About the Saeco Company

As the world's leading manufacturer of fully automatic espresso and coffee machines for residential and commercial use, The Saeco International Group enjoys wide acceptance of it products. Saeco's success is supported by the technology of a east to use, removable brewing device that is user accessible for easy cleaning and maintenance.

The Saeco Group offers an unique selection of fully automatic espresso coffee machines. These espresso / coffee machines produce regular strength freshly brewed coffee. In addition, they prepare espresso and all the related specialty coffee drinks (cappuccino and Latte).

At the touch of a button, these automatic coffee machines prepare the different types of coffee. The Saeco machines can also make steam for frothing milk.

Saeco automatic coffee and espresso machines can, at the press of a button, grind coffee beans, tamp them into place and pressure brew 1 or 2 cups of fresh coffee or espresso, and the discard the used grinds leaving the machine ready to prepare your next cup. All Saeco fully automatic models feature the patented Saeco Easy Clean System, the brewing device that is easily removable for quick cleaning. These fully automatic machines are designed to be very easy to use and care for, this in turn avoids the hassle and cost of servicing the machine. All Saeco automatic espresso machines feature a steam wand with a special frothing aid, the pannarello frothing attachment, a burr coffee grinder, a removable water tank and a powerful fifteen bar pump. Some models utilize the Saeco Rapid Steam System. Rapid Steam has revolutionized latte and cappuccino making by getting rid of the delay for the boiler to change from brewing to steaming temperature.

Saeco Traditional Pump Driven Espresso Machines feature unique pressurized filter holders that provide for easy coffee handling and consistently great results. All Saeco  traditional household espresso machines feature steam wands that take the hassle out of frothing milk for latte and cappuccino drinks.

Founded in Italy in 1981, Saeco has grown over time to become a strong international concern with a presence in throughout the worlds markets. Currently, Saeco is a company that designs, produces and markets coffee machines for household and professional use. In 1999, the Saeco Group acquired a controlling interest in Gaggia, the owner of a early brand of professional espresso machines.

Saeco remains the market leader in Italy in the production of home espresso coffee machines, with a market share of over 65%. Saeco is also the European leader with a market share of over 30%.

With many changes in coffee culture and lifestyle in recent years, leading to the increased consumption of espresso coffee throughout the world, Saeco has capitalized by taking advantage of these new markets.

Because of a huge worldwide sales network, Saeco has received superb results in many countries that fairly recently began drinking espresso coffee.

The Saeco International Group of today, dates back to 1976 established by Sergio Zappella founder of GSL, a company producing espresso coffee machines for the home. 

The credit for the invention & production of the 1st fully automated pressure brewed coffee machine for home use belongs to Saeco. Saeco produced its first automated espresso machine in 1985. This allowed the user to simply put water and coffee beans into a machine: the grinding, the measuring, & the brewing of the espresso and the dumping of the used coffee grinds are handled automatically through a process that manages the pressure, quantity and temperature of the water. The removable brewing group is protected by an international patent and being removable it thereby makes maintenance and cleaning easier.   Automation are Saeco machines biggest selling point, because it makes it easy for all to prepare an excellent espresso coffee, regular cup of coffee or specialty drink.

Improving the technical features of the coffee machines, the Cappuccinatore and the pressurized filter holder are other ideas patented by Saeco. The Saeco Cappuccinatore is a time saving device that draws the milk directly out of a container and froths and steams it into a dense, rich froth. The pressurized filter holder manages water pressure during extraction making it rich and creamy consistently.

Thanks to technological improvements, Saeco maintains flexible assembly lines capable of handling all phases of production of current and future automatic espresso machines. Saeco not only produces coffee machines, but it also handles the design & planning of the individual parts. This way, Saeco is able to make sure that its coffee products meet stringent quality standards.

Swiss engineer named Arthur Schmed & Sergio Zapella established Saeco S.r.l. located in Gaggio Montano. Both invested much time and effort to produce the 1st fully-automatic espresso coffee machine in 1985. The following year, Zappella and Giovanni Zaccanti established Cosmec S.p.A. for the purpose of producing coffee machine parts.

The 1990's were a period of strong growth. In the 1989-1993 period, Cosmec inaugurated production of various espresso coffee and automated vending machines.

October 1999 marked the beginning of a global reorganization, with Cosmec changing its name to the Saeco International Group and assuming the role of the holding company. In December 1999, the Group acquired the control of Gaggia S.p.A.. The purchase of Gaggia, an established brand in the professional coffee machines market, has allowed Saeco to reinforce its position in this market segment and to further grow its business. Building on past success, the Saeco Intl Group is now a group of companies which is enjoying international expansion.

In 2009, Saeco International Group was purchased by Philips