DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3000B

Can live without it – Great looking espresso machine for approximately $ 500. Machine has some great features found in expensive machines that are more expensive.. One shortcoming... Brewed coffee is just not very hot. Don't like coffee that is not very hot. According to customer services... there is no way one can adjust the temperature.  Show details

Very Competent Automatic Coffee Machine – I use this for four to eight coffees every day and it has not skipped a beat. Very happy with the quality of this coffee machine. Grind, strength and shot volume are adjustable, coffee always turns out well with a nice crema. Only flaw is the steam wand which needs to be more directional and have a better flow, but still froths milk or cream well… Read more ·  1

if you have the patience. Would not hesitate to buy the new model when this machine finally wears out.

Love this machine – We have had this machine for about three years or more and use it atleast 4 times a day. It works so well. We made sure it was made in Italy and not China like some. It is noisy, too noisy, but we put up with it. The coffee, ground or beans, comes out well. We would buy again.  Show details ·  1

Better than my Tassimo! – Not AS automated as Tassimo but far more adjustable regarding strength,quantity and quality. Tassimo only did one coffee I liked-Kenco Medium Roast-but discontinued it a while ago,hence my purchase of this machine. I now have a huge range of beans to choose from. I've found the milk frother OK and you can make more coffee quite quickly if you follow the instructions,ie vent the frother after use.

Faultless coffee, excellent product quality – I purchased my machine over 2 1/2 years ago now, and the machine is still going strong! I recommend this machine to all of my friends. After 2 1/2 years and with the cost being so little I had few expectations. Costing me less than $500 at Harvey Norman on Boxing Day sales, once I got the machine settings correct (grind/cup size) my machine… Read more

makes legitimate cafe quality coffee!

Please make sure you get the grinds and strength right, don't pass judgment until you have these correct. My grind setting is set to fine-3 and strength full. About 1/4-1/3 of a cup of espresso shot and the rest full cream milk. It took a while to find the right settings.

Froth comes out silky smooth with the right technique and provides an excellent crema on a single shot. The machine is reliable and dependable.

I did the math in relation to purchasing one single coffee from a coffee shop in comparison to making your own. Factoring in the perishable items it takes about 200 cups of coffee to break even. Anything after that is savings.

I make at LEAST 2 coffees a day. Thats just over 3 months until the machine pays for itself and begins saving money!

If my machine died tomorrow I would have no hesitation in replacing it with the same one. So seriously do yourself a favour, get one!

Average to good for an Auto machine – I'd give it 2.5 stars. Lasted a bit over 3 years before thermoblock heater failed, wasn't worth the cost of repair and have since upgraded to anE61 style machine....no comparison. Easy to use, requires no real thought process to produce a repeatable shot of espresso, definitely not cafe quality but still acceptable. Minimal maintenance… Read more

required, lets you know when time to descale, re-fill water or empty used puck container.

Preheating of cups is a must as it produces only moderate heat espresso which quickly becomes luke warm at best in a cold cup.

As others have pointed out don't even bother with the steam wand, aside from poor texturing it takes far too long to switch between steaming and brew functions (as can be expected with all single boiler/thermoblock systems). We used to heat milk in a microwave instead.

Used for 3-4 "doubles" a day nearly every day til failed, always used whole beans and never bothered with pre-ground function.

Great machine – Had this machine for about 2 years, going great. Original one broke during warranty and got replaced with a brand new one. This one gets used every day a few times and hasn't missed a beat.

Great reliability, very good coffee extraction - needs a better steam wand and has a few flaws – I've owned this model for about 10 years and never had a problem with it. It makes 2-3 coffees per day in our home. We have taken it to the snow with us for winter seasons where it made 5-6 cups per day for 2+ months as well. So it has definitely earnt it's keep. This is the best value for money I have got out of almost any device in the home for… Read more ·  1

a long time. Considering this, I have given it 4 stars.

