De'Longhi Magnifica S, Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, ECAM22.110.B, Black [Amazon Exclusive]
De'Longhi Magnifica S, Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, ECAM22.110.B, 1.8 liters,Black [Amazon Exclusive]
Freshly ground coffee from beans of your choiceIntegrated grinding technology with adjustable grinding levels according to taste and coffee type. Conical steel grinders calibrated with 100% accuracy per ultimate precision grinding.
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />Your coffee in one touchChoose your coffee beans and let the machine prepare your favourite drinks automatically: just press the beverage button and enjoy top quality, freshly ground, coffee as you like it
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Excellent quality in cup
Each one of our grinders is tested and calibrated to ensure precision for a perfect Espresso brewing
Ideal coffee extraction
It hosts single and double cups grinding quantity. Tamping is automatic for a consistent result.
Your perfect milk froth
Be your own barista by manually preparing your desired milk drinks thanks to the manual milk frother
Your favourite beverages
2 1-touch recipes: Espresso, 2x espresso many more manual milk drinks
Ease of use
Preparing any beverage has never been so easy thanks to the one touch technology
How hot is the coffee?
To release and preserve the full aroma of fresh ground coffee, the right extraction temperature of between 88° and 96° is fundamental and can be set by you
Can the machine deliver hot water?
Yes, the Magnific S can deliver hot water. To do this, please turn the lever on the left hand side of the machine anti clockwise to indicate water delivery.
Can it be used with pre-ground coffee?
Yes. The machine gives you the option to either freshly grind beans for your coffee or can be used with preground coffee, to offer for example a decaffinated alternative
| Weight: | 9 kg |
| Dimensions: | 42.98 x 22.99 x 33.99 cm; 9 Kilograms |
| Brand: | De'Longhi |
| Model: | ECAM22.110.B |
| Colour: | Black |
| Dimensions: | 42.98 x 22.99 x 33.99 cm; 9 Kilograms |
Love this machine, use it several times a day!
Easy to use, easy to clean, good size, use it several times a time. Only thing I would change is the pressure to froth milk isnt quite powerful enough for me. Froths milk skimmed or full fat really well but not as quick as I would like. Not marking down for this as it is one of the cheaper bean to cup machines on the market and good value for money. I dont quite have the clearance to open the lid fully to load beans, not a problem as I fill with scoop so dont let that be a concern if you have same problem. Use need to factor in the cost of the correct descaler when purchasing and it is cheaper by buying a large bottle. Cannot comment on the filter coffee side as purchased for beans and still use my cafetire on odd occasions instead.
Great coffee make
Had this just over a month now. Wanted to give it a good test.
This makes a long cup of coffee quicker than it takes our Bosch kettle to boil. Frothing milk is easy once you get the hang of it. Remember to clean steamer every time Take nozzle off & flush.
Might want to adjust some of the settings such as water temp (way too low for me) same with water hardness. Good u-tube videos on doing all the settings.
Cleaning is simple, water container out, unclip cover and pull mixer out. Wash and return. Takes about 5 mins tops.
I got this as I spent far to much at Coffee shops & 2nd lockdown meant takeaways again. Just does not taste the same.
Bank balance is already looking better despite having on average 5 cups a day from this machine. 1 Milk based, rest just straight coffee.
Finding a coffee bean you like is the fun bit.
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.
I have it, its working, it produces good coffee
It can do pre-ground as well as bean to cup. (We are using it for pre-ground Decaf & real beans)
However
The instructions are poor.
I have yet to get into the water temperature menu – (9.4 in manual) the instructions say hold the single espresso button till it goes to the menu, but it just produces large espresso
UPDATE
The video on the support site is different to the manual. To change water temp
1 make sure power switch at back is on, and DO NOT press the front power button (it must be no lights on)
2. Press Espresso one cup till panel lights then tap same button till required temp is indicated. Then tap the Americano 1 cup button (As shown in the video but not as per the naration which calls it one cup espresso)
I am now verry happy 🙂
I suspect getting into water temp conflicts with setting the cup size (See 9.2)
Also Factory reset seems to be missing from the menu!
Fantastic product and a real step up from Nespresso type of lock-in. Choose your beans wisely and this machine produces a wonderful result. My preferences are strong espresso based and black and I’m really pleased with the results so far.
Good machine-difficult to get to customer service
When I first bought this machine I wrote a one star review because They sent the wrong manual & I found it really difficult to get customer service by any means. However, when I did finally get to a personin customer servive, Becky was very helpfulin getting me the correct manual &getting me a water hardness tester:so, Becky, thanks for that. As to the machine itself, we have now had it for two weeks & made over 50 cups of coffee. The results are excellent, as we have been able to modify the taste, following the instructions in the book. We are very pleased with the results as the coffee compares favourably with the coffee shop product.
My first bean to cup to replace a nespresso machine. Coupled with Lavazza beans from Amazon this is a match made in heaven.
Simple tips.
Turn up as hot as possible, the second cup will be a bit hotter.
Put quantity dial to 12 o’clock (mid way)
Put strength to max.
Only adjust bean grind when it is grinding or you may damage the machine
Turn off at panel not plug as you could turn it off in the middle of an operation.
If it wont make coffee it is likely the used grounds bin needs emptying (use as fertiliser) or the water is empty.
Keep your beans sealed in the fridge for storage.
The drip tray and coffee ground bin can go in the dishwasher.
A+++++
Excellent coffee machine
Great coffee machine.Arrived with minimal eco friendly wrapping. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. Checking water hardness is an important first step . Turning the machine on and warming up takes 20-30 seconds . Easy to use with several volume options . Takes time to adjust grinding settings but usually over several coffees the balance is achieved . The coffee produced is very good , with nice flavour and temperature. Using fresh coffee beans makes a huge difference. No regrets buying this machine
De'Longhi Magnifica, Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine
Bit of along term test, as we bought this machine a couple of years ago and just never got around to putting my thoughts down on here. All in all, this coffee machine was a worth while, sound investment. I am an inveterate coffee drinker and although my wife enjoys her tassimo pod machine, I prefer to shop around for beans and grind my own.
The machine has worked flawlessly since we owned it and is used daily, it requires the normal de-scaling procedure every moth or so, but this is normal and should not be considered a fault. My only minor niggle is the size of the fresh water container which needs regularly filling or topping up. A slighly larger container would be better but by default would probably make the machine wider or taller. Other than this minor gripe, the machine produces a decent cup of coffee from beans or pre-ground. A happy buyer as the price was competitive when compared with some other machines.
Just bought my second Magnifica ESAM 4200S!
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!
Good machine
A good machine and a big improvement on my previous De Longhi. The item is easier to clean and also fairly simple to set up. The grouts are noticeably wetter than those from the earlier Magnifica and I have not yet figured out why.
Now, if the company can produce an affordable coffee machine that allows a user to add water and beans without dismantling anything (as my old Gaggia Synchrony could), I would give it five stars.
Probably the best machine out there.
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.
Great coffee machine if a little noisy
This is quite a large bean to cup coffee machine but over the nearly 6 months we have had it (lockdown essential) it’s been reliable and consistent in providing great coffee.
The only niggles we have are that it’s quite noisy – especially during start up when it makes 40 or so loud grunting noises whilst presumably self cleaning. The grinder when making your coffee is also quite loud.
It should be noted that we haven’t used the milk frothed because we have a separate machine for milk foaming.
To summarise this is a great coffee machine and maintenance has been low/non-existent over the last few months. And we have used it multiple times a day, every day! Haven’t had to descale it yet as we have had to with other machines we have owned from other manufacturers. Just be mindful if you like a quiet kitchen!
Very happy with this addition to the kitchen. Purchased this at the start of lockdown as a replacement/upgrdae for my Nespresso machine. Machine is very easy to use and the coffee is fantastic. Machine is great value for money.
6 months later still loving it. X
So I did a lot of research and it came down to costs and easy to use.
Many coffee machines seem to have a compulsary water filture – this one doesn’t.
Also once you get the hang on what all the buttons and knobs are for and what your tastes are it is pretty easy to use.
You can set this up for how much you want your beans ground to the amount of grounds used in the shot.
Then you can have upto 2 shots and also do 2 cups at a time.
The milk steamer keeps it heat without the need to keep reheating enough to froth up enough milk for a cappucino.
You can pretty much make any espresso based beverage with this.
I love that the milk steamer nozzel is detachable for cleaning after each use.
My only negetive at this stage is that the milk steamer arm is too close to the machine – it bends out but doesn’t clear the edge of the machine enough to allow full movement of your jug.
AFTER 6 MONTHS
I still love this machine!
I’ve had no issues with fault etc. Still makes a lovely cup of coffee.
Love I can use decaf grounds.
My few points are that if using decaf ensure you have the dial turned to scoop before you fill with grounds. It leaves an aweful mess in the machine as it falls through and you end up with a full ground tray symbol for days after. I would recommend if single cups to empty the grounds tray inside as it can be forgotten and turn nasty.
Tips for the ground tray line it with kitchen paper as the grounds stick to the inside which makes it a bugger to clean. Plus they absorb some of the moisture.
Also to get a good strong coffee you do have you have the dial turned up and i always hit the double espresso button.
Also pop your mug under the sprout as soon as you switch on to catch the water used to clean it. Saves having to keep cleaning out the drip tray. Do the same when your done as it self cleans again as it self turns off.
Apart from this I love it. Great coffee from a great machine. X
18 Months Later.....Been used over 2100 times!
Thought I would write a review of my machine as I have owned it for 18 months now without fault. Im happy with 18 months of use.. it has been used every and I mean EVERY day so thats at least 4 times a day so working on that 4 x 547 days = 2100+ uses !! not bad for a “Cheap” machine…
Great product that works very well. Has all the features I needed from a grinder to a built in steamer.
It is most important you read the instructions as I have noticed a few people saying theirs didn’t work or had coffee residue in it!
The MAIN reason for not working is people are not setting the machine up correctly. Please follow the instructions step by step
This machine also MAY have some coffee residue in it (Mine Did) as they are tested at the factory (quality control) so there may be some bean dust inside.
That’s most peoples complaints answered!
Anyway I would also suggest that you purchase a metal milk jug and also a milk thermometer as you can then get the temperature of the milk correct. Lots of people just guess how warm the milk is and end up with a tepid coffee.
I would also suggest you make the all your coffees first then steam the milk afterwards. This way you will not be waiting ages for the machine to cool down after steaming your milk, again common sense but it seems to have escaped a few folks!
Ok… Pros and Cons
Pros..
1. Proper Coffee
2. No Nasty PODS (Environmental issues)
3. Steamer works Great
4. Holds 200g of beans – makes dozens of cups!
5. Easy to wipe clean.
6. Simple operations (Once you have read the instructions)
7. Different settings for water hardness
Cons
1. Fiddly to clean properly
2. Noisy (Grinder) but all bean to cup machines are noisy
3. No Accessories (Milk Jug, Thermometer would be nice!)
4. Descaler expensive (I have switched to 3rd party descaler much cheaper)
5. Quite Large
6. Have to descale often (in hard water area) use my machine every day and about 4 weeks between descaling)
Thats it..
Would recommend if you love coffee.. just be prepared for a little work (watch how coffee is made in the shops.. its the exact same process for this machine)
Hands down the best purchase we’ve made in years both my wife and I are Costa lovers and were missing our coffee fix in lockdown- on recommendation from a friend we bought the Delonghi and wow – it makes coffee and got chocolates easily as good as Costa but at a fraction of the price – easy to set up – easy to use – easy to clean – we absolutely love it 🙂
The Good:
To say coffee is perfect, is an understatement. Since this is my first bean-to-cup machine, I cannot say if it is thanks to this particular machine unfortunately. Nevertheless, instant and pre-ground just do not do it for me anymore. I like my coffee black, and its like discovering coffee taste all over again. I do not drink white coffee, but my mom who always drank instant, has been converted in just one day.
