Customer Reviews

DeLonghi ESAM3500.N Magnifica Digital Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I bought my espresso machine a little over a year now and have never looked back...
It all started when my daughter came to visit and took me to that coffee place(I won't name it but cups are over $5 each!!)and had my first taste of espresso!!!then after also seeing the alton brown(good eats) episode on making espresso yourself started the spark in me to learn about the different espresso machines out there on the retail market(and there are a lot of them)One of the MANY things that led me to this machine is the frothed milk feature where instead of frothing a pitcher of milk at a time and wasting whats left, you have a separate container that holds the milk that detaches and stores in fridge till next cup....a VERY handy feature!!!and the quality of product and ease of setting different features(all explained in instruction manuel which can be a bit overwelming but take it slow and keep book close by till you can memorize certain steps)
The money i am saving alone has earned my cost back already if you figure average $3 bucks a cup compared to the other store (star who???)and no you won't get a cup to taste like theirs but i am pretty close after experimenting with different coffee creamers and sweetners....
The ease of cleaning the inside (which to me should be done every few weeks) and the automatic notifier(which you set to your own water hardness with test strip enclosed)for the descaling process (with fluid you buy separate,(Durgol brand is best)which averages me with my own use at once every 3 to 4 week...and is VERY easy to do(i bought a 4 cup measuring cup which fits under water spout to drain in.....very handy)
Last thing for me to say about the one person looking for o-rings to replace one that broke...I had same one break on my frother and all i did was go to my local hardware store and found that (after searching)that the o-rings used for certain water faucets worked perfectly!!!
Thats it for this review i hope it helped.....

Let me express my extreme unhappiness with the handling of a replacement part order by DeLonghi itself, not Amazon.
Two weeks after we received the coffee maker, one of the three O-rings broke which means that the frothed/steamed milk feature is deactivated ever since.
I ordered three replacement O-rings three weeks ago from their web page, get a link that tells me that I can always "find out the current status", which is total bogus because the status never appeared on the web page.
I sent an email to this same address 1 week after the order (Dec 11) to inquire what the status is. On the web page and in the phone message under the service number DeLonghi prides itself that any email would be answered within 1 business day. I have not received any reaction to my email.
I called the DeLonghi customer service number on 12/15 to inquire the status of the order. I was told that there are not 3 O-rings available at this point and this caused my order to be blocked. I was told that 1 or 2 O-ring are in stock and that I would get at least 1 O-ring shipped that same day.
I called the DeLonghi customer service number again on 12/20 to inquire the status of the partial shipment. The person on the phone was unable to find out about the real status, was unable to find the supervisor but promised me that she would personally ask the supervisor for help with an expedited shipment when (s)he becomes available again.
Another phone call today, 12/27, resulted in more of the same, more postponing, no explanations.
The DeLonghi web page trumpets the following:
White Glove Service Guarantee (Available in U.S. Only)
"Your choice of the Magnifica super automatic espresso machine reveals that you have the highest standards, and we at DeLonghi strive to always exceed those expectations. Our specially trained DeLonghi espresso experts are here to serve your needs in any way we can."
Given the history of my order of 3 little O-rings, this sounds like an extremely bad joke.
We are happy with the machine (even though we did not expect its first flaw of a broken O-ring to happen so soon) but extremely unsatisfied with the worst customer support we have experienced in a long time. A real shame given that we paid $1500 for a coffee machine "with the highest standards" and I shudder at the thought that I would ever have to ask for more significant customer service than a little black O-ring.
We will never again buy another DeLonghi product!

I received this machine as a gift (thankfully, 'cuz I wouldn't have been able to afford it for myself). Before this I had a Capresso CoffeeTEC machine. The Magnifica is so easy to use and to clean, it's great not to have to deal with filters, grinders, frothers, etc. My husband is a stickler for using freshly ground coffee beans for his coffee. It's such a joy not to have to sweep up the coffee grinds from the floor now! Anyway, here are some things I like about it:

