Great machine with great reviews for great tasting coffee
edit - wishihadadonkey - Claim £45 in FREE gifts when you purchase this product - details HERE
Top comments
northwales
14 May 1722#7
is it portable. Can it be put in a rucksack, so if you walk past a coffee shop and think, I fancy a coffee, so instead of popping in, you whip out the machine and make yourself a coffee.
mayzi
14 May 1713#10
I "invested" in a bean to cup and probably made over 1500 cups of coffee now. With fresh beans it's a few pence a cup...
This should come with a warning. It WILL make you a coffee snob. You won't be able to drink your gold blend.
NorthantsPete
15 May 176#54
I bough this before xmas, same deal
Its a great machine
I used to have the £1000 version before it broke (italian!) but this one is smaller, quieter and less parts to go wrong. I also didnt use the milk compartment on the old machine anyway
Still wish the water catch tray was easier to clean, i tend to catch the water with a cup instead.
Those who say its a lot of money for 'just coffee' clearly dont understand the difference in quality - its no pod based drink maker, its no instant, sweet hot chocolate multi machine - its a Burr grinding, bean crushing coffee shop style machine that youd happily pay £1.50 a go for
I have a nespresso, a manual espresso and this machine now. This machine gets used all day long, one button press, no fuss, great coffee (real coffee), the others are in the loft and bedroom in case of emergancies
Snobs may argue its not a true espresso machine as this requires manual intervention, however, it is.. and it creates the SAME coffee every time you ask fo ir - no variables, no "oh crud what did I do wrong" nor the dreaded "can i have another one" when the family is round.
You can change the length of the drink, v.short, short,normal, long extra long
you can change the strength, v weak, weak, normal, strong very strong
You can adjust the temperature
You can use filtered water via its filter option or dont its up to you.
You can adjust the grind on the burr grinder
It will give you the variables you want and you can program them to how you like it (custom) - so you can see the variables are there with the benefit it will do the same thing time after time!
If youve got some expensive kit already i still recommend these, as ive had really bad coffee from really expensive kit, you get it wrong a lot more than get it right unless you have training this does it 90% as well as a shot youve mastered but consistently.
It just works - for that, i shoved it int he basket when going to buy a TV... i still havent regretted the £300 credit card balance.
mattmerch
14 May 176#6
much cheaper in the long run than a nespresso / tassimo etc
+ a much better coffee
All comments (96)
gabesdad
14 May 171#1
Still an awful lot of money for something that only makes a cup of coffee, but I can appreciate it's a good price, having been looking for machines of late.
cruisecars to gabesdad
14 May 173#3
its well worth the price buy x 2 coffee's in starbucks or costa thats £8 quid this machine pays for itself !
All depends if you like coffee or not or stick to that instant crap !
nhs007
14 May 171#2
As I'm drinking my 2nd cappuccino of the day (2600) I have to say it will be a good investment! Heat.
cruisecars to nhs007
14 May 172#5
Very true saves money why bother going to a coffee shop :smiley:
much cheaper in the long run than a nespresso / tassimo etc
+ a much better coffee
northwales
14 May 1722#7
is it portable. Can it be put in a rucksack, so if you walk past a coffee shop and think, I fancy a coffee, so instead of popping in, you whip out the machine and make yourself a coffee.
japes
14 May 173#8
The best idea here is to buy the Starbucks beans from the supermarket which have a voucher for a free tall latte
mayzi
14 May 171#9
Good response!
mayzi
14 May 1713#10
I "invested" in a bean to cup and probably made over 1500 cups of coffee now. With fresh beans it's a few pence a cup...
This should come with a warning. It WILL make you a coffee snob. You won't be able to drink your gold blend.
79p and tastes just as good as every other coffee.
cainer1
14 May 17#12
that thread is over 1 month old, re-posts are allowed every month
cainer1
14 May 171#13
thing is though you buy starbucks/costa when you're out and about, you cant exactly take this machine with you when you leave home :wink:
reedy12
14 May 17#14
Great machine, I had one of these recently until changing to a JURA machine, purely for the convenience of having a connected milk fridge.
Quality machine, I had no issues with it at all! Mine had made 6700 drinks according to the cup counter before I gave it away, and it's still going strong!
Tapasman to reedy12
14 May 17#33
Our 5400 is currently sitting at just under 16,000 cups, and works the same as it did when it came out of the box - cleaned thoroughly once a week and descaled when prompted, it just works.
northwales
14 May 171#15
exactly, trying to say this will save you x amount of money at a coffee shop is just dumb. Still wouldn't pay 300 quid though.
electric coffee grinder, moka pot and glass jar(£30 ish), does the exact same job.
Pokey
14 May 171#16
This is not expensive for a consumer level bean to cup automatic espresso machine. Look at least at £1000 for a really good domestic espresso setup of separate semi-auto machine and grinder.
