De Longhi ECAM 21.117 B

I found the instructions suboptimal: rather obscure diagrams, the parts list separate from the diagrams so you have to flick between, and no guide to one problem which occurred. But I persevered and am really enjoying the coffee now!

So for anyone struggling with the same thing: if the coffee isn’t coming at all, make sure that the dial on the top right hand corner facing you (the one near the frothy/spouty tap widget) is turned anti-clockwise.

Also, if the red “grounds” light keeps going on even after you’ve cleaned out the coffee grounds, make sure that you take out the tray with the coffee grounds in it whilst the machine is turned on- apparently, if you don’t, the sensor isn’t ever activated, so that the machine believes that the grounds tray is still full.

But it makes good coffee every morning and I’m pleased with it, a month into ownership.

After doing my research I picked this bean to cup espresso machine and so far I am very happy with it. Simple instructions which are quick to understand and to set the machine up for use. I like milky coffees and this makes them very well indeed. My wife like espressos and both of us are satisfied with its production. No louder than a pod machine, and quick to produce a lovely hot cup of coffee. The milk wand is also great to use and makes that lovely soft floating milk on top of the coffee . This is my 1st bean to cup machine and I am so glad I bought it.

This machine produces a good cup of coffee. I would like it just a little stronger than it is at present but hopefully between stronger beans and changes in the settings I will be able to sort this ou

So it took me ages to buy a new coffee machine. Mainly because the reviews always include comments like the coffee was too weak or too cold. Anyway, I read the instructions – more accurately my wife read that out to me as I didn’t have my reading glasses, but that’s kind of irrelevant. It took about 15 mins to go through the start-up process until we got the part to make coffee.

The first coffee was too small,
The second coffee was too weak,
The third coffee was just right….

So it comes down to experimenting. After about 5 goes with the strength and amount controls we got a strong americano coffee for my wife which she was very pleased with. It was hot enough, strong enough and by hitting the two cups option, had enough coffee to fill a large sized coffee mug.

We moved onto the milk steamer. It took a few goes to get the milk like I wanted it (I usually order a wet latte in a coffee shop). Fiddled with the coffee controls a little more and now I get a brilliant latte. I’m using a well known coffee store bean and I can’t really tell the difference between the coffee shop and the machine.

This is good! Will it stay good? I hope so, this was a bit of an investment for me so I’m hoping the machine will work for a good long while.

We haven’t changed the temperature settings, nor the grinding wheel and have left these to their defaults so far. So yes, good machine….

We had been using the Magnifica ESAM 4200.S for about 4 years, but it developed a fault. Had to decide between returning for repair or buying a new one, and opted to replace it with this model. So glad we did as, happy as we were with the old one, this one is smaller, less noisy and makes better coffee. We used pretty much the exact same settings as before but find the coffee richer, and stronger. Also you can get a greater volume in the cup – you set it to however full you want it whereas the old one had a max volume which was only about two thirds of a cup (we use it for Americano). So yes – very happy with it.

Got this machine after reading the positive reviews and talking to a friend who has owned one for 2 years. I’m very pleased with it. Does exactly what it says and makes an excellent espresso and varieties of coffee styles. As with all things coffee it really does come down to the beans. I won’t promote any beans as it’s all down to taste and you really do have to experiment with roast, single origins and blends to find ones you like. The machine really is easy, you get a measuring scoop for ground coffee if that’s your thing and a packet of liquid descale in the box. As previously said the written instructions are sparse but there are good tutorials on YouTube to follow. The machine comes preset for grind and water temp but these can be easily adjustable. Similarly the water hardness is set to 4 (hard water) but there is a strip enclosed to check the water in your area and it is simple to change. Changing the grind is simple but remember the machine must be grinding beans when you do and you should only move 1 per time, it’ll probably take another couple of coffees before you notice any change in strength. Finer grind gives a stronger coffee but too fine and with some beans the machine will choke and no coffee will come out. The grinder is not silent but isn’t any louder than a pod machine. Cleaning is simple, everything pulls out and clicks back into place. I use filtered water but I think as long as you do the descale when recommended doesn’t matter what water you use. A single or double shot Americano delivers 120ml, this can be adjusted easily to your preferred size (YouTube explains how) or top up from the kettle or use the frothing wand which also delivers hot water. Remember to pop a cup under the nozzles when switching on or off as the machine cleans itself with hot water. You could let it run into the drip tray though. Oh and the red plastic thing in the drip tray floats up through the drip tray holes as it fills up telling you when to empty.
I really do recommend this machine and can’t see why you would want one of the really expensive ones in a domestic setting, it delivers a great espresso with a thick velvet crema. I left the machine on factory settings and get approximately 120 espressos from a 1kg bag of coffee beans, depending on the Roaster it’s about 14p a cup for a 17 kilo bag of beans.
Good quaffing 🙂

