is everyone here retired?

As is our 5400 which is now eight years old. Been churning out 10+ espressos a day and hasn't missed a beat.

Join the DeLonghi coffee club for free and you'll get a twin pack of descaler fluid - if your machine is under a certain age when you join they also chuck in a free service.

http://www.delonghi.com/en-gb/seriousaboutcoffee/coffee-club

Find a local roaster so much better and fresher, great machine.

Slightly miffed. Bought this last week for £239.

Makes great coffee though. Highly recommended at this price.

Yep, brilliant machine.

great machine, couldn't do without mine.

Had mine for 18 months - absolutely love it. Great price - heat added.

Ive been using an aeropress lately with a cheap grinder to grind my own beans, not into frothy coffees etc so I dont think I would get the full use out of it

Heat for the price though

​I got £64 back when the melitta machine I bought through Amazon dropped in price after 2 weeks. go for it. added heat.

I've had this machine about 2 month now, trial and error to get your preference just right. but when you do it is amazing!

A bag of Costa beans is 12.99 on eBay (Someone twocking them from work) they taste nice. Last few weeks I've been using a bag of PACT coffee been and they are by far superior but £££.

Find a local roaster so much better and fresher, great machine.

I have a De'longhi (not the bean to cup but the automatic cappuccino one) and it makes great coffee. Would highly recommend them as a manufacturer. I use it at least 2-3 times a day with no issues. My auto-grinder is also a De'longhi which compliments my machine well and does a decent grind.

Once you get one of these you'll wonder how you lived without it. :smile:

been thinking about buying this you've just made my mind up.
thanks :smile:

Bought mine used for £50 about three years ago. Used daily, and still going strong. Terrific machine, simple to use, and no digital nonsense!

Yep I'd echo everyone else, I've had one of these for two years now - great machine, but to anyone who's not had one before - it's bigger than you think!

Thanks OP.

I cracked open the piggy bank recently and had £223 in there and have wanted one of these for ages.
This is perfect!

these are brilliant unstoppable machines...........

Great machine. Had mine for two years and very happy. Bit noisy but I can live with that.

Had this for about two years now - making 2 - 4 cups a day. Can't fault it. Details on how to service it on youtube. Loads of great coffee about - try Monmouth, Union, Ozone, Square Mile, Pact etc. Favorite is Notes Coffee. Expensive but worth it IMO

My Delonghi Magnifica is still going strong after 10 years, these are great machines! Good post OP

brought my dad one of these machines for his birthday about a month ago for quite a bit more so this is a great deal, makes fantastic coffee, highly recommended :smiley:

Cheers OP - ordered

is everyone here retired?

Wondering does it make espresso only, do you manually add hot water to make amrericano?

Hey everyone - I've been planning to buy the De'longhi Dedica at £150 from John Lewis, and then saw this on Amazon and figured for the extra £60 it was probably worth the upgrade. But after reading a lot of coffee forums since then (site-note: I didn't realise there was such a community of coffee lovers/obsessers!), now I have doubts about which is "best".

General consensus is that bean-to-cup (B2C) machines are more convenient, but only produce good coffee vs. the exceptional coffee (potentially) you can get from a manual espresso machine (providing you've mastered the learning curve).

Does anyone have a view on this? I get the impression that when comparing B2C with espresso machines, they're comparing machines at a much higher price point - I'm not sure if it'd make much difference at £150-£200. I'm also wondering whether the espresso enthusiasts are, possibly, overstating the difference between the two machine types.

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

Great price!

Agree with all the comments on using a local roaster. The price difference per cup is small but the taste is so much better

I have the above machine for nearly 5 years now, is a great machine for the money.

Good coffee at a great price
https://www.discountcoffee.co.uk/

had this a few years. Great machine
Just bear in mind it is quite loud when in use.

Great machine. Just bear in mind that it's kind of noisy. :smiley:

No quiet way to grind hard beans really.
One things for sure, you could never make someone a suprise cup of coffee.

Had 2, both broke within a year or so but Amazon gave me a full refund. Which was nice. Now have a Melitta which is very nice but prices have gone up 20% since Brexit vote.

