Consumer Reviews of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500

These reviews were compiled from Amazon.com, WholeLatteLove.com, BedBathandBeyond.com, and Epinions.com.

It wasn’t unanimous, but the clear majority of consumer testimonials that we’ve collected for the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 were found to be very favorable and positive.

To assist you in gaining confidence in your purchase decision this site has gathered what we believe is a very honest and proportionate collection of consumer reviews for the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 Espresso Machine.

We believe you are likely to agree with us that reviews made by genuine owners of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 are the preferred source of truthful, reliable feedback, which you will find very helpful when choosing a home espresso maker of your own.

By doing the research and obtaining a number of reviews for this mostly well-liked, simple to operate, and reasonably priced espresso machine, we hope that we may also help save you endless hours of time browsing the web yourself in order to accumulate this information.

Review By Katrina728

I received the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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 my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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.

Review By D. Kane

I bought my new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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 sweeteners….

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!!!

That’s it for this review i hope it helped…..

Review By Ute Roesner

Let me express my extreme unhappiness with the handling of a replacement part order by DeLonghi itself, not [...].

Two weeks after we received our new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500, 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!

Review By Patrick P. Davis

I am very happy with my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500. 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 the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500

Review By TrUsTiNnOoNe!

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 DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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!

Review By Barbe Williams

I love my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500! Sure it’s pricey but I bought it at [...] 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.

Review By Amber Smith

I bought my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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 time frame 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 de-calcifying 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 de-calcifier 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 everywhere! 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 DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 are:
1) Quick-fast latte (or espresso or cappuccino – 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 wipe down, 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 the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500! You won’t regret it!

Review By jaxmike

This is really a great machine. The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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 !!!

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 makes excellent coffee, but for repair, FORGET IT !!!

Don’t Buy This Machine !!! This has nothing to do with [...], 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.

Review By DLB

Buying a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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 lattes. 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.

Review By RAM

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 the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 for the espresso & cappuccino connoisseur.

Review By B. Donley

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500, 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.

Review By E. Engstrom

I was skeptical at first about buying a “Super Automatic Espresso Machine,” but I have not regretted buying my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500! 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 connector 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.

Review By MiamiTechnoLawyer

I had been lusting after a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 after seeing one at my wife’s cousin’s residence. This is the lowest price model with the milk frother pitcher. The more expensive models just have more bells and whistle (settings) but the coffee from each tastes the same. The ability to make a cappuccino with the press on one button is amazing. I just did not have the time and patience to do it before I had this machine. My wife hates coffer so it at one cappuccino a day the it will take about a year with no Starbucks to make back the investment (of my visits to Starbucks were less than once a week before I got the machine) but that is not the point. Its a luxury to have phenomenal coffee without having to leave home, undergo specialized training, clean-up, or do anything harder then pressing a button and waiting. The unit looks great. A fun device for when you entertain. Treat yourself. It is worth it.

Review By Ron

I did much comparison shopping and then finally decided to purchase a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500, in spite of its high cost. There were quite a few online reviews complaining about the infuser sticking, but I decided to try one anyway.

The unit arrived as promised and I followed the instructions “to the letter” in doing the setup and starting. Two test cups of coffee later and it was time to go to bed and wake up to a fresh cappuccino. Not quite!

The next morning I awoke to a “Generic Error” and stuck infuser. Calls to DeLonghi were of no use — they just said the unit could not be fixed and it should be returned to the seller.

[...]returns was a breeze (excellent service – bravo) and they shipped me a replacement unit by next day UPS. It arrived with a water damaged box and when I opened it, the replacement was clearly a factory refurb!!! Some of the documentation that had been in the new unit was missing and the water spout was missing. I hooked up the milk (which replaces the water spout) and the unit still refused to work. I can hear the micro-switch click, which means it must be something other than just putting the pitcher in properly.

So it was a refurb, it was broken, and it was missing parts.

The end result is I am out the cost of shipping to send back both units ($61) and do not think I can get a refund for that from [...]. I am technically and mechanically capable (engineer) — this machine is not properly designed or debugged. I strongly recommend you spend your money elsewhere.

I gave it one star only because there is no way to give it zero.

Review By Rainbow

I gave a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 to my husband at Christmas. He loves it. He used to stop by the Starbucks every morning, now he eats breakfast at home. I love it too, because it makes perfect cappuccino and latte. It is very easy to use, with very user-friendly display in English, very easy to clean, a true wonderful automatic hot beverage station at a very affordable price(I mean compared to other brands). After three months of usage, we still love it as much as day 1, wrong, we love it more and more.

Review By Sharon Turzai

I just want to say that I absolutely love my new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 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 received. 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, I’m 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.

Review By William L. Frech

I purchased my first DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500, the pump did not work. I returned it.

I replaced it with a new machine, figuring it was a fluke. Second machine just arrived, different issue but it does not work.

I am done with DeLonghi.

