200 reviews for De’Longhi Magnifica Evo Automatic Espresso & Coffee Machine

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   WBS – April 2, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

   UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

   34 people found this helpful
2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Don – April 6, 2023

   4.0 out of 5 stars

   Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

   We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

   3 people found this helpful
3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Bassaholic – April 8, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Luv it!

   After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

   One person found this helpful
4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Sandra Goodrum – April 8, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   New technology

   For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

   One person found this helpful
5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   NorCal tech guy – April 8, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Better than I expected

   I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

   12 people found this helpful
6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Esther Schindler – April 10, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

   Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

   Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

   for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

   Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

   , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

   DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

   , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

   Aeropress

   and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

   52 people found this helpful
7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   NorCal tech guy – April 12, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Better than I expected

   I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

   12 people found this helpful
8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Bassaholic – April 13, 2023

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Luv it!

   After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

   One person found this helpful
9. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Don – April 13, 2023

   4.0 out of 5 stars

   Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

   We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

   3 people found this helpful
10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Esther Schindler – April 14, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

    Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

    Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

    for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

    Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

    , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

    DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

    , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

    Aeropress

    and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

    52 people found this helpful
11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    NorCal tech guy – April 15, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Better than I expected

    I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

    12 people found this helpful
12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    WBS – April 17, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

    UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

    34 people found this helpful
13. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    JM – April 17, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great purchase

    We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

    25 people found this helpful
14. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    WBS – April 18, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

    UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

    34 people found this helpful
15. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Dan G – April 18, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

    The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

    One person found this helpful
16. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Don – April 21, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

    We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

    3 people found this helpful
17. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    PW – April 21, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

    Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

    2 people found this helpful
18. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – April 22, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    One year later…. still happy with purchase

    I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

    2 people found this helpful

    

19. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    NorCal tech guy – April 23, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Better than I expected

    I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

    12 people found this helpful
20. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    PW – April 24, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

    Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

    2 people found this helpful
21. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – April 25, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Slight open gap on the left side

    Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

    4 people found this helpful

    

22. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    NorCal tech guy – April 28, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Better than I expected

    I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

    12 people found this helpful
23. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Barbara H – May 2, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great coffee machine

    The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
24. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sandra Goodrum – May 2, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    New technology

    For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

    One person found this helpful
25. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    photoimpactphotoimpact – May 7, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great product for one type of coffee only

    My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

    One person found this helpful

    

26. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve – May 8, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love this Espresso Machine

    I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

    82 people found this helpful
27. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – May 8, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Slight open gap on the left side

    Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

    4 people found this helpful

    

28. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Bobbie D – May 9, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

    This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

    4 people found this helpful
29. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – May 9, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    So close to perfect.

    My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

    One person found this helpful
30. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Bobbie D – May 10, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

    This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

    4 people found this helpful
31. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    JM – May 13, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great purchase

    We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

    25 people found this helpful
32. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve – May 17, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love this Espresso Machine

    I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

    82 people found this helpful
33. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve – May 20, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love this Espresso Machine

    I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

    82 people found this helpful
34. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – May 21, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    So close to perfect.

    My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

    One person found this helpful
35. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sandra Goodrum – May 23, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    New technology

    For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

    One person found this helpful
36. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    photoimpactphotoimpact – May 24, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great product for one type of coffee only

    My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

    One person found this helpful

    

37. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Victoria – May 26, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

    This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

    One person found this helpful
38. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MLG – June 1, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

    Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

    6 people found this helpful
39. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – June 4, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    So close to perfect.

    My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

    One person found this helpful
40. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    DanS – June 5, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great value for an excellent superautomatic

    I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

    8 people found this helpful
41. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MLG – June 6, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

    Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

    6 people found this helpful
42. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    WBS – June 7, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

    UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

    34 people found this helpful
43. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sandra Goodrum – June 8, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    New technology

    For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

    One person found this helpful
44. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    PW – June 10, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

    Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

    2 people found this helpful
45. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sandra Goodrum – June 12, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    New technology

    For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

    One person found this helpful
46. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MLG – June 13, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

    Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

    6 people found this helpful
47. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Barbara H – June 14, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great coffee machine

    The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
48. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Victoria – June 16, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

    This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

    One person found this helpful
49. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    JM – June 16, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great purchase

    We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

    25 people found this helpful
50. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MLG – June 17, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

    Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

    6 people found this helpful
51. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve – June 18, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love this Espresso Machine

    I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

    82 people found this helpful
52. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – June 18, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Slight open gap on the left side

    Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

    4 people found this helpful

    

53. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Bassaholic – June 19, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Luv it!

    After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

    One person found this helpful
54. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Esther Schindler – June 19, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

    Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

    Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

    for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

    Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

    , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

    DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

    , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

    Aeropress

    and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

    52 people found this helpful
55. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Barbara H – June 20, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great coffee machine

    The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
56. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Dan G – June 24, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

    The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

    One person found this helpful
57. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MLG – June 25, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

    Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

    6 people found this helpful
58. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    PW – June 25, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

    Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

    2 people found this helpful
59. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – June 25, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Slight open gap on the left side

    Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

    4 people found this helpful

    

60. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    NorCal tech guy – June 26, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Better than I expected

    I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

    12 people found this helpful
61. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MLG – June 27, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

    Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

    6 people found this helpful
62. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    JM – June 28, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great purchase

    We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

    25 people found this helpful
63. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Dan G – June 28, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

    The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

    One person found this helpful
64. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    NorCal tech guy – July 1, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Better than I expected

    I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

    12 people found this helpful
65. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sandra Goodrum – July 2, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    New technology

    For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

    One person found this helpful
66. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – July 4, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    So close to perfect.

    My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

    One person found this helpful
67. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Bassaholic – July 6, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Luv it!

    After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

    One person found this helpful
68. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Barbara H – July 7, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great coffee machine

    The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
69. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Sandra Goodrum – July 9, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    New technology

    For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

    One person found this helpful
70. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    S Skok – July 9, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Good coffee

    Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
71. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve – July 10, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love this Espresso Machine

    I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

    82 people found this helpful
72. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    JM – July 10, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great purchase

    We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

    25 people found this helpful
73. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    DanS – July 11, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great value for an excellent superautomatic

    I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

    8 people found this helpful
74. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    WBS – July 11, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

    UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

    34 people found this helpful
75. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Barbara H – July 12, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great coffee machine

    The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
76. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Bobbie D – July 12, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

    This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

    4 people found this helpful
77. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Victoria – July 13, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

    This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

    One person found this helpful
78. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Bobbie D – July 14, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

    This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

    4 people found this helpful
79. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    photoimpactphotoimpact – July 16, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great product for one type of coffee only

    My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

    One person found this helpful

    

80. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – July 18, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Slight open gap on the left side

    Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

    4 people found this helpful

    

81. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Esther Schindler – July 22, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

    Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

    Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

    for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

    Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

    , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

    DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

    , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

    Aeropress

    and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

    52 people found this helpful
82. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Barbara H – July 23, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great coffee machine

    The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
83. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Don – July 26, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

    We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

    3 people found this helpful
84. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve – July 27, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love this Espresso Machine

    I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

    82 people found this helpful
85. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    NorCal tech guy – July 27, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Better than I expected

    I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

    12 people found this helpful
86. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Don – July 27, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

    We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

    3 people found this helpful
87. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    DanS – July 28, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great value for an excellent superautomatic