I can also say that, as long as I am concerned, it is as easy to use as it could be. Do not expect miracles, you have to empty drip tray, grounds container, refill water rather often, and clean milk froth each use. On top of that, you need to descale your machine from time to time. All of that is to be expected in any maker like this. So its not really easy like pouring some hot water over instant granules, but not rocket science neither. Removing and cleaning diffuser is also easy.
Consider to do some tinkering. I changed water temperature to maximum (Its not boiling hot, but enough for me) and ground setting to 3.5. Your experience may vary, but this is what I find most satisfactory.
The Bad:
Removing water tank, without removing the drip tray causes scratches on the metal plate. I think that is a design flaw. You could in theory keep removing drip tray every time you refill water, but water tends to run out more often that the drip tray needs to be emptied.
Also it appears that machine has no sensor in the grounds container, and it just keeps count of how many times grounds have been disposed. So if you do not empty container every time you remove the tray, you risk overfilling.
The Ugly:
Now the real problem. Machine has a descale light, that comes up every time it needs to be descaled. It asked to be descaled twice already, even though I had it for three weeks only. I am in the middle of my second 1kg coffee bag, and while I had not used De’longhi softener, I always poured Brita filtered water in the machine. I contacted the help line and it appears that machine has a water hardness setting, factory set to default level 4 (hardest).
Again, the maker has no sensor, and it just keeps track of how many litres of water has been used. That is not necessarily a bad thing, sensors tend to malfunction after some time. Keep in mind, that you need to use expensive De’Longhi Eco-Decalk, or you may lose warranty. Crazy thing is that water hardness setting can be changed, but the manual will not tell you that.
Even the nice lady I spoke with has been surprised that my manual does not mention it. She sent me another revision of the manual and voila, machine used to come with water hardness test and instructions how to change the setting. I changed the setting and the warning light (descale) is gone for now. Now I know how important it is to keep limescale off the equipment, but I refuse to spend 15 a month for descalers. Also it seems that the instructions to change water hardness setting has been removed on purpose to generate more income from after sales. I do not like to be tricked like that.
Verdict:
De’Longhi – you make the best home coffee makers, do not tarnish your brand with shady tactics.
The Good:
To say coffee is perfect, is an understatement. Since this is my first bean-to-cup machine, I cannot say if it is thanks to this particular machine unfortunately. Nevertheless, instant and pre-ground just do not do it for me anymore. I like my coffee black, and its like discovering coffee taste all over again. I do not drink white coffee, but my mom who always drank instant, has been converted in just one day.
I can also say that, as long as I am concerned, it is as easy to use as it could be. Do not expect miracles, you have to empty drip tray, grounds container, refill water rather often, and clean milk froth each use. On top of that, you need to descale your machine from time to time. All of that is to be expected in any maker like this. So its not really easy like pouring some hot water over instant granules, but not rocket science neither. Removing and cleaning diffuser is also easy.
Consider to do some tinkering. I changed water temperature to maximum (Its not boiling hot, but enough for me) and ground setting to 3.5. Your experience may vary, but this is what I find most satisfactory.
The Bad:
Removing water tank, without removing the drip tray causes scratches on the metal plate. I think that is a design flaw. You could in theory keep removing drip tray every time you refill water, but water tends to run out more often that the drip tray needs to be emptied.
Also it appears that machine has no sensor in the grounds container, and it just keeps count of how many times grounds have been disposed. So if you do not empty container every time you remove the tray, you risk overfilling.
The Ugly:
Now the real problem. Machine has a descale light, that comes up every time it needs to be descaled. It asked to be descaled twice already, even though I had it for three weeks only. I am in the middle of my second 1kg coffee bag, and while I had not used De’longhi softener, I always poured Brita filtered water in the machine. I contacted the help line and it appears that machine has a water hardness setting, factory set to default level 4 (hardest).
Again, the maker has no sensor, and it just keeps track of how many litres of water has been used. That is not necessarily a bad thing, sensors tend to malfunction after some time. Keep in mind, that you need to use expensive De’Longhi Eco-Decalk, or you may lose warranty. Crazy thing is that water hardness setting can be changed, but the manual will not tell you that.
Even the nice lady I spoke with has been surprised that my manual does not mention it. She sent me another revision of the manual and voila, machine used to come with water hardness test and instructions how to change the setting. I changed the setting and the warning light (descale) is gone for now. Now I know how important it is to keep limescale off the equipment, but I refuse to spend 15 a month for descalers. Also it seems that the instructions to change water hardness setting has been removed on purpose to generate more income from after sales. I do not like to be tricked like that.
Verdict:
De’Longhi – you make the best home coffee makers, do not tarnish your brand with shady tactics.
Myself and my partner are full-time working from home because of the pandemic, and we will be working from home much more frequently in the future. We have a slightly bigger version of essentially the same machine in my office and it was on a reduced price so decided to invest in one. Have had it a week now, absolutely no problems. Only minor niggle was the default water temperature was WAY too low, on the minimum setting it’s just not hot enough and had to go in search of a YouTube video to understand how to change it as the manual is not very clear about this. Once adjusted to the highest setting the water is now perfect.
The best feature for me personally is the fact that, despite the fact we take our coffees very differently (myself, more a cappucino style with the need to heat milk, previously I microwaved it!, himself straight black and as strong as possible) – it is so convenient for us to make our coffees exactly as we like them from the same machine. Added to this, I like to switch to green or white tea in the afternoon – the hot water option from the steamer spout actually makes hot enough water for this that I just use it now instead of the kettle.
Looking forward to when we can have guests over to really put it though its paces!
Magnifico!
I absolutely love this machine. I’ve had everything from a drip coffee maker, french press, and several espresso makers. This machine is the best espresso / latte / Americano maker I’ve had. It does everything from grinding beans to frothing milk. The espresso is dispensed with a beautiful crema layer. If you like espresso, dialing the cup level indicator all the way down pulls a nice shot with that yummy crema, while dialing it all the way up pulls an Americano. The milk frother is excellent, giving full creaminess to the milk. The very best part is that you don’t have to pack your espresso then scrape it out of a handle, it’s all done automatically — the machine even ejects the spent espresso into a container and then flushes its own internal pipes! WOW! Some may fine that it is a little bit loud, but it does not bother us for the end result is magnifico. Highly recommend.
I like i
This being my first bean to cup coffee machine I didn’t want to spend too much on one, but at the same time I didn’t want to buy something cheap that I might want to replace soon. This machine suits me down to the ground, it does what I need it to and does it well. Now, I am no coffee aficionado but I do enjoy a good cappuccino and this machine makes them to the standard I would expect from a good coffee shop.
It was relatively straight forward to set up by following the instructions which also told me how to set the water hardness and change the temperature settings.
I’ve read a few reviews that say it is messy or hard to clean, but can’t say I’ve had any problems. I clean it regularly and most of the time there is a few bits of coffee grind to clean up, but what do you expect it’s a messy business grinding all those beans.
I would recommend this machine for those folk not wanting to spend a fortune on a bean to cup coffee machine who like a decent coffee without seeking the full barista experience.
Search over - Buy this machine!
I’ve used many Bean to cup coffee machines in shared workspaces and the quality has varied wildly, so I was careful to do the research before buying.
Overall, it’s a fantastic machine that dispenses coffee of better quality than any of the large chains and on a par with the best independent coffee shops. You could of course spend a few hundred more on a Sage but I doubt you’d see much of a difference.
Makes a good espresso, or cappuccino. I replaced my 10 year old bean to cup machine and this is much cleaner, easier to use, and makes a better coffee. I believe it makes coffee up to the standard of the coffees from the large industrial machines, which my last one did not.
Makes a good espresso, or cappuccino. I replaced my 10 year old bean to cup machine and this is much cleaner, easier to use, and makes a better coffee. I believe it makes coffee up to the standard of the coffees from the large industrial machines, which my last one did not.
Be careful when removing both shields on frothier, there are 2 o rings and when I removed 2nd shield the o ring must have came off, when this happens you will discover it will not froth as air escapes once I got new o rings it sorted it , got pack of 20 o rings for 4 on Amazo
Be careful when removing both shields on frothier, there are 2 o rings and when I removed 2nd shield the o ring must have came off, when this happens you will discover it will not froth as air escapes once I got new o rings it sorted it , got pack of 20 o rings for 4 on Amazo
The best thing I purchased last year hence left this review. Exceptional device.
Thank God I got it before the COVID outbreak, I used it occasionally before as I always visited the coffee shops but now i can make a Latte as good as a coffee shop at home.
The best thing I purchased last year hence left this review. Exceptional device.
Thank God I got it before the COVID outbreak, I used it occasionally before as I always visited the coffee shops but now i can make a Latte as good as a coffee shop at home.
much better than older models
i love that i dont have to load and unload the coffee, also it rinses itself when you turn it on/off which is great. it is already set on 30 min so i left it as it is because it suits me. the coffee is hot and creamy, it does make a difference when you change the amount of coffee and the grinding level. the machine has a few users in the house, we all know what we like so we change the settings all the time. we did have a few cups of trials and errors until we found out what we like. as with all delonghi machines, the steam is so loud! but the pressure is good and the temperature is high, all you need is one of those frothing cups with a narrow mouth or you will splash a lot. we like Lavazza beans, it is slightly cheaper when you buy 1 kg bags compared to ground coffee and the taste is a few notches up. we haven’t used the ground coffee function yet…
Love this machine. Grinds perfectly with different settings. Makes a lovely coffee . If I could change one thing I would make the water tank bigger but it’s easy to refill and keep the coffee flowing
Love this machine. Grinds perfectly with different settings. Makes a lovely coffee . If I could change one thing I would make the water tank bigger but it’s easy to refill and keep the coffee flowing
Relisble, simple to use and the best you'll get for the money
My dad has had this machine for 6 years (he loves it), and I have used it frequently over that time, so I bought it knowing what I was getting.
If you love americano’s it’s the easiest machine ever, and I can make my morning latte in less than two minutes. Now I’m no longer buying a coffee each morning on the way to work it has almost paid for itself in the 2 months I’ve had it
Yes its quite loud when grinding beans, so I would avoid making a midnight espresso if in close proximity to anyone sleeping.
I’ve been pretty impressed with the steam wand – given it’s a budget machine. It is however very slow to switch back to coffee making mode after you have used it – so make the coffee first then steam. Its easy to programme, not too needy on maintenance and simple to clean.
Buy yourself some good coffee beans, play around with the settings a bit and you will never look back!
8 years old this year and would happily buy another, if I had to!
My daughter will be 8 too later this year, so I must have bought this at the same time. It’s given me great service over that time, and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another. I probably use it for around 10-20 cups a week, and it gets cleaned our every 4-8 weeks depending on use. The only reason I’ve come back to this today and written this review its that it’s started to make a mess of the coffee grinds inside the machine, which have now started to infiltrate the coffee. The problem is the brewing unit, as the arm at the top has worn out of alignment so it’s not cleanly sweeping the brewed coffee into the waste bin. I’ve tried to adjust the screw and spring, but no joy. I did think I’d be buying a new machine, but it turns out you can buy a replacement part for just 30, so will give that a shot first. Otherwise, this makes wonderful coffee from beans at the touch of a button, with little maintenance required. Use it to make espresso shots though and add some boiling water, and not make longer ‘lungo’ type coffee from the machine, which don’t taste anywhere near as good.
Affordable easy great coffee!
Don’t normally write reviews but I spent so long trying to decide which bean to cup to buy I thought I would share. So my position before this purchase, generally drink black Americano, like strong coffee, appreciate good coffee but definitely not an aficionado. Day to day coffee I was using a Tassimo with Costa or Kenco pods but also used a stove top espresso.
So after many months trying to decide which bean to cup to go with I took the plunge with the De’Longhi ESAM4200. And it’s awesome, definitely not the fanciest machine you can buy but it is easy to use and makes good coffee. And it doesn’t cost a small fortune. I have mine set to about 75% volume, nearly full strength and selecting two cups delivers a mug sized serving of delicious coffee. It’s super easy to clean but yes you have to clean it so if you are looking for a magic maintenance free coffee machine this is not the machine for you!