Allows the use of fresh beans which it draws from the storage section and also has a separate section for using pre-ground coffee as needed by using a scoop to add the coffee grinds (see Beans vs Ground notes). If you use pre-ground coffee I suggesst finding a coffee you like, then stick with it all the time and make sure you experiment getting the scoop size just right.

It is possible to make a very consistent coffee extraction using this machine, with a slow drizzle of coffee developing a great crema (see Grind Setting notes).

If you have milk with your coffee though, the steam wand doesn't make enough pressure or heat to texture the milk properly with fine bubbles. I actually preheat my milk in the microwave in the cup (which also warms the cup nicely) and use a cheap Aldi milk frother to froth my (full cream) milk which gives a very reasonable result for home and is much quicker than using the steam wand.

You can extract two coffees at a time with this, but I don't recommend it. Extract each coffee one at a time, do them all consecutively, then froth the preheated milk and pour.

Recommendation would be conditional.

Notes:

Grind Settings

- I use mine on the second smallest grind setting (for almost all beans) and full strength dose

Drip Tray

- I use a small mug to catch the water at start/up shitdown instead of the drip tray - it's easier to clean.

Steam Function

- If you're going to use the steam wand to texture your milk, it should be the last thing you do after making all your coffees. It takes a long time for the machine to build enough pressure/heat to make coffeee again.

Beans vs Ground

- It's not okay for preground coffee, but you will have to play with your dose and get the scoop size just right. If you buy different preground coffees (which have different grind levels), you will forever be readjusting your scoop dose to find the right amount of coffee - talk to any good barista and they'll tell you how much the adjust their grind for every different bean. This machine works best with fresh beans.

Cleaning

- If you use pre-ground coffee and get the dose too low, it will make a mess inside the machine which can be a pain to clean. The drip tray needs rinsing daily otherwise it gets mould. I use a small cup to collect the drips which is easier to clean. can make a very good coffee extraction that surpasses most coffee shops, but definitely not boutiques (see Grind Settings note). Value for money. Longevity. Easy to use Takes way too long to be able to make a cup of coffee after using the steam wand. Angle of the steamer not adjustable and is a bit akward. Steamer wand not long enough. When using preground coffee, it's difficult to get right amount of coffee. Cleaning can be annoying, especially the wand.

Very happy – I have had this for a few years now and it gets used a lot. I have found it very reliable and easy to clean and maintain. Obviously the taste of the coffee depends on the beans you use, but I have found that if I buy good quality beans, I get a great coffee as good as or better than some that the cafes around me sell. Easy to use and maintain Pretty big on my kitchen bench

Very happy with this product – I have had this machine for a few years and it has had a lot of use. I clean it regularly, at least once a week, and do not find it difficult at all. It only takes a few seconds if you clean the internal parts prior to turning the machine on of a morning, and I clean the wand after each use - too easy if you keep on top of it. I have replaced the… Read more

plastic steam handle once in that time for a couple of dollars. The steamer has only just now lost some pressure (probably seals) however I am very comfortable with that after so much use. I think that some people have unrealistic expectations of their machines, all coffee machines need to be serviced from time to time and need to be treated with some degree of care. I paid $500 for the machine and for my money this machine ticks all the boxes. The cheapest, easiest most reliable product is a jar of instant coffee and a kettle, however if you want good coffee, you have to weigh up the cost against quality of the product and the resultant cup of coffee. Produces excellent coffee and it is easy to use. Steaming wand too short and tends to over-froth the milk making it also a little slow if making 4 or more coffees at the same time, however it is not a commercial machine.

Good coffee, too delicate machine – Our Saeco Magic Deluxe has been showing its age. Expecting its demise, I bought a second-hand Magnifica to try out. The Magnifica is now dead, the Magic Deluxe is still soldiering on. Just as other reviews stated, the Magnifica makes a very good brew, better than the Magic Deluxe. It is, however, nowhere near as robust. We tried… Read more

coarse-ground Vietnamese coffee using the bypass: after the first brew the Magnifica clogs up, as the eject mechanism cannot remove the sloppy mess. The Magic Deluxe can, and keeps going.