Review By M. Eaton

Let me start off this review by stating I am not a connoisseur of espresso / coffee. I bought this machine due to getting hooked on cappuccinos on my 2010 summer vacation. After coming back, I acquired my cappuccinos from McDonald’s and love them (like I said I am not a connoisseur of coffee, but McD cappuccinos are delicious). Due to time constraints in the morning, I wanted a device that can make them quick without to much work.

After scouring the Internet, reading forum posts and reviews. I settled on the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 and have been using it for the past 4 weeks. I was definitely concern about the robustness of the machine from the reviews I read, so I bought it from a warehouse store that has the world’s best return policy (~$1000). Here is a list of pros and cons I made for the machine.

Pros:
* One touch button for cappuccinos / latte (just keep the bean and water container filled)
* Espresso comes out at 165 to 175 degrees F (the temperature of the water in the tank is 60 F)
* Easy to maintain
* Cup warmer on the top of the machine

Cons:
* Hassle to make a drink with both steam and froth milk. You have a milk container lid for steam milk and a separate one for froth milk (see the picture I added). McD cappuccinos has both steam and froth milk. So making the cappuccino like McD is just a pain, you have to switch lids and wash the one no longer being used. The new Delonghi ESAM5500M fixes this issue in that you have only one lid and that lid has a switch to go between steam and froth milk.
* Steam milk comes out at 125 degrees F (the temperature of the milk in the container is 40 degrees F)
* Froth milk comes out at 115 degrees F. This is the reason people complain about this machine not producing a super “hot” drink and I noticed it too. The ESAM3500M uses 1150 wattage and the DeLonghi ESAM5500M Perfecta Digital Super-Automatic Espresso Machine, Metallic Blue uses 1350 wattage. So in theory, the ESAM5500M may produce a hotter froth milk, I hope somebody with the ESAM5500M can chime in someday.
* This unit will not fit under a lot of kitchen cabinets due to the way the coffee bean door opens up. It requires 18 inches of clearance (see the picture I added). I believe this is a problem for all super automatic espresso machines.
* The machine is a little loud for apartment living.

Suggestions:
* Watch the DVD like other people mentioned in their reviews, to understand how to operate the machine.
* Use filtered water for better taste and to keep the machine clean of impurities (you still need to descale… from what I read)
* On a side note, Starbucks sells their coffee syrup for $10 (just asked the barista). “Cinnamon Dolce” is amazing. I read that tip from somebody’s review and it is true.
* Get the Bean vacuum canister to keep your beans fresh. Exceptional Designs Bean Vac Coffee Canister (ED150)

If money is not an issue, I would suggest trying the ESAM5500M ($1650, this is an opinion based just on the specs). Being a cappuccino newbie, I am not ready to spend that much on an espresso machine. So I will stick with this one for now.

Review By Wagner

It’s a nice and useful espresso maker, except by the fact that I had to replace the machine twice for the same reason, malfunction of the milk container. Unfortunately, I will have to replace it again or get the money back… The frothing pitcher (milk container) does not attach very tight to the appliance, hence no froth. I have to strongly push the milk container with my hands against the appliance and hold it tight to get some froth. It looks like the container does not attach tight enough to the nozzle.

Review By Stefani Shindler

I read many reviews before deciding to buy a coffee machine…I particularly loved the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 because of the detachable milk container. I love being able to make my “Starbucks” coffee at home! I use Starbucks beans and syrup, so essentially tastes the same. The coffee quality is great!

There are a few things, though, that could use some work:

1. After a few days, the milk container was a b**** to get into place! I am glad I read one person’s review to run the frothing lid under hot water…I have to do this every day! I nearly broke off the handle of the pitcher trying to put it in and remove it. I still remove the pitcher from the actual container itself, not the handle.

2. After about 3 weeks, my O-ring broke as well. I have not replaced it, rather just try to shimmy the milk container over it without disrupting it. I will have to replace it soon, though.

3. I would make sure that you have enough water to complete your job. If the “fill tank” message appears mid-cycle, you have to stop and refill the tank, but the machine does not pick up where it left off..you have to start over, wasting all the grinded coffee!

As with any machine, there is some getting used to. Now that I have figured these things out, I would not trade my coffee machine for the world. My husband and I use it every day, and are extremely pleased with the quality of coffee it puts out! I would definitely watch the video, as I learned how to do things I otherwise would not have known! Overall, love this product!

Review By coffee guy

2 weeks ago, I bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500. I own a Krupp Steam (about $100) and a Rancilio Sylvia (about $600) Espresso Makers. I wanted to get my Latte fix with only a push of a button. Doing my Web research, I found 2 reoccurring complaints with the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500. 1) final drink temperature is too cool. 2) the machine leaks from the bottom.

I bought the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 anyway because it was on special sale at the time.

Complaint #1 is true. None of the normal web suggestions gets around the problem. Finally, I found that microwaving the finished Latte for 40 seconds made it warm enough to be pleasant to drink.