    I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

    8 people found this helpful
88. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – August 2, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    One year later…. still happy with purchase

    I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

    2 people found this helpful

    

89. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MLG – August 8, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

    Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

    6 people found this helpful
90. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    S Skok – August 8, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Good coffee

    Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
91. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – August 8, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    One year later…. still happy with purchase

    I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

    2 people found this helpful

    

92. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    photoimpactphotoimpact – August 10, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great product for one type of coffee only

    My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

    One person found this helpful

    

93. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    photoimpactphotoimpact – August 10, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great product for one type of coffee only

    My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

    One person found this helpful

    

94. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Victoria – August 11, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

    This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

    One person found this helpful
95. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    WBS – August 12, 2023

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

    UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

    34 people found this helpful
96. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Dan G – August 13, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

    The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

    One person found this helpful
97. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    JM – August 14, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great purchase

    We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

    25 people found this helpful
98. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Don – August 14, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

    We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

    3 people found this helpful
99. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    JM – August 16, 2023

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great purchase

    We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

    25 people found this helpful
100. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     MLG – August 17, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

     Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

     6 people found this helpful
101. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Dan G – August 17, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

     The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

     One person found this helpful
102. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Sandra Goodrum – August 19, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     New technology

     For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

     One person found this helpful
103. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     WBS – August 23, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

     UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

     34 people found this helpful
104. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – August 23, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Slight open gap on the left side

     Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

     4 people found this helpful

     

105. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – August 24, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
106. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – August 25, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     One year later…. still happy with purchase

     I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

     2 people found this helpful

     

107. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – September 1, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
108. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Bobbie D – September 4, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

     This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

     4 people found this helpful
109. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     MLG – September 5, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

     Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

     6 people found this helpful
110. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – September 7, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
111. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Sandra Goodrum – September 8, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     New technology

     For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

     One person found this helpful
112. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Barbara H – September 9, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great coffee machine

     The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
113. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – September 9, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Slight open gap on the left side

     Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

     4 people found this helpful

     

114. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Barbara H – September 11, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great coffee machine

     The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
115. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Sandra Goodrum – September 13, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     New technology

     For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

     One person found this helpful
116. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Bobbie D – September 13, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

     This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

     4 people found this helpful
117. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Dan G – September 13, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

     The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

     One person found this helpful
118. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Steve – September 13, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Love this Espresso Machine

     I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

     82 people found this helpful
119. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – September 18, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
120. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     photoimpactphotoimpact – September 20, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great product for one type of coffee only

     My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

     One person found this helpful

     

121. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     NorCal tech guy – September 20, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Better than I expected

     I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

     12 people found this helpful
122. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – September 21, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
123. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – September 22, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
124. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Dan G – September 22, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

     The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

     One person found this helpful
125. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     JM – September 23, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great purchase

     We’ve had this espresso machine for a little over a year and it has exceeded our expectations. Once you get the settings right, it makes a really flavorful espresso or cappuccino, and it could hardly be easier to use. For the past year it’s been making coffee just about as good as we used to get from the best nearby coffee shops (and there are some good ones nearby).A lot of engineering went into making it easy to clean and I also love that the water and used coffee are accessed from the front. It has also been very reliable.There is a little bit of a learning curve: There are only a few buttons, lights, and dials but they aren’t self explanatory. Once you get it though you can leave most of them alone and it’s just touch one button to brew the coffee, turn one lever to steam the milk.Grinding and brewing the coffee isn’t quiet, but it doesn’t seem to wake sleepers up in our 2-bedroom apartment.I use it for espresso and my wife uses it for cappuccino. We both love it.Some tips:- FIRST USE: Read the instructions /before/ you plug it in! You have to prime the pump (just the very first time you turn it on ever, not subsequently) or else the pump will grind endlessly after you plug it in, potentially damaging it. I think this could have been better labeled on the machine itself.- GRIND SETTING AND PUMP STRENGTH: You are supposed to adjust the grind fineness dial (it’s found inside the bean hopper cover) only /while/ the coffee is actually grinding. This is surprising but I think it’s true. Also, you have to brew a couple coffees before the new setting makes its way into your cup. This makes it a little tricky but VERY worth doing. At the default grind setting the coffee was really awful: totally watery. We thought the machine was defective. We tried several different kinds of beans with the same result. Then we adjusted the dial much finer (say setting 1 or 2) and the improvement in taste was so great it was hard to believe. But the coffee came out very slowly and sometimes wouldn’t brew: an error light would come on for insufficient pump pressure. We finally found a good compromise at grind setting 2.5. However, at this setting the double-espresso button (which uses twice the coffee and twice the water) still sometimes fails due to not enough pump pressure. We decided we can live with this: I like to make a double-espresso but I just brew two single-espressos in a row into my cup – easy enough since each is a single button press. And the coffee tastes great (though it might have tasted even more amazing at setting 1 or 2, when it worked). All this experience is consistent with other reviews I’ve read. It does seem to me the machine would benefit from a stronger water pump that could push the water through at the finest grind settings and with a double-shot, but we found a compromise we’re very happy with. All the trial and error took a few weeks but perhaps these settings will work for you!- OTHER SETTINGS: The other settings we use are coffee volume dial +3, water volume dial -3. Even at this water volume setting, I don’t think the espresso is particularly short. But it was the grind setting that was by far most important for the flavor. (Even at coffee volume +0, the pump didn’t seem any stronger.)- CLEANING: Once a week or so I take the infuser out (it’s designed to be very easy to remove from the front) and rinse the gunk off it. And remove and wash the drip tray and the bin that holds the used coffee. The used coffee pucks in the bin sometimes get a little moldy before the bin fills up but all of it is very easily cleaned (and you can obviously empty it as often as you want). Once a month or so I vacuum stray coffee grounds out of the inside of the machine (with all those pieces removed) using the brush extension of our cordless vacuum, and a flashlight. All this is quite easy and the machine doesn’t seem to be accumulating gunk or deteriorating in any way.- HEIGHT AND BEAN HOPPER: We have over-the-counter kitchen cabinets that are unusually low: 16″ above the counter. This machine is about 14.25″ high when closed and it works great under the cabinet. It doesn’t get overly hot or steamy on top and everything except the beans is accessed from the front. To access the beans, the top cover hinges up. It is about 18.5″ high when the cover is open enough that it doesn’t fall closed on its own. It turns out to be pretty easy to slide the machine forward on our granite countertop to refill the beans. The only little problem is there’s no indicator when the beans are low. So if you’re like us and can’t easily check the lid every time you brew, you might ruin a coffee occasionally when it runs out of beans halfway through. You can tell by the sound of the grinder but by then it’s too late. The hopper holds about half a bag of beans.

     25 people found this helpful
126. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     S Skok – September 24, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Good coffee

     Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
127. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     PW – September 25, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

     Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

     2 people found this helpful
128. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – September 27, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
129. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Amazon Customer – September 28, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     So close to perfect.