- Amazing tasting coffee; freshly ground at the touch of a button. Several people have told me that it tastes better than Starbucks coffee
- Machine rinses itself after turn on and before turn off
- Tells you when to clean the coffee grind container (makes 'em into little hockey pucks)
- Wide range of coffee strengths from which to choose: extra mild, mild, regular, strong, extra-strong
- 3 cup sizes from which to choose. You can change the settings so the cup sizes are customized for you. I use the "Long" setting. If you press it twice quickly, it will make 2 'long' coffees for you
- Love the frothing pitcher. Just attach it, press the cappuccino button, sit back and watch it make you a steaming hot cappuccino with thick froth. Frother puts frothed milk directly into your cup and then makes the espresso and puts it in the cup.
- There's a pre-ground "bypass" button. I use it when I want to have decaf. I add ground decaf beans and use the frother to add frothed milk.
- Machine tells you everything that it "needs." "Fill Beans container, descale, add water...etc."
- You can use the water spout for instantaneous hot water for tea, hot chocolate, etc.
- Starbucks will sell you bottles of their flavored syrups, so I bought several of my favorite flavors for my little "at home cafe"

Update Sep 2008: About a month ago I opened the front door of the machine and it was empty. I thought to myself "who would've broken into my house and only stolen the infuser to the coffee machine?" I examined the machine and was able to see that the infuser was stuck in the housing at the top of the machine. An internet search showed that other people had had the same problem but no solutions were posted. I called DeLonghi and went through a few troubleshooting steps with a friendly customer service lady. Finally we gave up and she said I had to send it in to get it fixed. They sent me the boxes, labels and packing materials, which was nice. I sent it to an appliance place in NY. After 3 weeks I called to check the status and they said, "It's on the shelf; we'll get to it." Within a day or two the machine was delivered and working again. It was a bummer to have to ship it out to get it fixed (took a month) and my other gripe is that it came back dirtier than when I sent it (coffee grounds everywhere, etc.). Would've been nice if they wiped it down. Anyway, DeLonghi customer service handled it well.

I am very happy with this machine. Very easily it produces very good cappuccinos or espresso style coffees. The milk container is handy and there is a clever mechanism to clean the frothing spout without having to empty and wash the milk container, allowing me to return the container back to the refrigerator for the next use.

I'm impressed with the design, since previously had two Saeco automatic espresso machine (both which died after 3 or 4 years of heavy use). When the bottom drip tray is removed, it also contains the grounds container and the catch for stray coffee grounds. The Saeco machine required vacuuming to find remove the grounds that largely missed the small tray to catch them.

The buttons and menu are very straight forward. The messages appear in clear English and are much easier to follow than the Saeco machine. The help manual is also very clear. Other machines in the past seem to have poor translations from Italian.

The descaling process is relatively painless. Once you are notified, you simply go to the menu and start the process. You are guided through each clear step

I had one question where I contact customer service. Very quickly I reached a person and my question was addressed.

The machine is much more compact and takes up much less counter space. The design is very clean and isn't as bulky as my old Saeco machines. Because the machine is smaller, I do have to fill up the water, beans and remove grounds more often, but this is worthwhile compromise for a much better and smaller machine. It also seems that the water, coffee beans and ground removal has been designed so that these all happen at about the same machine, allowing one simple replenishment step instead of different steps on my old Saeco machine.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with this machine.

This is my second DeLonghi Magnifica Digital Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine I have owned within the last 2 years. I got my first model 4500 from Starbucks and it lasted about 2 years. My warranty expired on my old machine so I bought this one on Amazon. I have checked all the online vendors and Amazon has the best price on this machine. Free shipping and no taxes saves you about $250. I found this machine on Ebay for less but DeLonghi will not honor Warranty service on Ebay stores. So beware.

DeLonghi customer service has been top notch, I had to repair my first machine 7 times. Yes, seven times due to pump failure and thermostat issues. I got this machine for an office so it gets used alot. This machine is meant for home use only. I brew about 50 cups a day, so the average home user wouldn't use more than 5 cups a day.

My repair shop says all automatic Espresso machines no matter what brand in this price range use all the same parts. He also said they all fail at least 4 times within 2 years due to the nature of the machine. I told myself that I wouldn't buy DeLonghi anymore but he changed my mind and told me that DeLonghi has more repair shops open for Warranty service than any other vendor.

This model ESAM3500.N is nice, since it is an overall better model than the other 5 models listed for sale. Don't spend your money on the $1999 or $2500 model because they all have the same features and will all break down no matter how well you keep your machines up to date!

If you do need to make repairs on your machine, make sure you find a repair shop near your home. I was able to get extra parts and service O-Rings for my machine cheaper than from DeLonghi webstore.

Also note, the O-Rings on this machine do break down after 3 months of use. It is the because the milk container, you can also find these O-Rings at Home Depot for $10 bucks and if you have problems with the milk function don't send your machine into repairs for some O-Rings you can replace yourself.