Complaint #2 is true. Part of the cleaning cycle includes dumping water from a spout hidden behind the front face plate into the Drip Pan. The Drip Grate (which rests upon the Drip Pan) goes just a little too far back. This results in a little of the rinse water collecting on top of the Drip Grate where it has to be wiped up.

For the extra money that the more expensive DeLonghi Super Automatics would have cost, I’m satisfied with my current DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 purchase. [Besides, I don't know for certain these problems don't continue into the more expensive DeLonghi Super Automatics.] The convenience of getting espresso and steamed milk at a single button push was worth the sale price I paid. I’ve never been able to consistently get the same high level of creme with my previous machines. Also, I like using the unique plug-in milk pitcher (I don’t dirty an extra dish just to steam the milk).

I don’t have an comment on reliability. The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 is a complex machine with lots of moving parts and sensors. I hope the ESAM3500 lasts long enough for me to get my money’s worth out of it — my Rancilio Sylvia paid for itself a long time ago and it is still going strong.

Review By Michael D.

I’ve had my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 super-automatic espresso machine for about a month now and have really enjoyed it. I have an espresso every night after dinner, and my partner has a cappuccino. I’ve been eying these machines for years but really wanted one that would froth from a container rather than sticking the milk into the frother.

The machine has different strength options at the push of a button that allows me to have strong coffee while others can have less strong coffee. The frother works very well and results in a cappuccino that looks remarkably like those we had in Italy.

My only frustration is that Amazon dropped the price by 25% to under $1,000 right after Christmas this year. It’s a steal at that price.

Review By Walt H

Never had an automatic machine like this before, I was used to the standard Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker. I am now spoiled. However, I did send it back and actually upgraded to the Gran Dama as I was not happy with the electronic board on the front of this machine. After the machine was left on for a 1/2 hour or more some of the push button commands did not work properly or some not at all. They worked fine upon on first turning on the machine. Not sure what was causing this but I decided to send it back and order the Gran Dama to see if it had the same problem. Glad to say the Gran Dama is working fantastic and I am enjoying making coffee more than I ever have before. I gave it 3 stars because of the mechanical problems.

Review By Christopher Curshellas

I have had this coffee maker for about 2 years and use it 10-20 times a day. I love it! It is noisy, however the flavor of the coffee and ease of use is worth adjusting to that. I have had no problems or malfunctions of the machine.

Review By Michael

The Magnifica 3500 changed my life for the better. I simply am in love with this machine. Over the summer, I remodeled my kitchen. We removed everything and installed a beautiful, new kitchen with all the modern conveniences. I have been a daily espresso or cappuccino drinker since the early 90s; and I love espresso machines, but I hate the mess.

I did not want to soil my new kitchen with coffee grinds and dripping coffee, so I took a long, in-depth look at automatic and super automatic machines. The price was choking me; however, my kitchen and the stains on my previous granite counter top motivated me to select a super automatic. I chose the Magnifica based on the positive reviews and Delonghi’s long history of excellent machines.

From the first cup, it was a case of pure love. The coffee is great, both espressos and cappuccinos: good temperature, excellent froth, great taste. The easy of use and the great coffee are a godsend. I constantly amaze my friends by demonstrating the Magnifica, and everybody I know wants one. It is expensive, but well worth the price. I now drink two to three times as much coffee as I did before, with a tenth of the effort.

Everything in life should be as easy as making a great cappuccino with a Magnifica.

Review By bob

You get spoiled with this coffee machine, specially when it comes out just like it would in a Italian Restaurant ie Cappuchino and Latte.

Review By de Heiri

We have owned one of these machines for a little over a year now. We continue to enjoy great frothy coffee. May that be regular or decaf.

We have also used the automatic cappuccino feature. It works well. We just do not drink that much cappuccino. Great product!

Review By Tom Yam

I love it.

I usually drink a cappuccino 3-5 times a day.

It supplys good coffee every day.

But I have one concern. When I use this machine, it works with a big noise. Sometimes I think it has something to break.

Review By Andrew P. Matthews

We had our Gran Dama for a very happy 6 months, the coffee was excellent, our friends dutifully impressed and then one day the coffee came out noticeably slower. We followed the de-scale instructions and de-scaled (twice) and then… no change. Right now I have a $1200 ornament and according to Delonghi it is “a scale issue” and we need to do it again – seems unlikely. When it works it works well but I would not buy another one.

Review By dane1234

I have had my DeLonghi Model ESAM3500 Magnifica super automatic espresso maker for three weeks now, and am satisfied with its performance. This model supersedes the discontinued EAM3500.N model; the “S” stands for “stainless,” which is a bit of a stretch, since most of the ESAM is silver plastic. But since there is also some metal, which does appear to be stainless steel, a “stainless” moniker has a basis. This product does look good on my kitchen counter, there’s no denying that.