     My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

     One person found this helpful
130. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     WBS – October 2, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

     UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

     34 people found this helpful
131. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – October 5, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
132. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     S Skok – October 5, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Good coffee

     Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
133. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Bobbie D – October 6, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

     This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

     4 people found this helpful
134. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – October 7, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
135. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – October 10, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
136. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – October 10, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
137. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – October 15, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
138. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     PW – October 16, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

     Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

     2 people found this helpful
139. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – October 20, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
140. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     WBS – October 20, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

     UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

     34 people found this helpful
141. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Sandra Goodrum – October 22, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     New technology

     For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

     One person found this helpful
142. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     S Skok – October 24, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Good coffee

     Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
143. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     PW – October 25, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

     Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

     2 people found this helpful
144. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     WBS – October 25, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

     UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

     34 people found this helpful
145. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     S Skok – October 26, 2023

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Good coffee

     Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
146. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Steve – October 28, 2023

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Love this Espresso Machine

     I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

     82 people found this helpful
147. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     MLG – January 1, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

     Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

     6 people found this helpful
148. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Don – January 2, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

     We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

     3 people found this helpful
149. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Amazon Customer – January 5, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     So close to perfect.

     My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

     One person found this helpful
150. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – January 6, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
151. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – January 7, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
152. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – January 8, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
153. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Amazon Customer – January 9, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     So close to perfect.

     My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

     One person found this helpful
154. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     MLG – January 13, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

     Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

     6 people found this helpful
155. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – January 13, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     One year later…. still happy with purchase

     I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

     2 people found this helpful

     

156. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – January 15, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     One year later…. still happy with purchase

     I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

     2 people found this helpful

     

157. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – January 16, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
158. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – January 21, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
159. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – January 22, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
160. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – January 23, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
161. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – January 24, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
162. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     S Skok – January 24, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Good coffee

     Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
163. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Steve – January 26, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Love this Espresso Machine

     I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

     82 people found this helpful
164. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – January 27, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
165. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Sandra Goodrum – January 27, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     New technology

     For the price point, this is perfect. I have had a De Longhi for 10+ years. Had it rebuilt once. Still excellent. It’s a Magnifica ESAM. I moved it to our small mountain cabin where we want to enjoy good coffee when we’re there, so the new De Longhi Magnifica EVO is for everyday, at home. Fully automatic, excellent machine. I use a Gourmia frother, not because the De Longhi isn’t good, but because the Gourmia frother is SO EASY.

     One person found this helpful
166. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     S Skok – February 1, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Good coffee

     Great coffee maker- my only complaint is not being able to choose the ounces of each drink.
167. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – February 4, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
168. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – February 4, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
169. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     photoimpactphotoimpact – February 4, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great product for one type of coffee only

     My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

     One person found this helpful

     

170. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     WBS – February 5, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

     UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

     34 people found this helpful
171. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     NorCal tech guy – February 7, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Better than I expected

     I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

     12 people found this helpful
172. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Barbara H – February 9, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great coffee machine

     The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
173. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     MLG – February 10, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     EASY ‘Dream Expresso Machine!’

     Why did we buy it?Our purchase was based on wanting to improve our morning coffee without the mess of a dirty coffee pot and often wasted coffee, using harmful plastic capsules, or committing the time and effort needed to use a manual expresso machine.What do we love about it?We love everything about it. You simply set your grind preferences, turn it on and after its ready (maybe a minute?) you hit one button and your hot amazing expresso comes out! That’s it! And it’s very easy to clean and maintain as well.But we don’t drink Expresso?Keep in mind, we are traditional coffee drinkers, but this makes wonderful coffee by simply adding your frothed milk to the expresso, and we enjoy adding a little sweetness too. I was surprised to find I’m using less sugar now because the coffee has no bitter taste. We were not even aware our old coffee was bitter until we got this new De’Longhi, and my husband has completely stopped adding sugar all together.What kinds of beans do we use? We use Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend as several reviews suggested. The coffee that comes out of this machine with these beans is simply delicious, but sure you can use any quality coffee or expresso beans of preference. We also enjoy using this same brand of expresso beans too, both are excellent.What features are helpful?This automatic machine has smart and helpful light indicators to let you know when it needs water, beans or dumping of grinds so your coffee will never again stop pouring mid-stream. It’s well designed and takes us only a few minutes to maintain each week. There are controls for grind preferences and strength. They made everything super easy, which is great because to put it kindly, I’m not technically inclined.Is frothing difficult?Since we are not baristas, and both drink regular coffee with creamer, we were happy that the steam spout is powerful and needs no fancy maneuvers to pile up a quick cup of hot creamy froth.Any Negatives?There is nothing hard or difficult about this machine, with the exception of leaving home, as it will be very ‘hard’ to pay for a pricey cup of Starbucks as you will find it ‘difficult’ to go without your wonderful morning coffee!How long do we expect this machine to last?Lastly, we researched different manufactures and discovered Delongi has been around over 200 years and they have shops all over the US that will help maintain your machine to last a lifetime. My sister has same Magnifico De’Longhi machine but a manual model she bought over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong!Doubting new automatic machines will last as long as the manual ones (which I think with proper care will last a lifetime) but for the convenience of automation we will be happy to replace it after a decade or so. Imagine by then they will have “touchless” where you just talk to it and tell it what you want, and it will automatically put your cup under the spout and pour it out for you. Then in the not-too-distant future, a robot will bring it to you! (How lazy can we get?)Do I think it’s worth the price? We purchased this machine used ‘LIKE NEW’, which we guessed was an unused return, and we saved half the retail price! When it came, you could tell it was Brand new/ never used, and it worked perfectly! If you’d like to save a small fortune like we did, I suggest you wait for Black Friday or search now for a similar ‘like new’ return. We knew Amazon would take it back if there were any issue in 30 days at no cost to us as prime members, so it was a ‘low risk’ for an inconvenience, to save over $600. Would I pay full price for it? Not if I could save a bundle like I did, but if I couldn’t and if I could afford it retail, yes, in a heartbeat.

     6 people found this helpful
174. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – February 13, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
175. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     NorCal tech guy – February 14, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Better than I expected

     I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

     12 people found this helpful
176. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – February 14, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     One year later…. still happy with purchase

     I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

     2 people found this helpful

     

177. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     PW – February 14, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee with Careful Cleaning

     Received my ESAM 3300 at the end of Dec 2012. I was very pleased with the coffee it produced. The machine worked as it was supposed to with no problems. We probably made at least 4-5 cups per day over a period of almost 2.5 months.Then came the problem. It started by not producing a full cup of coffee and the low water indicator would flash. The manual says to turn on the steam wand for a short time to prime the system if this happens. This worked at first, but soon it did not. The flashing light would go off, but if you tried to make another cup, it would do the same thing. Now it only produces about a teaspoon of coffee with the double cup setting. Very disappointing after spending so much. Had to revert to my backup Keurig.Phone call to customer service was not fruitful. It is never good to hear the customer rep say “that is weird!”. After a bunch of procedures that were supposed to fix it, nothing worked. Now I wait for the “white-glove return service” (aka “cardboard box to send unit to repair facility for who knows how long”).Two months of use before it fails does not bode well for the long term reliability of this product. I can only hope this is a rare and unprecedented premature failure of some component that will not repeat once it is replaced. We shall see.I’m rating at 3 stars but will adjust accordingly based on the outcome of this repair.UPDATE ******Got it back from repair. The repair shop could never replicate the issue (strange), but replaced a part based on my description of the problem. When it arrived, it again worked like it did when I first got it. Well now it has been about 3 months since it returned and it has just started malfunctioning the same way it did before. It makes a partial cup of coffee, stops and the low water light blinks. For now it can be reset by running hot water through the steam wand, but this is how it started last time and I expect it to stop all together soon. I’m sure I will again have to send it for repair.My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE! It will not hold up. There is an obvious design flaw or quality issue with its components.Now another month or so of no coffee from this machine while it gets shipped for repair. I expect this cycle to repeat itself until the warranty runs out in Dec.UPDATE 11/20/13 ******Finally figured out what was responsible for the problems I was having. Must keep the inside very clean especially the top of the infuser and bottom of the generator including the filter and generator gasket. Coffee grounds can stick to these parts and if it builds up the machine will stop making complete cups of coffee. If I wipe these off about every other time I empty the coffee grounds, it works fine. Oily beans are especially sticky on these parts.Changed the rating back to 4 stars now that I know how to maintain. Wish the manual was a bit more complete in this regard.

