DeLonghi ESAM3500.N Magnifica Digital Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
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List Price: Our Price: $984.51 You Save: $1115.49 (53%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of DeLonghi ESAM3500.N Magnifica Digital Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
Customer Review: Restaurant Quality Cups of Espresso & Cappuccino.
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Wonderful! But in all fairness...
Summary: 4 Stars
This machine, in all its glory, has a few inherent flaws. I will mention only a few because the positives do outweigh the negatives.
Firstly, when the water tank runs on empty all functions are immediately ceased and reset. You have a cup full of wonderfully frothed milk and the grinder has just freshly ground a serving of aromatic beans, but these fresh, aromatic beans are discarded because the water tank must be refilled before any function can resume. Upon refilling and replacing the water tank and subsequently pressing the espresso button, the grinder will prepare another round of grounds for a fresh new serving. If, however, the beans have run out or there are not enough beans for a full serving, the machine does not let you know until after it has gone through another grinding stage, at which point it advises you "fill beans container". If, at this point, you are not thoroughly aggravated, perhaps this will be the random one in one hundred times your coffee comes out inexplicably lukewarm rather than hot.
However, for the most part, 90% of the time, this machine is perfect. It makes a delicious assortment of coffees, makes them very quickly (suitable for parties), and is unbelievably easy to clean. The only way I will get rid of mine is if I am upgrading to the Rialto or the Gran Dama.
Customer Review: It works beautifully and it has held up over the past year...
Summary: 5 Stars
I was skeptical at first about buying a "Super Automatic Espresso Machine," but I have not regretted buying this one! I've had it for a year now and it's gotten much more intense use because I have it in my office. It probably gets used 15 to 20 times a day and it still works like it was brand new. You do need to learn how to clean it which is very, very easy to do and, depending on your water, you need to descale the machine periodically. This is also very easy to do.
I did have trouble at first getting the hang of "attaching" the milk pitcher properly, but once the machine got to be about two months old, the connections became easy and I also learned not to just "jam" the pitcher into place, but to align the nozzle with the top connecter very gently, but with sufficient force so it forms a tight connection as intended.
Previously, I had tried several of the other brands, but this is the only one that lasted more than a couple of months and wasn't a pain to use.
Customer Review: Worth every dime
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Customer Review: worst customer service ever
Summary: 2 Stars
I just want to say that I absolutely love this machine and that is why it is so hard to write this review. I give the machine and the coffee it produces ***** but the review is so low due to the service I have recieved. I bought this machine about a year ago and became addicted to it. Great coffee, however the machine began grinding all of the beans at one time so I had to start only putting in enough beans for one cup of coffee (not how its supposed to work). I sent it in with the "White glove service" and have been trying to find out what's happening with my machine for over a month, im actually finally on the phone with a supervisor at Delonghi right now (finally) and once again "he will personally look into it and get back to me". Do yourself a favor and don't buy from this company, the great coffee is not worth the headache if it needs to be sent in for service.