It's Monday, 8:04 AM, umpteenth week working from home and my Rancilio espresso maker is dead cold. I'm facing a whole week ahead of me and no coffee whatsoever. The 1st Google result for "Rancilio Silvia won't heat up" is a blog post from Great Infusions. One minute later I've opened the machine found the thermostat reset button. Never have I heard a click more pleasant than the one that reset button made. Wow! Wherever they are, these Great Infusions people are geniuses and this customer, who paid nothing, is a fan. read more

Sebastian was a very professional and polite guy. I had a request to have an upgrade to my Gaggia done and he responded to my email, confirmed a time for me to come, and had the install done. He ran into an issue he wasn't sure about, and he figured out the problem all on his own and got it working for me. I live in Concord so it was a bit of a trek to get to Santa Cruz, but he assured me if it takes longer than expected then he will just ship it to me, which he did and it worked out well. I really like espresso enthusiasts who have shops like this, and he is really good at what he does, so it's no wonder he has customers who come all the way from LA! When you have an espresso concern, come to Great Infusions! read more

Sebastian knew just what to do to repair my La Spaziela Dream and my La Spaziela S1 V1 and S1 V2. Easier, quicker and less expensive than sending these Small Cafe Espresso machines back to Chris Coffee - the excellent importer - in upstate NY. read more

So rare to find a professional who will honestly tell you whether your expensive Italian espresso machine is worth fixing and recommend ways to keep your machine out of the service department. A true find in Santa Cruz, while the hours are a bit tricky, it's worth it. read more

Sebastian and Dale are invaluable if you have an espresso machine that needs servicing. I've brought my Cellini Rocket in twice in 10 years and both times they've returned it working perfectly. This time I had an issue with my water tank cover being very very scratched on pickup. While I couldn't *prove* it was not like that when I brought it in, I felt very certain that either they scratched it or they gave me another machine's part. First they assured me it was my original part so I just resigned myself to living with it, but then Sebastian asked for a photo of it and said he'd order me a new part. How classy is that? They have my business for life. Integrity always earns my loyalty. Highly recommend. read more

Place is the absolute best, from beans to repair/ advice I would travel hours to visit Sebastian at Great Infusions.

OMG YOU HAVE MALABAR GOLD GREEN COFFEE BEANS! I can roast them??? IN MY OWN HOUSE?? !!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG. Santa Cruz as hippie a rep it gets knows its coffee and has some great vendors, and local roasters... this place gets up'd two stars for having my Malabar Gold for a decent price per pound so I can roast those green biatches my darn self I just had THE BEST latte ever (well as good as it is going to get without being at Coffeefest in Seattle Washington) *note* this is not a coffee shop or a place to get a latte.. I ground my own beans and made my own espresso.. if you really want me to.. maybe I will make you one... other than that... this place is for the coffee snobs to buy high end products at reasonable prices (grinder, machines, gizmos and gadgets, and whole beans) read more

I've been a customer for almost 20 years now. they have never failed to fix in a timely fashion both of my espresso machines. The only complaint I have is that I have to drive from San Bruno to use Great Infusions. That in it's self shows how much I think of them. read more

Sebastian and Dale are like a team of doctors operating on your coffee machinery. Both of them have been to my house, working on a Cimbali machine, which needs some maintenance every so often. They are knowledgable, efficient and effective. There will be a day when i need a new espresso machine - I'll be buying it from Great Infusions vs. online. Sebastian and Dale have earned my trust, and my business. I'd rather see them have the money, and support their local efforts, than send the cash out of state, or anywhere else. It's truly great to have a full-service coffee brewing shop right here in Santa Cruz, and run by two very nice, knowledgeable and easy-going people. read more

Great service and a lot of knowledge to help with the selection of our new semi-automatic espresso machine! Bought our 1st machine from Great Infusions 5 years ago and service is still just as solid and the reason we went back to upgrade our machine at this small shop instead of ordering online. Thanks Sebastian and Dale for all your help! read more