     2 people found this helpful
178. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Estela JoloyaEstela Joloya – February 14, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Slight open gap on the left side

     Left side of the coffee maker was not snapped shut as shown on the pic . I had already cleaned and started following the start up instructions when I noticed the small gap on the left side of the coffeemaker, the boxes were already in the recycling bin so I decided to keep it. I figured this should not interfere with the function of the machine . I did buy a 4 year extended warranty so I’m ok with my decision.I have been making my Latte Macchiato every morning and loving it tho . I’m still learning the other functions and hope to do My Latte soon after I decide how hot , how much and how intense I want my morning Latte to be.I had a Krups espresso maker decades ago which was too much work with prep and clean up. My recent Nespresso was a total disappointment with the coffee coming out not hot enough. I was advised to warm up my coffee cup in the microwave before brewing my Nespresso coffee which resulted in a few broken coffee cups after repeatedly heating up an empty coffee glass. Needless to say I stopped using that expensive Nespresso . Total waste of money.So far the De Longhi Magnifica Evo is checking off all the boxes on my list… ease of use , choices , intensity and temp, clean up. Hopefully that gap on the left side is the only issue on this machine.

     4 people found this helpful

     

179. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Barbara H – February 17, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great coffee machine

     The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
180. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Bobbie D – February 17, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Quick and Easy Coffee, and Expresso maker with minor shortcomings

     This coffee machine is all about making coffee, expresso and lattes, quickly and easily. We really like that you can get a cup of coffee in about 3 min.Given the price point, I don’t have any serious objections to how it performs, but it does have some shortcomings in some areas. This machine does a perfectly acceptable job of brewing expresso, does fine with just coffee, but when a drink requires milk things get less polished. While the milk steamer works fine, I find it hard to keep full and clean, and it’s easily broken. The coffee grinder is a bit loud and I’d not recommend using the hot water dispenser except in a pinch. Whole bean coffee storage seems large enough, the water supply a bit small and the milk storage barely acceptable. The waste container is smaller than I’d like.All in all – at this price point, not a bad value. Recommended for those who drink coffee and expresso, but not so much for latte and cappuccino drinkers.

     4 people found this helpful
181. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – February 20, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
182. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Amazon Customer – February 21, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     So close to perfect.

     My wife and I bought this unit on sale a few months ago to replace our manual machine that had blown an internal seal. It’s easy to clean, it pulls excellent shots with the right espresso input, the frother is great, and the recipe function is super convenient.The only thing that holds this machine back from being five out of five is the integrated grinder. You’re getting a conical burr grinder with thirteen discreet settings, no continuous adjustment. That’s a big step up from the cheap blade grinders, but it’s not up to par for a perfect espresso. Not only can you not fine tune your granularity very well, but the grind you do set it to is also far from consistent in grain size. Thankfully, you can bypass the grinder and add the ground espresso directly, but I wish I didn’t pay a premium for that added grinder (not to mention the bulk it adds to the unit) if I still need a second grinder on the counter anyway.Now, my wife does still use that integrated grinder because it is definitely more convenient. I just would have expected something a bit more robust at this price point. All in all, if you’re accustomed to a Keurig then this thing is a massive improvement, but if you’re somewhat picky about quality espresso then don’t expect to replace your entire setup.

     One person found this helpful
183. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Steve – February 23, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Love this Espresso Machine

     I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

     82 people found this helpful
184. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – February 25, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
185. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – February 25, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
186. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     NorCal tech guy – February 26, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Better than I expected

     I researched a lot of espresso machines and have had this one now for about 2 weeks. It makes terrific espresso after some tweaking of the settings. If Starbucks makes a C espresso then this machine makes A- espresso for my palette. I don’t drink “milky” espresso drinks so this review focuses on espresso only and I have no opinion about the frothing wand and how well it foams milk.I’ll offer you my conclusions up front:- If you are finicky, don’t like to maintain things, don’t like to read manuals or google search results, don’t like to experiment or think an espresso machine should be as reliable as a blender or a dish washing machine: Go and find a good espresso cafe and tip the barista well until you get your espresso exactly the way you like it.- If the above does not apply but you want to be able make a quick espresso without making a science out of it then get this espresso machine. 1) Turn the dosage (potency) knob all the way clockwise. 2) Turn the beverage size knob a bit below the most counter-clock tick on the dial. 3) Turn the grinder setting to 2. 4) Find some fresh medium-roasted beans that are not too oily. Enjoy a quick (3 minutes) rich, strong, hot double espresso with delicious brown, viscous crema.- You are not the coffee shop type but you want the best possible espresso made at home. Then invest in a $200+ grinder and get at least a Gaggia Classic Pro or a Rancilio Silivia and go to town. You probably know a lot more about espresso and the machines that make it than I do. Why are you reading this review?After reading a lot of the reviews my head was spinning. When that stopped I was left with 3 choices. 1) The Delonghi Esam 3300 based on feedback on reliability and quality of espresso. 2) The Breville BES870XL based on quality of espresso and ease of use (it’s not a super-automatic but it has an integrated grinder). 3) The Gaggia Classic Pro based on quality of espresso and the use of standard components.I assume that the Gaggia can make the best espresso after some experimentation and trial and error. It uses an industry standard size porta-filter and an industry standard type bypass valve. This allows customization and maintenance beyond what superautomatic machines offer. But it requires a separate burr grinder (I own one but the hopper is full of our standard pour over coffee blend). Additionally warm-up time and the manual process of making the shot precludes a super quick, mess-less espresso. Unfortunately, I need a machine that can make a shot for me in the early morning when I am not yet in a state of mind where I want coax out the best quality — I want it fast. That eliminated the Gaggia for me.The Breville was quickly eliminated because aside from a bit of a cost advantage over the Gaggia (based on buying a new grinder along with the Gaggia) it has all it’s shortcomings and on top of those does not use industry standard parts. Additionally Breville owners complain that Breville refuses to sell parts for the machine. It’s a pretty machine and the integrated grinder makes it practical but not easy enough for me to use in the morning.I chose the DeLonghi Esam 3300 over other superautomatic espresso machines simply because it has enough fans that like the espresso quality it makes and seems to be one of the most reliable superautomatic machines available (which unfortunately does not mean that much). For me it makes a close to perfect, strong espresso in about 3 minutes after turning it on. I heat a cup for use with it and the double shot is delicious and very hot. The single shot is maybe just a bit better but its temperature is a couple of degrees cooler than I like. I am planning on making two singles some time in the future to see if that combines best temperature and flavor but I have been in too much of a hurry to do that so far.I learned to like espressos when I grew up in Italy. Additionally I have traveled pretty extensively for business. The US is a poor place to enjoy espressos. In most high-end cafes what would be a pretty good espresso is usually served as a ristretto — good but not my favorite. If I were served an espresso of the quality the DeLonghi makes in a good US cafe or restaurant then I’d be perfectly happy or even delighted. In a good cafe in Europe or South America I would expect that quality and some places will make better espressos. As mentioned before to me Starbucks makes a C espresso and the DeLonghi an A- (after tweaking of settings).Now the bad news. This is a complex machine. I’ll be happy if it lasts 2 years. Based on reviews that seems to be the realistic expectation for super-automatic machines. I also plan on stripping it down every 6 months and hopefully fixing early problems before they cause real damage. Fortunately parts are available and do-it-yourself videos are available on the internet. Currently I completely clean the machine every 2 days or so – which is very easy.The machine is also not too great looking and very plasticy –but personally I couldn’t care less if it continues to do what I ask it to do.