Good when it works.

I've had mine a couple of years, love it, no problems.
You have to adjust the grinder after a while (which needs to be done whilst it's running) or the coffee gets weaker but it's easy to do.

As is our 5400 which is now eight years old. Been churning out 10+ espressos a day and hasn't missed a beat.

Join the DeLonghi coffee club for free and you'll get a twin pack of descaler fluid - if your machine is under a certain age when you join they also chuck in a free service.

http://www.delonghi.com/en-gb/seriousaboutcoffee/coffee-club

Maybe worth pointing out this has dual boiler which, correct me if I'm wrong, means you can brew your coffee and steam milk at the same time.

I have the esam2800 which doesn't have dual boiler and I do wish it did sometimes. I am very pleased with it otherwise - think it's similar to the model on offer in most respects.

Have to say this has bean one of my best purchases in recent years.

Is this a good coffee machine i have a big old franke mezzo machine thats far to big for the kitchen so im looking for something smaller like this does this make good coffee ?

Does this make good coffee ?

I've had two of these in the last 3 years, 1 broke after 9 months the (warranty) replacement a couple months ago (grinder)

I bought the Magnifica a couple of years ago for about 300 quid. It looks exactly the same as this. Really, i think it's the best thing I've ever bought. Just fantastic espresso for very little effort (unless you want it with frothy milk, which does add a small bit of time and effort).

Not really necessary - you can adjust the amount of water used with the left-hand knob. If you like particularly weak coffee you might want to top up from the kettle, but I just set the water quantity around half way and make a double shot. You get a long coffee that way that makes about 3/4 of a mug full. Purists might argue that it's better to make a short espresso and top up with water to avoid over-extraction, but it works fine for me.

I've had to switch to 50/50 decaff after suffering assorted gastric symptoms and admitting to my nutritionist just how many cups of coffee I drink a day.

As for B2C versus "proper" espresso machines, you really see B2C machines at the back of cupboards while the owner drinks instant. Really dedicated coffee drinkers are happy with (even enjoy) the faff of a proper machine but for most of us the convenience way outways any small loss in flavour fidelity.

Thanks ordered. Added 3 year breakdown and accidental damage at 25. Well worth it these can break

Well thats good as it has 2 years cover so doesnt really matter !

I can't complain. Completely depends on the beans but once you find the right ones it's great. The milk frother always gets a good usage too.

Im coming from a franke bean to cup machine which is big i needed something to fit in kitchen and want something that makes coffee just as good as my franke machine does this make coffee as good as the shops ?

Don't forget to join the Delohngi club for 2 x free descaler.

EDIT: (what Tapasman said above in #41)

Absolutely LOVE this machine - genuinely one of the best things ive ever bought!
Used at least twice a day mainly for double espressos
Tried the pod machine, and the hario drip thing with a separate grinder and also the aeropress (which is a very, very convenient cheap option) but this machine is simply the dogs b**locks :smiley:

So it makes a good coffee ?

I've got this bean to cup machine and also had a Aeropress. All I say is they are in a different league (I sold the Aeropress in the end). I hardly ever use the 'frothy' option - more often than not a simple Espresso or Americano.

That's incorrect. Just use the setting on the machine for a larger cup. It always starts with an Espresso then just automatically adds more water based on your settings. You do NOT need to do this via the wand.

Obviously not as good as shops but again depends on the bean and the upkeep of the machine. I'd say for this price it's the next best thing. I am a big coffee drinker and love it. Might be worth checking some other online reviews.

Top notch, Just use decent beans - On the advice of someone else I've never bothered with already ground coffee

You can also just make an Espresso, then hold one of the buttons down to extract more hot water.

I dunno, some of the Coffee from the 'shops' isn't anything special. It also depends on what you mean by 'Coffee' - a simple Espresso, Americano or one of milk / sugar concoctions.

I think it is necessary - over extraction results in an unpleasant, artificial taste to coffee. I'm no coffee connoisseur but I find it very noticeable.

I own this machine and I find I get a far better americano by using only espresso beans and dropping 2 espresso shots into boiled water than I do by upping the amount of water the machine puts through the coffee.

