Customer Reviews

DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

I have the EAM3200, which is the previous model version. The differences are slight but noticeable to the newer. These machines are the best in class for price and performance, produce a great espresso, and are maintainable in ways that other manufacturers models are not. The coffee from the Delonghi is just as good as from Jura and even some manual models such as Expobar and Rancillo. It is very close to what you find in Italy - not quite, but for the price it is worth it. Great crema, hot temperature, rich flavor. And the best part is you can pull out the brew mechanism and clean it - VERY key. This will ensure sound operation and function for many years.

In order to keep this machine is fine working order, you need to do a bit of upkeep each week and use the right beans.

1. Only use non-oily, 100% Arabica beans. If you use oily beans it will clog frequently and attract rancid flavors. It will also shorten the life of the machine. I use Illy, but any espresso will do (I actually get the Illy dark roast - it has more flavor when brewing a larger "americano" cup).

2. Clean the brew mechanism once a week. Just snap it out and run it under hot water.

3. Use spring water instead of tap water. This will keep any weird flavors from your tap entering the coffee. It may build up minerals, but...

4. De-calcify the machine when it asks for it - don't wait.

I, for one, would rather have manual controls over coffee amount, strength, etc. You are not losing out on anything by not having digital controls - other than not being able to have the machine automatically on and ready to go when you first wake up. As for the other models ability to do milk-based drinks at the touch of a button - how often do you really want a cappuccino? If it is every day, then get the 3500. If you are like me and need real coffee in the morning, then get this model. The milk canister can only sit in the fridge for so long. If you are planning to serve cappuccino at dinner parties, then you are committing Italian heresy - cappuccino is only served in the morning.

CONS

1. The cup warmer does not work very well, but get double walled cups and the temperature of the product will not be an issue.

2. You can't have it turn on automatically at a certain time. But it only takes a few minutes to get up to temperature.

3. It is NOISY.

My espresso settings - coffee amount at 10 o'clock, strength at 3 o'clock, single cup dispense. Super double espresso in an espresso cup. I may have 2 of these on a saturday.

My wife's "americano" settings - coffee amount at 3 o'clock, strength at 3 o'clock, double cup dispense. Full cup of rich coffee in a normal cup.

Bean grind at 5.

[This review applies to the Magnifica 3200, this is the same as the 3300 with slight cosmetic differences.]

I bought this machine in 2006 after an almost-endless trawl through the internet reading owners' reviews - after all, we are talking about the search for the perfect espresso here!

The coffee quality is indeed great. The only misgivings I would have about using it are that the knobs have no user markings, which means that if there are several people in the house using the machine, it is impossible to select the previously-selected individual settings. Also, the time before the machine performs an auto-switchoff is fixed at about three hours. I couldn't find the power comsumption in the user manual when in "idle" mode, but I think it must be substantial since it keeps the boiler/cup-preheater hot during this time. Not that the preheater is any use - I warm my cups by first wetting them and then putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

More seriously, I have had the machine for three years and in this time it has broken down four times - the first time after six weeks, the second time after about 18 months, the third time after about 30 months, and again most recently last week. The first two times, the machine was fixed under guarantee, without any quibbles. I think the problem is that the environment these machines have to work under is probably the most severe to be found in the home: high-pressure boiling water, grinding, and the transport of the coffee grains within the machine. Maybe the build quality of the cheaper machines is such that they cannot cope?

While waiting this last time round for it to be picked up and repaired, I decided to open it up to check its build quality (I'm an engineer). De Longhi has used thin plastic wherever possible. The coffee transfer path is not well isolated from the rest of the machine - as a result coffee powder had dropped into the moving motorised assembly at the back of the machine (I think this was the reason why the machine ultimately had failed).

Others here have commented on the machine's coffee-making ability. I agree, it makes great coffee. It's a pity that, in my experience at least, it was let down by poor engineering.

This is an update after three years of using our Magnifica.