Further, the espressos are up to the quality I can get using my La Pavoni PC-16 manual lever espresso machine, and the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 has a learning curve that’s a snap by comparison. It took me six months to master my La Pavoni, and that was only after investing in a Masser Mini Professional burr grinder. So, during the day, at work, I keep wired using my La Pavoni. At home, in the mornings and evenings, the DeLonghi provides my caffeine fixes.

My primary reason for trying a super automatic machine was the savings in counter space compared to a La Pavoni and a separate coffee grinder. But I have to admit that the convenience of the DeLonghi is sure nice: just push the “on” button and then the espresso button and 30-seconds later you have excellent espresso waiting to be enjoyed. No tamping of carefully ground coffee into a portafilter and pulling a shot, as required for a manual lever machine (and then cleaning the group). The burn risk for this “enclosed” machine is also much lower than for my La Pavoni, with its multiple hot surfaces. If you have children in the house this would be a factor in favor of a super automatic machine.

While the DeLonghi offers a programmable automatic start function, the cold-start warm-up time is only about one minute, so I haven’t found the need to use this feature.

The initial programming was easy, and except for the grinder setting, I found that the default factory settings work fine. The temperature, and both water and milk quantities, can be customized if you wish.

The DeLonghi DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 isn’t cheap; I got mine for $1,349, including shipping, from WebStores of America, which was about $150 under the going rate. The unit comes with a two-year manufacture’s warranty, and given the complexity of a super automatic I did something I don’t usually do: I took out an extended warranty, providing an additional three years of coverage beyond the manufacturer’s warranty. That extended warranty was also purchased through Web Stores of America, and is provided by Warrentech.

You can download the instruction manual at http://www.delonghi-csservice.com/pdf/ESAM3500Manual.pdf. Plus, the ESAM comes with an excellent DVD instructional video, although you’ll still want to read the manual, which provides additional information not in the DVD.

I had to adjust the built-in burr grinder for finer grinding than the mid-range setting used by the factory, but after doing that I now get espressos that are just as good as those I have finally learned to obtain from my La Pavoni manual lever machine.

I have also tried the milk frothing system, which worked fine; it’s just that I prefer straight espressos to lattes or cappuccinos.

I give DeLonghi an “A” for the ease of clean up. Emptying the grounds container and the drip tray are a snap. Cleaning the infuser is also not difficult. The coffee bean hopper and water reservoir are sufficient for my needs. I even tried the ground coffee bypass mode, but my normal use is the automatically-grind-just-the-number-of-beans-needed mode. As noted by others in their reviews, the coffee grinder is LOUD when it’s on, which fortunately isn’t for very long because of the grind-only-what-is-needed feature. This is good, because the grinder noise scared my cats when they heard it for the first time. And because of the grinder noise there will be no sneaking a late-night espresso or latte if you use the grinder. If you want to do things quietly, use the pre-ground coffee bypass mode.

A warning about using the “pre-ground coffee” mode, though: while the owner’s manual cautions to never add pre-ground coffee while the machine is off (because it won’t sense the addition of that coffee), even after placing the machine in the “pre-ground” coffee mode you still need to wait for the “add pre-ground coffee” prompt by the digital readout; otherwise, it turns out that it’s the same as adding pre-ground coffee while the machine is off. If you make this mistake, the coffee ends up on the bottom of the machine, below the infuser, and as suggested by the ESAM instruction manual you’ll have to vacuum it out (not all that difficult to do, but better to avoid the internally-spilled coffee problem from the get-go). So not only must you only add pre-ground coffee while the machine is on, the DeLonghi must not be in its warm-up mode, because it won’t recognize the coffee addition while warming up. Neither the DVD video nor the instruction manual warn you about this, so remember that you read it here first.

Also: never attempt to pick up the cappuccino or latte milk container up by its black plastic top; instead, use the black plastic handle. If you make this mistake, you will find out that 1) spilled milk is a pain to clean up, 2) but if you have cats they will help, after their initial startle; and 3) the DeLonghi milk container is fortunately made out of a very heavy-duty, impact-resistant plastic.

A digital watt-meter shows that the specified power consumption of 1,350 watts is correct, although the unit only draws that amount of power part of the time. The standby mode and off mode both consume a mere 1 watt. The two-prong, polarized line cord is quite short, at 3.5 feet, so either have an outlet close by, or plan on investing in a heavy-duty extension cord. DeLonghi’s justification for such a short line cord is “to reduce risks from becoming entangled in or tripping over a longer cord.” It is indeed heartwarming for DeLonghi to have such concern for the safety and welfare of persons purchasing this product, while at the same time (and quite incidentally, I am sure) saving the higher cost of a “dangerous” 6-foot long power cord.

There is an automatic descaling mode, with the descaling intervals a function of the water hardness. You use a provided water test strip to determine the hardness of your water, and then program that value into the machine; the range is from “1″ (least hard) to “4″ (calcium deposits form in your throat as you drink your water). The programmed-in hardness value then determines how often the ESAM says it’s time for a descaling cycle. You will need a 4.2-ounce bottler of Durgol liquid decalcifier for a descaling cycle. The ESAM comes with one such complimentary bottle.

