Solis is a unique coffee equipment provider because they operate their own manufacturing facility in Switzerland where the company is based. This may sound obvious, but in fact most brands are not made by the company whose name appears on the final product ...many are not even designed and engineered by the company of the brand name.
Rumors of high-quality, great results, and long-term dependability from Solis-owners attracted me to this brand. Having tested them, I too am a believer. Their product line is simple, straightforward, and easy to use. It is not over-designed or sheathed in a stainless steel wrapper to give it a slick look. And yet it has the high-end internal componentry of equipment that costs much more ...
| On
this page: | Solis Crema SL-90 | Solis Master 5000 | Filterbaskets
for SL-90 |
Related
Item: Maestro PLUS Coffee Mill |
Solis Master 5000 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with Built-In Burr Mill | |||||||||
|
The Simplicity of the Master 5000 Control Panel. Anyone can make perfect coffee with this machine! Press one button, and a single, freshly-ground, freshly brewed cup of coffee is made. This machine excels at brewing single cups of coffee between 5-8 oz. The cup has extraordinary body, a rich tan crema on the surface, called a Cafe Suisse or Cafe Crema in Northern Europe. The machine will inform you by a light on the front panel if the 3 bins are full or need filling: the water resevoir, the bean hopper, or the used coffee cake collector. But we have found for using the Master 5000 in our shop that all the bins are of adequate size that they do not demand much attention. This machine is made to turn on in the morning, make cup after cup of excellent espresso or coffee all day long, and turn off at night...
| The
Master 5000 grinds your fresh roasted whole beans, doses, tamps, and extracts
perfect espresso, complete with an excellent crema. And it does it all with the
push of a single button. For this reason, the master 5000 is the ultimate shared/office/company-kitchen
machine. The front panel dial allows the user to select the coffee strength for
each cup. A fully adjustable steam wand froths and steams milk for a perfect cappuccino,
latte or hot chocolate. The state-of-the-art technology of this fully automatic espresso machine also incorporates a number of very practical advantages: half gallon water reservoir is accessible from above; the height adjustable dispensing head is ideal for large and small cups; and the quiet and adjustable Mulino Grinder ensures the retention of the aroma and flavor of the freshly ground beans. When you own a Solis Master 5000, you own your own coffee and espresso butler, ready to make you the perfect cup on demand. At our shop, we have enjoyed this machine for over a month, and we have found that it truly excels at making excellent full-bodied coffee with a crema on the top, called Cafe Suisse or Cafe Crema. The espresso is excellent, especially the tall (lungo) espresso. But it is this slightly larger drink, 6 oz. in size with a think tan crema on the surface and rich buttery body, that has won us over, especially brewed with fresh-roasted Ethiopian Harar, or Indonesians like Sumatra, Sulwesi and Java. And to get this fantastic cup, you just set the coffee selector to 6 oz. and push one button! One Year Warranty. Dimensions are 13.5 " x 15" x 14 " (l x h x d) Details of the Solis Master 5000 Super Automatic: (pitctured below: Anthracite Model)
| ||||||||
|
Color: Anthracite: $799 (Our Price includes free UPS Ground shipping in continental US , free milk frothing pitcher, free set of 2 Stainlees Steel Cappuccino cups, and a free 1 Lb. of our own Roasted Espresso! The espresso machine drop ships from our supplier - the accessories are sent from our warehouse.) Available Colors - Please note: the machine in the above
small pictures is Anthracite. The one at the top is the Black-Silver
model. We can custom order the Black-Silver - now it is the same price
as the Anthracite color. |
|||||||||
|
$459
|
Solis SL-90 Crema Espresso Machine - No longer offered Review is kept here for information only. We feel that, over time, the SL-90 has lost a step with other espresso machines in it's price range. While it's a solid machine, the small filterbasket makes it anachronistic. We suggest the Silvia by Rancilio which has a true commercial-sized 58mm coffeehandle, a commercial filterbasket with no "pinhole" to enhance crema, and has a Stainless chasis. The SL-90 is a great semi-automatic home espresso machine. It has the benefit of digital controls, a computer that controls shot times and water temperatures, and other upscale niceties often found in $500 - $800 machines.With the Solis Crema SL 90, you get a solid all metal housing that ensures years of use (and abuse). The steam nozzle swivels to accommodate different vessel sizes and it dispenses hot water. The warming tray on top is actively heating, giving you cups heated to just the right temperature