We bought our Magnifica after using a similar machine while visiting friends in Germany. We have been using it for over 3 years now, and are still quite happy with it. My wife and I both drink a lot of coffee -- tall Americanos most of the day. I am a full time telecommuter, so I will average 3-5 a day in winter, 2-4 in summer. We also love being able to fill a couple of 16 oz. insulated cups before leaving on a road trip. I would say this machine probably gets more use than the manufacturer intended.

The unit has been fairly trouble free. We have noticed a few occasions when water leaked from the tank where it connected to the machine, leaving a puddle on the counter. After a cleaning and more carefully aligning the tank, it ceased being a problem. We have run the de-liming process when the machine asked for it. So far no other problems. I would strongly recommend a complete, thorough cleaning inside and out every month or two, though. Use a brush and a vacuum.

The cup warmer seemed like a great idea; in reality it doesn't do much. I was going to disconnect it to save electricity, but as it turns out it's just a metal plate over the hot water tank -- it doesn't use any additional electricity. They just made a feature (cup warmer) out of an area where plastic would have probably warped and cracked by now.

It doesn't get any quieter with age. Once you push the button you can pretty much forget any ideas you had about conversation until your coffee is done (I am always sure to offer a cup to the in-laws when they visit). I finally removed the covers and added some Dynamat left over from my truck stereo installation to the areas that seemed to be vibrating; that helped a little but it's still pretty raucous.

I'm sure the guys who grind, tamp, press and adjust the pumps on the chrome semi-autos will turn up their noses at a machine like this, but it's such a huge step up from the typical drip coffee maker (and ground Folger's). If you're a coffee lover you really do owe it to yourself to try a machine like this. The price tag made the purchase a tough decision -- still 5x what we paid for the best drip machine we'd ever had -- but we're glad every day that we took the plunge.

Below is my original review, written a couple of months after we got it:

*****************
I wish I could give it a 4.5. As others have noted, it is a bit on the noisy side. We went from a Bunn drip machine (best drip coffee maker by far) to this after being blown away by the one our hosts had in Germany. It's been worth every penny. Speaking of pennies, a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond is the ticket for low price and a VERY good return policy.

We have used Starbucks and Pears beans, and will continue to try others probably. Cleaning is a snap, my only real gripes are the water reservoir - obviously designed with coffee-sipping Europeans in mind, not us coffee-DRINKING Americans. Still, we haven't used the Bunn since we plugged in the Magnifica.

Likes:
Superb coffee!! Great crema, better than coffee houses
Easily adjusted cup size & coffee strength
FAST warm-up
Easy to clean
Everything works perfectly

Dislikes:
A little noisy.
No automatic timer (not a big deal, since it warms up fast)
Cup warmer not of much use, and no way to shut it off

Apart from breaking after 4 weeks this is a great espresso machine, we loved it. Easy to operate, makes great coffee and espresso. Maybe we had bad luck but after 4 weeks of use one of the coffee brewing buttons broke and then the on/off button wouldn't work anymore. The machine was dead. It seems that the electronic behind the buttons is not very robust. I sent an email to the DeLonghi customer service but never got any reply.
Another downside: The machine asks for descaling every 2 weeks. This gets a little expensive considering that the recommended decalcifier for one time descaling is about $6. I returned the machine to Amazon. They are always great with return. So fast, so easy. They are my absolute favorite online order merchant.

I purchased the Delonghi Magnifica Automatic Espresso Coffee Machine from Amazon in November 2006. It just died one month ago, out of warranty of course. When I called Delonghi to inquire as to how I could get it repaired, they informed me that they have only two places in the US that fix them. One on the east coast, and one on the west coast. So you have to ship it at your expense and insured to the appliance repair shop. I shipped mine the same day it broke to the east coast location; it went to Cross-Bay Appliance in Howard Beach, NY. It took them an entire month to look at the machine and they have a very casual, unconcerned approach. They will say, "I'll try" to look at it for weeks until you start to get a little heated in your tone, then they will take a look at it. Well, after waiting the entire month, they looked at it only to tell me it will cost almost as much as it would to purchase a new one to repair it. I asked them to ship it back and not to bother adding the cost to insure it since, now, it's nothing but piece of junk. Well, they insist on charging over twice as much as it would cost to resend it back to me.