     12 people found this helpful
187. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Steve – February 28, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Love this Espresso Machine

     I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

     82 people found this helpful
188. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Steve – March 7, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Love this Espresso Machine

     I have had two of these espresso machines. The first lasted over nine years. This is an Italian-designed, manufactured in China, super-automatic espresso machine. When it comes to espresso machines, “super-automatic” means that at one push of a button, it grinds whole beans, tamps the grind, and sends pressurized near-boiling water through the grind to make the espresso coffee.Dimensions – “Will it fit on my kitchen counter?”Unfortunately, there’s some contradictory dimension info in this listing. Product Description states “17 by 13 by 18 inches.” The listing’s Comparison section and Product Information section both state 15.3 x 11 x 14.4 inches. None of these matches my own careful measurements of my two machines: Width 11” (27.94 cm) Depth 14.75” (37.47 cm). This is from the center of the bow-front drip tray to the rear of the machine. For spacing, recommend adding 1-2 inches (2.54 cm – 5.08 cm) to give space for the power cord, which protrudes from the right-rear part of the machine. Height 14” (35.56 cm).Here are some additional things to think about on height spacing:Opening Bean Reservoir Lid (left-top of machine).You need another 4.25 to 4.5 inches (10.795 cm to 11.43 cm) of height clearance beneath your cabinets if you want to be able to fully open the bean compartment lid without rotating/moving the machine. I don’t have such additional clearance above my machine, but it’s not been a big deal for me to pull it out and rotate when adding beans. BTW, the bean reservoir lid will not stay up without holding it up.Using the Cup Warmer.On the right-top side, there’s a heated chromed rectangle for a couple of espresso cups, so if you want to make use of that you will need about 4 additional inches of height clearance.Using the Ground Coffee Chute.The top has a narrow door in the middle that you can use to put in already-ground coffee. The lid only sticks up a couple of inches when open, but you will want at least 4 inches of additional space to use it. Otherwise just pull the machine out/rotate from under the counter when you want to use this feature. I tend to just use whole beans so I hardly ever use it. I suppose if you had a friend or family member that wanted to put flavored coffee (ick 😊) in the machine they could use this.What’s in the box?Well, there’s a coffee machine. 😊 And a one-use bottle of cleaning solution. My previous machine had an instruction DVD in the box, but the latest one did not.ConstructionBody of machine and drip tray are silver-grey plastic. The slotted cover on the drip tray is polished stainless steel. The polished metal scratches easily from the bottoms of ceramic/porcelain cups and over time can show signs of wear. Wish they had an optional non-scratchable titanium tray (for only an additional $400 😊).NoiseIt’s loud when grinding the beans, making the coffee, and when using the steam wand to froth milk. No stealth cups of coffee here – everyone in the house is going to know you are making a cup and come around asking for some! But this is normal for this type of machine IMO.WaterBest to use bottled water (unless you are fortunate to have good soft water). I used tap water with my first machine and mineral scale caused problems. I did descale each time the indicator light machine told me to. For my new machine, I buy a few $0.99/gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery each week and that works well.Water ReservoirYou can’t hook the machine to a water line or incorporate a filter unless you are into serious coffee machine modding. The one-liter water container is on the right side of the machine and pulls out from the front. The container is smoky-transparent only on the side. If your machine will be situated against a wall on the right side, you will not be able to view the water level without pulling the reservoir out (unless you are completely out of water, in which case there will be an indicator light, and most tellingly, your coffee cup will be dry 😊). Unfortunately, because the machine will not show a water-level alert until completely out, it is possible to push the two-cup button and end up with half a cup of (very strong) coffee.Coffee Bean ReservoirThere is a lid on the top left of the machine that you open to add whole coffee beans. It is not airtight. I tend to put in a smaller amount of beans from a separate airtight container rather than fill the bean reservoir to the max and have the beans exposed to air for a long time. If you are a heavy user maybe this strategy is not for you, as you would go through beans quickly enough for it not to matter.There is an adjust knob for the coffee grain size inside the bean reservoir. Best not to touch this if you don’t have to; it’s been set by the manufacturer. If you need to adjust, please refer to manufacturer’s guidance.You can’t easily get beans out of the machine once you have put them in.If you want caffeinated espresso coffee in the morning and decaf in the evening, you could perhaps grind some decaf beans and put a scoop in the ground-coffee-compartment in the top.If you want a half-caf espresso, the only ways are to blend the beans to be 50-50, or to separately make a “bean” espresso and a ground coffee espresso and then mix them.“Does it make normal Coffee?”It’s espresso and IMO that’s normal coffee, dontcha know. 😊 This makes espresso-style coffee, meaning that it uses steam that passes through finely ground and packed (tamped) coffee beans. It makes one or two cups at a time (not randomly – you can choose!). Some have inquired whether this makes “regular” or “normal” coffee; presumably asking about brewed or drip coffee. Drip coffee uses hot water (less hot than espresso) that drips through a coarser grind of coffee bean than espresso.Making CoffeeA push of the one-cup button gets you a 6-ounce (about 180 ml) cup of coffee. For more coffee, you have two choices. Push the two-cup button, or push the single-cup button and then quickly right after the machine stops, push-and-hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to make coffee until you let go.There are two knobs you need to know about. The “beverage size” dial on the far left varies the amount of water that goes through the grounds. If you want a traditional small, strong shot of espresso, put the dial at about the nine o’clock position (thinking of analog clocks here). Less water through the same amount of coffee makes for an intensely flavored shot. The other knob is the “beverage strength” dial, which determines how much bean it will grind for the shot. Honestly, I just turn mine all the way up and leave it there.Can you make two shots at a time?Sure. I almost never do this because I am greedy and want all the coffee. 😊 But if you are the sharing type, there are two nozzles. Just position a cup under each. The nozzles can be raised or lowered a couple of inches to accommodate different cups. Note that coffee always comes out of both nozzles even if you select a single cup. You may want to experiment with the one or two-cup buttons as well as the “volume” knob to get the size and strength of coffee desired.Can it make a Caffe Americano?Yes. A caffe americano is one or two shots of espresso diluted with hot water to make it like the size and taste of a brewed cup of coffee. There are a couple of ways to go at this. One is to use the steam attachment (and hit the hot water button) to fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water, then set the beverage size dial pointer to about the 11 o’clock position to make a shot of espresso directly into the cup. Adjust beverage size pointer up or down according to desired strength. You could also try simply turning the size and strength dials to maximum, and push the single cup button – but hang around while it is working because when it just gets to the end of making a cup, quickly push and hold the single-cup button. The machine will continue to run hot water through the ground-coffee-puck, making a larger cup of more dilute espresso coffee.Can it make a Caffe Crema?Oh yes. For most people when they refer to a caffe crema or crema espresso, they are talking about a really long shot of espresso. Crema is that flavorful tan froth that sits on top of a freshly -made cup of espresso. The amount of crema will vary depending on your choice of beans.Type of BeansI’ve used many types of beans in this machine over the years. You don’t need beans labelled “Espresso Beans” to make espresso! Remember, espresso is about the way you make the coffee, not about the type of beans. I really like medium-roast beans from Guatemala, as they have good balance. But this is a place where individual tastes vary.OK. On the oily-bean question. I have used oily and non-oily beans and have had no issues with the machine. Others indicate that oily beans have caused them problems, presumably with gumming up the grinder.Built-in Frothing Wand for Making Cappuccinos, etc.The frothing wand swings out to the right of the machine. As with the comment on viewing the level in the water reservoir, if you intend to put the machine flush against something on the right side, you are going to have issues using the frothing wand.Where does the milk go? Is there a reservoir for milk? Use a flat-bottom container; there is no reservoir for milk. I use a Pyrex glass measuring cup but you can buy frothing pitchers made for this purpose. BTW, use cold cow’s milk (cold milk – the cow is hopefully at a comfortable temperature). For some reason best milk to use is 2%, not whole milk, but it all works.Does it come with a frothing container? No, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works fine.How does it make the frothed milk? When you swing the wand out and turn the lever, steam comes out of the wand. However, I have observed that the first 10-15 seconds there is just water coming out, until it builds up enough temperature to be solid steam. So, it’s better if you wait and pour that initial water off and not let it run into your milk; when it turns to steam, stick the wand into your cold milk and froth away. I’ve not yet been able to make the cool designs in the cups that I see on TV, but by accident one time mine looked just like Kramer on Seinfeld.Can it make hot water for tea?Yes, but it is not optimal. It comes out as mostly steam from the frothing wand. Extend the frothing wand, put a cup underneath and turn the dial on the far right until steam/hot water hisses out.Some Maintenance is AdvisableThere are things that you must do to keep things working tip-top. It requires more maintenance than a drip coffee machine.Coffee pucks. Each time you make a cup, the machine will push the used coffee grounds “puck” into an internal reservoir on the left side of the machine. When the container fills up, a light comes on and you can’t make more coffee until you dump them out. A word of caution here – the machine “counts” the number of pucks from the last time that you opened the front door of the machine. It assumes that when the door is opened, that the grounds are emptied and resets the count. So, don’t open the door without emptying the puck-reservoir. Otherwise, it will overflow and cause grounds to spill out into the floor of the machine.Cleaning the Infuser. You should periodically clean the infuser (this is what pushes the steam through the puck of ground coffee). I do mine every Sunday. Don’t try this with the machine powered on – it simply won’t work because the infuser moves to a place where it cannot be removed. With the machine powered off, open the front door and pull the drip tray out. Remember to always empty the pucks and water from the drip tray anytime you open the door. To clean the infuser, look for the red buttons in the middle. Using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the buttons and pull. The infuser should come out in your hand. It will probably have coffee grounds and other shmuckus on it. Just rinse it off and use a paper towel to clean and dry it off. This is good opportunity to clean out any other coffee grinds that might have accumulated in the bottom of the machine. Then push the infuser back into place. The red buttons will click when it is fully seated. I believe you can find a video on the internet on cleaning the infuser.Descaling. The minerals in your water will build up over time and can cause issues if not removed. The machine will indicate with a blinking light that it must be descaled. This light comes on after a manufacturer-determined number of cycles. I recommend using bottled water if you have hard water. I used hard water on my first machine and while it lasted nine years, I battled mineral scale. Please use the descaling sequence described in the owner’s manual. The machine comes with a one-use bottle of descaling solution. I find it more economical to buy the four-use bottles of EcoDecalk on Amazon, which are currently about $15 per bottle.Not Really Intended for Business UseThis is intended for residential use, so it is not built for the kind of duty cycle that commercial machines undergo. As far as I know, the machine does not have a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rating. Commercial espresso machines are typically in the thousands of dollars.Programmable to turn on in the morning?Not an option. But it makes your coffee on demand, so it is nice and fresh.