I was initially very disappointed with the machine - the coffee that came out of it was just awful. However, after some experimentation (switched to espresso beans, made the grind finer a little, tuned up the amount of coffee and turned down the amount of water) I get something just as good as my local coffee emporium puts out :man:.

It's now officially my favourite gadget and sees a lot of use. Make sure you register your guarantee as they send you a couple of descalers and some free coffee for doing so.

This is a life changing event, have had the ESAM 2600 (similar to this ) for 18 months, superb coffee, go to Costco, Starbuck beans are cheap ( £9 for .9 Kilo), don`t even think about this if you do not have one , buy it, a great price for excellent coffee.

We tried a multitude of different beans in the early days, from Spanish brands out of Carrefour through to genuine Cubano - finally settled on Lavazza Crema e Aroma and Lavazza Caffe Espresso as being the two that suited both the machine and our palate.

We get Crema e Aroma for just over eight quid a kilo from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lavazza-Crema-Aroma-Coffee-Beans-x/dp/B0019RJG80/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?srs=1647937031&ie=UTF8&qid=1489082104&sr=8-3&keywords=crema+e+aroma

Sorry if this is posted already but what height of cup can you get under it?

Might be a bit of a strange question but...

FAO anyone that has this machine, can you switch the machine on at the wall and have the machine start making coffee(s)? Do you have to press a button to initiate the start or can it be done just by flicking the switch at the wall?

many thanks!

To Alexa-ify it perchance?

No, every time you turn the machine on / off it goes through a flushing cycle. Only once this has been completed can you make a drink. So if you're thinking of putting a timer on it... You can't. The startup process probably takes about a minute but then it's ready to go.

Heck of a lot in Amazon warehouse, 182 for good - 199 for like new

Adjust in which way?

Yes :smile: Via Tp Link Kasa plug.

Thank you.

Just ordered Yeeeah been after one for ages, finally took the plunge

I think I need to play with mine more. I've got Taylors beans and to be honest I prefer the Costa pods for the old Tassimo I had. I also prefer the Aerocino thingy from Nespresso for making nice frothy milk than the steam wand on this.

Tried the live chat route, they wouldn't refund the difference but did arrange a return/credit/re-order which seems a bit bizzare to me. Surely that cost them more... Helpful as ever though.

i am not convinced this could produce as good espresso as Gaggia classic.

Honestly, the best kitchen purchase I have made. 4 years, 10 cups a day and still going strong. I have recently found the Algerian Coffee Company on Old Compton Road who deliver exceptional beans at a reasonable price. Blender, Juicer, Spiraliser, Pressure cooker all ended up in the cupboard or loft!. This is used religiously every day. Friends actually come to our house for coffee and not for our engaging and humorous banter.

my gripe with this machine is the so-called 10cm cup max only will fit. That's an awful lot of my various mugs which will not fit under it.

I love mine and it makes a great coffee

need to press a button on the machine to make the coffee.

- I presume you are trying to get this to work from a timer or from an internet connected plug. I would love to be able to say "alexa make me a coffee" but sadly this is not possible with this machine.

are you a giant?

It won't. But these bean to cup machine are a lot more convenient.

I've got the Magnifica version of this machine and it's the best purchase I've ever made. I get my beans from Redber online - great price and big selection to chose from.

ive got a melita caffeo solo. Would this be any better? I picked it up used for an absolute steal and love the coffee it makes but im always looking for good machines. I also have a nespresso latissima for lattes and a cuisinart bean to cup plus filter, which i think i need to upgrade i use this fo taking coffee to work as were not allowed a machine.

​This is the Magnífica version isn't it?

Ordered and got an extra fiver off for topping up my gift card to a £100 :smiley:

Hot! Cheers OP. Was going to buy it 2 weeks ago when it was £240 and glad I waited. Loads of reviews which I have read rate this as the best one for the price. Ordered

In the bean compartment there is a small dial to adjust the coarseness of the grind. I adjusted it initially because the default grind was too coarse / weak but many (!) cups of coffee later I've not had to touch it. Generally you can tell if your grind is too coarse if the machine brews too quickly and the coffee is weak or too fine if it brews too slowly and the coffee is bitter.