in a short time. The drip tray is adjustable for different sized cups.Inside the machine are digital controls and a computer that accurately controls the timing of your shots. Choose from preset times, or program in up to six shot times that suit your own "perfect shot".The computer control also keeps the brewing temperature to within 2 degrees (Fahrenheit) of what is the optimum brewing temperature, which is the significant major feature that makes this a better machine than the SL-70 model. The machine can create 19 bars of pressure -- that's professional-machine pressure! If you like to fiddle with your espresso, trying to achieve the perfect shot, this machine lets you experiment to no end, then set it to the parameters you are most happy with.Is this the most handsome espresso machine out there --honestly, I don't think so. Is it capable of making true shop-quality espresso? Yes! Can the "muy suave" Francis-Francis do this? No! Is a machine good because it has a stainless steel skin on it? No! How about the handsome and fickle Pavoni lever machines? Even you Pavoni-ites (and me) must admit, 1 in 3 shots on the Europiccola is ideal, at best. Choosing the SL-90 means buying cup after cup of great espresso, not designer chic ...and that is why you see it offered here. 1 year warranty against defect, repair or replacement. Dimensions are 10.5" x 12" x 9.5" (l x h x d) Color: Black/Silver $459 (Our Price includes free UPS Ground shipping in continental US , free nylon bristle espresso machine brush, and free can Illy Caffe espresso, and a free 1 Lb. of our own Roastmaster's Choice Espresso! The espresso machine ships from our shop in a separate box from the other items in the order.) |
||
 |
Solis provides several portafilter inserts for the machine. There is the single-shot, double-shot and pod-adapter (for pre-packaged espresso pods ...boo!) filters. The Solis is designed to filter through a pinhole opening in the bottom of the filter in order to provide pressure resistence. This helps to reduce the variable of tamping (packing the coffee in the portafilter). The pinhole is not like the aerator disc feature in other machines that produces "false-crema" in the espresso. The coffee handle is nice and big! We also offer the non-pressurized optional filterbaskets! |
 |
The entire back of the machine is used by the removable water tank. I can't tell you how nice it is to have the water (such an important ingredient in great coffee!) so visible. The tank has a spring-loaded valve in the bottom --you can remove it, take it to the sink, fill it and return it without spilling a drop. Okay, maybe one drop. Periodic cleaning of the SL-90 involves adding a descaler to the tank water and running it through the machine. (No backflushing necessary.) This tank design makes that task easy. |
 |
The built-in 53mm tamper in the body of the SL-90 is all the tamping you need to make perfect espresso shots! The portafilter design reduces the significance of exact tamping and the Solis prefers a lighter tamp to the standard 35-40 lb pressure needed to tamp on other machines --but fear not, you still have much autonomous control over the shot (or an opportunity to mess it up!) with the fineness of the grind! Another handy feature --you can adjust the drip-tray height (tip: keep it shorter, as on the right...) |
|
The digital contols are entirely on the top-front of the machine. The are on a washable touch pad that cannot be permeated with water. Very smart. The body of the machine is metal and the heat is transfered to the cup-warmer --the top of the machine -- with the push of a button. Read the Solis Quick-Start page for the SL-90 ...this shows you how easy the machine is to use. The shot contols are digital, but completely customizable. So true espresso fans --those who choose the abbreviated Ristretto (1-1.5 oz) over the overgrown Lungo (3 oz!) can meet their needs. Okay ...it does the Lungo too. |
|
|
The machine produces an incredible amount of steam pressure. It makes steaming the old-fashioned way (the way a shop espresso machine does it), with a wand, quite easy. No "automatic frothers" here! There are handy grips (white arrow) on the wand to move it into the right position --not pretty but incredibly smart in terms of daily use! Also, please do not use ugly zebra cups (gray arrow) --they ruin your coffee. |
 |
The Solis produces the pressure levels found in professional machines. Shots are created at 10-12 bars according to my measures, and steam pressure builds up to 19 bars! |
| Other Espresso Equipment from Sweet Maria's | Other Coffee Brewing Equipment from Sweet Maria's | Coffee/Espresso Machine Cleaning supplies, including brushes and powdered Coffee Cleaner from Urnex |
Pavoni Lever Espresso Equipment (information and links --we do not sell Pavoni equipment any more... but can direct you to a good source...) |
 Sweet Maria's offers Roasted Coffee! Small-Batch Coffees-of-the-Week, roasted the day it ships... More Info... |