Delonghi apparently does not care in the least about your out of warranty repair needs. Even if you have a small problem, you better give your beloved espresso machine a long kiss goodbye because you won't see if for a while. In my case, it's junk. I've heard of others having mechanical failures with these machines, but if they are out of warranty, which is only one year, you are screwed. I searched and searched for a appliance repair shop locally, there is NO ONE who knows about these machines but Delonghi knows and they will send you to this operation which does not have to try to get business, could care less about the customers and you can tell they know the drill. I'm tempted to let them keep it, but then realized that probably many people do that and they end up probably refurbishing them and then selling them, which I will not allow.

So, as much as I loved the machine, I would never purchase another one from Delonghi simply because there is no way to reasonably get it repaired in a decent amount of time and for a fair cost. So, your machine, once something goes wrong with it, will end up in the garage until you or someone else you know decides to go to the Espresso Machine Repair School for broke down Delonghi Machines.

I was shocked that this was my ONLY option, and the repair shop Delonghi sent me to has unprofessional and callous morons running it. They know you either pay what they ask for or pay whatever they want to ship it back regardless of the actual cost to ship it back to you, which further aggravates you because you have no choice. It's abusive. I will be filing a BBB complaint for this repair shop and giving Delonghi two thumbs down. Your purchase will be short lived. I'm looking into the Pasquini Espresso machine now, but I will find out what process I will have to go through if it needs any type of repairs in the future--post-warranty. These machines are not cheap. At first I loved Delonghi, but now that I know I'm buying their products only to put them in the garbage later because of outrageous repair costs and inconvenience by the morons Delonghi sends you too, I will never buy another one.

It took me a year to finally commit to buying an espresso machine because there are so many choices out there that it's paralyzing to pick one. But after too much time shelling out $10 a day for two drinks at our local coffee house, we decided to take the plunge. I did a lot of research on the site Whole Latte Love and chose the DeLonghi Magnifica 3300.

We've had our machine for about six months now, so we've saved almost $1000 (above the cost of the machine!) and enjoyed great tasting beverages. My husband has actually switched from drinking cappuccinos to straight espressos because it tastes so good. I still drink lattes and that works, too. The super-automatic function really is easy: just add beans and push one button and you have espresso, foam the milk and you have a latte.

I chose the Delonghi Magnifica from a crowded field of options because it was not too expensive. I didn't need a cup warmer or a timer. Honestly, on some of the more expensive models like the DeLonghi ESAM3500.N Esclusivo Magnifica I couldn't figure out what more I would be getting for approximately twice the cost (a milk container? I can put the wand in the frothing pitcher myself. Perhaps if I could compare them in real life I'd see the difference. Comments from DeLonghi 3500 owners are welcome).

This basic DeLonghi has the internal guts that mattered to me, the direct grind "beans to brew" system that ensures that the beans are freshly ground for each cup.

I am giving the machine 4 stars instead of 5 because it's not perfect. The grinder is really loud, but hey, it's supposed to be waking us up in the morning. The exterior construction of the unit is disappointingly plasticky. The water container leaks a bit when you remove it, and we have a small amount of grounds collecting inside the unit (maybe we need to clean the grinder).

Overall, we are very pleased with this machine. It gets the job done, producing wonderful espresso drinks at a reasonable price.