Could I respectfully suggest you throw your Taylors beans in the bin and think again? I find even Morrisons "The Best" own brand espresso beans much more pleasant and pretty cheap. In general I tend to stay away from branded coffee (Taylors, Lavazza, Costa, Starbucks) and simply use supermarket espresso beans for cheap coffee and beans from my local roasteries (the excellent Tynemouth Coffee Co and Ouseburn Coffee Co) for something a bit more special. We also have a shop in a nearby market that sells all kinds of different coffee beans loose but whatever I buy I always use espresso beans.

For frothing your milk try buying a cheap milk thermometer from Amazon or eBay - saves you scalding the milk and ruining the flavour and they really are very cheap items. Skimmed milk is easier to froth but higher fat milk provides a better taste. Failing that one of those battery powered milk frothers plus a microwave does just as good a job as an aeroccino.

Thanks , ordered one as there is a lot of good reviews on it

goodness... you must have a big kitchen. Either that or a coffee machine in every room. I have a melitta solo too.. chose that over the delonghi because of the smaller footprint. Curious to know if the coffee is any different between the 2

LOL! I've had mine since Christmas. My old filter machine coffee tastes horrid now... and I used to think it was great! Once you buy this you'll never look back.

Out of interest why do you buy ground instead of beans? I've only used decaf ground coffee in mine and it seems to be hit and miss if it works properly. Oh and I have to say it... it's Espresso!

I use ground for Decaff, Beans for normal coffee

I really want to buy this but I'm the only one in my family of four that drinks coffee.. My missus likes hot chocolate.. Can I use the milk frother to make a nice hot chocolate with this machine and win her approval??

They've changed their policy and I expect it's saving them money. Probably fewer returns than before.

Great answer thanks. Why expresso beans and not other kinds?
I will say that the free sample that was sent when registering the machine was noticeably much better than Taylors. Can't remember the name now but I think their normal prices were quite expensive.

Yeah that's a fair point. This route just seems the more logical one though.

I had one of these for 4.5 yrs. Used LOTS, til it died. Absolute steal at this price. Would recommend to anyone.

​I have the same problem, but luckily I was able to use my impending birthday as leverage. I say order this now while the deal is on and spend the next couple of days figuring out how to convince the missus

Yes you can. just turn the knob on the front to the coffee scoop position, good point for folk who like decaf !

So, how does this compare to nespresso? I stopped using mine as I wasn't sure about the pods being all that healthy long term. My wife deserves to have this...it seems to be just the right time as I asked a friend to bring me back some blue mountain...jus buying it to try that really...

you snooze you lose i hesitated on this all yesterday and now its gone back up to near £300 ahhh well

reason i hesitated is because i got a cheap espresso machine from lidl recently

All my mugs fit fine, but particularly tall ones might not. The dispensing nozzle is height adjustable - just possible that people having trouble haven't realised that.

The free coffee is from https://eightpointnine.com/ - mine was nice but not amazing.

Espresso because that's the right strength / type of coffee to use for this method (forcing hot water through tamped down coffee under 15 bars of pressure) - other beans are suitable for things like making coffee in a cafetiere but they're just too weak to make this way, forcing you to ruin your drink by grinding them too fine and pushing too much water through them. Basically, if you want it to taste like a (decent) coffee shop coffee then they're what you need.

My first beans were Lavazza and were truly awful. They made pale weak, artificial tasting coffee.

I don't like my coffee particularly strong but I get a much better cup using a smaller amount of espresso beans than using more of something weaker.

Of course other opinions are available and I'm no coffee expert, but this was the difference between my machine being put away at the back of a cupboard versus becoming something I use several times every day.

Great for hot chocolate - I often use this machine to make hot chocolate for the kids

Sprinkle a few mini marshmallows on the top (I buy these from the cake section in B&M - a 80p bag lasts ages) and a bit of cholocate sprinkles, they will say its better than anything you can get at the coffee shop

Anyone else struggling to register their machine? Keep getting invalid serial number?!?