Sanremo YOU Review – Is This Machine Worth It?

Sanremo, a relatively young espresso machine manufacturer, has quickly become one of the big names in the industry with their flagship machines standing out in terms of styling and technology. The You is no exception, offering real-time direct pressure profiling, access to a wide array of variables, and programming at your fingertips.

We will be diving into our experience with the Sanremo You over the last couple of months, covering its features, performance, and of course, its quirks and downsides.

The You comes with a premium price tag. But is it worth the money? Read on to see how the Sanremo You performed in our months of testing.

Sanremo You Overview

Sanremo is a relatively newcomer in the world of espresso machines, with the company starting out in the 1980s. However, in that short period of time, they have become one of the big names you see on many cafe counters.

Sanremo espresso machines stand out with their stylish looks and innovative tech features. They have finally shoehorned all of that into a single group machine aimed at the home barista market: the aptly named You.

Sanremo You Features

The Sanremo You espresso machine is designed to give you as much control as possible, with access to a wide array of variables, data, and programming at your fingertips. It includes real-time direct pressure profiling using a volumetric gear pump. Of course, all that premium control also comes with a premium price.

The paddle is located at the front of the group and can be used to pull your shot from start to finish, allowing you to control the pressure all the way through. The group itself is a modified e61 called the sr61 and has an internal heating element aimed at creating a more consistent water temperature from brew boiler to portafilter.

Overall, the Sanremo You features a lot of advanced technology and customization options that give you a wide array of extraction capabilities. The manual paddle and pressure profiling are particularly noteworthy, allowing you to create a range of different espresso styles. The machine does have a few quirks and downsides, such as the small drip tray and the awkward placement of the group. However, these issues don’t detract from the machine’s overall performance and quality.

Display and Control

The main screen on the Sanremo You gives you a lot of basic info, such as the brew and steam boiler status, the last shot method (paddle, manual, or selected profile), and the details of the last shot, including the milliliters dispensed at the pump and overall shot time.

When you’re ready to brew, the bottom section of the screen in the group is where you get all that done. The one, two, and three buttons are presets, and you can change and swap them around to different profiles. There are six standard profiles pre-loaded on the machine with basic shot styles. There are also 10 custom profiles that can be digitally adjusted, editing each phase of the shot. The last six are designed to be edited through the use of the paddle.

The machine also comes with a manual continuous dose, which is just a straight nine bar pull, and an auto group purge. At the front of the group sits the star of the show, the paddle, which gives you full control of the pressure as you pull shots.

Brewing Process

When it comes to brewing on the Sanremo You, there are a lot of options to choose from. The machine is designed to give you as much control as possible, with access to a wide array of variables, data, and programming at your fingertips.

Each of the six standard profiles pre-loaded on the machine can be digitally adjusted. There are settings for yield, pre-infusion pressure and time, infusion pressure and post-infusion pressure and amount.

The manual paddle is the best feature of this machine, at least in our humble opinion. It enables full, manual pressure-control. The movement of the paddle is also very fluid, and the readout on the screen gives you real-time information about the pressure and the flow rate. Once you find a shot that you like, you can easily just save it in one of the six custom paddle slots and run it back using the volumetric programming.

It’s worth noting that the accuracy level of the volumetric programming does go up quite a bit the less amount of fiddling you do during the shot. In our daily use of the machine, we found that the accuracy fell within the acceptable range for auto repeatability when including such an unpredictable variable as pressure profiling.

Overall, the brewing process on the Sanremo You is pretty straightforward, and there are a lot of great features that make it easy to customize your shot to your liking. The pressure profiling and manual paddle give you a wide array of extraction capabilities, from your traditional 9 bar pulls to long pre-infusions, ramp downs, low-pressure shots, and basically everything else in between. The temperature stability from boiler to group is also a great feature, making it great for those longer extractions.

Machine Internals

Taking a closer look at the Sanremo You’s internals, we can see that the machine has two stainless steel boilers, a half-liter brew, and a one-liter steam boiler. These boilers are mounted vertically side by side, which reduces energy usage and startup time. The brew boiler takes about five minutes to reach the brewing temperature, while the steam boiler takes about 10 minutes to reach the steaming temperature.

The pump inside the You is a volumetric gear pump, which allows you to perform pressure profiling versus flow profiling on mechanical paddles. The USB port that’s used for updating the machine’s firmware can also be used to charge other devices, which is a convenient feature.

The group head of the Sanremo You is a modified E61, called the SR61, with an internal heating element aimed at creating a more consistent water temperature from the brew boiler to the portafilter. The hot water tap and steam wand are controlled via micro-switch levers on either side of the group head.