I ordered this machine for my mother for Christmas. What convinced me to go with the DeLonghi were the overwhelming number of outstanding reviews on Amazon. I will say that for three and one-half weeks, the machine made outstanding coffee. It then broke. The lights would blink on and off over and over and the machine would no longer brew. When my mother called customer care they suggested a possible solution. When that didn't work they said it would need to be sent back for repairs. She asked about a replacement. They told her 'no', that it would have to be repaired. She then asked about an extension on the warranty for the time it was in their shop. They again said 'No'. Having no other option, she sent it back (after waiting two weeks for the shipping box and label to arrive). That was THREE months ago. She has called customer care. They referred her to the appliance repair shop. She attempted to contact the appliance repair shop NEVER receiving an answer. She again called customer care and was told that the shop is in Seattle, WA (we are in Virginia) and that they are only open Monday-Wednesday from 9-5 and Thursday from 9-1. They have no answering machine. You must call during working hours and be lucky enough to get someone on the phone. She found this out last Thursday. She now has to wait until Monday at 11 am to make another attempt.

We estimated that we probably had 40 cups of espresso before the machine broke. When I purchased it it was $799 (say an even 800 for sake of easy math). That means each cup cost us about $20 (not including the cost of the beans). The coffee was good, but it didn't pump out $20 cups. The company may believe that the quality of the machine is 'good enough' for the $800 price point, that a few lemons here and there are to be expected for that price point. Investing $800 in an espresso machine (in anything) is significant and not something I took lightly. It is an expression of trust. I don't mind the fact that we received a lemon, I do mind that the company does not seem to care or respect our investment in them. Beyond the money, it has cost my mother time and frustration. I am embarrassed that our family's gift to her (on my direction and recommendation) has been little more than a source of stress for her.

When (or if - at least seemingly) she gets the machine back from being repaired she is seriously considering just returning it to Amazon, even though we cannot get a refund due to the time that has passed.

Like I said, I read ALL the reviews on this before I selected in this particular machine - good and bad. I have never before run into a more appropriate application of the saying 'Let the buyer beware!'. If you are still thinking about investing in this Delonghi, we might have a deal for you! That is, if we ever get it back.

I have had this machine break twice for no explainable reason. Repairs have been related to the "boiler" and "generator" and have come in at $600. The machine is only used by my wife and I. Its descalled monthly. I seriously have no idea why my machine is so fragile and neither do the Delonghi authorised repairers. I have no doubt it will break again so I am looking for another brand.

On a positive note the coffee tastes good, heat-up is quick and cleaning easy. It could do with a larger water tank though and I guess a more powerful pump so as to heat up the milk faster.

This is a good solid reliable machine that makes a good cup of espresso. I like the analog dials: the simplicity and elegance makes it easy for anyone to understand how to use it in just a few minutes.

Pluses:

1. Design simplicity
2. Good espresso
3. Easy to clean
4. Auto descaling indicator and simple to descale (comes with one Durgol descaler)

Minuses:

1. Noisy grinder
2. User's manual was obviously written by a nonnative English speaker, example: "the program of descaling is hour terminated and the machine is ready per do again the coffee" and as such, some of the instructions take some time to figure out.
3. The power on/power off cycles rinse the system causing brown fluid to drain into the drip catching tray - just keep a little cappuccino milk pot underneath to remedy this
4. Grounds bucket inside fills up irregularly so the warning light goes off before it's really filled to capacity (requiring more frequent emptying)
5. I could not adjust the setting for water hardness (not that big of a deal, but it might prolong the interval needed for descaling)

Overall, a good super-automatic for the price (I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $639 using their 20% off coupon, but then you pay tax)

It makes fantastic coffee, but it began leaking around the infuser immediately after getting it home. Then, about five months later, it started leaking from beneath the unit covering my counter top with water and ruining a cook book on the same counter top. After proving that I had purchased the item less than a year ago, Delonghi recommended that I send it to a service center. They provided the box and the shipping label and told me it would be a few days turn around. That was five weeks ago. I've contacted Delonghi and the service center, but the unit has not even been out of the box to be examined yet. There is no recourse with Delonghi as they will not help in expediting the repair. I've given them every chance to honor their promise and their warranty, but now I'm so frustrated that I plan to take the unit back to Costco for a full refund after it is repaired. I've read many other reviews after experiencing this for myself and Delonghi seems to have a consistent habit of not honoring their warranties. Buyer Beware.