I’ve previously used a burr grinder and french press and before that had a espresso maker. I don’t consider myself a coffee expert but not am I inexperienced when it comes to coffee. I love this machine. It took a few goes (and a YouTube video) to get the exact right settings to produce the perfect espresso which is the foundation for any coffee. That’s now it. Perfect coffee every time. Espresso, americano and with the steam wand it’s also easy to create cappuccino or latte.
The machine does have a large footprint but not when compared to other bean to cup machines and my only real gripe is that the steam wand doesn’t leave much room for a milk jug making it quite restrictive. I managed to pick this up at 225 on offer with a free delonghi coffee hamper worth 25. An absolute steal!!

This is a really good machine with a number of good features that others have already listed in their reviews (granularity of the grind, cup size, coffee strength per cup, water temperature etc.) I’ve always used an espresso machine with pre-ground coffee (which, incidentally, you can still use in this machine) and have never previously used a bean-to-cup. The quality of the finished product is seriously improved! The crema it produces is excellent and I genuinely think it tastes better than top coffee shop coffee once you get your own combination of settings just right. It’s also a time saver if you’re used to filling, tamping then cleaning a manual espresso maker. For anyone interested in what type of machine to expect with an Amazon Warehouse Deal – you can probably ignore all the ‘large scratch front, small scratch side’ etc. I’ve had two and neither had any scratches at all despite the description. One had instructions and one didn’t. However, my first one leaked water everywhere each time I made a coffee but Amazon were brilliant and refunded me immediately so I just ordered another one (Warehouse again) and it’s perfect!

I bought this to replace the earlier model, the basic Magnifica ESAM. This is definitely an improvement, and the coffee is excellent. Gripes first – the ESAM had a lip around the drip tray which reduced splashing, the ECAM drip tray is flush so if there is a spillage, it overflows. Secondly, there is no separate control for size of drink. You get small or large, single or double. Having said those two things, there are a number of improvements. The ESAM used to clog up and required regular cleaning and sweeping out of wet grounds, this is much cleaner and easier to access key parts. Setting up is quicker (although, as others have noted, there is no Ph strip supplied for testing water hardness) and easier. And the coffee is really good, I generally use Lavazza Red beans. Not tried descaling yet, but overall am very impressed with this machine.

For the money it is a reasonable machine. Out of the box it did not work, I had to phone DeLonghi and talk to an engineer to go through a sequence that reset the logic so it would work. Not difficult but the help number they give you in the box is out of service so a search on the internet was needed to find a number for their service department. After a few minutes of covid announcements I was eventually put through, chap who answered was very good. Very helpful and would not end the call until he was sure I was happy. It then takes quite a few wasted coffees to get to the exact settings that you need for the flavour and crema you want. I have invested in a separate grinder so I can have some different flavour and strength options, the built in hopper for the built in grinder is not convenient for anything other than you daily usual beans. The milk steamer is not at all brilliant, it heats the milk but I have yet to achieve a decent froth for a cappuccino. All in all a good competent machine, but not one for a serious barista.

Good but with issues. Produces a very nice drink that can be tailored to individual tastes. Takes a while to sort the programming and not easy to ‘tweak’ – perhaps more range of choice than I have been used to. Relatively quiet compared to my old Krups machine. Some areas not as good, others better. I only had to decalc the Krups twice in 4 years but this machine demanded it after 3 weeks! Cleaning is similarly easy for both machines. The one BIG difference is the automatic start/stop cleaning cycle on the Delonghi which uses half a large cup each time and it you have to refill it almost daily. I don’t understand why it needs so much when the Krups has none and still works effectively. Good at the coffee but not perfect in other areas

I have always wanted a bean to cup coffee maker but thought they were very expensive, complicated and massive! I had a pod machine which was good but expensive to use . My sister bought this machine in Switzerland and brought it back to UK as she would get more use out of it. She demonstrated it to me and I was sold. I did some research and this was the best price I could find. I ordered it and it was delivered a couple of days later. The machine is very easy to set up and whilst there is some noise when the beans are being ground, overall the machine is not a great deal noisier than the pod machine. It is quite compact which I am pleased about. There is the ability to make one or two coffees – I tend to use the two long coffees setting which provides a good mug full of coffee. The milk frother is a lovely addition and works very well. I can easily convince myself that I am sitting in a cafe having a latte or cappuccino ( except I am not paying 3 per cup! ) The machine will pay for itself in no time!!! I would have no hesitation in recommending this coffee machine. I love it!