An integral grinder is a pain in the backside. Difficult to change over beans whenever you want. Can't be used to grind for other brewing methods. If one part eventually breaks down, you've the whole machine to replace.
But this machine is probably worth the money if a simple automatic cup of coffee is what you're after. So much so that if you do buy it but then go buy supermarket rubbish, especially starbucks or costa, you've wasted your money. For the love of Joe buy some quality, fresh, well roasted beans.
gabesdad
14 May 17#17
I don't disagree with the sentiments of it being more cost effective that Starbucks, etc., but then that's the World we live in whereby people will pay £3 or thereabouts for at least one coffee a day. I have a portable Breville device that I got cheap in a sale to make me something better than instant at work.
These offers come and go for Delonghi machines. They are very good machines but I think these reductions are part of how they sell them. Have high RRP and then reduce in different places to get people to rush to buy as they think they are such a great deal. Good machine, good price etc if you are actually after one but I wouldn't class these offers as bargains.
cruisecars
14 May 172#19
haha what a load of rubbish ! tastes like hot water sick !
cruisecars
14 May 17#20
Well i dont drink coffee all day so thats ok :smiley:
Mentos
14 May 173#21
Been running this machine for a few years now. Very good machine and they made some improvements over the previous versions ESAM versions.
These are easier to clean, the internal design of the ESAM I had was a plastic maze designed to trap errant grounds :/ This is better but still not perfect. Switching between steam and coffee is almost instant. Used to take an eternity for the old one to cool down to make another shot after frothing some milk. The footprint is narrower, whilst it is taller, being narrower its better for those with limited worktop space.
Whilst the machine is good, Delonghis service is dire. The previous machine went back several times to them, with video evidence of the issue. Each time it was returned without anything having been done. Usually filthy. On the last occasion it was clear they hadn't even tested it. Fortunately John Lewis stepped in at this stage and gave me a full refund, which I used to get this one. I would strongly advise getting from a decent retailer, as Delonghi will mess you around if anything goes wrong.
Also if you're in a hard water area and will be using the filters, I switched to these generic ones a while back:
Currently 32.99, but seem to drop to £23.99 periodically. At £23.99 they are significantly cheaper then Delonghi originals and seem to do the same job.
ScroopEgerton
14 May 171#22
That's true, but since buying a decent coffee machine I've started holding off spending three quid when out and about, and having a 'free' one at home instead.
Maybe I should start putting that £3 into a jar.
rudey_98
14 May 17#23
Bought this on the last deal, been using it for 2 months now and it's been flawless. Tried different beans and settled on Tesco Finest (above the Starbucks and Costa ones imo) - takes 30 secs to warm up and cool down so fab for a quick pick me up espresso
barkinglama
14 May 17#24
great machine
barkinglama
14 May 17#25
out of curiosity which machine did you have I've the magnifica S and it's been zero hassle
devlino
14 May 173#26
Some strange comparisons here, you can't compare money saved against having one out, otherwise why go to pub when you can drink at home or go out for a meal when you can cook at home, I have one but I've never thought, well that's saved me £7 when we have a cup each, I still go to coffee shops
edgeone
14 May 171#27
If you buy Starbucks or Costa then you really don't care about quality coffee so make one at home and put in a flask.
Mentos
14 May 171#28
Sorry, I can't remember the exact model number now. Its was one of the ESAM3XXX or ESAM4XXX with all manual controls (no display/etc). Many of those are essentially the same machine with a few cosmetic differences, I presume for segregating their major retail partners (i.e. "exclusives", making price matching difficult).
Which ever version it was, the compartment which held the grinder was very poorly designed. There were lots of plastics protrusions forming various nooks in which grounds would get caught. Making it a real pain to clean. Absolutely silly design given it should have been obvious errant grounds would end up here. Its like they designed it deliberately so there was a place for coffee to hide from you :/
Unfortunately I was made more acutely aware of this design flaw, as this particular machine developed a penchant for spilling coffee and grounds randomly. It would simply dump half the ground coffee with some boiling water into this compartment randomly. Not sure if it was pumping too much water through, one of the seals was loose, or there was some other reason for it.
It went back several times to Delonghi who kept sending it back saying it was fine. I took pics/videos/etc, but they just played dumb. On a couple of occasions it came back with the grounds dumped inside the machine, so they had clearly seen it. On another they hadn't even made a coffee to test it. Fortunately I was taking it in store to John Lewis, who saw what was going on and just gave me a full refund (think it was a couple of years old by this point, so top marks to them).
It was around Jan sales, so there weren't many options. Most machines of comparable price were out of stock, otherwise I wouldn't have bought another Delonghi after that experience.