You only get one water hardness test strip, so use it carefully. Since I already knew that my water is hard, I decided from the get-go to use only distilled water, and so set the water hardness digital setting to its least-hard setting.

The registration URL given in the instruction manual is obsolete; you instead register by going to the DeLonghi web site, and clicking on the top-page registration link. In the paperwork that came with my ESAM there was an offer for a two-year DeLonghi extended warranty, but at $150 I think that it’s a sucker bet, and that you can do better with the Warrentech extended warranty.

UPDATE #1: April 9, 2008.   After more than a month of use my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 super automatic espresso maker is working great. My reason for this update is to report no answer from the DeLonghi customer service department to an e-mail plus a follow-up that I sent them about water hardness issues. All you get from them is an el toro doo doo automated reply about how “important” your query is and that they will reply “as soon as possible.” It makes me wonder what would happen if I ever needed the DeLonghi “white glove” warranty service, supposedly only available to ESAM customers. So it appears that the posts I had seen regarding the unresponsiveness of the DeLonghi customer service department were valid. How short sighted of DeLonghi USA. It’s still an excellent product, and I wouldn’t be so annoyed if DeLonghi had the honesty to simply say “get lost” instead of sending a phony “your request is important to us” message. At least I will get satisfaction from every read of this update, knowing that others will learn about the useless nature (in my case, at least) of the DeLonghi “customer service” department. Because this rating is on the product and not the company, I am not downgrading my five-star “excellent” rating.

UPDATE #2: September 27, 2008.   I have now had my DeLonghi Model ESAM3500 for slightly over nine months. It has gotten lots of use, and continues to perform flawlessly.  Yesterday I had to do my first descaling cycle. It went fine except for the rinse cycle, where the container I placed under the cleaning-cycle water discharge spigot fell off the drip tray as it filled with water. I was there when it happened, so it wasn’t all that difficult of a clean up. But, be sure to properly support whatever container you use during the descaling cycle, so if the center-of-gravity shifts as it fills, it won’t spill.  Oh, and the DeLonghi “white glove” customer service folks never did return any of my emails; all I got were their big-lie and annoying “your email is important to us and well will respond shortly” emails.

UPDATE #3:  July 2010.  I finally had to have my first DeLonghi ESAM3500 serviced (I ended up selling my La Pavoni and buying a second ESAM3500 for use at my office); it was fortunately still within the 2-year warranty, although getting close to the end of the warranty.  This time I tried calling the DeLonghi “white glove” 866 number rather than sending an e-mail; what a difference.  I immediately got a human being on the line.  Further, they promptly sent out a new shipping box by FedEx, with a prepaid FedEx label to the nearest service center (in San Jose, about 100 miles south of Sonoma).  The service center promptly fixed the problem (cappuccinos no longer as frothy as they used to be; turned out that I needed a new “coupler” unit), and I had my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 back in about ten days.  So, well done to DeLonghi, but why they have a “white glove” service e-mail that they ignore is a mystery.  So use the 866/528-8323 “white glove” service number instead.

Review By hanserelli

So to avoid the confusion – as far as I can tell, all the machines on this site that have the same picture are all the EAM3500 = Magnifica 3500. Now to the review:

We have had this machine for about two months and use it daily. We are latte drinkers, so that is all I can really comment on, although a straight espresso drinker did try it and said it made excellent espresso. We were reluctant to spend this much on a machine, but we didn’t want to fool around frothing our own milk, and we had done the math, so we knew the payback was only about 1.5 years vs. buying cafe lattes. These do go on sale, so buy it when it’s cheaper (we got $300 off ours by waiting).

The machine is easy to use: click in the milk container and press one button and you’ve got your latte. The milk container stores in the fridge, so there’s no pouring milk in/out of the machine. Also, the milk container is self-contained, so there’s no milk gumming up the machine. The milk container is also fully dishwasher safe. Very well thought out.

The machine makes the coffee and froth in one go. You don’t have to learn to froth the milk yourself and the espresso doesn’t get cold while you try (at least that’s what always happened with the more inexpensive machine I tried).