     82 people found this helpful
189. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Elizabeth B. StoutElizabeth B. Stout – March 7, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     One year later…. still happy with purchase

     I waited a year to write this review. I love my machine! I am strictly a latte drinker and got tired of hand steaming milk/cleaning steamer supplies so I was in the market for something automatic. I did my research and landed on this machine. It’s quick and easy (and plenty hot, not sure why some reviews say it’s not hot enough?) and almost always delicious.2 reasons for the 4 stars (and not 5):1) the connection between the milk frother and machine is touchy. And it HANGS ON. Bad design. It should rest on something, so I found a kid’s wooden block and use that as the wedge/rest, otherwise it isn’t a very tight fit and can come loose- forcing you to start all over2) 90% of the time I’m happy with the taste, but occasionally it’s really bitter (under extracted? over extracted?)… I did some research but I’m not a coffee expert. I messed with the settings (water temp, grind size, type of beans) did a deep clean and I think it’s back on track, but I’m a little cautious as I don’t think I am knowledgable about coffee to understand how to adjust.I almost regret not buying the next more expensive one as I use this at least twice a day and it’s held up well. I wish the “my latte” option saved your preferences (milk, # of shots, etc.) but it only works to put all the milk in the container in your drink.

     2 people found this helpful

     

190. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Barbara H – March 10, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great coffee machine

     The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
191. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – March 12, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
192. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Don – March 12, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Our First DeLonghi – after 1 year

     We bought the DeLonghi ESAM3300 in January 2012 to replace a Jura we had for about 7 years. We are not aficionados, but do like a good cup of coffee in the morning. We drink a total of about 5 cups between us daily. Following the directions, the machine was easy to set up. It took a few cups to get the strength and grind right, but not a big problem. My wife and I like different strengths so that knob gets a workout daily. The coffee is excellent. The machine is much quieter than the Jura we had previously. We had to adjust the grind one stop coarser because the coffee was bitter initially, but that was easy to do.What we like – the water tank is sized well for the amount we drink daily. We fill it up in the morning with filtered (Brita) water. The machine comes to temperature in about a minute after starting it. I like being able to clean the ‘guts’ fairly easily. After one month we had to decalcify the machine. I tested the filtered water with the test strip and found it to be very soft (none of the little red squares showed up). I extended the decalcifying timing on the machine, so we’ll see what that does.Areas for improvement – the spent grounds container seems sized well, but its design hangs up the pucks as they fall into it. Looks like it should hold about 15+ portions, but requires cleaning after about 10. For us that is every other day, so not a big issue, but still something they could work on. When we remove the water tank to refill it, there is a trickle of water where the tank connects to the machine, so we have to dry that off every morning. Again an inconvenience, not a problem. The water tray feels like it is made of polystyrene, a brittle plastic. It hasn’t broken yet, but we handle it with care. There is a dusting of dry grounds in that tray behind the main water tray that has to be emptied. I also noticed grounds in the space behind the front panel. I’d guess we are losing about the equivalent grounds to make one cup of coffee every month, so it isn’t a lot. The cup size and coffee strength dials could be marked better. Cup size is pure trial and error. If the bean container were on the right side instead of the left it would be easier to add beans. The design seems to favor left-handed people. Nothing against them – some of our best friends are left handed, but we aren’t.Bottom line, we are very happy with this machine and would recommend it to others.It has been a year since we put this machine in service. It still works very well. No problems with it at all. I mentioned earlier that I changed the descaling timing after learning we use pretty soft water. The descaling alert now comes on about every 6 months. We clean the trays and internals weekly to keep the grounds from building up in the machine and to keep it tasting fresh. We still adjust the strength a couple times daily and the knob is holding up well. Nothing bad to report about the machine. I would still recommend this to anyone.