On a positive note, they've improved the design of the grounds compartment in the ECAM series. Whilst not perfect, its much easier to mop up errant grounds that have escaped the hopper.
pibpob
14 May 17#29
Yep - yo-yo pricing, AKA the DFS model.
Mr.No
14 May 171#30
Yes to both questions.
ihatebingo
14 May 17#31
it is a lot of money but a great machine and im hot :stuck_out_tongue:
nhs007
14 May 17#32
Would agree, except you don't have to burn your fingers if you want a 2nd cup with bean to cup :wink:
deadduck_145
14 May 17#34
aeropress. £25....
Jiwani80
14 May 17#35
You are kidding right. There is no comparison at all
Bartporter
14 May 17#36
I have had a delonghi magnifica S bean to cup machine since Christmas an love it. Where do people buy beans for these machines? We currently go through about 1kg a month
Ripperoo
14 May 17#37
What about one of these in-car espresso machines for during the commute? Handpresso YouTube Video:laughing:
pibpob
14 May 17#38
Driving without due care and attention, that's what.
jeczap
14 May 171#39
yep. but the other one should be expired - silly to have live offers of the same thing (e.g. that ol' cpc extension lead that's always on offer)
Jiwani80
14 May 17#40
Great. All I need is a car now :wink:
JusticeFingers
14 May 17#41
Your timing is excellent, been considering getting a bean to cup for the last week. Going to go for the 23.460 though as highlighted by Darkmemento as i'm too lazy to to hold a jug under the frother! Have some hot, hot heat!
jonhoggy
14 May 17#42
I'm really tempted. My Saeco started tasting funny. I tried everything but sending it away as this would cost £150. So i hardly use it now, but I fricken love coffee and the reviews seem great.
So are the free gifts anything from the Delonghi store up to value of £45 ? Has anyone claimed yet ?
Tapasman
14 May 17#43
Amazon. If you buy five or six kilos you'll pay well under a tenner a kilo.
X50pence777
14 May 17#44
sure if you compare it to something as stupid as purchasing a office at starbucks.....
£20 per movie ticket at the cinema.... 50 tickets later and my £1000 tv has paid for itself...
ObbieDoobie
15 May 17#45
Terrible the way these machines are replacing women in the workplace...
sandozer
15 May 17#46
A life changing event when this comes into your life, Have had a Delonghi bean to cup for over a year now, best kitchen gadget I have ever bought. Just get one !
ashraf86uk
15 May 17#47
I've bee using my tassimo for 6 months now and love it, was looking at these machines but purely down to convenience still sticking to the tassimo, I get the pods dead cheap too
damadgeruk
15 May 17#48
Taylors Rich Italian 2x1Kg from Amazon for £24ish. Tried all sorts though keep coming back.
Our bean to cup has made 20k plus shots, total cost is very similar to instant.
CS82
15 May 171#49
Sat on this deal all day... eventually snapped at 2am in the morning :confused:
So tempted. Just trying to justify the cost to myself. It would be replacing a Delonghi Nespresso machine that has seen better days.
ksm1701
15 May 17#52
Can the amount of coffee these produce be adjusted? I like to have a nice, big brew in the mornings (and in the afternoon and occasionally in the evening) - not a piddly, espresso size cup.
Sheepiestar
15 May 17#53
I am holding out for a half price La Marzocco Linea Mini deal. Fair enough you still have to get a grinder but it is a thing of beauty. In the meantime, Aeropress Mini or a Hario V60 within hand grinder with freshly roasted beans makes a great cup of filter.
NorthantsPete
15 May 176#54
I bough this before xmas, same deal
Its a great machine
I used to have the £1000 version before it broke (italian!) but this one is smaller, quieter and less parts to go wrong. I also didnt use the milk compartment on the old machine anyway
Still wish the water catch tray was easier to clean, i tend to catch the water with a cup instead.
Those who say its a lot of money for 'just coffee' clearly dont understand the difference in quality - its no pod based drink maker, its no instant, sweet hot chocolate multi machine - its a Burr grinding, bean crushing coffee shop style machine that youd happily pay £1.50 a go for
I have a nespresso, a manual espresso and this machine now. This machine gets used all day long, one button press, no fuss, great coffee (real coffee), the others are in the loft and bedroom in case of emergancies
Snobs may argue its not a true espresso machine as this requires manual intervention, however, it is.. and it creates the SAME coffee every time you ask fo ir - no variables, no "oh crud what did I do wrong" nor the dreaded "can i have another one" when the family is round.
You can change the length of the drink, v.short, short,normal, long extra long
you can change the strength, v weak, weak, normal, strong very strong
You can adjust the temperature
You can use filtered water via its filter option or dont its up to you.