There are a couple of things to note:
- lattes are hot, but not extremely hot, from the machine. They are, however, at a much more reasonable temperature than cheaper machines. I find the temperature to be perfectly fine, although some may wish it were hotter.
- the lattes are strong, but there are several strength settings, so this can be adjusted (we found the ‘Regular’ setting to be quite a bit stronger than the Seattle-based chain’s latte, so we now use ‘Mild’, which is nice).
- the lattes are NOT Venti nor even Grande. They are the size that a latte used to be before the bucket-of-coffee concept was invented. My wife makes 2 lattes back to back in the morning to fill her travel mug. The machine does have volume settings, so you could probably change this, but I like the normal sized lattes, so the default size works well for us.
- it makes coffee, lattes, etc. one cup at a time, so if you’re using it for a large party, it may not keep up
- it takes about 3 minutes to warm up initially, but doesn’t need to re-warm (unlike the cheaper machine I tried)
- it takes about 2 minutes to make a latte / espresso

Clean up is really straight forward – it rinses itself out whenever it’s shut off, so clean up is really just emptying the used grounds tray and water catcher about once a week. We do a more thorough cleaning about once per month that consists of taking out a small box (containing the mechanisms) in the center and wiping it down (takes about a minute). We have had to descale it once so far (it tells you when and comes with the first batch of de-scaler, so this is nothing to worry about). Other than that, the only maintenance is filling the bean tray (we’ve only used whole beans and let the machine grind them, which is does well) and filling the water container. Usually the machine tells you when to do these, although it occasionally doesn’t notice that the bean tray is empty until it’s already made you a cup of frothed milk. Finally, whenever the milk container is put away, it needs an 8 second rinse with hot water (all you do is hold down a button).

Finally, it is noisy (esp. vs. a coffee maker), but it’s mainly during bean grinding, so I can forgive it. It’s also big; it’s footprint is ~12″ x 14″ or so, so it takes up a lot of counter space. That being said, it’s stylish, so you won’t be tempted to try hiding it.

In the end, I definitely recommend it, I would buy it again, and I love that I can make lattes in my house!

Review By fastbug510

I had MAJOR qualms about spending this much money on an Espresso Machine/Coffee Machine. My husband & I both drink about two cups in the morning and enjoy an after dinner cup in the evening. We had been frequenting the popular Seattle-based chain and the like for quite some time and spending about ten bucks a visit; $10 x 5 = $50/wk x 4wks = $200/mo x 12mo = $2400/yr…OMG! I couldn’t believe it when we added it up…was shocked by the number! My point in the math lesson is that if you spend a fair bit of time/money at a coffee shop this machine will pay for itself!

So, the machine itself. What a fantastic gadget! It is so easy to use! At the touch of a button you have umpteen beverage options; cup size (small/ristretto, medium/espresso, and large/American sized), strength, froth/no froth, steamed milk, hot water…. The coffee is terrific, better than any I’ve had at the popular coffee joints! Beautiful crema tops every cup! The machine heats up quickly and the only “maintenance” required is refilling the beans (7.1 oz) and water (60 oz) as needed and emptying the grounds receptacle. It holds whole beans (no pods necessary!) and grinds them to your desired specifications with it’s integrated burr grinder. You also have the option of using pre-ground coffee in a special center top chute with an included measuring spoon. The Magnifica does not make a pot of coffee like traditional coffee machines. It is a one cup at a time contraption and is designed to be just that! Individual cups are ready quite quickly.

The Magnifica is self cleaning; when you power it down it cycles hot water through the system. If you forget and leave it on, it shuts itself off after a period of non-use and cycles through the cleaning process on its own. Cleaning the detachable milk container is also a breeze! Simply press the “cleaning” button on the container for eight seconds and it’s sterilized and ready to go back in the fridge. The container is a separate 25oz milk “jug” that goes in your fridge for storage when not in use. No hoses or nozzles to deal with, simply push it in place and it does its thing.

If you’re in the market for an easy to use, high end, low maintenance unit that makes fabulous quaffs this is the one!

Review By leoguzynski

So far I have owned this machine for less than 24 hours. I my review process, I completely read the manual online before purchase. I also did not want many surprises.

First cup: too tall. Rather weak. But my expectations were relieved when I examined the puck. It was quite small so I realized that I had essentially made an Americana.

Second: decaf (with by-pass) cappuccino. Quite nice. A little light on the flavor.

Third: decaf (by-pass) cappuccino: Even though the instructions say to not place any more than one LEVEL scoop of coffee in the bypass, I did mound a little bit more. This cup came out perfect.

Fourth: Same as third. Very nice.

Morning: Wife made her first cup of cappuccino without my help! This has already paid for itself.

sixth: another decaf. Got this working good.

Seventh: full caf: for me and not the pregnant one in the house. Good cappuccino at extra strong setting. Cant seem to make a double. Might have to re-read the directions. Dang, I hate reading.

Eighth: Same as seven but this time it is really strong (way too strong). Gotta head to work all jittery. Can’t trouble shoot now.

So in your quest: pay attention to the ESAM vs EAM models. The S means stainless. I think that is better. It sounds better.

The 4500 line just has a fancy lid for the milk. I cant figure out any other difference in the design. I did speak with customer service – they said that the new 4500 has some other electronic settings and a little other non-sense.

Longer Cons:
Noisy. I think so anyway. It is not a whole lot louder than my old francisFrancis x1 when you add the grinder noise, frothing, and pump… but all at once on the 3500 is a little startling.

Not as configurable as I thought. Though I have not tried all setting yet…. I’m thinking I’m going to like a double short shot in a little milk. I think I am not going to be able to make the machine do that without separate functions.