This machine is compact for a bean to cup one, it looks tidy and after 7 months has proved easy to use and clean, though descaling has been a bit of an issue. More later.
It took me a while to find a blend and strength of coffee I was happy with but it’s now ok, although set almost at max settings for grind, (just below 1 on the dial) at 3.o’clock for coffee volume and 11.o’clock for water level/strength. If I wanted any stronger a flavour, not sure where I’d go other than to venture into stronger roast.
Other reviewers have commented on the noise. It is noisy and I’m not sure why it is so bad. Some of it seems to be material and construction which exacerbates the grind and infusion noise.
In this household, it’s predecessor was also a DeLonghi, Prima Donna costing 3 times as much. It made a far superior cup in my view but as it did not live very long (4 years, is that a good life for an 800 coffee machine?) I decided to try this less expensive model. Its doing alright. For the money I’d call it a good buy.
On the descaling I have found the instructions less than helpful. completed the task twice now and neither time did the process work as instructed nor take 30 mins as advised. Neither does it go “perform a series of rinses and pauses to remove limescale…” but pumps the cleaner through twice only before coming to a stop a) before the water tank is actually empty and b) within about 5-10 mins max. In fact the water tank cannot empty because the water outlet is necessarily above the bottom of the tank and therefore cannot drain the bottom. This also confused me initially on the actual rinsing process. The instructions say “When the tank is completely empty the descaling light goes out.” It doesn’t completely empty and in my case the light does not go out. “The water jug light, cup lights and steam lights flash.” In my case they all came on and stayed on. Confused again, I waited a few minutes and then turned the steam knob back to zero (as instructed). The machine then switched off as it was supposed to. Anyone else had this experience?

I had a Nespresso machine for years, it was ok but ended up just sitting on the worktop in the kitchen. Then a few months ago I tried one of the stove top machines, Godmorn Stovetop Espresso Maker, Italian Coffee Maker Moka Pot, this made nice coffee, but it wasn’t the coffee shop experience. Looked at the Magnifica S and decided to buy it based on reviews and the fact that it was bean to cup. I can honestly say that this machine makes the best cup of coffee I have ever had. Loads of videos on Youtube for support and operating instructions. I like a nice strong coffee and this delivers, so easy as well. It probably takes the same amount of time to make an instant coffee. I really do recommend this coffee machine.

Really easy to use. As for flavour – it’s a bit hit & miss to start with Especially if you haven’t already got a favourite coffee bean blend, patience pays off in the end! I really enjoy my coffee now – well worth having to ‘try’ different blends etc.
I have one gripe though – the sales pitch says that the grinder is quiet ….. I hate to think what they consider noisy!! Good job I’m living alone or I’d have to wait until everyone else was up before using it. (I live in a bungalow- so maybe ok if you’re in a house). My little dog still goes into hiding when I switch the machine on in the morning. However, she soon comes back for me to put a spoonful of the milk froth in her bowl. – The milk frother/warmer is really good & easy to keep clean. All in all I deal this machine is worth every penny & will soon pay for itself with my not going to cafes so much or buying endless pods for the Tassimo I had – expensive to buy & nowhere near as nice. Plus the tassimo pods aren’t recyclable.

Really easy to use. As for flavour – it’s a bit hit & miss to start with Especially if you haven’t already got a favourite coffee bean blend, patience pays off in the end! I really enjoy my coffee now – well worth having to ‘try’ different blends etc.
I have one gripe though – the sales pitch says that the grinder is quiet ….. I hate to think what they consider noisy!! Good job I’m living alone or I’d have to wait until everyone else was up before using it. (I live in a bungalow- so maybe ok if you’re in a house). My little dog still goes into hiding when I switch the machine on in the morning. However, she soon comes back for me to put a spoonful of the milk froth in her bowl. – The milk frother/warmer is really good & easy to keep clean. All in all I deal this machine is worth every penny & will soon pay for itself with my not going to cafes so much or buying endless pods for the Tassimo I had – expensive to buy & nowhere near as nice. Plus the tassimo pods aren’t recyclable.