If like me you have been looking at bean to cup machines for some time I cannot recommend this machine enough
Awesome
I had a capsules coffee machine but I wanted to be conscious about the environmental issues of disposal of the capsules once used so I wanted to change to a normal coffee machine. My mum has health problems and she cannot close the Italian ones as she needs to put too much effort to close it and she should do any hard movements with her arms. I had this coffee machine at work and it has been working greatly for more than 8 years already so I decided to buy one for home. It works great, the whole family loves it and the possibility of paying it in 5 months without interests helped me to decide. No regrets so far. You can buy expensive coffee beans but you can also find cheap one at the supermarket. We use filter water to help the machine to be clean longer and so far so good. The foam from the milk is awesome! Like a proper coffee. My sister in law bought it too, together with a few colleagues from work and everyone is happy.
Great value coffee machine.
We have been using this machine since last Summer (2019) and so far have been very pleased with how it performs. We mainly use it for expresso, americano’s and the odd cappucino but whatever we decide to make, it comes out great.
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POSITIVES:
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Machine is compact and doesn’t take up too much space.
The water reservoir is big enough to make several cups of coffee.
The controls are easy to use and intuitive. You don’t need a degree to work it.
It makes very good coffee. The crema is thick and it heats the water to just the right temperature.
It is easy to clean and maintain.
Descaling is easy, once you have read the instructions properly.
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NEGATIVES:
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The steam function isn’t that powerful and takes a while to heat milk.
For some reason, I have to turn the machine off after using the steamer to be able to make another coffee.
I do find that coffee dust and water tends to accumulate on the inside.
It can be a bit loud when it is working. You definitely can’t make a discrete coffee with this machine.
Great starter machine but a few tweaks needed
Great coffee machine – bean to cup is new to our household but much better flavour than Nespresso etc. Easy to clean & maintain, allows you to try a variety of coffee beans and makes great frothed milk for flat whites / latte’s / cappuccinos.
It is very large, it takes up significant space on the kitchen worktop, and is quite noisy whilst running it’s cycles – but considering you get all the functionality you need in one place it’s worth it.
If making multiple coffees, make sure to make all the espresso’s you need before doing the milk – as once you’ve used the steam wand once you have to wait 10 minutes for the machine to cool down before switching back to coffee dispensing.
Good machine for price
I’ve had my coffee machine Magnifica for a week and finally found a good setting for my taste buds. I do buy the fresh beans and I also mix, just just to experiment so to find my perfect blend. So the machine itself is for me very easy to use and set up. The quality is what you should expect, for the price. It dose a job that it’s supposed to so I had no complaints until I bought some water tank filters, and unfortunately the filters are fairly big so take up water space in the tank which is noticeable when the tank needs filling more regularly, but it’s a small price to pay if you are keeping the machine internally clean and hopefully a longer life of the machine. I’m very pleased whith my decision to buy the Magnifica S and fingers crossed it will last until I get bored and want a more expensive machine.
Fantastic Machine Fantastic Coffee
This was my Christmas present to myself when I saw it’d been reduced on Black Friday as I’d wanted a proper coffee machine for a long time – not a pod thing – a really proper grown up coffee machine! I read a lot of reviews before choosing this model which seemed to have everything I wanted which was for it to be able to grind beans itself and from there produce a variety of coffees. And that means making the changes myself by having more or less coffee, adding milk, froth, etc. This isn’t a machine that’ll give you ready made Latte for example, you need to put in the effort yourself but it’s well worth it for a genuinely tasty and satisfying drink. It froths soya and almond milk easily for Cappuccino et al as well so if you’re a non-dairy person that’s handy. I would think it will froth most liquids to be honest although I’ve only tried the two above and cow’s milk.
It’s proving easy to clean too, it tells you when it wants water filling, grounds emptying etc but note that nothing is dishwasher safe. Not a problem for me as I’d like to take care of it rather than subject it to the ferocity of a dishwasher!
A quick rundown on making a coffee – it takes getting to know your machine. Don’t assume you’ll get something amazing from the first serving but be patient! You have to give it a few runs to get it up to spec and then you have several factors to get the drink you want:
– the strength/intensity/amount of coffee
– the amount of water you use in relation to it
– the size of the ground coffee pieces
– the coffee beans and roast you choose
… so you can see there are a lot of variations you can get from simply beans and water! And what a bonus to have those variations. It means I can cater to any taste at all rather than be limited to whatever the pod machine manufacturer thinks is the average request. Thats not for me – I’m not average!!
It’s taken me about 20 cups to find my personal favourite but now I’m there it’s pure bliss to simply switch the machine on and wait for it to do its magic each morning. From this base I can make variations to the serving for myself and others very easily.
It’s a pricey machine but you do get what you pay for and looked after properly it should last for years so could well end up being more economical than a cheaper machine. If you can get it on an offer like I did then all the better! It’s quite large but you’d expect that from a quality machine with the amount of stuff it has in it. Finally a note for DeLonghi – UK drinkers tend to drink coffee from mugs not cups (even espresso sometimes) and my one small gripe is that I can only just fit my mug under the spouts… can you make a slightly higher (.5cm) spout level in time for my next machine please?!!! 😉
When I realised how much better coffee tasted when the beans were freshly ground, I decided to treat myself to a bean-to-cup machine. It was a real indulgence, as I previously wouldn’t have dreamt of spending over 200 on a coffee maker. I have no regrets though, as it is typically used a minimum of twice every day, and I know I can offer guests a lovely cup of coffee. I’m rarely ever tempted to buy ‘to go’ coffee when I’m out anymore, so I’m pretty sure the machine has paid for itself by now.
I don’t think I’ve had to descale the machine more that twice a year, and I give the inside a good brushing out every couple of months to remove any coffee grinds that may have escaped the collection box. Be aware that the machine is a bit large and will occupy more that half of the depth of a standard worktop. I was able to push it into a corner on my worktop (space which was otherwise rather awkward to use) and it works quite well there without getting in my way. I quite like that I can buy bags of coffee beans which make numerous cups of coffee, as it seems much more environmentally friendly that opening a single-serving plastic or foil packet for each cup as in many coffee makers currently on the market. Thankfully I haven’t had any problems with this machine at all, so I would quite happily recommend it.
Some additional info: I’ve been using Coffee Masters Triple Certified, Organic, Fairtrade, Arabica Coffee Beans for the last year or so, and I’ve been quite happy with this coffee.
Good coffee
Wanted a bean to cup machine after many filter coffee machines previously. I stayed with a friend who had one, and it made me jealous. 2 years later, after reading many reviews… I decided on this one….
I was so excited when it arrived a day early, and stayed up past my bed time reading the manual and testing out the expresso strengths..
To be honest, the manual didn’t make much sense at first…. But after 4 attempts, I’ve got the hang of things.
I was very impressed with the frothy coffee I made today.
Just hoping I don’t overdose on caffeine…. Water? What’s that when you can make a cappuccino.
Other people have commented about the plastic look and feel. But as my first bean to cup… And looking at the price you could pay…. I am very happy with my purchase.
Heaven in a box.
I adore fresh coffee, I get a real craving for it and I get fulfillment at the press of a button. A whole sealed bean holds its flavour and freshness far better than any ready ground so beans to cup is the only way to go if you don’t want to be messing about grinding your own beans and you can guarantee the beans are ground to the right size, tamped down and water at the right temperature for a perfect result. I have followed the suggestion of other reviewers and use bottled spring water in the reservoir to reduce scaling and ensure that my espressos are not in any way tainted. I know this is a budget machine but for me it is almost perfect, looks good albeit being plastic and at the price I can easily live with that.Very easy to use and adjust water and coffee strength by just turning the appropriate knobs, setting it up to your requirements is also very straight forward. this is my first beans to cup machine so I haven’t anything to compare it with but suffice it to say I am completely satisfied with it, it does everything I want and I’m really looking forward to trying different beans. So now to the “almost perfect” bit, the steam wand is quite small so even when it is folded out it is difficult to see the milk in the jug when steaming, the nozzle is a bit too close to the body of the machine and the wand is rigid, a flexible section in the tube would help. Some criticism was made of the length of time you had to wait after steaming before the temperature dropped so you could brew your coffee, some said up to 10 minutes but if you turn off the steam generation and open the tap and let all of the residual steam out it’s seconds. Only other thing I would have liked is a leaflet telling how to make the different types of coffee, cappuccino, latte, flat white etc etc. There is some guidance information on the web site but it’s not that comprehensive. Still there’s plenty of videos on YouTube and the difference seems all to be in the preparation of the milk and you have to practice to get it right.
Makes a great cuppa!
I have been impressed by everything about this machine. First Amazon delivered it next day with Prime. There are video instructions on the product page, but just used the one about the water hardness so far. There are clear instructions on initial set up as well as detailed instructions for cleaning and maintenance and comes with descaling tablets.
Without changing any settings, right away the first coffee was hot but not strong enough. So I changed the strength settings and now it’s fine. The milk frother does what it should and heats the milk, you can do it a bit longer to produce a more creamy foamy mix.
The only other thing I would do is make the coffee it a bit hotter to match the coffee shops so I will have a play with the settings and see how it goes. You can easily change the strength, drink volume and fill 1 or 2 cups at the same time.
This machine is excellent, it’s only day one but I hope the machine continues to produce lattes, expressos, cappucinos and americanos for the next few years!
Time save
I have been happily using a De Longhi Dedica espresso machine and KG79 grinder for many years but have become increasing aware of how much time I spend faffing about to get those all important flat whites before I go to work. I bought the Magnifica as an experiment to see if it would save time and also as a benchmark to gauge my barista skills against.
The results are that, yes, the bean to cup machine is much quicker (and cleaner) than doing things manually. Results are consistent and adequate, as you might expect from a machine, once you’ve got the settings right for your particular beans. Probably the trickiest bit is getting the grind correct as you can only adjust whilst grinding is active but you don’t see the result until about two cups later.
I can still make a better cup of coffee by hand but this machine is certainly more convenient, especially if you are making coffee for more than one person.
An integral part of my daily routine for 8+ years
My son & daughter bought me an earlier version of this machine (looks pretty much the same) just over 8 years ago. It has produced excellent coffee ever since & is still working as it did when new. Clearly the quality of the beans you put into it determine you like the end product or not but the dark roast espresso beans we buy in bulk are perfect. The machine still produces good crema although I haven’t used the steam function for a few years now. 4 adults live in my house and we each have 2 or 3 mugs each per day and even allowing for holidays etc that must be more than 20,000 mugs of coffee so far!
It does require regular cleaning but it doesn’t take too long. The dump box can be a bit of a pain to clean due to internal partitioning but this seems a small price to pay for over 8 years trouble free coffee production. I used to own a pub/restaurant and only wish that the hugely expensive (c4K) Franke Flair bean to cup machine had been anywhere near as consistently reliable as the Delonghi
5 stars awarded for this great piece of kit. I would have to buy another if it gave up the ghost.
An excellent product, producing great coffee similar to high-end machines
Having already owned the De’longhi Eletta (ECAM 44.660.B) I purchased this machine for our office. The internal components are similar to the Eletta and the shots of espresso produced are identical, despite the Eletta being twice the price. I found more flexibility in altering the grind settings in this machine compared to the Eletta as there is a manual knob to adjust grind amount and water dispensed on the front. The steam wand works well, however you will need to dispense all your espresso shots FIRST before steaming milk as the machine takes over 5 minutes to cool.
The water container is large enough to last a day for multiple users, however the coffee beans holder could do with more space. It would be wise to check how many beans there are at the start of each day and also check your worktop clearance as this machine is hefty and could contact cupboards that are placed above it. The instructions on how to use the machine are clear and it is very easy to sort out any problems using the FAQ. I would recommend this machine to anyone who wants a decent shot of espresso without paying double the price, however you may wish to go for a better model if you prefer milk-based drinks.