Review By ottopilot

We have been using the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 Super Espresso Machine for about nine months in a small office setting. There are three or four of us here that use it once or twice a day to make espresso or lattes. Once we adjusted to the European-size coffee it produces – we switched from our big ol’ American mugs to glass 8 oz cups – we have become dependent. There is a surprising amount of caffeine in the espresso shots it produces. And the taste is so good that it is hard for me to drink latte from Starbucks or Caribou because they taste so weak in comparison.

I had purchased a re-manufactured machine from www.dealmonger.com for $999, which is about $500 off the normal price. Unfortunately, the first one had a leak, then completely died. Dealmonger quickly shipped me a new, re-manufactured one and it has had no problems. The machine is all plastic, and the process of making coffee is so complex that I really didn’t see it lasting very long without some problems. I am happy to report, however, that we have had no problems other than a broken milk container. That occurred when a coworker dropped it on a tile floor (when it was full of milk) twice in one week. A replacement was easy and quick (but not cheap) to order.

So, if you are looking to spend down some profit at the end of the year, I highly recommend this machine. At least in a small office, and with proper care and feeding (I carefully clean it ever week) it should give you a reasonable service life. I also think that we now use a whole lot less coffee then we did before when we would just make a couple of big pots in the morning and afternoon. It also impresses or clients to make a quality espresso drink with the touch of a button.

UPDATE: In response to a comment: The machine uses regular whole coffee beans. We have experimented with different roasts, from the traditional Espresso to French and others. All are good, just different.

Sept 2010 Update:  Wow – still the same usage, and still, after three years of heavy use, no problems at all.  I am pretty good at keeping it clean.  I think that helps.  Pick one of these up used and cheap.  You will not be disappointed.

Review By djriffe

I’ve had my machine for about four months now and am very pleased with it.  I probably go with four to five cups a day from it, and it did take a bit of time to “dial in” the flavor that I like.  I’ve read other reviews about the grinder being noisy, and although it is somewhat noisy, I don’t find it all that more so than a regular burr grinder.  I’ve used the machine to make lots of one-button latte’s and cappuccinos, and both work flawlessly — in addition to the straight espressos.  I haven’t ever used the pre-ground coffee mode, preferring the grind-as-needed method.  Cleanup is well thought out and easy, and it is far easier to maintain than my previous semi-automatic.  I’ve also heard some derogatory comments about Delonghi’s customer service, but can’t comment on that — I’ve never had need to call them.

Review By wirlpoolvictim

I have had the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 now for about 4 months, and overall I am happy with the performance and consistency.  I bought it primarily because I either do not have the time to stand in line at Starbucks or the inclination to pay $3-$4 for a cup served in Styrofoam.  Convenience is #1 factor, and I got it.  It is easy to use, and easy to clean and maintain.  The DVD was very helpful and the functionality of the programs is unbelievably easy for a sophisticated machine. 800# support was excellent when doing set-up.  You actually do talk to a live human being after about one minute!!Couple of drawbacks.  It is pricey and the temperature setting is a bit of a disappointment, but overall, I look forward to coming home and cranking it and have my coffee in less than 2 minutes.  Highly recommended for those who do not like to fuss with extensive cleaning and maintenance.  The display tells you what you need to do and when.  Enjoy!

Review By Gemini

We were very disappointed with this machine and replaced it with a semi automatic which is great.

This machine is very clever, incredibly simple to use with a range of different coffees

The main failing was the coffee isn’t hot enough and not as good as that from a semi-automatic

Review By Dane Ericksen

I started out with a La Pavoni PC16 manual machine, which was a good learning experience. But after a bad motorcycle day in 2007 and being confined to a wheel chair while a broken leg healed, a manual espresso machine wasn’t practical. So I bought a the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 Magnifica super automatic machine. The DeLonghi Magnifica makes espressos every bit as good as the La Pavoni; and unlike a lever machine, where EVERYTHING is critical, the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 is simply push a button. Cleaning is easy. Maintenance is minimal. I was so impressed that I bought a second one for use at my office. The biggest downside (besides the price) is the noise; the first time the grinder fired up my cats were terrified. Also, everybody at my work location can hear when I take an espresso break.

Review By Valerie Elliott

I bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 just before Christmas 2008 from a Starbucks outlet. I like the odd latte but my passion in coffee is for a genuine Americano with good crema. When I made my first cup of Americano it was luke warm even though I had pre-heated the cup. I tried several times without luck. I decided to check the temperature of the water coming out and found the cause. It was making coffee at 75C rather than the 92C optimum temp for espresso. I contacted the company and was told the temp was factory set and there was nothing that could be done. I now have to heat my water in the Microwave and then get the coffee. Since then I have also had problems with receiving steamed milk. I am in the process of sorting this out with the company. I am disappointed to say the least with this machine and will not buy another DeLonghi machine.