I had it for a month now and I make cappuccino every day using either grounded coffee or beans.

I really like how easy it is to clean. Daily cleaning is automatic, only have to do more thorough cleaning about once a month, but even that one is easy.

The machine, particularly the knobs and trays, looks and feels a bit cheap plasticy, but it compensates it with a very reasonable price. See the markings on the tray after just one month.

Coffee tastes nice and was easy to setup and use.
My only annoyance is that it asks me to clean the coffee ground container way too frequently, even when the bin is not even half full.
But overall, I’m very pleased with it and would 100% recommend it to others if they are looking for a professional machine under 300, which isn’t easy to find.

One caveat: this machine might not be on sale for too long as I think De’Longhi is working on a new model. So grab a deal till you can, or wait for the new model.

First thing the coffee it makes is great and easy. Added bonus…if you want a change from your regular beans you can just pop a scoop of ground coffee in the top and make a cuppa that way.
Replaced a barista style machine with bean grinder and frothing wand. Read the instructions first! The settings from the factory where it was tested are a good baseline, but if you are like me and twist every knob to make sure everything turns and works you better remember roughly where they were. For a standard coffee you just turn on wait 30 seconds for warm up and press the button. Hey presto smooth rich coffee within 30 seconds.
There are lots of clunks and whirs inside the machine at startup as it does it’s cleaning cycle (and when it shuts down), but not as loud as using an external grinder.
The really good thing: awesome steam power on the milk frother quickly gives you really quick hot frothy milk.
The niggly thing: the grounds collector needs a bit of jiggling to be in correctly.
The annoying thing: After you’ve used the steam wand it can take up to 10 minutes before you can get another coffee. This is waiting for things to cool down. The hack is to run hot water through the steamer until the coffee cup symbols stop flashing (about 10-15 seconds).

Having owned this for over a year I thought it time to write a quick review.
Prior to this I had owned 2 Delonghi Micalites that took ground coffee and each end up developing leaks internally, so I upgraded to one of these and havent regretted it.
Over a year of use and it hasnt missed a beat. My wife and family drink a fair bit of coffee so as a minimum this will have made 10 cups a day over the last year so probably close to 4000 cups and still going strong.
In terms of noise when grinding which some reviews commented on its quiter than the Micalites I owned and they didnt even grind beans!
There us plenty of adjustment in the grind and extraction so with a bit of googling I managed to find the perfect grind for the beans we buy.
Cleaning is a bit of a pain as others have commented but I dont have anything to compare it to.
Steam wand however is easy to use and clean.
The descaling light does come on too often, I live in a very soft water area where even after years of use kettles and the like dont fur up so I tend to ignor the light for a while as i know its not needed.

Overall, im very pleased and would buy again.

I bought this on here in Nov 2017. So it has been happily chugging away for over 3 years. I use it a ton for the bean to cup function (never actually used the ground coffee function, as I have a feeling it would mess up the insides for no real value).

Anyway. It really is great. No hesitation at all in recommending it.

There are three areas they could improve:

1/ The ‘Heating Pad’ at the top is utterly pointless. They would be better off to remove it entirely as it takes up space on the top right side for no reason (has anyone in the history of this machine ever used this function? I really doubt it.)

It would be much better if they put a second container for whole beans where that is. Then you could either have twice as many beans of your favourite coffee. Or else try two entirely different ones.

For me it would be nice to have my ‘normal’ blend of caffeinated beans in one, and a de-caffeinated bean in the other one (assuming they had a second bean holder section!) so that I could easily drink one type during the day and swap to using the other one at night. (Or maybe for a husband and wife, one for her, one for him, possibly with different grinding settings?)

Currently I end up just using instant de-caffeinated if I have a cup at night, and it definitely doesn’t taste as nice as a bean to cup would.

I do think this could be a big improvement to an already great machine.

2/ The grinding settings are a bit one-dimensional (by that I mean that they don’t feel very inviting to change more than the couple of experiments you do when you first get the machine) – There are ones on the front and one in the actual bean holder itself.

Because they are dials it is ok. But it does tend to mean that you set it to one setting for both that you like and never touch them again (in case you forget where you had them in my case).

It would be nice if you could have a choice of a couple of settings more easily, so you could compare grinding settings and strength on a more linear, daily basis, if you wanted (or just leave it).

It feels like its possible to do it, but I would have to make it an actual ‘project’ to test, rather then just a normal part of making a cup of coffee.