More tragic was how, when an impatient family member randomly pressed a few buttons on the warming-up Magnifica, the machine self-destructed. Good coffee Very sensitive to grind, easily killed by hamfisted user

Satisfied – After using the machine for 2,1/2 years and had it repaired 2 times under warranty with no questions asked and makes minimum of 4 cups a day during weekdays and the number of cups increasing during the weekend, I'll say I'm satisfied. I'll pass on a tip from the repairer : Don't let the coffee machine on standby. You made your coffee and you want… Read more

to wait 5-15 min for your hubby wife, friend...to make one that's fine but don't let the machine switch off its self. Still don't like the angle of the steamer. That machine with fresh roasted coffee beans makes outstanding coffee. My settings : Grinder 1 or 1,1/2 , quantity ( left circular button ) just below 3rd dot, strength ( right circular button) : Max. The thing i like on this machine is that the infuser on $500 and $3000 it is identical. Easy to use, ok to to clean, good service when needed. The fact that had to repaired 2 times in 2 years is dissatisfied point for Dėlonghi brand. Dėlonghi was an average brand overseas and still is now.

Good value – Bought ours in january 2011 at goodguys for about 480 AUD- never had any problems - except the coffee isn't boiling hot - but that doesn't worry me too much- I'm not using the steam part very often but it works ok to heat up milk for visitors sometimes. the machine does an avg. of 4 cups a day for the last 22 months which comes to roughly 2600… Read more

cups - a while ago the machine started to take longer to get ready when switched on and there is an unusual steam noise during that warm up- might be a probe that slowly dies and makes the machine to heat up for too long before the electronics decide it is hot enough and ready to make coffee - the hotplate on top to pre-heat the cups seems to be hotter than what it used to be-

the machine does not have a display to tell you 'coffee making in progress - please wait' but you figure that out anyway - a counter would be handy but can't be expected for that price- cleaning is easy - take all the stuff out and wash it before it gets mouldy- the diptray is a bit a pain but nothing too bad - use the vacuumcleaner every other time to get out the dry coffeepowder behind the trays- all in all a good machine for people who like their coffee freshly ground for every cup. Inexpensive and reliable No display

Good coffee but terrible to clean – We've had this coffee machine for just over three years now and it's still going strong. It makes a good coffee, not to Melbourne coffee shop standards but a good one none the less. My only couple of gripes with this machine is that it is: 1. Too loud - not only is the grind loud but the frothing of the milk is super loud (louder than a… Read more

coffee shop one)

2. It's a bit of a pain to clean. The way the internals are designed make it really hard to get out all of the coffee grounds

3. You have to clean it after daily use or it will get mouldy. The tray where the water drains gets grubby but the biggest problem is that if you do not empty, wash and dry where the coffee grounds go into the gounds will go mouldy.

Overall I am happy with my purchase, but next time I will be buying a nespresso style pod coffee machine. makes a good coffee. Machine still going strong loud and a pain to clean

Love it – Got our 1st one about 9'years ago, and loved it. Replaced it about 2 years ago, newer model, still very happy. Great price. Easy to clean. Love the simple controls. We have our grind on 4. Like LaVassa coffee beans blue packet. Some times just heat milk in microwave for flat white. Makes great cappuccino's, & short black's. Makes great coffee

Excellent for the money – I like my machines simple, and this qualifies. Easy to understand controls, plenty of settings. I can have a hot mug of coffee 150 seconds after turning it on! Very easy to clean- has a warning light that the bin needs emptying. Can turn out two cups at a time every two minutes. Can handler ground coffee or beans. I don't use the frother very… Read more

much, but agree it slows down the productivity. But then it's meant to be a basic machine, and it does that well. Good price. Well made. Looks good. Many settings. Flexible coffee inputs (ground or beans) Tank only holds 3 mugs of water.

UPDATE Machine died after 6 years and I went out and bought another identical one! Purchase date below is the second one.