Really solid machine
I’ve had my machine for around 2 or 3 years and it’s been absolutely fantastic. I prefer a flat white, so I use a small metal milk jug and a small temperature gauge. I’ve removed the milk wand cover and gone for the thinner piece underneath so that I’ve got direct control over the steam and it works really well. The settings for grind, water and amount of coffee give enough control to change the type of espresso that you get from it. I work from home so my machine gets a decent amount of use, at least 4 or 5 uses a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.
I’ve ignored the cleaning light for the most part, but I do periodically give it a clean but just not at the frequency it suggests.
When you first turn the machine on it runs some heated water through the pipes for a rinse, this is great to warm the machine up and also gives you some warm liquid with which to warm your cup.
It only has one boiler so if you go from heating your milk to pulling another espresso then you will likely burn your coffee or have to wait too long so that your milk goes colder, it does have some intelligence though and doesn’t let you make an espresso straight away until it’s cooled a bit. Keep this in mind and do your milk last while your shots sit in your pre-warmed cup. Cannot recommend this enough. My coffee journey has been:
* Instant (dark days)
* Aeropress with pre-ground supermarket coffee
* Hario hand grinder – ceramic connical burr
* De’Longhi EC146B and a Dualit 75015 electric grinder
* De’Longhi ESAM 4200 (this one)
I’m sure I’ll upgrade to something else in the future, but I genuinely do not feel like I need to right now as this machine is doing absolutely everything I want.
6 1/2 years and still going strong(ish)
Considering the abuse and use my unit has had since 2012 I’m surprised it is still going at all. Pretty much daily use for 2 people so around 8000 shots pulled so far. My only real design complaint is the steam wand. It only moves left to right and so can’t be lowered deep enough into the jug to properly steam the milk. Good if you want claggy surface froth but not so good for a smooth latte. The trick is to use a shot cup to boost the jug so the steam enters at the bottom. After all that, I am finding the grinder is now starting to show signs of wear and the auto-tamping of the grinds isn’t what it used to be. Starting to get a few failed “pucks” and a lot of wasted coffee inside the machine. I think its retirement will happen in the next 3 months.
Chose a bean to cup machine over a coffee pod machine after much deliberation. Glad I did. Machine looks great and delivers excellent coffee every time. Once you get to know the machine it’s quick and easy to use. You can chose different measures and strengths for each coffee to everyone’s individual taste. Milk frother heats super quickly and I’ve had no problems with air bubbles that I used to have with my old machine. Ideally the frothing wand would come out a bit further to make it easier to get milk jug under.
The machine is not small and is very heavy. Make sure you have a suitable area.
Clear instructions meant that I quickly got to grips with how everything works. Takes a few experiments to work out what’s right for you.
This machine is easy to use. You need to keep the water topped up (this is an easy to remove reservoir), keep the beans topped up (just pour them into the grinder), empty the drip tray (slide out and poor down the sink) and empty the grounds bucket into your compost or food recycling. There are lights that come on to show you when these maintenance operations need doing. Once a month I strip it down and clean it a bit more thoroughly, putting drip tray, ground bucket etc in the dishwasher.
The machine has settings for water temperature so you can choose how hot your espresso is. I really like this as often find coffee comes out too cold from pod machines.
Eco setting turns the machine off after a period of no use that you get to define.
Ok so as far as making coffee goes, this machine is good. Not great. Just good. Which is great if you’re like me, some guy who wanted a machine that was like the Tassimo and Dolce Gusto machines on the market, but did not want to spend ridiculous amounts of money on those blasted pods and contribute more plastic waste to the world. Oh and with the ability to make more than 1 cup of coffee before having to refill the tank.
When I say the coffee produced is good, what I mean is unless you’re a real coffee aficionado the coffee that is produced will be more than sufficient to satisfy your needs for a proper cup of coffee in the morning without all the fuss.
So yes, this machine is good at making coffee. It has a coffee grind dial which you might as well not bother with because if you set it too fine then it won’t work. If you want to make an espresso-based coffee drink and want to pull a richer coffee which means having to change the grind setting, don’t bother. You won’t get a proper draw until your second grind, because there is still courser coffee grounds from the previous coffee.
I say stick it on a medium setting and your good to go, the process of changing the ground settings is too bothersome to be viable. Because coarse is better for bigger cups of coffee and fine is better for espresso. So medium is a happy “Medium”.
The steam wand works well. You can make both cappuccinos and lattes with this. However that metal plate you have seen in the picture is not actually a cup warmer, in theory, the cup shelf will get warm. But that’s only if you are making coffee like your a barista.
The water tank is very generous. I reckon I get like 4 ordinary mugs of coffee from this before having to refill this, which is nice because sometimes I have guests around and so it’s faster and easier to make coffee.
Ok, now onto the deal breaker. This machine is really awkward to clean properly. So all the parts you can take out and wash by hand, those are fine. What I’m talking about is the interior of the machine. Inside where you find the coffee waste and the infuse.
The interior of this thing is really badly designed unless they wanted to design something that was really good at collecting coffee grounds while not being easy to clean, then, in that case, it was designed really well.
The inside of this thing has so many nooks and crannies, where the stray coffee grounds can collect, are beyond a joke. You can’t easily wipe out the coffee ground. You have to dig them out with a q tip. Even that isn’t an easy job. I must have spent half an hour on it today and there are still bits of mouldy coffee grounds in the corners and places where no human hand get too.
In my opinion, this is where Delonghi have missed the mark. For the price point, it really should have been designed better.
I like good coffee. I don’t know much about making it though so when I looked around for a machine I wanted something simple to use but with consistent ratings. And cheap. No 1000 all singing all dancing knobs and levers chrome thing. I also didn’t want a pod machine as that seems a very poor environmental choice. Having dug around on internet awhile I noted this machine consistently hit the top ten machine to buy lists. So I took the plunge and bought it.
It does exactly what it says. Put the beans in the top, decide how strong you want your coffee and how much of it and press a button. Click, grind, snap, whirr etc, out comes very nice coffee. Is is noisy like some of the reviews say? Not having had a machine before I have nothing to compare it to but it hasn’t unduly disturbed anyone in the household. In a small kitchen in a small flat with neighbours all round, maybe it would be more intrusive.
Is it slow to use? Not really. It takes a minute or two to come to life, does an auto flush with hot water and then it’s ready for your coffee order.
You can also adjust the grind from fine to coarse, as you wish. And the water temp can be adjusted, ditto you can adjust for water softness/hardness. Read the instructions before you start using it so you get the set up right. If you don’t have a user manual in the box it is easily available online.
Depending on how much you use it you will be topping up coffee beans and water and emptying grounds every day/every other day. Keep a mug under the outlet when not in use so it catches the water from the auto flush through and saves the drip tray constantly filling.
The water reservoir will need a proper wash out once a week, ditto the grounds container and the drip tray.
It hasn’t asked for a descale yet, or any other maintenance.
I haven’t tried the steam wand yet.
Having used coffee capsules for the last two years we looked forward to making the real thing, particularly a decent cappuccino and to be honest this De’Longhi Magnifica coffee maker does just that. Three things that are slightly annoying though:-
1. We’ve actually been using the machine approx. 2 months making an average of 4/5 cups of coffee most days and although we have the machine set up for the hardest water it still came up with the warning to descale the machine already. At 3-4 per time to descale the machine if it has to be done every month or so if our coffee intake goes up it could work out expensive.
2. As per the video the water spout and milk frother is close to the machine so you will need a container that is not tall and of a thin material to get it under the spout head.
3. Not sure of the content size of the water tank but it does appear to be on the small size.
We bought this because our old one, same model, was showing signs of needing some “major”-ish attention. We’ve had it 9 years and use it 10 times a day at least, so very good to have lasted so long.
If you want a bean-to-cup coffee machine that basically just makes espresso and has a steam wand, then this is the machine for you. This later version of the model has an ECO setting, on by default, but otherwise is just the same as the old version.
Would thoroughly recommend this machine to anyone, does the job well and is damned good value too.
We bought this because our old one, same model, was showing signs of needing some “major”-ish attention. We’ve had it 9 years and use it 10 times a day at least, so very good to have lasted so long.
If you want a bean-to-cup coffee machine that basically just makes espresso and has a steam wand, then this is the machine for you. This later version of the model has an ECO setting, on by default, but otherwise is just the same as the old version.
Would thoroughly recommend this machine to anyone, does the job well and is damned good value too.
Unbeatable quality coffee..Remember initial setup!!
Exactly Remember initial setup!! I initially though my machine was faulty as the 3 top light were permanently flashing and the machine was not working…and it took me almost a full day to figure out what to do. I contacted De Longhi UK via chat and they had no idea what to do and provided me with De Remember initial setup!! support phone number. I called them and they were able to fix my machine in 2 minutes by guiding me through the initial set up: a combination of the steam know and some other things…was quite laborious and cannot remember the exact steps. When I got really excited that the machine started to work and thanked the guys so much…he appeared to be a little annoyed and it really felt like he is getting dozens of calls a day for the exact same issue…..as he was saying…I know I know, it’s just workign as designed, it says in the instructions…
Before contacting De Longhi I contacted Amazon which were aso a bit puzzled about this issue of the 3 flashing lights which are described in the De Longhi manual , but the solution to fix this issue does not work. The phone support told me that the initial setup I wrnt through appears somewhere in their manual….I didn’t bother to check after I spent almost a full day contacting amazon and De Longhi Support just to get my machine set up for the 1st time…but I was honestly about to send it back. I’m realy surprised that De Longhi does not bother to highlight this initial setup on their manual….or even by attaching a separate sheet to the box that says…before you can use your machine you need to do this ONE TIME SETUP!! It’s just ended up wasting a lot of Amazon valuable time since I contacted them and they tried everything in their power to help me with this and also a waste of De Longhi support….Plus I was really surprised that the agent in the chat was not aware of this 1st time set up procedure…but when I explained that I had 3 flashing lights I was told that they were not techincal and to call the UK support….Overall I’m still delighted with the quality of the machine and especially of the coffe and being Italian when it comes to cofee….I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!! 😉 LOL
I knew my 10 year old manual delonghi espresso machine wasn’t really doing the business any more, but the comparison to what this machine gave me blew me away. It is VERY close to coffee shop quality espresso and probably capable of better if I spend the time to tune it. That said, the fact that it uses non-graduated dials to set strength and volume means switching between my wife’s an my preferences is not as user friendly as it might be. It is VERY easy to use. put cup under outlet, turn on, let machine flush itself (delivers some ‘dirty’ hot water to cup) throw this away, then deliver excellent espresso to now warmed cup. Switch off machine (or let eco function do this automatically). that’s it. Start your day. So convenient and such a nice espresso to start the day with. Easy to clean, fill etc. and at 200 a bargain. Easy to see why it’s a best seller. Only other criticism or hint really is to make coffee before using steam wand if that’s what you need to do, as once the machine reaches steam temp it is too hot to make coffee and needs quite a bit of time to cool down again to make coffees.
I purchased this machine as a gift for my wife, Personally I am not a coffee drinker. However I can comment on how easy this machine was to set up and install. The instructions are clear and I had the machine up and running in about 10 minutes. You do have to use it about 5 times before it produces ‘passable’ coffee so first time out don’t use the expensive beans! Also it is worth experimenting with the size of the grind. I watched some you tube videos of what an espresso should look like and tried to recreate from there. I’m aware people will have there own preference though, however good starting point is to make sure the burr grinder is full of beans and the set it to it’s finest setting and tune it from there I found this the easiest way to get to that perfect shot! The machine seems pretty well made, it is plastic but that’s the compromise to not paying out a lot of money, however build quality seems absolutely fine and what I expected. The machine is easy to clean and put back together. All in all it produces fantastic espresso according to my wife, build quality is reasonable and maintenance is pretty straightforwards – thumbs up from me!