Had a great experience visiting Great Infusions over the weekend. I recently purchased a Rancilio Silvia (used) on Craigslist and needed to pick up a few accessories. Dale greeted us warmly and spent a fair amount of time with my husband and I. He helped me purchase a cleaning brush, descaling agent, backflushing detergent, a blind filter, and a heavy weight tamper. He also took the time to demonstrate how to backflush Miss Silvia properly. When I got home, I was able to successfully repeat the process on my own, thanks to his walking me through it. One big plus? No snobbery. Dale didn't even wince when I told him I'm currently using pre-ground coffee in my Silvia for the moment. I'm sure you coffee snobs are LAUGHING at me right now. :) The prices weren't as cheap as online, but the advice and personal service was definitely worth the small mark-up. If you're a coffee freak, definitely check these guys out! read more

After getting to know Sebastian and Dale at Great Infusions I regretted buying my Rocket machine online (to save only a few bucks)... They are extremely knowledgeable about machines, processes and even have a very good taste for their coffee selection. The resolved my Rocket problem (ended up being a grinder problem) in a very short amount of time and I can't be more grateful to them. The shop environment is awesome, it's that local-small shop feeling but with a lot of expertise behind. I ended up buying only a few things but will always come back for service, support and anything I can get from their shop. I don't mind driving from Los Gatos in order to get a small part since I know I will get some good advice. Making good coffee is such a ever learning process and this provides great support. read more

Great service at a good price. Repaired my old Expobar espresso machine. Cleaned it up while they had it. Recommended.

We bought a new Rocket espresso machine from Great Infusions to replace our old one. Sebastian the owner is extremely knowledgeable about anything on coffee related equipment or items including high-tech espresso machines from European manufacturers. He's not a type of business owner who just wants to make money. He's a type of business owner who genuinely wants to help his customers or any coffee lovers with his valuable time & his kind heart. No wonder he's been in business for around 20 years and going stronger. Thank you, Sebastian! read more

Just had my little home espresso machine fixed here... she stopped steaming, which means i stopped having coffee, which means everyone at work now hates their job because i haven't been appropriately caffeinated upon arrival! But fear not my dear coworkers, my lil machine is back up and running thanks to these guys. When i dropped her off, they explained that it might be a problem that wasn't worth fixing, and asked the max amount i was willing to pay so they wouldn't fix beyond its value. I gave them a number, and hoped for the best....I figured she was a goner, but NO! just a few days later they called with the good news that not only was she good to go, the cost was about 1/3 of the amount I said I would be willing to pay!!!!!! Hurray!!!! I highly reccomend these guys for repairing your espresso machine woes, and feel confident that they do excellent work at a very fair price. read more

excellent service on our La Marzocco machine. Dale is great to work with and very dependable. Highly recommended!

Great place...got my Rancilio Rocky and Silvia here at a great price along with a tamper and a set of ACF porcelain. Sebastian also took the time to explain the finer points of pulling a shot. My Rocky was out of stock, so to hold me over he threw in some Blue Bottle Hayes Valley espresso...sweet. If you are serious about coffee, then this is your place. Serious gear for coffee enthusiasts. read more

These people are wonderful! I took apart my old Rancilio Silvia to repair and forgot to take a photo of the wiring to put it back together. They emailed a diagram to me so I could put my machine my machine back together. So, so nice and saved me hours of time. Made my day if not week :) read more

Great Infusions is the shop the best baristas rely on. The selection is unparalleled, and so is the expertise. For example: I have an old Gaggia. Recently, a part on it broke. I knew I had no hope of buying a new replacement, but all the online parts stores I checked had no idea what I should do. I went to Great Infusions. The owner looked at my machine, said, "I think I have a couple of those in the boneyard...", and gave me the right part in a matter of minutes. read more

A great local business that provides the community with a great selection of top-quality equipment, espresso cups, brewers, grinders and locally roasted whole bean coffee. Sebastian knows the ins and outs of coffee and offers some amazing products in his shop. They also fix machines in-house. A great find in Santa Cruz! read more