Review By Jordan Tenenbaum

I bought myself a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 1 year ago today in a desperate attempt to curb a Starbucks addiction that was emptying my wallet. My wife was skeptical that I would really quit cold turkey like that, but I assured her it was possible. I can say that in the past 12 months I have been to Starbucks only twice (when I ran out of beans one morning) and I now prefer the coffee I make to theirs! I can’t say enough good things about this marvel, from the auto cappuccino function, to the super auto grind, tamp, brew, dispose process which is flawless! Seriously…this thing is a deal (and there are lots of deals out there now from what it looks like). I’ve compared the machine to the 2-3k jura machines and actually prefer the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500.

Review By Neil Thompson

For simplicity and ease of use there is nothing better. Maintenance is a breeze and the frothing system is pretty good and very easy to maintain. Mechanically however I find the Magnifica machines to be sub-par. My 3300 started leaking from the inside in 10 months. Having made the mistake of buying it on [...] instead of [...] it took three months to get matters resolved. With my return check I put a bit more with it and bought a 3500. In the last 10 months I have had to replace the frothing lid twice and now the machine is sitting in my garage as I wait for the packing material from Delonghi to send the machine to a repair shop since it will no longer brew. I am very careful about maintenance and this problem should not have occurred. The lines to the brew group have clogged with deposits from the water but yet Delonghi’s de-calcification program does not clear the brew group water supply lines and Delonghi says not to turn the de-calcifier through the brew group. All in all not a good program.

Review By Susan Rae

This was our first foray into a ‘real’ espresso machine. We really felt that the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 would be perfect after reading the reviews. However, I have to say that I am not getting the latte that I am hoping for. The froth is just not hot enough, and sometimes the espresso isn’t either. We have made adjustments and changed coffees, but it just isn’t worth the extra $$. Yes, it is super easy to use and pretty fast to produce cup after cup. But our main use is personal, so for that amount of money, I want my drink to be perfect. It does produce a great regular cup of coffee and a decent espresso. Unfortunately, we also had to replace the milk container within a month- it is very cheaply made. And six months later we now have a ‘stone’ in the grinder – not covered under warranty and requires me to send it to NY. Bummer! We are very diligent about cleaning and descaling.

Review By David Denoy

Friends of ours have a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 super automatic and so when our awful drip coffee maker died, we decided we needed decent coffee. We miss coffee in Paris and wanted to find something that would bring us that same quality. So we plunked down the cash and we haven’t had a bad cup yet! Lovin’ the ease, the taste and the consistency.

Review By Darryl Kaalund

My decision to purchase a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 super automatic espresso maker was born out of the want of a good espresso shot anytime of day, frustration using a stove top espresso maker, a desire to offer others a varied number of coffees while entertaining, all doing so fast and easy. That led me to purchasing the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 super automatic espresso coffee machine. The first thing that I’ll say about the DeLonghi is “HOLY COW” this thing is amazingly simple to set up and use. The machines default settings can be changed. After some trial and error I soon had pretty good cup of espresso dialed in. Its single button cappuccino/latte feature is brilliant. A few issues with the way the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 attempts to brew espresso however. With true espresso, water is heated very close to boiling is then pumped through very finely ground espresso beans as to release their oils creating Crema . The Magnifica is not capable of brewing coffee in this manner. Its water temperature is much lower and it’s unable to grind its bean so fine. Despite that, I would say that it’s espresso comes close to that of a stove top.

Review By Robert Belniak

It’s painful to drop this much money on a coffee maker. Your friends really wonder about you. But every day, I drive past two Starbucks on the way to work and save 4 or 5 dollars. I set my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 to turn on right before I get up..I plug the milk pitcher in, hit the button and (especially with the high quality vivace beans) I have a drink that makes me forget all about my Starbucks fix. It’s easy to use, flexible, and best of all easy to clean.

Review By David Rondan

I went with the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500 Super Automatic because friends and family like lattes and cappuccinos. Whipping up 8 lattes is easy with minimal mess. Double boiler helps froth/steam milk immediately after you make espresso. I also thought I would be giving up good espresso shots by going with a super automatic. However, this machine makes consistently good espresso, and I look forward to my coffee every morning.

Review By Jason Wingrove

Well only one week in and we love our new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3500, still fiddling with grind setting and strength etc but we can get a great cup of coffee SOOOOOOOO quickly and fuss free. we have two kids and busy lives and often have people over. i wanted a machine where everyone could have a coffee after a meal and i could still enjoy it with them rather than still barista-ing myself into the sunset in the kitchen or cleaning up rather than sitting down with everyone. my big thing about entertaining is to spend time with your guests not preparing or fussing around. something about the journey being just as rewarding as the destination. (ie the food / coffee) anyway this machine lets us enjoy just that. we have many friends that love their coffee (I’m talking proper European espresso now not that Starbucks sh*t and they have all been very very impressed with it. what more can i say. easy to maintain and clean and use. obviously we cant say too much about reliability right now but the build quality and design seems up to it.