I love this coffee machine, restaurant quality coffee every time, I managed to get it under two hundred during Black Friday too so got a bargain, I’m a little wired on caffeine lately as it’s so nice I just end up having a few too many! Simple to use sand as I live In Cornwall with soft water I never really have to de-scale it unlike the northern water I grew up with, it’s a case of reading the instructions, i personally don’t like doing it, but there’s a little bit of setting up and a few buttons you need to learn, the machine does tell you when the water is empty or the coffee collector is full etc so it’s very clever, we use beans but you can use ground coffee, it also streams milk but I use cold most the time
This is our second De’Longhi coffee machine but our first bean to cup one and what a difference! We are really impressed with this machine as it is clean, simple to use and produces a gorgeous cup of coffee in seconds. It took us a while to find the coffee beans that suited our taste but it was worth the experimenting. This machine is excellent value for money and we would highly recommend.
I have had this machine just a few days but have to say it is producing excellent coffee. The instructions for setting it up are very clear and easy to understand.as for the noise well I doubt any bean to cup machine is silent and I do not find the noise level offensive. If I have one small issue it would be the small size of the water container but it is easy to refill being on the side of the machine and it does mean that fresh water is usually therein. So it’s plastic that’s no problem it is quite heavy and if it was steel many would struggle to lift it it’s whats in the machine that matters. I have set my machine to auto off after 30 minutes but that’s easy to change for shorter or longer periods. I have not had it on long enough to feel a result from the cup warmer but here is a tip. When the machine is turned on and it goes through it’s checks it dispenses a quantity of hot water, so I have my cup under the dispensing heads instead of allowing the water to go into the drip tray. Result hot cup tip water down sink back under dispenser make coffee. After making coffee I put another cup under the dispenser as when the machine shuts down it dumps a small amount of water when it cleans itself. I am working on the principal it’s easier to wash a cup than keep removing the drip tray. I watched this machine come down in price to a few pounds over 200 then bought I had forgotten I had a 50 voucher in my account from Christmas so it cost me even less. All in all yes there is some maitainece to be down from time to time but the result is well worth it. Just a small edit having read very many reviews where people criticise what they refer to as a ” cup warmer” they should read the instruction because it is merely a cup stand with no warming function. A week of ownership and still very impressed.
It was either going to gather dust or I’d become addicted to coffee and, worryingly, it’s the latter. I must be drinking about 4 cups a day and it’s all delicious. This machine is so easy to use, after a few attempts I was away. I just left it on its factory settings and it’s been fine. The milk frother thing isn’t fantastic, I used to work in a cafe and the commercial machines are way more powerful. However, I’m happy just adding milk and the coffee is absolutely lovely. I will just add, am lucky enough to live practically next door to a coffee bean stockist and they advised that oily beans are no good in bean to coffee machines. They recommend a dryer bean as oily beans can clog the machine. It’s hard to know which beans are dry or oily from a supermarket, but you can buy the following dry beans online: Daterra Sunrise (espresso strength – deeply, nutty flavour which is clean and crisp with strong aroma), Kenya AA (strong bean – flavoursome with a bright, fruity acidity), Guatemala Huehuetenango (medium flavour, smooth with a rich, chocolatey aroma). They work fantastically in the machine.
When you first get your machine purge the water through the steam valve on the right hand side until the water stops then it will begin warming for the machine to work!! Spoke to DeLonghi UK who are aware that the manuals are not clearly communicating this fact – read through using the coffee maker for the first time at the latter end of the introduction section 🙂
I upgraded to this machine after using a single use machine and various other coffee pots experimenting with many types and styles of coffee (a Greek briki with super fine coffee grounds is still my number 1). The ratings are great along with the price which I paid 179.99 after watching this machine for years after reading it’s rating in Which magazine.
I’m in a very soft water area so the gauge strip in the pack barely registered a 1. However I still use a water filter to fill the machine so I can remove all the other impurities in the municipal water supply.
Set up went ok but hot water settings only on 2 which produced a warm coffee so I increased this to 4 (set up was conducted using smallest water volume and increasing strength accordingly).
MY personal set up was grinder set to 3 using Lavazza Rossa beans. Volume of beans ground on maximum and water volume set to just over half to 2/3’s of an espresso cup (approx. 9 o’clock or 270 degrees). This was strong just as I like it but not bitter and with a caramel colour crema that indicates it is on the edge of what’s acceptable. If this changes to bitter I will reduce the volume beans ground and see how that goes before changing the grind from 3 back to 4.
You may find yourself a little wired after set up if you keep drinking the coffee during this phase. I would suggest that you spit it out until you find your desired setting.
I’m sure I will keep tweaking away over the festive period (that’s a man’s prerogative, isn’t it?) And I’m aware from reading other comments that a change in bean may require a new calibration for desired taste.
So for now I am very happy with this coffee machine and I hope my insights will help others when considering this as a worthy option.
Great coffee machine, heats up in seconds (literally!) no more crappy instant coffees from now on, it actually gets hotter quicker than boiling the kettle.
Would advise using beans rather than ground coffee, it make more of a mess on the inside of the machine. The beans are ground well and there is an excellent crema and adjustable or your perfect strength. Steam wand is good for frothy coffees! All in all great buy, I wonder how long it will last as we drink coffee a lot in our house and there’s no going back to the old kettle now!
The ESAM4200 machine worked on the factory settings with no problems on arrival. Don’t be tempted to play with the knobs until you have read the instructions. The coffee grinder knob can only be turned when the grind is in process. The grind setting was left as set, and I have set the temperature a stop higher than the factory setting, and put the strength a stop back, and it delivers a perfect cup of coffee with a beautiful crema at the right temperature. Warm the cup before if you like your coffee hot. Too hot a delivery temperature can make the coffee bitter. This machine replaced a Miele Counter Top bean to cup machine which failed after 5 years and the repair cost was too eye-watering to contemplate, so I read the reviews on Amazon and Which and came to the conclusion that this was the machine for me, and I am absolutely delighted with the performance. The machine is easy to keep clean from the point of view of dispensing black coffee, and I have yet to run the descale routine. Opening the machine requires the dispenser on the front of the machine to be grasped and a gentle pull will unlock the front panel. You can pull the drip tray to open it, but the door will fly open if you try this method and is not recommended. The water container is easy to remove and insert. The coffee beans slide down a shute towards the grinder which has a protective grille across the workings to prevent inquisitive fingers from harm.
I did note from the instructions that if you use the steam attachment to make a cappuccino milk froth for example, the machine has to cool down, because of the high temperature generated, before you can dispense a further cup of coffee.
So far visitors have confirmed the quality of the brew is as good as the very expensive machine it replaced, so I am happy to recommend this purchase to others.
At last! A coffee machine that makes the same quality coffee every time and which has so many variables under your control that you will find the right combination for you.
I must have tried ten different coffee machines in my time trying to find something that delivered a strong coffee consistently and this is it. It will take some experimentation to get it right for your taste and you should calibrate it if you change your coffee blend. You will need to make 2 or 3 minimal coffees to get the grind right to deliver the oils in the first few moments. Then its a combination of how much water you want to deliver against the quantity of coffee ground. You can press a button for two cups but change the quantity delivered to one cup by the dial to get a strong coffee.
Steam wand is too close to the body for my liking since you want to steam your milk while rotating the cup and you just have to get used to it. I make the milk first in a cup and then deliver the coffee. The technique is to get to the steam and froth the milk. Then unselect the steam button and draw the hot steam and water into a jug. The main pump noise alerts you the water will now be cool enough to deliver coffee and in it goes.
Best machine I ever owned.
Amazing. So fast and easy to use. If something happen or missing the machine will flash a light so just need to check and do whatever it’s need it. Capuchino never been so easy to do. I’m work in a bar and do a lot of coffees and this machine it’s by far the easiest i ever use to have the perfect foam.
Also really good that it clean itself everytime you turn on and off. No need it a lot of space and it’s really discree
Amazing. So fast and easy to use. If something happen or missing the machine will flash a light so just need to check and do whatever it’s need it. Capuchino never been so easy to do. I’m work in a bar and do a lot of coffees and this machine it’s by far the easiest i ever use to have the perfect foam.
Also really good that it clean itself everytime you turn on and off. No need it a lot of space and it’s really discree
My main objection to this machine is that I don’t believe it has enough oomph to deliver two shots at once unless you don’t want much coffee in each shot or you like a coarse grind. However in single shot mode I can recommend it. It produces consistent espresso with a good crema. The milk foamer seems to have a venturi hole which makes it easier to make a fine foam with small bubbles, but you will find it veers towards cappuccino rather than latte. I can’t produce latte art with it and the foam comes out so thick I don’t see how you could, however I am no barista. Final niggle, you can’t adjust the grind except when it’s grinding. Maybe this is typical.
Several months in: I still like this machine. It works consistently. You do get some wear and tear of finish on the front – the silver colour wears off a bit where you knock it with milk jugs. After requests for stronger coffee, I adjusted mine to give a shorter espresso shot with less coffee, and now use the two shot mode to make a cup. Since the two shot mode wasn’t much use for making two cups anyway, this has been a good move.
It isn't often you buy something that lasts more than a year.
After moving from Canada back to the UK I wasn’t able to bring home my bean to up machine, it was pretty old and I thought it’s probably better to buy a new one, hence the Magnifica.
The first one I bought was at John Lewis then I saw the model up and a lower price than the one I purchased and quickly returned the other machine.
So how does it work?
It’s pretty straightforward there’s not many buttons and the manual can explain everything. Simply plug in and play (fill tank rinse, put settings, fill coffee beans, etc.). All in all great and user friendly.
How’s the coffee?
Espressos are great, for the price of the machine! Like really impressive. Milk based coffees are ok. You have to remove the extra black piece to make a latte otherwise it becomes very airy. Another gripe here is, you have to pour the shot before the milk otherwise you have to rinse the that section and return to the coffee aspect (this is obviously for advanced coffee drinkers who can probably afford a better machine, it doesn’t trouble the taste on an epic scale). Again, overall it’s pretty good, particularly for the price.
Additional notes
Descale processes are easy and you can pretty much use any brand or even vinegar. Tanks last reasonably long but it will be near a tap most probably. Good use of coffee, but this depends on your settings. Overall it’s a strong 4 out of 5 stars but due to the fact this machine has already lasted 4 years it would be wrong to give it anything less than 5 out of 5.
Good show De’Longhi
I don’t think I could live without this coffee machine anymore. THe usually messy process of grinding, loading the machine, disposing of spent beans and rinsing the stuff out has been replaced by two buttons!!! I love it, especially in the morning when I’m half asleep.
It is a sleek design that does not show dirt and matches most of my stainless steel stuff in the kitchen without actually being made of it. The drip tray is very roomy and so you can empty it at the same time as the container for spent beans, so no mess/trouble there! ALso ectremely easy to fill with water as the tank is front loading.
Beware however if you put the thing under kitchen cupboards it will be tight (although shouldn’t be impossible if they are the usual hight) to fill the bean compartment as it opens at the top.
The only future improvement that I can think of is that this machine does not alert you to lack of beans in the compartment and so it will make a nasty noise and proceed to make a watery brew rather than refuse to work until you refill. But it is an extremely small point.
Fantastic coffee - time after time - every time!
I never drank coffee at home, always been a tea man, but as someone doing 38000 miles a year driving good coffee on the road is a must. So I pondered long and hard on buying this machine, 3 months in fact – OMG why oh why did I wait so long!!! Three of us in the household use this morning noon an night now, I like straight Americano, the other two love their Cappuccino, with practice they have become self styled Barista’s :-). For variety in coffee tastes it is difficult to empty the bean reservoir if you want to change (we currently have 5 blends of beans in a very aromatic cupboard) so if you are trying it out buy ground coffee and make one cup at a time until you find your perfect blend. Strength is a “learning curve” but once you know where the settings are for your preference its so simple to get a perfect coffee every time. We don’t have issues with hard or soft water so not had any issues in over 4 months with lime scale so I cannot help you with advice on that issue, sorry. If you love frothy milk I definitely recommend a quality frothing jug (we bought the Andrew James .33L one after using cups for a few weeks ) as it really does impact the quality of the froth and this week we got 100 x 8oz takeaway cups for coffee on the go. If you love coffee, you will love this machine!!!