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I needed a new espresso machine. I couldn't wait for mail order. Just too impatient I guess. I searched the Internet high an low. Even searched the local coffee houses and shops. Just couldn't find the price or the right product. So I checked a forum for Baristas and low and behold I found a place some 80 miles away which had just what I wanted and even had the others I considered...on display!! And at the same prices on the Internet!!! WOW So I got on the phone, made a call to a very friendly gent by the name of Sebastian. Sebastian had a reputation on the forums for being both friendly and extremely knowledgeable. So I knew I was speaking with a pro. After this conversation, I headed on down to the coastal town of Santa Cruz. Upon my arrival, I came in as a gentleman (who I soon found out was Sebastian) was demonstrating a model and discussing in detail the capabilities and features of a machine. Man was I impressed! Soon I was able to meet the infamous Sebastian. What a great guy. I mean he knows his stuff! I admit I knew what I wanted before I got there but Sebastian took the time to show me the differences between all the machines that I was considering. He even brewed me a shot in the demo model of the machine that I was considering. One taste, I was hooked. That was my machine!! Keep in mind that this is an espresso machine seller and not a coffee/espresso bar. What an awesome experience to have a merchant who not only is an expert, but kind as can be! No rush, no pushing, just pure and simple: here are the facts, your choice type of presentation. Without a doubt, I'd give this place an easy five stars. Tip of my yelp cap to Sebastian for running an incredible shop!!! read more

Called to get info on ordering a Rocket espresso machine since they are the closest authorized dealer to me. Person on the phone acted clueless about how to make that happen. After asking if they could order me one, the salesperson told me they had full stock and wouldn't know how to go about doing that. How do you have full stock, if you don't have the machine I am asking about? Please consider treating your potential customers with a little more proactive customer service. Your suggestion for me to contact the manufacturer makes no sense due to the fact that you are the dealer. If you don't want to handle customers interested in Rocket machines, you might consider asking them to remove you from their website. read more

I'm reviewing strictly based on using them to service and/or repair your equipment. The retail aspect of the business is nice, good selection with fair prices. The service side didn't deliver a great experience. I have a QuickMill machine that I needed to change from reservoir to plumbed in. I didn't want to risk doing it myself and thought it might be good to have the machine serviced in advance of commencing it to its own dedicated water source. I had Great Infusions do the work. When I got the machine back, I connected it to the outlet and water source. No problems so far. I ground some beans and was ready to pull my first shot. I first noticed that the portafilter handle no longer pointed straight out when I tightened it to the group head but was about 40 degrees to the right. Strange. Then the machine didn't seem to be operating the same as when it wasn't plumbed it. The machine worked for a couple of years without issue. Now it didn't feel right. I tried again and the sound of the machine stopped. It seemed the pump wasn't working at all. I disconnected everything, called Great Infusions and was told to bring it back. They said they would need to keep the machine to check it out. I was given a call a few days later and told the wiring was completely wrong and it burned out the machine and I would need to buy new parts. I asked how this happened and was told it was because it was wired incorrectly from the factory. Strange, I asked, since the machine was working fine for a couple of years. "It shouldn't have" was the response. I told them to do the work (cheaper than buying a new machine, right?). I picked up the machine and asked about the portafilter pointing to the side, "Don't worry about it, it still works and it's hard to align it up" I was told. Again, strange since just about every machine I see, the portafilter lines up perfectly. So over all, the machine works. It cost me a lot of money to get it working and I still feel they rewired the machine incorrectly and wouldn't admit it. They also took the attitude of "good enough" regarding the portafilter. I won't take my machine there in the future. I'll also be buying my accessories and equipment online in the future. So in the end, fine to just buy some accessories but I wouldn't let them touch your machine. Two stars (I'd give one but the retail side is gets a bonus star) read more

STAY AWAY FROM HERE, twice I have brought espresso machines to this place for repair. The first time I bought my Expobar Brewtus and they charged me over $100 and were like sorry we couldn't figure out what the problem is! I finally figured it out and fixed it. I would never have returned but I don't have the La Pavoni tool to tighten down the boiler to the base so they replaced the seal and tightened it up. The problem is that when I brought it home filled it up with water and turned it on the water leaked out and ruined the electronics of the machine. read more

In my opinion this place is unprofessional. Not only did they not fix my machine correctly but removed a working part from my machine only to replace it nonfunctional. Then 2 weeks later they harassed my online server for payment! When i called to speak to someone it was then that i told them to send me a invoice so i know how much I`m paying and what I`m paying for! The whole time they had all my info that they claimed they did not to send me a bill. I DON`T RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE!!!! read more

Sad experience today. I used their online order system to purchase 4 IPA cups at $9.99 and a LaMarzocco bottomless portafilter for $80. Once in my cart for check-out process I noticed that the cups had been re-priced to $11.84/ea and the portafilter increased to $101.99!!! Obviously I cancelled my order immediately and will post this alarming and fraudulent business practice across the web at every opportunity. Shame on this company! read more

