profile is ultimately also just a static three-phase program – merely based on an "experienced" course instead of purely theoretical specifications. Complex automatisms or intelligent triggers (as offered by Decent & Maro) are missing here. While manual profiling offers excellent practical relevance and promotes an understanding of extraction, for maximum reproducibility and fine-tuning, one cannot avoid working in the YOU's menu. In other words: the paddle is a welcome addition, but not a full replacement for the sophisticated profile control expected from truly modern espresso machines.
New Software Update and Connection to Beanconqueror
As of May 27, 2025. Sanremo has followed up on the YOU and is responding to community feedback with a new beta software update. We have already tested it extensively and summarize the most important changes here.
Better Overview and Detailed Display Thanks to Beanconqueror
Probably the most significant innovation of the beta version is the connection to the popular Beanconqueror app. This enables extensive and detailed visualization of all relevant brewing parameters: flow rate, pressure curve, brewing temperature, and the weight in the cup are displayed clearly and precisely. This exact visual depth was missing from the YOU's original display. Particularly positive: the app now allows a brew-by-weight function, which makes it possible to control shots precisely down to the gram. This makes brewing significantly more convenient and reproducible.
New Modes and Improved Usability
With the new software (firmware version 3.01 Beta), menu navigation and controls have been significantly revised. The user interface now appears clearer, more intuitive, and allows profiles to be named meaningfully. Where previously there were only cryptic numbers, coffee recipes can now be stored with descriptive names.
The YOU now distinguishes between two modes: a standard mode, which is particularly useful for uncomplicated operation in smaller gastronomic or catering situations, and a Pro mode, which offers home baristas full control and detailed displays. In standard mode, control remains reduced to a few basic functions, while in Pro mode, all brewing parameters and graphics are displayed.
Profile Control Extended with Blooming Function
Another new feature concerns profile control: the beta version adds a blooming function, which is integrated as a fourth instance in the profile curve. This allows an initial, gentler saturation of the coffee puck before the actual extraction begins.
However, criticism remains: although the update allows a little more flexibility, crucial features such as smooth transitions (ramps) at the end of the extraction are still missing. A gradual pressure drop (for example, from 8.5 to 4 bar) cannot be set – the transition remains abrupt. Here, we urgently wish for improvements in the final version.
More Direct Pump Control
The rotary pump has been revised in terms of software and now reacts much more directly and precisely. The immediate responsiveness when manually profiling with the paddle has been noticeably improved, making operation more pleasant and intuitive. This immediate feedback was a frequently expressed wish from the community and has fortunately been implemented.
Conclusion on the Beta Version
The beta version, including Beanconqueror integration, definitely brings the Sanremo YOU to a higher level. Especially the weight control and improved operation are real added values. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement: important aspects such as exit strategies and finer pressure transitions are not yet satisfactorily resolved.
Currently, the new version has not yet been officially released – the final roll-out is expected in the summer. We are keeping an eye on the development and are curious to see whether Sanremo can fully exploit the remaining potential. Until then, Beanconqueror offers an excellent addition that already gets significantly more out of the YOU.
Conclusion and Classification of the Sanremo YOU
The Sanremo YOU proves to be one of the most powerful single-group espresso machines we have ever had in our lab. Sanremo has succeeded in combining professional technology into a home barista-friendly casing. The YOU offers an impressive list of strengths:
- Temperature Stability: Reference class – it hardly gets any better. Consistency and control at competition level.
- Pressure/Flow Profiling: Freely designable and practical, ideal for those who like to experiment. Not as flexible as Decent or Maro, but still very advanced and with a rich range of functions.
- Workmanship: Robust, durable, easy to maintain. A machine for life.
- Flexibility: Tank or fixed water connection, steam boiler can be switched off, timer/standby – adapts to needs.
- Performance: Brewing and steaming power ranges from home use to semi-professional applications.
We are relatively relaxed about the machine's few weaknesses: the heat-up time of ~15 minutes requires some planning (but is quite common in context). Operation is more complex than with simple machines – one must be willing to engage with the subject matter. The YOU is less suitable for absolute beginners, but it is not aimed at them anyway. The price of more than €5,000 is high, but fair given what is offered: you get practically a commercial machine in a mini format. Only those who attach absolutely no importance to the profiling functions and "just want to pull espresso" may find cheaper alternatives, but these cannot keep up in terms of temperature/pressure stability. And those who want the complete flexibility of adaptive profiles and condition management for transitioning into infinitely many brewing phases are better advised with machines like the Decent or Maro.
Finally, we classify the Sanremo YOU in our "High-End Dual Boiler" evaluation category – as a new benchmark device for home baristas with professional ambitions. The YOU is also highly interesting for specialty coffee shops looking for an additional high-quality 1-group machine (e.g., for training or as a backup). Michel, at least, has found his new favorite: "This thing brings me so much joy that I'm happy to overlook the small drip tray." 😄
Overall Conclusion: The Sanremo YOU is a bullseye for anyone who wants to brew top-quality espresso at home and is unwilling to compromise on technology and control. It combines the best of the professional machine world with the demands of discerning home baristas. In short – perhaps the new "endgame" in the home espresso kitchen. We are thrilled and give the Sanremo YOU a top spot on our recommendation list.