I sort of feel like their should be more thought gone in to how to change the blend more easily at the moment a person is making the coffee, without having to become a professional Barista!

At the moment you have the grind setting in the bean to cup chamber for example, which is one setting. It would be nice if there was some kind of ‘test’ function where the machine would automatically make you cups in a row at different grinding settings, and then you could just pick the one you liked.

I know! I know! I can do this. But just thinking out loud as to what would be nice. And this strikes me as doable with some thought and design work.

3/ As I said I haven’t used the ‘ground coffee’ part in the middle top of the machine, as instinctively I feel like the coffee grounds would get everywhere inside the internals of the machine. Maybe they need to show some videos on how to use this more from a creative coffee person perspective? Not sure. It just feels like the ground thing in the middle is an afterthought somehow?

—-

Ok. All that said. I love this machine! I think it is really good value for a bean to cup coffee maker.

If you like coffee, then honestly, buying this is a no-brainer.

I’d like some extras. But honestly at this price point, they are really only niggles. You shove good beans in. It spits out lovely coffee with a nice creamy head.

I don’t really want to pay more than about 250. So it may well be that others do more. But as this has been the number 1 machine on here for years they are doing something right.

You will like it 🙂

Excellent machine. Make sure you read the instructions well; it’s not a toy and is a complex piece of kit. That said, after familiarising yourself with the basics, it’s pretty straightforward. Just check you have water in it, and check the bin isn’t full of used powder. If you use coffee that’s pre ground, just turn the strength knob anti clockwise and use the central hopper. Don’t do this if the machine isn’t turned on. And make sure you use the single cup button. Also note that you should only change the grind setting as the grinder is operating. If you do those things you shouldn’t have any problems. I live in a hard water area, so I use bottled water from a soft water area, like Buxton or highland spring. That means you can set the machine to soft water use which will mean less frequent descaling. Lots of control over grind coarseness, flavour strength and coffee amount, so you can tailor it to your taste. Cappuccino frother works well, gives mixture of hot milk and froth. Always clean the frother tube after use, wipe it and remove it, run it under a tap and then run a shot of steam through it before putting it back. Just get into the habit and it’s very quick and straightforward. I love it. (I’ve gone into some detail about how to use it since I know a couple of idiots who haven’t read the instructions properly and blame the machine…)

It’s been over 6 months since I had a really decent cup of coffee and in the meantime I’ve been making do with a Nespresso machine. But after 10 years of use, it developed a leak so I took the plunge and bought this.

Setup took about 10 minutes including testing/setting the water hardness (I have a softener but tested anyway), filling the water, beans and running a few test cups through.

The final result is simply perfect. Maybe I just fluked it but I got a perfect cup of coffee first time which puts the Nespresso to shame.

Very happy.

EDIT: After 1 year of ownership, I would still rate this as 5*. A few minor points however. The plastic door is a bit flimsy (but no issue with it even though it gets used daily). The tray that captures the used coffee does not capture all the used / ground coffee, but a monthly thorough clean out solves for that.

I have a water softener so have not had to descale the machine, but did so after 6 months in any case.

Otherwise, all still perfect – perfect coffee around 4-5 times a day every day without fail. And cost to run versus pod machines works out at around 30-40p a day for this versus around 150p per day for more and infinitely better coffee. So the machine has paid for itself already nearly twice over.

Firstly I’ve had this coffee machine for a few months now and I can definitely say the coffee from this machine is very nice. You can change all sorts of settings to design your perfect cup. The steamer is brilliant and you can hone (or try to) your latte art. So that’s the ultra positive element, the slightly off putting for some is the noise level it is quite a noisy machine so 5am coffees mean doors are getting shut this doesn’t really affect us as we shut the door and it’s not that bad. The 2nd slight annoyance is the consistent de-scaling indicator that comes on all too regularly now this is a mixed point for me as we live in a hard water area so if we actually want our machine working in a year or so and want to keep it working well then regular de-scaling is a must to be honest so it depends how much you value your machine. We’ve kept it clean and look after it and so far have had nothing but amazing coffee and a nice machine on display. Overall we’re very happy and nothing about this machine causes us any issues 🙂

Up there with one of the best things I’ve ever purchased. Have owned this machine for nearly 18 months and used on a 2-3 times daily in a very hard water area with no major issues. Have descaled once using a big bottle of generic descaler from Amazon that worked just as good as the branded stuff.
I tend to avoid the more oily beans as I don’t think they work great in this. I would also recommend keeping the water level in the dial closer to the espresso level and topping up with water from the kettle as it gets to a higher temp. You can get a nice strong coffee if you tune the dials correctly.
I don’t make many lattes/cappuccinos but when I have they’ve turned out decent but you’ll struggle to get that dense foam you need.
My only slight negative is that over time the used puck/waste container has become more sensitive so it now shows as full after only 3 or 4 cups.
I got this on a used warehouse deal for 150 but would have paid double, I’ve seen this machine in pubs and small hotels so I have no doubt that it’s built to last. I would not hesitate to buy again if it broke as although the coffee isn’t a 10/10 it’s a two button push for a solid 7 every morning.