I have a La Pavoni lever machine. They recommend replacing the gaskets annually AND say that this is a job for the pros. Nonetheless, after several years I ordered a gasket set from the distributor. I don't think they were kidding that this is not a job for the average owner. I'm not the handiest guy, but I don't think of myself as inept. I replace sink gaskets and do various small repairs, but I read the instructions and saw a non-zero chance that I would damage my beloved (and, yes, necessary) espresso machine. So, I contacted Great Infusions. They were willing to change my gaskets, using my gasket set, and quoted me a very reasonable hourly rate. When I brought it in, I mentioned that it had just started leaking badly, and that the base was extremely hot to the touch; Sebastian knew that meant that I needed a new boiler gasket. I mentioned that the steam knob had always leaked a bit, even when the machine was brand new; Sebastian knew that meant that I needed a new o-ring. They swapped in my gaskets and replaced the parts I didn't have, and were done the same day. They charged me for an hour and half - no rounding up to a full hour. The machine even seems to work better (next time, I won't let the gaskets go so long) and I am very happy. read more

Nothing has been more difficult than getting quality service for my Iberital Espresso Machine at my Art Gallery Studio Bongiorno, I recently reached out to Great Infusions and Dale came down to give it a look. Fast, Dependable and reasonably priced, I am now scheduled for routine services and 100% happy and they deserve 5 stars! read more

I have been in coffee for about 10 years now, and usually there are not a lot of people to turn to when I am stumped. Sebastian was able to help me work through and find the part I needed for my commercial espresso machine, and provide it on the spot! How is that different than other providers I contacted?? Well, my machine and shop were back up in just a couple hours in stead of a couple days! I will be doing all my business at Great Infusions. read more

Sebastian rocks! Helped me out of a jam like no one else could. I am truly grateful ....and very loyal. Great Infusions is the only place where I will take my espresso business from this day forward. Great Infusions = Great People. read more

GREAT! Found espresso cup and capp cups that are thick and cafe worthy! Sebastian was wonderful to work with, and even waited patiently as I was deciding which extra order to keep or send back. Customer service was very high, even around Christmas. I would definitely return for my next set of cups and saucers! read more

I too had a good experience with Great Infusions. Ordered a Rocky grinder over the phone and it arrived at my home in San Mateo the next day!! Prices are competitive and they know their stuff. read more

Sebastian is the best. Brought my 17 year old Rancilio Silvia back to life again. Working better than she has in years.

Awesome guys and very helpful to me when I was on market for a new espresso machine. Sebastian is a master at espresso machines and he was very pleasant to work with for my new Rocket machine. Prices are good and it is better to support local business and not have to wait for a machine to arrive in the mail. Highly recommended. read more

I mail ordered my excellent espresso cups here. Awesome service, prompt deliver both times.

I have been shopping at Great Infusions since i became interested in espresso making. Sebastian carries only quality equipment. He has taken the time to choose good representative machines in a variety of price points so you can get involved with the art on a fairly modest budget. He will take the time to educate you on techniques as well as machines and is more interested in being helpful than in selling you the most expensive machine. Great cups, too! Wonderful to do business with an aficionado; a rarity in these times of chain stores with know-nothing sales staff. read more

Very good experience using Great Infusions to repair my espresso machine. Did gauge and gasket replacement, as well as general check up. Machine is back and operating smoothly again. read more

I gave this 2 stars because it is a nice retail set up. However, for repairs, it's probably more like getting lucky--or not. I have a Quickmill Vetrano and have taken it there twice. The second time ($200) because it still wasn't working properly after the first time ($300). It was still never quite right, but I didn't want to take it back there, so I've been using it as it limps along. It's not easy to find competent repairs on espresso machines here in NorCal, but I have to find one as my machine is getting worse. read more

I got my Jura coffee maker back, it was really broken when we got it home. 190. later and we had to spend another 250. for Jura to fix it. I should have sent my coffee maker to the manufacturer rather than try using Great Infusions. It was a very frustrating experience! read more

It's the only place I will go to have my Rocket Espresso machine serviced. They are experts. Large selection of machines and accessories. Sebastian and Dale are great! read more