You can adjust the grind on the burr grinder
It will give you the variables you want and you can program them to how you like it (custom) - so you can see the variables are there with the benefit it will do the same thing time after time!
If youve got some expensive kit already i still recommend these, as ive had really bad coffee from really expensive kit, you get it wrong a lot more than get it right unless you have training this does it 90% as well as a shot youve mastered but consistently.
It just works - for that, i shoved it int he basket when going to buy a TV... i still havent regretted the £300 credit card balance.
Roxoff
15 May 17#55
I get mine from here https://www.discountcoffee.co.uk/collections/coffee/coffee-beans. There are a couple of us at work with Magnifica machines, and we usually share an order to get the free delivery at fifty quid. These have saved us an absolute ton of money, they've usually got something on offer we can try.
cruisecars
15 May 17#56
Yes very true i had a franke bean to Cup machine before this one makes better coffee it's a good buy if you love your coffee.
cooldude01
15 May 17#57
I am new to the coffee machine .. can someone tell if I can use this machine to make a latte, mocha or espresso, macchiato?
emhudd
16 May 17#58
I'm tempted to get one of these in case my old faithful (Perfecta ESAM 5500) dies. It's been going strong for 6 or 7 years now. Glad to hear they have made cleaning out grounds easier.
For those who say it doesn't stop you buying coffee out I would say it depends: if I'm out and it's part of an occasion I would still buy one out. But, I would find myself driving home from a 1 hr commute and picking up a coffee-to-go for my coffee fix since I wouldn't touch the stuff at work. I just don't feel the need to buy one anymore when I know I have a good cup of coffee waiting for me at home. Bean to cups do make you a coffee snob and it is addictive!
miffyl
16 May 17#59
Use places like Rave. New subscribers get 20% off their first order and free delivery over £25. You'll get a kilo for about £12 and you'll now when it was roasted unlike the ones you buy from supermarkets/Amazon/wholesalers.
NorthantsPete
16 May 172#60
Dont get too excited about when the bean are roasted, unless it was withint he last week, it really makes jack all difference - and often the beans sit in the coffee grinder for days on end anyway.
Stick to LaVazza as theyre consistently good, also they sell 1kg bags on ebay cheap, some really nice ones too.
Also work snice in this machine the Starbucks dark roats from supermarkets and even Tesco finest Blends
Premium coffee for cheaper than pods, cant go worng
Have fun
jonhoggy
16 May 17#61
So are the free gifts anything from the Delonghi store up to value of £45 ? Has anyone claimed yet ?
cylonraider
16 May 17#62
In same boat, would like to know this too please :smiley: have never had a machine before.
NorthantsPete
16 May 17#63
ish... remember all drinks start out as a shot of espresso, its what you ad later to make those orrible things
so, yes it heats milk or steams it for foamy milk to make whatever recipe you want
reviewz
17 May 17#64
329 now :disappointed:
CARVD
17 May 17#65
Damn. Missed the boat...
NorthantsPete
18 May 17#66
it was 599 so still worth it.
jjBlinky
18 May 17#67
How do you see the cup count? Thanks
jjBlinky
18 May 171#68
Stay cool. These will probably be cheaper or have a discount code on the next bank holiday weekend. Got mine (next model up with the milk frother) just before easter for £330.
No these are set 'gift' box bundles. I'm expecting 4 small expresso glasses, coffee, a service in a year and some descaler - not really worth £145. I claimed one just over a month ago - still waiting for it. Apparently it will be here in a week or two.
details here: http://www.delonghi.com/en-gb/seriousaboutcoffee/coffee-club
jjBlinky
18 May 17#69
You can adjust the strength and the size. I think both have 5 variations.
ksm1701
18 May 171#70
Cheers. Really tempted to get one. Just need to convince the Breadknife! :wink:
slojo
18 May 17#71
That's always the challenge :wink:
nhs007
18 May 17#72
I meant it was an ESAM 2600 :wink: . I had to send it back once though, and they could tell how many cups had been made so it's there somewhere!
emhudd
19 May 17#73
On mine, you got to P for programme, move the dial to select statistics and select ok - I've had 10,943 coffees and 3173 cappuccinos! :confused:
NorthantsPete
19 May 17#74
Get her into coffee! That's what I did... bought a cheap manual espresso machine, made loads of lovely coffees.. then it broke... "GIVE ME COFFEE!" she goes...
So, in PCworld grabbing a TV... "oh look luv, a coffee machine...."*keeps looking at it* "Put it in the trolley!" she says
Never spent £300 so quickly in my life :smiley:
jjBlinky
19 May 17#75
Thanks this worked. 274 over 5 weeks. I'm seriously impressed with 11000 coffees. How long have you had the machine - do you keep it clean and descale regularly? Did my first descale this week which was so simple compared to my previous machine (Gaggia Brerra).
emhudd
19 May 17#76
Think I have had it 6-7 years. It's an ESAM 5500, cost about £500 then and was a Which? recommendation. Had tried all sorts of gadgets before that. Used to faf with cappuccinos but hated having to clean out the milk jug so now I have learned to live with long coffees.