I have made over 30,000 cups of Espresso & Coffee with DeLonghi machines and I am glad that I bought it. Even at $3 a cup you can see yourself saving a lot of money.

Also note you should Descale this machine at least once every 2 weeks or else your pump on this machine will fail. Don't wait for the machine to tell you clean it. Only use the Durgol cleaner also, all other cheap cleaners DO NOT work with this machine. Do waste your time, I learned my lesson well!

Low fat or no fat milk works best with the milk spout. Do not use milk that isn't at refrigerator temperature. The coffee mill grinder should be set at number 5, I found this to be the best tasting and best setting for this machine.

Keep in mind if you do need this machine repaired they can have your machine up to 3 weeks, due to a shortage of spare parts. All vendors use the same parts since this is an OEM type of build. The Generic Alarm code is the last breakdown I got. To save you a phone call this means your machine is dead, it needs a new pump and thermostat so hence I came to Amazon to get another!

Amazon was qreat with shipping, price, and product was new as listed! Rated 10 out of 10!

I bought this machine in August 2007. I was buying about 2-3 lattes per day before this machine (spending $10-$15 a day on coffee), and after the machine I was buying maybe 2-3 a WEEK (if I wasn't home to make my own). That saved me at least $50 per week. $200 a month... so in 6 months or so - the machine paid for itself!

It's great because you can set it to auto-start (as it takes about 5 mins to "warm up") and it's ready and waiting for me each morning before I leave for work. It also has an auto-off if it's not used after 1, 2, or 3 hours. (If you want to extend the off time - just press any button within that timeframe and the countdown clock resets - I do this when I'm just not sure if I want another coffee later in the day...)

Like other reviewers have said, you can set your coffee strength (always strong for me!) and the amount of "shots" that you make at a time (single or double). I really like the preset latte button. You can memorize your settings for your favorite coffee (strong, three shots, xxx amount of milk/froth), and then it's just one button to press & it does it all.

The only reason I don't give this five stars is:
1) The milk never seems to get that hot even though I have it set to the highest temperature. This I've noticed is because the milk is coming directly from the fridge (nice and cold) and the automatic frother/steamer just doesn't get it hot enough. However, if I let the milk come to room temperature first, then the result is a nice hot cup of coffee.
2) The decalcifying process is a little cumbersome. I think it's great that the machine keeps itself nice & clean, but I can never seem to find a container big enough to fit on the little shelf to hold all the water that gets passed through. I have to watch & do a quick switcheroo when the container fills. It's not an issue at all - just an inconvenience (that only happens like once a year - so no big woop). There's also the hassle of buying the decalcifier online as I've yet to find any store that carries it. Again, no big deal - but shipping costs for a $13.99 item is ridiculous (so I'll usually bundle it with another order to make it worth it).
3) Cleaning out all the coffee grounds is a pain! A few times a year I'll give my machine a thorough scrub-down and vaccuum, but let me tell you those grounds get everwhere! Get yourself a little brush, a wire cleaner thingy, and a small vaccuum (like a dustbuster with small "nose" attachment"). The machine is heavy, so tipping it won't work well - so all the little cleaning gadgets will really come in handy.
4) It's loud. Of course, there's no way to grind beans quietly! But after my baby was born I realized that making a latte after he went down for a nap isn't always a good idea! Otherwise I don't care about the noise.

Some of the best things about the machine are:
1) Quick-fast latte (or espresso or cuppacino - whatever you prefer) right at home in less than 5 minutes! Can't beat that!
2) The ability to use ground coffee as well. I always keep my regular beans in the bin of course, but I use the ground spot for decaf if I have a jonesin for a coffee at night.
3) It's so EASY. You don't have to do anything other than put your cup under the spout & hit buttons. You don't even have to hold the milk container when frothing!
4) Has a hot-water spigot for those moments when you just need hot water
5) It LASTS! I've had this for nearly 2 years now with not a single issue! I use it at LEAST once a day - sometimes up to 3 times (if I have company - forget it! I'm a home-barista!) and it withstands all that use with no issue.
6) The internal clock is wonderful! I had the power go out twice (storms) and the machine still kept it's time. So when the power was back on, I still had my coffee in the morning. Nice!