The You’s internals are well-designed and efficient, with a focus on reducing energy usage and startup time. The volumetric gear pump and modified E61 group head provide a consistent and high-quality espresso extraction, while the micro-switch levers on the hot water tap and steam wand offer ease of use and adjustability.

Companion App

The Sanremo You espresso machine comes with a companion app that allows you to control and adjust many of the machine’s features from your smartphone or tablet. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.

One of the main features of the app is the ability to create and save custom profiles for your shots. You can adjust the yield, pre-infusion pressure and time, infusion pressure and post-infusion pressure and amount for each profile. You can also adjust the temperature of the brew and steam boilers, set the auto-off time, and access the machine’s statistics and maintenance information.

Another useful feature of the app is the ability to remotely start and stop the machine’s brewing process. This can be especially useful if you’re running a busy cafe and need to keep an eye on multiple machines at once.

The app also includes a built-in timer and stopwatch, which can be handy for timing your shots and keeping track of your brewing process. Additionally, you can use the app to update the machine’s firmware and access user manuals and other support materials.

The Sanremo app is a useful tool for controlling and customizing the You. While some users may prefer to adjust the machine’s settings manually, the app provides an easy-to-use interface for those who prefer to use their smartphone or tablet.

Performance and Use

When it comes to the performance and use of the Sanremo You coffee machine, there’s no denying that it offers a lot of features and technology to help you make great espresso. The machine is designed to give you as much control as possible, with access to a wide array of variables, data, and programming at your fingertips.

In terms of espresso quality, we’ve been pulling some great shots on the Sanremo You for a couple of months now, so there is no shortage of tasty espresso when you pair it with a nice coffee, a proper grinder, and a skilled hand.

For milk drink lovers, the steam provides a decent amount of power considering its small boiler size. The wand itself does give you a nice amount of adjustability, but in terms of usability, there are only two settings: on and off. So there can be a bit of a learning curve in terms of texturing.

Temperature Stability

When it comes to temperature stability, the You has a lot going for it. Thanks to its modified e61 group head with an internal heating element, the machine is able to maintain a consistent water temperature from the brew boiler to the portafilter. This means that you can expect a high level of temperature stability throughout the shot, which is great news for those longer extractions.

In addition to the group head heating element, the You also features two stainless steel boilers, a half liter brew and one liter steam, mounted vertically side by side. While these boilers are relatively small by prosumer standards, they were designed to reduce energy usage and startup time.

During our testing, we found that the Sanremo You delivered consistent temperature stability shot after shot. This is particularly impressive when you consider the wide array of extraction capabilities offered by the machine.

Overall, we were very pleased with the temperature stability of the Sanremo You. Whether you’re pulling shots for yourself or for customers at a busy cafe, you can count on this machine to deliver consistent, high-quality espresso.

Milk Texturing

For those who love milk drinks, the You is a great option. The steam wand provides enough power to create a silky texture and produce latte art. However, the limited adjustability may require some practice to get the perfect texture.

Things We Didn’t Like

As with any espresso machine, the Sanremo You has its flaws. Let’s take a closer look at some of the issues we encountered during our testing.

First and foremost, the drip tray is quite small, which can be problematic if you don’t have it hooked up to a drain. It doesn’t take long for the tray to fill up, and removing it can be a delicate operation. Additionally, the group sits quite far forward, which can make the workspace feel a bit cramped.

Another issue we noticed is that the machine only comes with spouted portafilters, which push the flow of water even further forward. This can make it difficult to use the machine with larger cups or mugs.

While the Sanremo You offers a wide array of features and customization options, some users may find the interface a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of variables to adjust, and it can take some time to get the hang of using the machine effectively.

Finally, the Sanremo You is expensive, which may be a barrier for some users. While the machine offers a lot of advanced features and high-end technology, it may not be the best choice for those on a tight budget.

Is The San Remo You Worth It?

After spending a couple of months with the San Remo You, we can confidently say that this machine is worth the investment for serious home baristas or small cafes. While it comes with a premium price tag, the You offers a wide array of features and programming at your fingertips, including real-time direct pressure profiling using a volumetric gear pump.

One of the standout features of the You is its manual paddle and pressure profiling capabilities, which give you a wide array of extraction capabilities. This feature alone makes the machine worth it for those who want to experiment with different shot styles and flavors.

In terms of espresso quality, we have pulled great shots consistently throughout our several months of testing. It’s as good as any La Marzocco machine we’ve used and rivals the quality of any prosumer or commercial machine.

The consistent temperature throughout the shot and the high level of temperature stability from boiler to group make it great for those longer extractions.

While there are some downsides to the You, such as the small drip tray and the awkward positioning of the group, we believe that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Overall, we highly recommend the San Remo You for those who are serious about their home espresso setup or for small cafes looking for a reliable and versatile machine.

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