I have to say I am reallllyyy bad at cleaning and descaling it and I live in a very hard water area. The machine would tell me to descale every 6 weeks for my area. I probably descale once a year.... But it might affect your warranty if you don't do it frequently in the first year. Need a plan B though in case it does die, not sure I could last a couple of days without a proper cuppa. Need to look at this model and compare to the milk jug version.
Master_Yoda
20 May 17#77
Can anyone who received theirs let me know - does the selector dial on yours turn perfectly and smoothly the same all the way around? Mine is smooth and easy to turn for 4/5 of the rotation but about 1/5 of the full rotation is hard to turn and feels like it is scraping something - you can also hear it scraping(?). Happens at the exact same position every time the dial is used and is really annoying me. Is anyone else's machine doing this? (...). Have also found the selector button randomly stays pressed in when using it - does this only when it's rotated to that dodgy position. Seems to be very cheap build quality given the price of the machine(?).
Also - the water hardness setting doesn't make sense to me. You are testing the water out of the tap if you follow the manual, but the machine has an optional filter so surely the water hardness setting should be set lower if using a filter?
krispykreme
20 May 17#78
jjBlinky can I ask how how the auto milk frother you have holds up? - does the milk come out nice and hot from the tank? I prefer latte and flat white's and wondered if you think it the frother is going to be up to the job long term? I am torn between this one and the one you have but unsure of the auto frother vs manual frother side of things. Cheers for any help and advice.
Guy.H
20 May 17#79
Has anybody tried to claim the free gift? I've signed up and claimed but haven't had any email or acknowledgement. Wondered if others are the same?
jjBlinky
21 May 171#80
In short I'm really impressed with the frother, I think it was well worth the £30 extra. It produces reliably frothy milk and can make 3 different types of frothy milk. Yes the milk is nice and hot but drinkable in a couple of minutes. Its easy to clean. The manual says to only use skimmed milk.
This is my second bean to cup coffee machine. My first made espresso shots or long coffees and had a milk frothing wand on the side. I like a strong coffee with frothy milk, my OH likes a weak coffee with frothy milk. I work from home and usually have to make her a coffee if I'm having one. Frothing the milk would entail pouring cold milk into a metal jug and using the steam wand to heat the milk then moving the jug to mix some air with the milk, its quite a skill and takes a little while to learn and gets a bit time consuming (probably a minute per jug), but you can make a decent frothy milk in the comfort of your own home. Its best to use a small jug with the low power home machines so I would end up making 2 lots of frothy milk or 3 or 4 if we had visitors etc. In short manually frothing milk is ok but its time consuming for more than one coffee.
I always use skimmed milk because I find it easiest/best for frothing.
The metal wand is really hard to clean if you don't clean after every cup, and as that meant taking the wand part I didn't clean it after every cup.
Like you I was skeptical of the milk frothing attachment. It think it was £30 extra so I thought it was worth a try.
Its all plastic, you can store it in the fridge, but I leave mine with milk in all day and then clean it most nights.
Cleaning is simply rinsing under the tap. The pipe got a bit yellow after a couple of weeks but a regular pipe cleaner and another rinse took care of it. I have got some milk cleaner but haven't used it yet. The frother is functioning as well as it did the first time so I figure the rinsing is working.
There are 3 froth settings, I always choose the frothiest one but you can make smaller denser froths if that's your thing.
To use it, just put milk in, push connect it to the machine, turn the dial to the froth setting you want. Put a cup under the taps - I use a regular but wide mug - the milk tap is some distant and angled from the coffee taps so not all cups will work with it. Select the coffee type (strength and size of the shot) I use strong short coffee. Press the cappuccino button, you get a shot of frothed milk, then your selected coffee. This is not enough to fill my mug so once completed, I press the cappuccino button twice - this then tops up the coffee with more frothy milk.
So its not completely automatic but I get my required with a few presses. One nice feature - you stop the milk (or coffee for that matter) but pressing the cappuccino button again so you can manually create as little milk as you require.
So far (5 weeks/300 cups) I am very impressed. There are 3 froth settings, I always choose the frothiest one but you can make smaller denser froths if that's your thing.
My Gaggia died within 5 years, I had it repaired a year before but at £150 a repair I bit the bullet on a new machine, The standard warranty is 2 years on the Delonghi, Currys want to sell you a £60 5 year warranty - I never buy these, but after I pointed out it had a 2 year warranty and that £60 was 20% of the cost of the machine, he spoke to 'his manager' and did me a 'deal' of £30 for 5 years. Like you I worry about the longevity of the frother and the machine so I took the 'deal'.
jjBlinky
21 May 171#81
Yes I did it online. I got an email within an hour. Nothing arrived after 4 weeks I replied to the email and got answer within an hour. The gifts should be with me in the next week or 2.