     3 people found this helpful
193. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Victoria – March 13, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Good machine, easy to use and easy to maintain.

     This machine makes me happy.But it has a few things I’d like to let you know:1) after grinding, it looses some coffee you recover only after cleaning after a few uses and it’s already too late to recover and use.2) it;’s mostly made out of plastic3) does not include not even 1 cup.4) milk frother is weird to set up, instructions are not clear. This is relevant specially if you are preparing 2 coffees in the morning.5) is difficult to set the temperature.But still , it’s a good machine. I;ve had it for 8 months now and I recommend it.Water capacity is decent. It gets you coffee pretty fast with no much effort.

     One person found this helpful
194. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Bassaholic – March 15, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Luv it!

     After I got it dialed in, it makes great coffee drinks. It is not in the same category as single shot units, but the ease of use and convenience can’t be beat and is an acceptable trade off.We use it for making coffee, cappuccino and expresso. You get some nice crema and a very tasty milk froth. Again, these aspects are not going to be in the Barista range, but still respectable.Definitely watch YouTube videos on how to use the machine as the instructions aren’t real clear. That helps make better sense of the instructions and you’ll get the most out of the machine.De’Longhi’s warranty is really good and their customer service is outstanding. I had a Braun coffee maker (made by De’Longhi) that malfunctioned and they replaced it without any trouble.I definitely recommend this and am glad I got it rather than a single shot machine.

     One person found this helpful
195. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     WBS – March 18, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     With Tinkering, Good Quality Shots AND Convenience

     UPDATE: As noted below, steam valve had become so hard to turn that I ended up breaking knob. Solved the balky steam valve by disassembling to get to steam valve, took valve apart, and lubricated with high temperature, food grade grease. (Google high temperature food grade grease – a few bucks got me a lifetime supply.) Changed the o rings at the same time (find at any real hardware store). Been working fine for six months now. This is only an issue, I suspect, for those who use the steam wand a lot.Bought this machine after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.The DeLonghi Magnifica performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.Some other initial observations:* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get microfoam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine.

     34 people found this helpful
196. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Esther Schindler – March 21, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     One-button convenience for good coffee and espresso: a comparison of two machines

     Let me state this up front: We’re coffee snobs. We buy our our own fair-trade green coffee beans and roast them in a Hottop coffee roaster. That’s largely because we prefer a “city roast” rather than what we perceive to be “burnt” (which is why you won’t find me at a Starbucks). So it’s no surprise that we have gone through several coffee and espresso machines; and travel with a small brewing setup. We even bought a

     Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer

     for the occasions when the “real” machine is on the fritz. So yeah… kind of obsessive, maybe.So when Amazon Vine offered me the

     Saeco HD8911/47 Saeco Incanto Classic Milk Frother Super Automatic Espresso Machine

     , I said Yes with alacrity. For the last several weeks, it’s been sitting next to the

     DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

     , which we’ve owned for two years. That’s given us an opportunity to do true side-by-side testing. Or, to put it another way, it gives us an excuse to drink twice as much coffee.Let me set a context, first. Although these are both espresso machines, in point of fact we rarely make espresso and even more rarely use the milk steamer. Our goal is one-touch “give me a cup of coffee to drink NOW,” because making a whole pot means either (a) you don’t finish the pot, which means you’re wasting good coffee or (b) you run out when you want another cup but don’t want to invest the time for just a single cup. While we have an

     Aeropress

     and another independent Kickstart-provided unit for travel, that’s still far more fussing, particularly when the aim is to grab another cup before yet another online meeting, not to wait around in the kitchen for water to boil.In any case, I have had the opportunity to use both these machines, which are in the same general price range, and I like to think my opinion can help you make a better decision. And thus a two-for-one review, with a bit more attention to the newer unit and to comparisons rather than standalone feature descriptions.Let me start out with the most important point: These are both excellent units, and each deserves a 5-star rating. You won’t be sorry if you choose either one of these machines. Both fulfill their god-given (or at least manufacturer-given) role, which is to make good coffee appear at the touch of a button, and for that I am grateful.Rather, what follows is an intentionally nit-picking analysis. Because I know that when _I_ spend several hundred bucks on a kitchen item, I want to choose equipment that matches my needs. Let’s see if yours match mine.The DeLonghi is a solid piece of equipment. As most other reviewers have written, it does an excellent job of grinding and brewing. It holds most of a bag of coffee (should you eschew the hipness or time-consuming process of roasting). It does require a bit of daily maintenance, and we’ve found the machine to be a bit fussy. It already went back to the shop once under warrantee (thus the backup coffee machine, when I realized I’d be stuck for weeks); since then it objected to a failed de-scaling, and now we have a red light stuck on. This has made me just an eensy bit cranky.Another dumb-but-real annoyance: A regular coffee mug fits fine under the spout of the DeLonghi; however, you’re out of luck if you have an extra-tall mug (I’ve a favorite that says “Troublemaker” OH SURE ACT SURPRISED).Those quibbles aside, it takes 42 seconds to emit a cup of steaming “keep me awake juice,” and I had no thought of replacing it.The Saeco Incanto is narrower than the DeLonghi, which means it doesn’t take up as much room in your kitchen (though they’re essentially the same height). I can use my tall mugs. It’s faster to turn the unit on, and it doesn’t insist that you clean things up quite so often. It has a visual display screen rather than buttons, which implies that it’s easier to understand status messages (though in point of fact it isn’t any more helpful).The Saeco’s water tank is slightly larger. You can pour water into it rather than having to pull out the container for refills, which is a nice convenience. It’s a good thing, too, since it’s awkward to pull out the container. The Saeco also shuts off the grinding process when you open the lid on the coffee side (“Oh hey was I out of beans?”); it’s a good safety feature, even if I’ve never been drawn to poke my fingers in the mechanism.The Saeco’s default coffee setting uses less coffee than the DeLonghi. By eye, the coffee puck (biscuit? what do YOU call those things?) is about 10% smaller. The result is coffee with a bit less intense mouth feel, by which I mean, “I like the coffee from the DeLonghi a little better” and by which my husband means that the DeLonghi’s cup is slightly less acidic. But I think that’s only noticeable side-by-side, in the way that you’d never see the differences in two TVs unless you’re looking at both of them in a big showroom.You can adjust the Saeco settings from its default (probably 5 oz) up to an 8 ounce cup of coffee but then it tastes over-brewed. It’s probably better to adjust for a 4 ounce shot and do a double shot. When you do so it makes a pretty good cup of coffee!Initially, the Saeco seems a lot less fussy. But in reality it’s just spreading out the fuss. For example, by default the unit turns itself off really fast. Even if you adjust the setting to the maximum, it shuts off in an hour. We often wander into the kitchen a few times in a morning to get a cup of coffee before a meeting starts, and it’s annoying to wait for the Saeco to start up again when it’s 8:58 and I’ve a 9am meeting. Worse, on each startup it shoots water to clean itself up, so it wastes more than the DeLonghi.Plus, removing the tray underneath the Saeco (to clean out water and pucks) is a bit of a pain. You have to push buttons on both sides of the unit and pull out the tray for cleaning, which (depending on your counter arrangements) can be inconvenient. There’s a bit more jiggling-things-around than I like, and that’s when the unit is new. On a slick countertop I’d be concerned about the whole thing sliding off.And it’s necessary more often. The Saeco is touchy, displaying a message that the waste bin is full very early; sometimes it complains after two biscuits. That may be a failure of user interface, as we think it’s saying, “Open me up!” rather than giving an explicit indicator. The DeLonghi accomplishes that with DasBlinkenLights, with which we’ve already become familiar.I read through this and conclude, “She must hate the Saeco.” Honestly, I don’t. I like both these machines quite a bit. I’m used to the DeLonghi, and I might have had more criticism of it when it was new (and likely did, because it replaced another espresso machine I’d liked and which no longer was made). But given an opportunity to compare-and-contrast, I find myself analyzing the merits of each one.Again, both of these are quite good and deserve 5 stars because they deliver what they promise. But if I was forced to keep only one, I’d hold onto the DeLonghi.