The machine is very economical on beans too, I have been amazed how long a 1kg bag lasts.
If you were to ask me would I recommend this, my answer would be “why the heck are you waiting”!
I now own this Machine for 15 months so now I believe its time to write a review on this product. I have been pouring about 8 cups of coffee a day from this machine for my wife and I. Its easy to use and its easy to clean. To be fair you need to put your coffee in a microwave for 30 seconds if you want it really hot. But I own a restaurant and recently I had to change a 5k euro machine to a 7k euro machine to get coffee as hot as I wanted. Basically in all coffee machine heating the water to almost boiling is the most expensive and most difficult requiring a seperate back boiler. And even if it has a back boiler to ensure consistent hot water in multiple cups at a time requires a bigger boiler and hence more money. The temperature is comparable to any machine in this category ie sub 1k. Its disappointing to read negative comments on cleaning this machine and coffee coming out cold. It only takes about 2 minutes every couple of weeks to keep the machine in a clean state, beside empting out the drip tray and grounds container. The grounds container holds about 10 cups before emptying.
Setting it up takes about 15 minutes. Instead of trying to learn all the warning lights just have the manual handy and as time goes buy you will know about the few times these come on. ie machine warning lights come on when water runs out or grounds container needs emptying. It does stop working every 3 months when descalling. This takes about 20 minutes but very little work as all you have to do is add the cleaning solution to the water tank and let it do its own thing. Milk products from the machine are great but it does take a bit of time to froth up the milk the old fashioned way. Overall at the price you will not get a better product out there for the money. I have had several commercial coffee machines over the years and the quality of coffee coming from this machine is as good if not better and you will not have to spend the extra 5k. On a final note the cost per cup for a large Americano ii about 1/3 of the cost of a nespresso machine. When you use 8 cups a day this equates to 2 euros a day approx. which is approx. 700 per year not to mention the fact you have the chance to try all different types of beans..
This is my first bean-to-cup espresso machine and after a month of using it I can clearly say I love it.
I like playing and testing my kitchen helpers so I did few test for you if you want to know more read below.
First thing after de-boxing read the manual carefully it is very important to understand how everything is working, how to adjust things and also what those flashing lights mean.
So I read the manual and straight away switched ECO mode OFF and water temperature to MAX level. Then I tested my water with strip provided and our water is very soft in the area and I also use Brita it didn’t colour the testing strip at all.
First using was trial-and-error and it took me while to get right setting for almost perfect espresso and here it is:
– always pre-heat your cup with hot water
– flush your machine so everything is heated up inside
– set your grinder to level 1.5 (do this only when grinder is working)
– set the amount of water to about 11 o’clock
– set the amount of coffee just below 9 o’clock
– press single cup button on panel
This will use 8.5 to 9g (tested) of coffee ideal for single espresso, coffee will flow slowly into the cup and you’ll get 40ml in about 30 seconds.
I always stop it by pressing the cup button when it starts blonding to get ideal espresso.
You can also make double-shot (great for cappuccino or cafe late) by pressing two cups button but be aware now its gonna grind 14g of coffee (tested) and the water will flow much slower/harder trough the coffee so ideally set the grinder to 2 – 2.5 otherwise you’ll see drop at the time and the machine will suffer to push that water through very fine grounds.
Cleaning is simple I do it once a week for trays and every fortnight for infuser unit.
I can only recommend buying this machine, go ahead and enjoy great tasting coffee (I was instant coffee drinker before and now I cannot taste it).
I hope this will help some of you at home. Cheers
It has taken me a little while to write a review on this coffee machine as I wanted to make sure I had used it a few times before, so could give an honest review…….
After taking a long time deciding on which new bean to cup coffee machine to buy and reading many, many product reviews this one was finally settled on. I was a bit dubious as my previous machine was a Gaggia, but I needn’t have worried at all.
The machine warms quickly and is ready to make that first cup in the morning before I have even said good morning to my dogs. It is also quieter than my old machine when grinding the beans, in fact it makes more noise when pulling the water through than in grinding, but this is only for a few seconds. People who expect a bean to cup coffee machine to be silent will be disappointed, as it is never going to be if you want freshly ground coffee beans in each cup.
The quality of coffee made is incredibly good and even has the creamy ‘Barista’ foam on top without having to do any magical pours and tips. Everyone likes their coffee slightly differently so De’Longhi have designed a machine with the strength & volume adjustments on the front of the machine, making this an easy task and not a chore.
Delivery and packaging of product was superb as was the customer service.
Will not be worried about purchasing a De’Longhi coffee machine again.
Brilliant entry to bean to cup
Had an initial problem with the very first step in setting up the machine. I kept getting the light on stting the water reservoir was not inserted correctly so I had a look an on the machine side it looked like an addition clear rubber washer was blocking where the reservoir should lock in. I checked all instructions to see if I needed to remove this and there was nothing anywhere so of course I was a bit hesitate to dig a round in case I broke something! However, I figured that the washer really should not be there and I could or should at least attempt to gently remove it. Lo-and-behold it pried out and the reservoir slid into place snugly.
After the initial hiccup the rest of the set-up went smoothly and without any further problems. The manual states it will take several cups to get it to your liking and so I made several to get it to how I like my coffee to be and first went too fine a grind but easily stopped that and brough it back up to make a lovely crema. So far I love this machine and it is the perfect step up from an espresso machine as a fresh grind of beans for each cup cannot be beat. Some will miss the ritual of doing it all yourself, grinding, tamping, tapping etc. as this does it all for you with the ony real maintenance cleaning and refilling the water and beans.
All-in-all I am extremely happy with my purchase and hope to have many an espresso and the like!
Updated Feb 2019… Its not often these day the same product you bought 6 years ago is still going, albeit with a bit of TLC recently.
It has given us thousands of cups of great cofffee. Over the years I have had to replace the frother knob 3 times as the middle code tends to split. No big problem there are at least 2 online companies that stock these at reasonable cost.
At Christmas though it did seem it was dying and we seriously thought of replacing it. The frother wouldn’t turn off properly and steam kept coming out – and more seriously we were getting only about 1/3 the amount of coffee that should have come.. I managed to download a parts diagram and suspected it COULD be the valve that controls the frother. Delighted to find the whole frother unit was less that 15. Not only that it is really easy to replace. I decided to replace some other parts as well (water filter, pump and a valve) All of them really easy to replace. Total cost about 68
My hunch was correct – it was the frother valve. Its working again a treat and should be good for several years yet. SO the underlying comment is that this is a coffee machine that has served really well, is relatively easy to repair, spares are readily available and reasonably priced. In our throw-away society this stands out as an exceptionally great product
Back to my original review
We have had this coffee maker since December 2012 now and it is still working great. On average we make 4 cups of coffee a day. We have to run a de-scaling operation about every 9 months (we have a water softener which helps)
Obviously everyone’s taste in coffee differers and different beans need differing settings both in the grind (fine- course), strength etc,
It takes a bit of experimenting to get it right but once it is right make a note of the settings.
Our favourite is the Kenya beans from Waitrose.
On the rare occasions when we buy coffee out my invariable question to the person offering the coffee is. “will this be as good as what I make at home?” !! Some occasions it is but often it is not.
So if you want a budget bean-coffee maker I can highly recommend this – and so far its proved reliable and more than paid for itself.
Taken me a few weeks to perfect my coffee…. to my taste. This is a brilliant hassle free coffee machine. Self cleaning too.
There are adjustments for amount of coffee made, amount of coffee used, and how fine the beans are ground,
Delivers excellent Latte, cappuccino, express, americano (Big word for a mild black coffee), ……
You will need to experiment first few weeks until you get to the best results to suit your taste.
In the final analysis the end product will always depend on the coffee beans you use. Over the years I have settled on
Costa Rican and Guatemalan coffee beans I buy online (Not Amazon). Both are medium to dark roast.
Make sure your coffee beans are freshly roasted (Within days of despatch), slowly roasted and slowly cooled…. Beans should be shiny.
Once you get it right, you will not enjoy the high street coffee shops as much.
AN UPDATE – I have read several questions and reviews asking how hot the coffee?
Two tips, a) before making coffee, run a self clean, it heats up the internals of the machine..
b) I learnt this recently, boil hot water in kettle, fill you cup/mug with hot water and leave it for a couple of minutes.
Your coffee will stay warm for much much longer….. I am surprised how much difference it makes.
Update … I have now been using this coffee machine for an year… continues to make excellent coffee…going strong.
I have learnt to enjoy a mild black coffee, again will depend on your taste and which coffee beans.
Bought one of these in early Dec 2014 and am writing this late Jan 2015 so 6 or so weeks of pretty intensive use. We have lived in Italy for the past four years so are used to proper cappucinos which are rare in the UK (and expensive out). Fair to say we have used for some years a manual expresso machine but lacked a grinder and were using pre-ground beans.
Build quality – externally this machines feels like a ink jet printer – so I imagine will benefit from being treated with some respect when opening and closing the cover, removing/replacing the water tank etc. Internally it sounds robust and the parts that need to be taken out and clean eg the filter, feel robust.
Ease of use – do read the manual. There are a number of display and warning lights which indicate what needs attending to eg coffee ground container needs emptying etc. Once mastered the machine is easy to use to make coffee, and 95% of the cappucinos we produce are far better then the ones bought out in UK coffee shops. Foaming milk is a doddle and the steamer works really well compared with other machines. Do take heed of the other reviewers who recommend googling or watching YouTube videos on frothing milk to perfect your technique. Also it does take a few attempts to get the bean grind setting correct, and it will vary if you change the beans you use and take a couple of uses after changing the grind setting for the full effects of the change to work through. All this is in the handbook. At under 300 (and when we bought it was nearer to 200) this machine leads on the price front. The next step up takes you to nearer 500 and while the casing of those machines may be better and the controls more automated, and the possibility that the machine will sort of froth the milk for you, I doubt the expresso is any better. And in my experience none of the fully automatic machine froth the milk really well as the foam is always too “open”. We would certainly buy this machine again based on experience so far, and if it stands the test of time will be highly delighted.
**UPDATE: I’ve upped stars from 3 to 4; it may be plastic but it has been consistently reliable for a few months now. Hardly surprising it’s a popular machine.**
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Yes, bean-to-cup is great.
And I get a good coffee from this machine with a wicked crema and the milk frother works perfectly well and is eay to clean imo.
BUT I haven’t any experience of other bean-to-cup machines so don’t know how this COMPARES.
Construction seems all plastic and not very robust.
I worry that I’ll drop a part and it will smash.
The water reservoir is small and requires frequent refils.
And the machine makes slightly unnerving clicking and whirring sound during operation.
Although the grind is adjustable, there is no control over the tamp.
Three stars may seem harsh but I’m reviewing the machine and not the format.
I should also mention that the first machine I received died after a dozen coffees, not filling me with confidence regarding reliability (although I acknowledge those who have enjoyed prolonged use without failure). Also, Delonghi were not as forthcoming regarding returns as Amazon were, suggesting that I hadn’t descaled it or had mistreated it.
With my new ‘toy’, I am probably drinking far too much coffee. Good coffee at that. (I also find myself drinking less beer & wine as a result.)
I just hope it lasts.
I love this machine because I love coffee and wanted a bean to cup machine and this one was very affordable. It does also make lovely coffee and very easily I did have difficulty at first with the instructions but went to YouTube and found videos for the machine which sorted me out very quickly.The downside of the machine is that if there’s more than one person wanting a milky coffee at any one time you are stuck, because once you have used the milk frother, the machine has to cool down for 10 minutes before it’s able to make another coffee. (Not correct – see update below) Mostly this does not bother me as I’m the only one using the machine in my house most of the time, but last week I did have a guest and we both wanted lattes so I made hers and she’s drunk hers before I could even make mine. The warning lights do go off a lot; the water tank is fairly small so it lights up when that is getting empty, the grounds tray can only cope with grounds from about 4-5 coffees so it lights up when it gets “full” and the other main thing it lights up for is when you’re out of beans. It uses more of those than i thought it would but still works out half the price per cup of coffee as a capsule machine. One last thing, a week or 2 after having the coffee had a strange smell and I couldn’t really smell the coffee any more, it was the smell that you get in the water that cleans the machine out. If your coffee smell and flavour is getting tainted just use the rinse button to give it an extra rinse or two and this should solve the problem, it did for me, plus properly washing the jug after the rinse water has been in it, it’s a horrible smell and can taint the milk too if you use the same jug for warming the milk.