Try: [email protected]
Guy.H
21 May 17#82
Great, thanks. I've not had any email but I do have an account so I definitely registered to claim. Will email them
Master_Yoda
21 May 17#83
I signed up and claimed and also got no email.
Guy.H
21 May 17#84
Ok, thanks for the info. I'll post when I get a reply from them
krispykreme
21 May 17#85
You're a star jjBlinky!
Thank you for the detailed reply. Im going to go for the same model that you have - fingers crossed for a possible price drop around the Bank Holiday!
Cheers fella!
cylonraider
23 May 17#86
was that the model 23.460? you guys are on about?
jjBlinky
23 May 17#87
Yes that's the model with the automatic milk frother.
NibblyPig
23 May 17#88
Wish I'd seen this earlier, I want the 460 model, hopefully it will come back down again.
vdot
27 May 17#89
I went for the ECAM22 at Argos (http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4147677). Slightly lesser model but no material differences. Also eligible for the £45 of gifts and the £10 Argos voucher too.
jonhoggy
30 May 17#90
What's the coffee like from the ECAM23.420 peeps ? Still tempted and only one more day left on the free stuff offer... Reviews please?
Master_Yoda
12 Jun 17#91
Guy.H - Did you ever get a response?
Also has anyone received their 'free gifts' yet? Still haven't received mine - weren't they meant to turn up within 28 days of registering?
Guy.H
13 Jun 171#92
They came back to me. They had so many people sign up they've been waiting for new stock to come in. It should be in this week so it will be going out as and when available apparently.
Guy.H
20 Jul 17#93
Still nothing from them. going to have to chase up again..... poor
TheDobbus
20 Jul 17#94
We've had ours through a while back. Anyone else still waiting?
shabba1888
24 Jul 17#95
My free gifts arrived about 10 days ago. When I chased it up with them they advised that due to the volume of registration there has been a delay in getting the promotional items sent out
Opening post
edit - wishihadadonkey - Claim £45 in FREE gifts when you purchase this product - details HERE
Top comments
This should come with a warning. It WILL make you a coffee snob. You won't be able to drink your gold blend.
Its a great machine
I used to have the £1000 version before it broke (italian!) but this one is smaller, quieter and less parts to go wrong. I also didnt use the milk compartment on the old machine anyway
Still wish the water catch tray was easier to clean, i tend to catch the water with a cup instead.
Those who say its a lot of money for 'just coffee' clearly dont understand the difference in quality - its no pod based drink maker, its no instant, sweet hot chocolate multi machine - its a Burr grinding, bean crushing coffee shop style machine that youd happily pay £1.50 a go for
I have a nespresso, a manual espresso and this machine now. This machine gets used all day long, one button press, no fuss, great coffee (real coffee), the others are in the loft and bedroom in case of emergancies
Snobs may argue its not a true espresso machine as this requires manual intervention, however, it is.. and it creates the SAME coffee every time you ask fo ir - no variables, no "oh crud what did I do wrong" nor the dreaded "can i have another one" when the family is round.
You can change the length of the drink, v.short, short,normal, long extra long
you can change the strength, v weak, weak, normal, strong very strong
You can adjust the temperature
You can use filtered water via its filter option or dont its up to you.
You can adjust the grind on the burr grinder
It will give you the variables you want and you can program them to how you like it (custom) - so you can see the variables are there with the benefit it will do the same thing time after time!
If youve got some expensive kit already i still recommend these, as ive had really bad coffee from really expensive kit, you get it wrong a lot more than get it right unless you have training this does it 90% as well as a shot youve mastered but consistently.
It just works - for that, i shoved it int he basket when going to buy a TV... i still havent regretted the £300 credit card balance.
+ a much better coffee
All comments (96)
All depends if you like coffee or not or stick to that instant crap !
+ a much better coffee
This should come with a warning. It WILL make you a coffee snob. You won't be able to drink your gold blend.
79p and tastes just as good as every other coffee.
Quality machine, I had no issues with it at all! Mine had made 6700 drinks according to the cup counter before I gave it away, and it's still going strong!
electric coffee grinder, moka pot and glass jar(£30 ish), does the exact same job.
An integral grinder is a pain in the backside. Difficult to change over beans whenever you want. Can't be used to grind for other brewing methods. If one part eventually breaks down, you've the whole machine to replace.