     52 people found this helpful
197. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     Dan G – March 24, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great Coffee but BEWARE of the seller

     The cost of this item fluctuates a lot from day to day. I unfortunately paid more than its listing for now because of the pre-Christmas rush. Regardless, you should be aware of who you are buying this from. The coffee machine is great and I’m thoroughly enjoying the coffee. But after a few weeks the milk carafe showed a significant crack. When I contacted Delonghi hoping it was under warranty, they said that the reseller, GlobalRenewedNetwork, is not an authorized seller of their products and I’m SOL on the warranty and need to purchase a new carafe through their parts supplier. Lesson learned I guess. Today as I type this, Amazon is the reseller so it does vary from time to time.

     One person found this helpful
198. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     DanS – March 24, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great value for an excellent superautomatic

     I now have two of these and couldn’t be happier. I originally bought one of these over 10 years ago for my office and it is still going strong! I bought a second one recently for my home as the price had dropped to within my range. It works fantastically for espresso and couldn’t be easier to operate. Press the on button, wait about a minute for it to warm up and flush, then press the one or two shot buttons for a quick and easy espresso without all the work.There are various adjustments from grind size (inside the hopper), to grind volume and water volume (the two knobs outside). You can adjust from espresso-size to full on watered-down Americano-style cup o’ coffee. The nozzle is height-adjustable so that you can put a full-sized mug underneath the spout, which is a plus as many espresso machines are difficult to place larger cups underneath (note that some XL mugs may not fit).A few tips to make your experience better:* Empty the drip tray periodically, but that should be pretty obvious. There is a little floating red “post” that is supposed to float up and prevent you from sliding a cup under the spout when the tray is too full, but in practice it’s just easier to see that it is full between the slats in the tray.* Empty the used coffee puck bin when the light comes on. After rinsing the tray and puck bin, it’s a good idea to make sure that the two sensor trigger tabs (one on the silver plastic tray, and one on the black puck bin) are clean and dry. These insert into sensors inside the machine so that it can sense if everything is in place before operating. Making sure that they are clean and dry will keep the sensors from gumming up or failing (it has never happened to me in practice, but better to be safe than sorry)* On a weekly basis or so, you should rinse the easily-removable brew assembly (the gray assembly with the red tabs). It is fully immerse-able, but I would not recommend putting it in your dishwasher. A simple rinse and check to see that the piston moves freely (push down on the silver metal filter cover) is all that is needed. If the piston is having trouble moving, you may need to add a thin layer some food-safe lube to the inside of the cylinder. It’s also a good idea to vacuum out any spilled coffee grounds inside at this time. To replace, make sure that the the assembly is fully compressed (as it is when you remove it) and it will snap back into the machine easily. The instruction manual describes the whole process in detail. Note that the machine should be fully turned off in order to do this.* Beyond that, there are 3 O-rings that are part of the brewing assembly (two on the removable assembly, and a fixed one inside to the upper right) that will need to be maintained periodically. At first, you can extend the O-ring life by applying a food-safe lubricant to the inside of the depressed piston shaft without having to remove the clasp or piston, but ultimately you will need to replace them. There is a plastic retaining clasp at the bottom of the piston on the brew assembly that will need to be removed to access the rings, which are on the inside around the piston. Be gentle as the part is plastic, but so far has been durable for me (note that it fits back only one way and you may need to flip it over to re-attach – pay attention when removing). Don’t worry. All you need is a bit of patience and no tools will be required. You can find replacements by searching for “DeLonghi O-Ring” on the web. The ones on Amazon are expensive and there are other online options (look for German-made if possible). You will need to replace them about every 2 to 4 years depending upon use. If you notice that your coffee grind “pucks” are crumbly or are ejected watery (with the grounds gumming up the brew assembly) or you find grinds falling below/behind the brew assembly, it is time to lube or replace the rings. If it takes excessive pressure to move the piston, it’s also time to lube or replace the O-rings.Besides the periodic maintenance, the only technical issue I have had was with the original 10+ year old machine. I had a water tube inside the machine start leaking on me (I noticed steam coming from the vents on the side). It was not difficult to replace, but required some more mechanical know-how and tools than the simple O-ring replacement. Fortunately, there are plenty of instructions on the web and the replacement parts are readily available. I used ereplacementparts (search the web) for the exact replacement part. Once I had the part, it took all of about 30 minutes to replace it and I was back in business. That was about 5 years ago and it is still going strong.This is a great machine for the money and I would recommend it to anyone.

     8 people found this helpful
199. 

     Rated 5 out of 5

     Barbara H – March 26, 2024

     5.0 out of 5 stars

     Great coffee machine

     The coffee tastes amazing and it’s fun to have so many coffee options in one machine. I love making affagato’s by making the expresso and pouring it over a scoop of ice cream!Reviewed by “The Shady Ladies”
200. 

     Rated 4 out of 5

     photoimpactphotoimpact – March 28, 2024

     4.0 out of 5 stars

     Great product for one type of coffee only

     My husband and I purchased this because we liked the idea of being able to use decaf and caffeinated coffee. His decaf coffee filles the machine and I used the caffeinated coffee by the tablespoon added to the back. It makes great decaf coffee, but I find that coffee that I make for myself dispensed by the tablespoon is weak. I’ve tried using different grinds and espresso beans, but it doesn’t seem to work, still seems very weak. So if you have only a single use for coffee to be dispensed from the machine itself, it’s great. If you plan on using another kind of coffee by the tablespoon not so great That’s why I gave it four stars. It is a wonderful machine for cappuccino’s, espressos, lattes, but single use not so g you reat.If you notice, that’s why I have another Keurig next to the machine for my coffee with caffeine.😁

     One person found this helpful