A few things to consider:

1) You MUST take care of this machine. C'mon folks - it's $1500 - wouldn't you want to take care of something that costly? Clean it regularly with a quick wipedown, but definitely do a good thorough cleaning about twice a year to suck out all the grinds and whatnot.
2) Do NOT forget to clear out your milk frother hose after EVERY USE. It's so so important. Otherwise the milk will dry & clog in the tubing and your next latte may not be so tasty. Also, it can reduce the life of your milk container & tubing. It's a few seconds to hit the "clean" button - so don't forget!

I know I've said a lot - but I rarely review anything! I would honestly spend the $1500 over and over again! This machine is a MUST HAVE for anyone who's a coffee fanatic like me. It doesn't matter what kind of coffee you like - you can grind anything (Starbucks brand, Folgers, Kona, you name it! Your coffee will only be as good as the beans you use...).

Buy it! You won't regret it!

(SEE UPDATE BELOW)

This is really a great machine. It makes the best coffee I have ever tasted. It is completely automatic so you have nothing to do but fill it and empty it.
The only draw-back I have, other than the price, is that the function to re size the cups you use is limited. I use 12 oz coffee cups, but the machine only allows 6.3 oz at the most, so I just set it for 2 coffees.
All-in-all, you get what you pay for. Excellent Machine DeLonghi !!

Update !!!
I had to send my machine in for repair after only having it for 2 months. It leaked water. Well, customer service told me it would be a month under warranty. I thought to myself, that's a little much, ONE MONTH !!! So, I sent it in. Now, almost TWO MONTHS later I still don't have it. Customer Service told me that the service center is backed up. Is it just me, or is paying $1,500.00 for a coffee machine that lasted 2 months and repairs taking longer than that seems way over the top !!!
This machine makes excellent coffee, but for repair, FORGET IT !!!
Don't Buy This Machine !!! This has nothing to do with Amazon, but has to do with Delonghi and their so called customer service.

(UPDATE 2)
Well, I finally got my machine back from repair after a little over 2 months. Repair did a good job and the machine works like new again. I just hope it lasts more than 2 months again. I have to be fair about it. The people at customer service were very nice about everything and were very apologetic about the whole ordeal.

I love it! Sure it's pricey but I bought it at BB&B with a 20% coupon so the price was less. No filters, a weekly cleaning how easy is this? Plus the coffee grinds benefit your plants. You can use other coffee beans besides espresso. At the moment I am using up my ground coffee, but have used the grinder for beans. The instruction book looks hard but watch the DVD and if you still don't understand call support. They know their information.

This was a treat to myself and instead of paying the local coffee shop I will see return on investment within 6-8 mos. I've had it two weeks. The machine is very easy to use, makes great coffee and latte's. I would agree with many reviews I read about being noisy. Experiment with the strength of the coffee to suit your taste. Turn it on (think you can program it to come on also, just haven't gotten that far in the manual - stopped once I read latte section), it warms up while you are doing the morning routine and stands by to make your coffee. Takes me maybe 5 minutes in the morning to make 2 to 3 large latte's, (thermos two) and take my mug to work. Ahh caffeine - now I can save some time, money, and be primed for the day at the office. Love the machine!
P. S. I didn't buy this from Amazon (my normal source for this kind of item) I got a better deal at WholeLatteLove, it was a Mother's day sale.

I have owned several types of espresso machines & stove-top models over the years (Krups, Cuisinart, Bialetti & VevVigano). However, none have given me the same "crema" quality I get while dining out at restaurants. These inexpensive models always dispensed fairly good-tasting, yet "watery looking" espresso, with no "crema" on top. Nevertheless, I decided to try the Delonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 at the recommendation of an italian restaurateur who personally owns the Magnifica, and ranked it up there with his commercial espresso machine at his restaurant for both espresso & cappuccino quality.

Although I was initially hesitant about the price of the machine, I decided to try it. The result is exactly what I was looking for... restaurant-quality espresso & cappuccino at the push of a button! Simple to use cup after cup and easy to clean-up. I won't explain the exact process. There is a demo-video on the Delonghi website which is a good depiction of what you can expect.

I have owned the machine for 4 months, and I'm extremely glad with my purchase. Every morning, I enjoy a strong cup of espresso, and moments later my wife enjoys the delicious mild cappuccino at the push of a button. Don't forget the cinnamon! If I had to give this machine any negative rating, is that the bean grinder is a little loud. So don't expect to "quietly" make a cup of espresso or cappuccino at 5:00AM while your family is asleep!

I highly recommend this machine for the espresso & cappuccino connoisseur.