But this machine is probably worth the money if a simple automatic cup of coffee is what you're after. So much so that if you do buy it but then go buy supermarket rubbish, especially starbucks or costa, you've wasted your money. For the love of Joe buy some quality, fresh, well roasted beans.
These offers come and go for Delonghi machines. They are very good machines but I think these reductions are part of how they sell them. Have high RRP and then reduce in different places to get people to rush to buy as they think they are such a great deal. Good machine, good price etc if you are actually after one but I wouldn't class these offers as bargains.
These are easier to clean, the internal design of the ESAM I had was a plastic maze designed to trap errant grounds :/ This is better but still not perfect. Switching between steam and coffee is almost instant. Used to take an eternity for the old one to cool down to make another shot after frothing some milk. The footprint is narrower, whilst it is taller, being narrower its better for those with limited worktop space.
Whilst the machine is good, Delonghis service is dire. The previous machine went back several times to them, with video evidence of the issue. Each time it was returned without anything having been done. Usually filthy. On the last occasion it was clear they hadn't even tested it. Fortunately John Lewis stepped in at this stage and gave me a full refund, which I used to get this one. I would strongly advise getting from a decent retailer, as Delonghi will mess you around if anything goes wrong.
Also if you're in a hard water area and will be using the filters, I switched to these generic ones a while back:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MXRNU26/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Currently 32.99, but seem to drop to £23.99 periodically. At £23.99 they are significantly cheaper then Delonghi originals and seem to do the same job.
Maybe I should start putting that £3 into a jar.
Which ever version it was, the compartment which held the grinder was very poorly designed. There were lots of plastics protrusions forming various nooks in which grounds would get caught. Making it a real pain to clean. Absolutely silly design given it should have been obvious errant grounds would end up here. Its like they designed it deliberately so there was a place for coffee to hide from you :/
Unfortunately I was made more acutely aware of this design flaw, as this particular machine developed a penchant for spilling coffee and grounds randomly. It would simply dump half the ground coffee with some boiling water into this compartment randomly. Not sure if it was pumping too much water through, one of the seals was loose, or there was some other reason for it.
It went back several times to Delonghi who kept sending it back saying it was fine. I took pics/videos/etc, but they just played dumb. On a couple of occasions it came back with the grounds dumped inside the machine, so they had clearly seen it. On another they hadn't even made a coffee to test it. Fortunately I was taking it in store to John Lewis, who saw what was going on and just gave me a full refund (think it was a couple of years old by this point, so top marks to them).
It was around Jan sales, so there weren't many options. Most machines of comparable price were out of stock, otherwise I wouldn't have bought another Delonghi after that experience.
On a positive note, they've improved the design of the grounds compartment in the ECAM series. Whilst not perfect, its much easier to mop up errant grounds that have escaped the hopper.
Handpresso
YouTube Video:laughing:
So are the free gifts anything from the Delonghi store up to value of £45 ? Has anyone claimed yet ?
£20 per movie ticket at the cinema.... 50 tickets later and my £1000 tv has paid for itself...
Our bean to cup has made 20k plus shots, total cost is very similar to instant.
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/small-kitchen-appliances/coffee-machines-and-accessories/coffee-machines/delonghi-ecam23-460-bean-to-cup-coffee-machine-silver-black-10152771-pdt.html
Its a great machine
I used to have the £1000 version before it broke (italian!) but this one is smaller, quieter and less parts to go wrong. I also didnt use the milk compartment on the old machine anyway
Still wish the water catch tray was easier to clean, i tend to catch the water with a cup instead.
Those who say its a lot of money for 'just coffee' clearly dont understand the difference in quality - its no pod based drink maker, its no instant, sweet hot chocolate multi machine - its a Burr grinding, bean crushing coffee shop style machine that youd happily pay £1.50 a go for
I have a nespresso, a manual espresso and this machine now. This machine gets used all day long, one button press, no fuss, great coffee (real coffee), the others are in the loft and bedroom in case of emergancies
Snobs may argue its not a true espresso machine as this requires manual intervention, however, it is.. and it creates the SAME coffee every time you ask fo ir - no variables, no "oh crud what did I do wrong" nor the dreaded "can i have another one" when the family is round.
You can change the length of the drink, v.short, short,normal, long extra long
you can change the strength, v weak, weak, normal, strong very strong
You can adjust the temperature
You can use filtered water via its filter option or dont its up to you.
You can adjust the grind on the burr grinder
It will give you the variables you want and you can program them to how you like it (custom) - so you can see the variables are there with the benefit it will do the same thing time after time!
If youve got some expensive kit already i still recommend these, as ive had really bad coffee from really expensive kit, you get it wrong a lot more than get it right unless you have training this does it 90% as well as a shot youve mastered but consistently.
It just works - for that, i shoved it int he basket when going to buy a TV... i still havent regretted the £300 credit card balance.