Just as an update: The smelly water I talked about was just because I hadn’t washed out the water tank properly each time because I wasn’t sure if the top came off it, I had been trying to clean it through the hole in the top! One day however I just put the tank in a bowl of washing up water and the lid came off in the water – really easily, I felt a bit silly that it was so easy, but at least I don’t get smelly water (and therefore coffee) anymore! To remove the lid of the water tank easily, just put your fingers through the hole in the top and lift off.
Update 2: See comments – you can make more than 1 frothy coffee at a time; you just press the steam button so that it is off and let some steam out of the spout and the machine is ready to make more coffee in under a minute!
Coffee machine delivers well, but then I’m no barista. My husband however loves the cappuccino it makes and he is not the kind to love just about any coffee he tastes.
The Good : The frothing device is good. Froths milk really well. Do look on YouTube to see how frothing milk should be properly done. There are different settings for grinding coffee (coarse or fine ). Makes two cups of coffee simultaneously.
The Bad : Has to be cleaned regularly, quite often, hence my 4 star. My husband only makes a maximum of 2 cups a day and has to clean it more than once a month. It takes around 5 mins each time,not exactly hard work but it’s not what you’d rather be doing when you feel like some coffee and unless cleaned it won’t work. That would really put me off buying it, knowing I’m not rigorous myself . The other is the warming tray. Does not even increase it’s surface temperature by 1 degree let alone warm the cups but that does not bother me at all and not the reason for the 4 star.
Overall : a good machine that makes excellent choice but needs TLC ofte
I’ve had this machine for a few weeks now and so far I love it. It is very easy to use and makes a lovely, creamy coffee. It took a few goes to get to know the various settings but now I have a good feel for the machine and know how much to adjust the knobs to get the strength I want.
I’m marking down one star because the coffee does not come out at the intolerably hot temperature that I would like. If you add cold milk then, in my opinion, what you get is not hot enough. I am fussy with hot coffee though and like it to be so hot I have no choice but to sip slowly. This issue can easily be worked around by making an espresso and then adding hot water from a kettle (like they would in a cafe) OR by steaming up some lovely, frothy hot milk!
The second reason I’m marking down one star is because after you use the steam function the machine requires a few minutes to cool before you can make another coffee. This is really only an issue if you make yourself delicious drink without asking your wife if she would like one too and then you have to go back and make another… There’s probably a solution to this particular difficulty too but I haven’t thought of it yet…
A very reliable machine
I have been looking for a bean to cup coffee machine for a very long time but they were either much too expensive or had bad reviews. This one was a reasonably good price and had some really good reviews,which persuaded me that this was the machine I was looking for. It is! The instructions are easy to follow and since it arrived it has made reliable fuss free coffee. It’s easy to clean and the various lights make perfect sense. The first time I used it (my husband beat me to the first brew!) I was slightly perplexed by its cleaning cycle, which it does every time it is switched on, but have quickly realised that not only does this mean we always get a fresh cup of coffee, if you use one of the cups you are going to make coffee in, it warms it up very nicely! The quality of coffee is lovely, it is delivered at the right rate so doesn’t take very long. I have a hectic morning routine, but there’s always time for a proper cup of coffee – can’t say exactly how long it takes but it’s usually ready before the toast if I put it on first! Very glad I bought this machine and I am looking forward to serving coffee the next time we have people round for coffee, without having to apologise for my inability to make a nice cup of coffee!
I’ve had the machine for about 6 months, replacing a manual espresso machine.
The coffee it produces is almost perfect. Setup was not that complicated, although several settings can be altered including water temperature and grind size.
Cleaning and refilling is simple, although obviously the build quality is not at the highest standard as this is the entry-level machine meaning that I’ve been careful not to damage the plastic components. However for quality of coffee and ease of use it would be difficult to justify the considerable extra cost of the more expensive models. I’ve also read that the internal workings are similar across the whole range, so it’s probably only the plastic drip tray and case which may be less robust.
I have used a variety of coffee beans and ground coffee; my favourite is Valiente from Spain which is a torrefacto variety (roasted with a little sugar to create a caramel flavour) but they only sell it there.
I don’t use the steam attachment as I have a separate milk frother, which uses a magnetic spindle to warm and froth the milk Severin Induction Milk Frother Silver, White . This is far easier, less messy and stops automatically at the correct temperature, so the idea of using a steam frother does not appeal. However, when tested the steam is powerful and hot, and much better than my previous machine.
From the above, you can see that I tend to drink cafe latte, so the coffee is usually with milk, but my assessment of the coffee shot produced is that it is better than most coffee shops with an intense flavour and good crema.
The machine is used daily, and although I am not a big coffee drinker, intemittent visitors mean it has a light to medium usage. So far the descaling program has not been required, although I got 1 free descaler in the pack and 2 more when signing up to the De’Longhi club online.
Cleaning the machine is straightforward, although getting into the corners inside can be tricky when you want to do a full clean – but there is actually only a small amount of coffee grinds which ends up outside the collection tray so it doesn’t need doing very often. Cleaning the drip tray is pretty easy too, although there is a specific channel between plastic edges which is difficult to get into. A small brush will work, but I try to limit the overspill into the tray to reduce the cleaning effort. I leave a jug under the spout at all times, especially to catch the water used to rinse the machine as it starts and when it stops.
It would be difficult to recommend any improvements on the machine as it is perfect for my needs and produces great coffee from beans or ground coffee.
The name says it all; MAGNIFICA!
I accept that 270 is a lot less than 450, but it is still lots of money just to make coffee, so after lots and lots of hesitation, I took the plunge!
Ordered from Amazon on free 3 to 5 day delivery. It was sent next day service, arriving 24 hours after placing the order; bravo Amazon! The machine delivered good espresso from the first push of the button and is gradually improving as I fine tune the various settings.
IMPORTANT! As mentioned by others, read the destructions first!!
Also worth spending 15 or 20 minutes on, is the home-barista dot com website. It gives a full and detailed explanation of how to make a good espresso and more importantly why changes of the various parameters alter the finished product. If you understand what is going on in the machine, you will have more success, faster
Some have complained that the machine is noisy. I can only imagine they have never heard a commercial coffee grinder running in a bar or cafe!!! The machine is not totally silent, but it makes far less noise than a blender or food processor and even during the grind phase, probably no more than an electric whisk. The rest of the operation is a quiet “chunter”.
Overall I am very pleased with the machine. I am already making far better espresso than I ever did with a conventional 15 bar domestic machine and without the coffee grounds spread over the worktop! Happy to have bitten the bullet. I hope that with normal care and regular cleaning/descaling, it will serve me well for years to come. So far it has been in operation for only 4 days and is already finishing off the second 250gm bag of Lavazza!
Brought This Machine just over a week ago, set up in minutes, Beans are ground coffee easily to your choice of strength, length and made with milk froth too if required. I would always recommend reading the manual as some reviews i’ve read on here talk of problems with cold coffee / waitign for coffee, but if you use the machine correctly, there is no waiting, no cold coffee just instant button press ground coffee – THE QUALITY DEPENDS MORE ON THE BEAN TYPE SO CHOOSE YOUR BEAN WISELY, A CHEAP BEAN = LESSER QUALITY COFFEE – GOOD MACHINE OR NOT THE BEAN IS 50% of the DEAL!
I reccommend putting your cup under the coffee spout when the machine is turned on, as the pre clean (hot water flush) will heat your cold cup, making it perfectly warm for a hot coffee a mere 5 seconds later. ALWAYS STEAM MILK LAST, not first as the steam Mech takes time to cool down (de-pressurize) though this can be overcome (as stated in the instructions) by releasing some steam from the steamer after selecting the coffee button again.
I hope o’ve not over complicated it, but in summary, this machine arrived Fast, Looks Good, Works Well, Works Quickly, and does everything i want it to do. – The bespoke dial for strength and length (volume of coffee to dispense) makes the machine totally versatile, i’d say better than any i’ve seen so far, including a 1k Gaggia my Farther in Law has.
Just Buy and Enjoy!
Magnifica By Name and Nature
Having owned a De Longhi Iconia for a few years it finaly gave up the ghost, not that it stopped working as it made great coffee but started to leak terribly and changing various washers did not cure the problem, so I decided to change it. I must admit that I didn’t even consider a ‘bean to cup’ machine but having read all of the specifications it seemed to tick all the boxes not to mention the glowing reviews it has had from this site so I took the plunge. After a mix up by Yodel (Amazon please note that they are not the best) I collected the machine from the local depot and brought it home and was unpacked, looking at it I was almost afraid to set it up but after reading the instructions carefully the machine was ready to make its first coffee, I know some of us don’t read manuals, me included, but this is a must even before you unpack the machine. What more can I say, all the reviews were correct, great coffee after experimenting to your taste.
Pros
Great looking machine
Great tasting coffee
Ground coffee can be used (good job as I still had a load of it)
So easy to clean and no mess
Once you get to know it so easy to use and foolproof
Cons
Only one I can think of, a bit noisy to use early in the mornings when others are still in bed, tongue in cheek!!
All in all a great machine, so glad I got one.
I’d been promising myself a bean-to-cup machine for a while – and after researching, plumped for this one. Had a coffee machine a few years back – the usual variety with the cup/handle assembly that has to be twisted in and tapped out between cups – what a hassle – didn’t want one of those again. We have a Nespresso at work but the Nespresso range of coffee is pretty unexciting and unduly expensive. I wanted bean-to-cup. I found the first review here, from ‘Buddha’ very useful. I’ll try to be briefer. Cut a long story short – yeah, it takes a few trial runs to get the coffee just how you like it – adjustments to the amount of water, the strength, or the fineness of the grind, etc. It was worth the effort and even the coffees made before we got it dead right were pretty darned good.
My advice – the grind adjustment had the biggest effect on strength. After trying a few beans – we settled on Illy – a good strong cup that’s smoothe as well. Look out for the silver cannisters in the supermarket if you don’t know it. It’s more expensive than most – but it’s worth it and occasionally on offer.
Don’t be fooled by the espresso cups in the picture – the spout assembly height can be adjusted to let a good sized mug under there. If I have one complaint it’s the steamer knob (the large one to the right of the machine). It doesn’t turn easily, not sure why. It’s a minor gripe. I love the machine – the danger is you’ll drink too much coffee, because it’s just to quick and easy to make one! Glad I don’t have to wash out cafetieres any more!
After viewing this machine a year ago on Amazon, I took time to research other coffee machines – pod based systems and bean to cup. Two things were nagging on my mind with this unit having read the blurb. The first was cost and second was the variable reviews (due to reliability of the unit). One year on and I bit the bullet and ordered much to my wife’s disgust! She’s not a great coffee fan and drinks decaf on the rare occassion she drinks it. Having had the machine a month and just completed the first major cleaning interval, I’m pleased to say the machine is better than I’d expected a home unit to be. The coffee tastes as good as any high street shop, no concern with the hotness, self-cleaning blah blah. The quality of taste in my opinion is far better than the pod systems also. The machine is so good, it’s converted my wife also and she now has a decaf cup twice daily. In terms of reliability, it’s worth noting that over the last 12 months, I haven’t seen any negative reviews, so it seems Delonghi may have addressed early model faults.
For me, the best feature of the machine is that it’s great for caf/ decaf drinks at the same time. You can go bean to cup with the caf and use the pre-ground funnel option for decaf or vice versa. Genius.
It’s a superb machine and a great addition to the kitchen. Money well spent.