I bought the first one in September 2010 – since then, it has made c. 20,000 cups of coffee (5-6 a day on average). When it started playing up a week or so ago (not grinding enough beans to make proper coffee), I thought it didn’t owe us anything, but assumed that after 10 years there must be something better out there for the money… a little research suggested that it’s still pretty much top of the pile for the ‘lower end’ – but a machine that costs 3-4k still actually only makes coffee and not much else! The new machine that arrived yesterday is quieter, the coffee seems stronger and everything else is very shiny but familiar – I’m hoping the knob for the steam nozzle lasts better (my husband replaced this with some wood and a peg a few years ago, so he didn’t have to go without his cappuccino), but as for the rest, if this one lasts over ten years too, I’ll be pretty happy, and I’ll continue to do the regular descaling when the machine tells me it needs it – worth the money and effort!

Bought this for a friend. I’ve had one of these for a few years now so it’s time to review. Its a great machine.
Add beans, water, and a cup. Press button. Coffee arrives. Cleaning is easy, descale it when it tells you. Get a soft brush and some air duster for occasional internal cleaning. It can be noisy on the grind but it’s not for long and its s great way to wake up anyway. You can use grounds if you need to be extra quiet. Milk steamer works really well for the morning cappuccino, and I find it a great way to make hot chocolate as well. Mine has lasted me three years so far without a single problem so I think the reliability is good. For the price, it’s a bit higher now but if the quality remains the same, its a good value product, it owes me nothing. If it broke down tomorrow, I’d buy another.

My first bean-to-brew machine was a Vera and cost over 1500 — it lasted three days longer than its guarantee then ignominiously failed. A 250 repair lasted two weeks longer than its three month guarantee. And then the same thing happened again. I threw out that Vera machine and a weight was lifted from my shoulders (but only after 2000 had departed my wallet)! I then bought the De’Longhi Magnifica which was so extraordinarily good that when my three adult children finally left to move into their own homes, each chose to buy one too. What an accolade! The machine is perfectly brilliant EXCEPT that if you like frothed milk with your coffee, a separate machine (such as the excellent 50 Dualit DMF1 milk frother), is hugely faster and a lot better than anything the Magnifica can achieve. The only other thing on my wish-list is a bigger water-tank, or a way to connect to mains water. The existing tank takes a little over a litre of water (about enough for four-five mugs) but doubling or trebling the tank size would only add a few inches to the machine’s width. Maybe most users would not have the counter-top space so I’d like De’Longhi to offer this big-tank option as the ‘Magnifica Plus’. If they are reading this review, I hope they will consider my suggestion. Tank-size apart, this is a GREAT machine which I recommend unreservedly.

My first bean-to-brew machine was a Vera and cost over 1500 — it lasted three days longer than its guarantee then ignominiously failed. A 250 repair lasted two weeks longer than its three month guarantee. And then the same thing happened again. I threw out that Vera machine and a weight was lifted from my shoulders (but only after 2000 had departed my wallet)! I then bought the De’Longhi Magnifica which was so extraordinarily good that when my three adult children finally left to move into their own homes, each chose to buy one too. What an accolade! The machine is perfectly brilliant EXCEPT that if you like frothed milk with your coffee, a separate machine (such as the excellent 50 Dualit DMF1 milk frother), is hugely faster and a lot better than anything the Magnifica can achieve. The only other thing on my wish-list is a bigger water-tank, or a way to connect to mains water. The existing tank takes a little over a litre of water (about enough for four-five mugs) but doubling or trebling the tank size would only add a few inches to the machine’s width. Maybe most users would not have the counter-top space so I’d like De’Longhi to offer this big-tank option as the ‘Magnifica Plus’. If they are reading this review, I hope they will consider my suggestion. Tank-size apart, this is a GREAT machine which I recommend unreservedly.