OK – I do not think that I would buy one of these again. The simple request to DeLonghi re the problem and they didn't reply. Other people on the internet had the same problem and no one had an answer, It has worked fine for nearly three years and makes quite good coffee. The coffee is not really hot unless you heat the cups by boiling the jug and… Read more

pre-heating them with that water. It is slow especially when you want to return from milk-frothing to make extra cups of coffee - it takes about 2 mins to "cool" down and allow you to grind more coffee. It was quite expensive but then others are the same or similar price. A service response from DeLonghi is non-existent when it got itself all bitter and twisted and refused to heat water.

Excellent – Over all ? we cannot fault this machine.It's solid and dependable with excellent build quality. Makes superb coffee and is easy to use. The price! We got ours for well under $800.00. Another thing we love about this machine is the warranty. TWO YEARS which is VERY rare in the world of coffee machines. This was handy as we started having problems… Read more

after 13 months of ownership. No dramas though as it was all sorted out very promptly by Bravo Coffee in sydney and the machine now works better than ever! Bear in mind though. We LOVE our coffee and this machine is used to the tune of 10-25 coffees a day so I don't think there are build quality issues. We just use it frequently.Since we got it back 3 months ago. It hasn't missed a beat!We highly recommend this machine for it's ease of use and reliability and obviously the quality of the coffee it makes. You can select your own strength and coarseness too. A brilliant feature for the money. We agree about the milk frother control.

ours was VERY stiff but was also replaced under warranty. The problem it seems is that it sits right under the frother itself so when you "vent" the frother the excess steam finds its way up to where the control is, making, in time, the frother control somewhat "sticky". That really is our only gripe with this machine to be honest. for the money ? you cannot beat it. Even moreso when the quality of the other brands seems to be going down the toilet. If you want a good quality, reasonably priced machine ? Buy one of these !

Good – I would recommend this machine. We bought ours 1 year ago. It makes a great coffee. We have friends come over just to experience the coffee from our machine. It is very easy to use. Allows you to select the strength of coffee, plus you have the choice of freshly ground coffee or pre-ground (there are two separate compartments). I use coffee beans… Read more

- freshly ground tastes much better. Then just press a button and you have an espresso in seconds. You can even do two cups at a time. For a cappuccino, you'll need to froth the milk. A milk jug does not come with the machine. All you do is fill the jug with enough milk then place the froth spout in the jug and turn the knob. We use this all the time and the knob is getting harder and harder to turn. Will need a service soon to get this fixed. It's the only problem we've had. Easy to use and easy to clean. The knob to froth the milk is hard to turn.

Good – I love this coffee machine and am staying at number 'three' coffee machine for now. When it does need a clean, it has to be done EXACTLY as per the book, otherwise it doesn't work. Makes great coffee, Oh, I did wish I had bought one that also froths the milk by its self!! Maybe that will be the 'fourth' coffee machine. I love this machine!! … Read more

This is my third 'real' coffee machine! Best of the lot as far as brewing is concerned. No messy grinds to empty after each cup, doesn't even ask to be cleand all that often. Makes lovely coffee, but still not a great cremma. My previous Sunbeam had a better crema. But easy to make multiple coffee's with visitors arrive, so you can actually sit down and enjoy the company, rather than be making coffee the whole time. No control over the milk frother, has a rubber frother attached. I would like to take that off and control it myself, but that doesn't work. The steamer knob is very hard to turn and with wet hands, almost impossibe.

Good – Good starting machine for people who dont want to spend a lot, but want an automatic machine. We use ours around 4 times a day & have had it for two years now & no problems. We don't make cappacinos very often due to the time period for the pumps to change over - therefore if you like froth, then go the next model with two pumps. Coffee is luke… Read more

warm once you add milk if you don't heat the milk - we use the microwave to substitute this. Overall - couldn't live without it. Easy to clean & use. Makes nice coffee - good starter for automatic machine if you are unsure if you will use one. Very Noisy grind & coffee isn't that hot when is done. Only one pump / either make coffee or do the milk (can't do both).