Outstanding Machine !
WOW!
I have owned this machine for 8 months now and realised I hadn’t written a review for it, so I though I should.
It has been simply brilliant so far.
I worked upto this machine from starting with a French press, then onto a coffee pod machine, then onto a espresso machine, then finally onto this bean to cup machine. I have never looked back !
Plusses….
Zero mess and fuss – coffee grounds come out in neat ‘pucks’
So easy to clean and maintain
Easy access to water tank
Very solid feeling
Excellent frothing function
Superb ‘fresh’ tasting coffee
Cosmetically nice looking
Minuses…..
I really cant think of too many – perhaps a little on the noisy side, but it doesnt bother me too much
………Thats it really
Brilliant coffee every time. Use some good beans and you get coffee that is easily as nice as any specialist high street seller – in my opinion, my coffee is better !
OK, I wondered for a while about spending nearly double what I could get a nice manual espresso machine for, but I really haven’t looked back. No manual grinding of beans and I certainly don’t miss the coffee grounds which always found their way onto the kitchen worktops…… or the used coffee grounds swilling around the sink edges.
Go buy one, you wont regret it!
Having owned a De’Longhi Caffe Treviso machine for years I am a fan of the De’Longhi brand. The problem with my Caffe Treviso machine was that I couldn’t get consistent results. Human error (mine) in that I could get the right ‘compression/density’ of the coffee from time to time, but not every time. I had seen one of the very expensive De’Longhi machines but at well over 1000, it was WAY out of my budget. When I found that there was a ‘bean to cup machine’ for around 400 I began thinking again, but still decided it was TOO expensive. When I found Amazon sold it for just over 250, it was on the list. We eventually bought one as a joint anniversary present at the end of last year. I read all the reviews, which really do seem to be love or hate. As you can tell from the number of stars, I am in the former camp.
Yes, the machine is noisy, both at switch on and when ‘grinding’ the beans. It’s in the kitchen so this is no issue to me at all. Setting it up was a doddle, and the only mistake I made was to turn the strength onto full, as I really do like my coffee strong. Having filled up with Lavazza coffee (Lavazza Caffe Espresso Coffee Beans 250 g (Pack of 3)), the first cup of coffee just wasn’t right, but the instructions said that you had to try a few cups to get things right. I changed the ‘grind’ to number three, turned the strength down a bit and tried cup two – better. The third cup was excellent, and that was with the strength set to half way. I tried cup four, and it was exactly the same as the previous cup – the setting has remained the same since, and I get cup after cup of consistently good coffee. There is a proper ‘crema’ on the top, and I reckon the coffee is as good as I have had anywhere in any restaurant. I haven’t tried any cappuccino or latte or anything else – I thought I would be making some over Christmas, but everyone was happy with the straight expresso coffee. The machine ran all of Christmas afternoon and performed perfectly.
A few reviews suggested there were early problems when the machine was new, and others relate to future problems. All I can say is that my machine has certainly performed perfectly so far.
Although the Amazon price is much less than the list price, it’s still a bit of a luxury to me, but it’s really great to have decent coffee on demand, and a good, enjoyable cup every time.
Having read through other reviews here, I took the plunge and ordered it. Although filter coffee makers are ideal for (eg after a dinner party) – I was after an espresso maker that was non-hassle (and therefore ideal for if one OR several people wanted a decent, cafe style coffee). Fundamentally I really like a few single cups of REAL coffee during the day … and making small amounts of filter coffee is tricky + with a manual espresso maker, a pain.
It it worth tweaking the grind amount somewhat (I made it slightly finer). Although it is a large and not hugely pretty device on the kitchen work surface – it is worth it for NOT having the hassle that assembling and cleaning / refilling a manual espresso maker entails. IMHO – best to get grind setting, strength setting and water amount setting right for YOUR MAINLY USED fave (and small) CUP …. it is easy from there to add water from the kettle for people who require a ‘taller’ or ‘weaker’ strength.
** FEB 2018 – Many years after my purchase, this device is still performing BRILLIANTLY 🙂 Make sure you use Delonghi descaler when the machine prompts you to. Re-grease the infuser part using proper food-safe grease and replace the rubber O-rings (only just replaced these late 2017). Should anything need replacing or fixing I am 99% confident that I can repair or replace any part myself – YouTube is your friend!
What a brilliant machine!
My new Magnifica EASM4200 coffee maker was ordered from Amazon on Monday, dispatched on Tuesday and delivered to my home in Northern Ireland on Wednesday. Absolutely superb service from Amazon.
This is my second Magnifica; the first one died spectacularly, after three years of producing five cups of impeccable coffee every day. I make that around five-and-a-half thousand cups, so replacing it with a similar model was a no-brainer.
There are a number of small but significant changes in the new machine compared with the previous model. The control layout is improved; there are more setting-up options, including coffee temperature and auto switch-off time. Those who know the older machine should note two initial differences: i) When heating up, the machine dispenses hot water in pulses, rather than as a steady stream and ii) when the coffee is being tamped, a small amount of liquid coffee is dispensed into the cup. This is not a fault – it seems to be part of a pre-damping of the coffee grounds.
Setting the machine up was relatively easy. Do not forget to set the water hardness using the kit provided. The factory default `correct’ coffee grinder setting of 5 produced instant dishwater; adjusting it to 3 produced a slow, steady flow of great coffee, with an excellent crema. The strength setting knob produced the best coffee at the `3 o’clock’ position, i.e. nearly at the max setting.
Frothing the milk is even better than the previous model, but do buy the Kitchen Craft Frothing Thermometer, as recommended by Amazon – it makes frothing a dawdle.
There are two essential things to know; they are hidden away in the manual, so are not immediately obvious. i) Adjust the grinder ONLY when it is in the process of grinding coffee and ii) remove the infuser ONLY when the machine is switched off. Neglecting either of these instructions will damage the machine.
With everything set up, the machine produces wonderful, rich coffee, cup after cup. Sure, it is expensive, but compared with using pods, it saves its cost within a couple of years.
If you have just won the lottery, buy a Jura. Otherwise buy this machine – you will not regret it.
So far so good...
I recieved the item in good time and well packaged. It took a while to find a spot for it in the kitchen (may still have to relocate it… it is quite a space filler! not recommended for small kitchens) but looks good.
The operating instructions are clear, but a little bit… involved. Not confusing… but there are a lot of instructions for basically fairly straight-forward operation. This is the first coffee machine i’ve owned so my experience is limited.
The first few cups were a bit rubbish, but now that i have sorted out the setting, i am getting consistently silky smooth coffee and nicely frothed steamed milk. It does take some getting used to but so far, i am very pleased with it. As for the long term, my only worry is that mixing beans will be a bit odd… though i may not even notice.
Some of the components seem a little plasticky, but nothing so far has caused me concern, and a lot of it can be simply deconstructed for easy cleaning etc.
The reason i am not giving it 5/5 is due to the plasticky feel and the overly elaborate instructions… and also because it is my first coffee machine, to call it perfect would be unfair.
We bought this as a bit of a distress purchase – we bought the model before (same manufacturer, form factor and spec) something like a year and a half ago, and the heater suddenly failed on that one. However, this is for an office with 25 people, so we really do hammer it; it’s designed for home use, not office/commercial use. Will this one fail after a year and a half? Possibly. However, the engineering in general seems pretty good, so I’m willing to take the risk. For the price, I don’t see that it can be beaten. Much simpler design ethos than the old Magimix one we had – for example, there’s no microswitch on the grounds bin, so it just counts the number of cups you’ve made before asking to be emptied, and there’s no faffing with cleaning tablets, because you just take out and wash the internals. Should reduce the scope for stuff going wrong, in theory.
On the downside, the last one got a bit dribbly after a year (note that’s probably 5,000 cups or thereabouts), and needed some disassembly and cleaning. On the upside, I got to take apart the coffee machine 🙂
The new model doesn’t keep the heater powered up all day like the last one – it only powers it up to actually make the coffee (assuming you use the “ECO” button). The last one was on 60-70 hours a week, so I’m not surprised it failed early.
In summary, for the price, you get a darn fine cup of coffee, the last one stood up to far more use than it was designed for without falling apart, and I bought the same one again when the last one failed – probably the ultimate thumbs-up.
Fantastic Coffee
Had this Magnifica ESAM4200 for a week now, do I have any regrets spending a significant amount of money for a coffee machine???
NOT AT ALL – Best coffee I have ever tasted and, I DO like my coffee. So simple to operate and consistantly produces a very good cup of coffee.
I must reiterate other reviewers comments about reading the instructions thoroughly, it is well worth it and makes the whole process simple.
Am experimenting with different beans at the moment, having started with Tesco beans I have now purchased another couple of types and wil see if I can detect any significant difference – I will update this review in a few weeks to confirm, or not, my joy with this machine.
Not being a barista 🙂 I have yet to produce a really creamy froth/milk for my wifes cappuccino (she is enjoying them no matter!). Cant get the milk (semi-skimmed and out of fridge) to the creamy state that coats the back of a spoon as per youtube. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WELCOME………
I have even grown to likethe looks of it, thought it a wee bit big when first out of box. It now looks good on the work-top in my kitchen.
Last word on this machine – if you are thinking about it then stop thinking and buy it……!!!! You will NOT regret it.
I can find no fault with this machine whatsoever !!!!!!
It makes perfect espresso every time as good as you would get in any coffee bar. My wife was sceptical at first and was dead against me spending so much money on a coffee machine but after a little practice i presented her with a perfect Latte (her own words)
i am currently using Lavazza espresso beans bought from Tesco which i am very happy with although i will experiment with other brands
I find setting size to smallest and strength to highest gives best results, my favourite is a double shot in a small cup with a splash of extra hot water makes a perfect Strong Americano !!
Big Tip ! Pre Heat your cups with boiling water i cant stress how important this is, You will have no complaints of coffee not being hot enough if you do this!!
My only complaint is i cant have a coffee before leaving for work in the morning as it wakes my daughter up !! Noisy but no more than any other `bean to cup` machine i guess.
Lastly i now drink way too much coffee now !!!!!!
Buy this machine now, you wont regret it !!
UPDATE !!!!!
ITS 2015 MY MACHINE IS STILL GOING STRONG !!!!!
UPDATE 2017
6 years I’ve had this Machine, I’ve used it regularly average 3 times a day and still going strong. I have had no problems at all. What better recommendation do you need ??
Since living in Italy for 3 years, I decided I had to have a way of making good quality espresso. I had a Gaggia bean to cup machine which was excellent, but sad to say it was not particularly robust and needed constant attention (how wonderfully Italian). After a little over 4 years, it gave up and would not be coaxed back into life. I spent a month on instant coffee or cafetiere coffee whilst researching an alternative. In Italy, De’Longhi had the reputation for being the poor man’s answer so I concentrated my research on Gaggia, but finding the Gaggia machines outside my budget, I had to look elsewhere. Finally I decided on the Magnifica, particularly as the pressure was 15 bar, equal to the closest Gaggia models, but also because it had an economy option. I really don’t like capuccino, so that wasn’t an important feature, but it’s a good to have for guests.
My opinion after a week of use is that it is a surprisingly good machine. If anything, the flavour, with the same beans is even better. Perhaps my old machine had been getting tired for a long time. The machine itself is sensibly and robustly built (much better than the Gaggia) and includes several really nice features, like the ground coffee spoon which is tucked neatly into the top of the machine under a coffee where the ground coffee is added (if required). The water container is really easy to remove and refill, and the drip tray and used coffee container are equally easy to remove, the used coffee container sitting inside the back of the drip tray.
It is quieter than the Gaggia, but slower. Having said that, it is worth waiting for.
In Italy, I would buy Italian blends, but the better ones are hard or impossible to find in the UK. I have shopped around in the UK to find beans in a flavour I like including expensive Italian blends that I could find, Portuguese blends (bought online and very expensive) and the ones in the UK supermarkets. My choice settled on and remains good old Sainsbury’s own continental style beans.