For those who say it doesn't stop you buying coffee out I would say it depends: if I'm out and it's part of an occasion I would still buy one out. But, I would find myself driving home from a 1 hr commute and picking up a coffee-to-go for my coffee fix since I wouldn't touch the stuff at work. I just don't feel the need to buy one anymore when I know I have a good cup of coffee waiting for me at home. Bean to cups do make you a coffee snob and it is addictive!
Stick to LaVazza as theyre consistently good, also they sell 1kg bags on ebay cheap, some really nice ones too.
Also work snice in this machine the Starbucks dark roats from supermarkets and even Tesco finest Blends
Premium coffee for cheaper than pods, cant go worng
Have fun
so, yes it heats milk or steams it for foamy milk to make whatever recipe you want
No these are set 'gift' box bundles. I'm expecting 4 small expresso glasses, coffee, a service in a year and some descaler - not really worth £145. I claimed one just over a month ago - still waiting for it. Apparently it will be here in a week or two.
details here: http://www.delonghi.com/en-gb/seriousaboutcoffee/coffee-club
So, in PCworld grabbing a TV... "oh look luv, a coffee machine...."*keeps looking at it* "Put it in the trolley!" she says
Never spent £300 so quickly in my life
:smiley:
I have to say I am reallllyyy bad at cleaning and descaling it and I live in a very hard water area. The machine would tell me to descale every 6 weeks for my area. I probably descale once a year.... But it might affect your warranty if you don't do it frequently in the first year. Need a plan B though in case it does die, not sure I could last a couple of days without a proper cuppa. Need to look at this model and compare to the milk jug version.
Also - the water hardness setting doesn't make sense to me. You are testing the water out of the tap if you follow the manual, but the machine has an optional filter so surely the water hardness setting should be set lower if using a filter?
This is my second bean to cup coffee machine. My first made espresso shots or long coffees and had a milk frothing wand on the side. I like a strong coffee with frothy milk, my OH likes a weak coffee with frothy milk. I work from home and usually have to make her a coffee if I'm having one. Frothing the milk would entail pouring cold milk into a metal jug and using the steam wand to heat the milk then moving the jug to mix some air with the milk, its quite a skill and takes a little while to learn and gets a bit time consuming (probably a minute per jug), but you can make a decent frothy milk in the comfort of your own home. Its best to use a small jug with the low power home machines so I would end up making 2 lots of frothy milk or 3 or 4 if we had visitors etc. In short manually frothing milk is ok but its time consuming for more than one coffee.
I always use skimmed milk because I find it easiest/best for frothing.
The metal wand is really hard to clean if you don't clean after every cup, and as that meant taking the wand part I didn't clean it after every cup.
Like you I was skeptical of the milk frothing attachment. It think it was £30 extra so I thought it was worth a try.
Its all plastic, you can store it in the fridge, but I leave mine with milk in all day and then clean it most nights.
Cleaning is simply rinsing under the tap. The pipe got a bit yellow after a couple of weeks but a regular pipe cleaner and another rinse took care of it. I have got some milk cleaner but haven't used it yet. The frother is functioning as well as it did the first time so I figure the rinsing is working.
There are 3 froth settings, I always choose the frothiest one but you can make smaller denser froths if that's your thing.
To use it, just put milk in, push connect it to the machine, turn the dial to the froth setting you want. Put a cup under the taps - I use a regular but wide mug - the milk tap is some distant and angled from the coffee taps so not all cups will work with it. Select the coffee type (strength and size of the shot) I use strong short coffee. Press the cappuccino button, you get a shot of frothed milk, then your selected coffee. This is not enough to fill my mug so once completed, I press the cappuccino button twice - this then tops up the coffee with more frothy milk.
So its not completely automatic but I get my required with a few presses. One nice feature - you stop the milk (or coffee for that matter) but pressing the cappuccino button again so you can manually create as little milk as you require.
So far (5 weeks/300 cups) I am very impressed. There are 3 froth settings, I always choose the frothiest one but you can make smaller denser froths if that's your thing.
My Gaggia died within 5 years, I had it repaired a year before but at £150 a repair I bit the bullet on a new machine, The standard warranty is 2 years on the Delonghi, Currys want to sell you a £60 5 year warranty - I never buy these, but after I pointed out it had a 2 year warranty and that £60 was 20% of the cost of the machine, he spoke to 'his manager' and did me a 'deal' of £30 for 5 years. Like you I worry about the longevity of the frother and the machine so I took the 'deal'.
Try:
[email protected]
Thank you for the detailed reply. Im going to go for the same model that you have - fingers crossed for a possible price drop around the Bank Holiday!
Cheers fella!
Also has anyone received their 'free gifts' yet? Still haven't received mine - weren't they meant to turn up within 28 days of registering?