Consumer Reviews of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300

The following reviews have been compiled from Amazon.com, CoffeeGeek.com, WholeLatteLove.com, Epinions.com, SeattleCoffeeGear.com, Macys.com, and Buy.com.

The vast majority of purchaser evaluations for the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 were actually very praiseworthy. This is a top selling and very popular machine, with only a very small percentage of owners being unhappy with their purchase.

To enable you to gain confidence in your purchase decision we have gathered everything that we feel is an extremely true and proportionate collection of customer critiques for the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 Espresso Machine.

We think you are going to agree with us that critical reviews that are generated by real owners of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 are the best source of genuine, reliable feedback, which you will find invaluable when shopping for a home espresso machine 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 scouring the web yourself in order to assemble this information.

Review By Alison Christafano

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 makes a GREAT cup of joe, but it leaked coffee from under the infuser right away which became worse over time. Then, after about 5 months of light use, it began leaking from under the unit. So much so that it covered my counter top. My cookbook absorbed a lot of it. I was told by Delonghi to send it to their service center. They supplied the box and shipping label and told me it would a few days turn around. That was five weeks ago. According to the service center, they haven’t yet taken it out of the box to examine it. Neither Delonghi or the service center will honor their promise of a few days turn around so I don’t know when I’ll be getting it back. One sure thing is that I’ll be returning it to Costco for a full refund and find a better unit to buy.

Review By Pravin Kumar

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a terrific machine. It’s seems very durable and consistently makes great coffee. It’s also easy to clean and not very expensive. Finally, it looks great.

Review By Robert Rogacki

I bought this machine about six months ago and all I can say is WOW!!! It’s built very well, is easy to use, cleans up in a snap and brews a consistent cup of espresso every time. I’m really impressed by the build quality of this product and highly recommend it.

Review By Michael MacPhail

We bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 a couple of months ago and have been extremely happy with it’s performance. I did a bunch of research on this site and [...] as well as others. We considered the semi-automatics but after some consideration decided to go with this machine. It takes 90 seconds to warm up in the morning and about another 60 seconds to make an espresso. It looks very nice on the counter. The coffee is great every time. I spent the first few days adjusting for the right mixture but after that was set things have been great. Cleaning is very easy. A door opens up and the pieces can be removed, washed and replaced quickly. Yes, there is a bit of noise, but not any more than you would expect from an espresso maker. The steam wand actually makes the most noise when it’s steaming. The machine shuts down after a few hours if not in use, which I like very much. Gee…I guess I don’t have anything bad to say.

Review By Chris Scovatti

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a fantastic machine! I enjoyed a good cup of Latte with my prior Rancilio Silva but I found it just took too long, especially if I was entertaining others and making multiple coffees (espresso, latte,cappuccino). The 3300 is simple, convenient, fast and has the added benefit of grounding fresh beans. My lattes are wonderful and I use it with both caff and decaf depending on the time of day. Don’t look any further – if you are looking for good, simple etc here’s your machine. Whole Latte Love is competitive and customer service is excellent!

Review By Christopher Cochran

I’ve had my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for about two years now, and I absolutely love it. I was stationed in England for three years and I traveled extensively throughout Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. The espresso (or café) there is far superior to what is found at American coffee shops. After trying all the shops in my area, I was disappointed that I would never again get to savor an espresso that was so easily found at any café or street cart in Europe! So I decided to get my own machine and try to replicate it myself. After much research I decided to get the Magnifica because it was in my price range, it seemed to be the most reliable super-automatic in the price range, and it’s made in Italy, by Italians. I rinse the brew-group off with hot water before I turn it on and after it heats up (in about 90 seconds) I preheat my cup with water from the steam wand. I am a procrastinator and I’m always running late. If I had a machine that required me to warm it up for 30 minutes, grind the beans, tamp, and pull the shot, I would end up at a drive through most work days. When I retire, I will go nuts and get an Expobar Athenea Lever and become a pro barista. I’m sure there are better machines out there, but I have no complaints with the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300, it makes beautiful shots espresso with lots of crema just like I had in Italy. I use Lavazza beans almost exclusively now, they are half as expensive as Illy and just as good (if not better) I now get enjoy authentic Italian espresso every morning

Review By Lyn Hamacher

I purchased the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 (after reading all the great reviews) at bed bath and beyond with a 20% off coupon, partly because of the ease of return. The first machine I brought home just made a lot of loud noises and never went past the red alert button. The second machine leaked under the door of the brew unit. The coffee was ok, but definitely not as good as the gaggia that we just had to bury after 8 years. I have returned it and am now looking for a different machine.

Review By Richard Rogovin

We reviewed all the automatic and super automatic machines on this site and others for about three months before purchasing the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. My wife was initially intimidated because it has a very mechanical appearance (although it is quite attractive) so I learned to use it myself and prepared a list of instructions that I taped to the kitchen cabinet. After three days she decided to try it herself and followed the instructions and made what she considered to be a superior soy cappuccino. After using the instructions about four times, she has had no difficulty using the machine without them. It is very fast and easy, completely adjustable for quantity and intensity, and cleans itself when it turns on and turns off. Today I took out the brew mechanism and rinsed it off in the sink and reinserted it, all in about 30 seconds, just to see if it was as easy as represented (and it was).

Review By Janet Byrnes

I love my new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300! What a great machine for the price. It is fully adjustable, except I don’t think you can adjust temperature, making it a snap to get exactly what you want every time. The frother works great and produces great micro-foam quickly. This machine is so easy to use and clean and produces fantastic coffee. I don’t know how I lived without it. I considered the much more expensive Capresso E9 (my parents have that machine), and I’m very glad I saved my money and went with the DeLonghi. It performs just as well (minus a few bells and whistles) for half the price. The beans used make a huge difference – we so far prefer Illy Medium Roast. I Plan to try Lavazza next. Peet’s is too burnt tasting.

Review By Matt Tupper

Overall, a fantastic machine. Although my relationship with my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 started on a sour note, everything is now OK and I couldn’t be happier. The first machine I bought had defective electronics which tricked the machine into thinking the water reservoir was empty even when it was full. However, the DeLonghi telephone White Glove service was very helpful (and responsive) in diagnosing the problem and ultimately concluding that the machine needed to be replaced under warranty. The second machine has worked perfectly, and I’m very happy now. It brews excellent quality espresso with nice crema (I’ve mostly been using Lavazza Grand Crema) on a very consistent basis, something I was unable to do with my old Francis X1. Plus, the convenience is unbeatable — from the automatic warm up rinse when you turn on the machine to another automatic rinse when you turn off the machine. Try doing that on a semi-auto!

Review By Judith Bean

My Starbucks latte days are over, and I will pay for my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 in less than four months. It just simply doesn’t get any easier to make the perfect latte. Initially, I was concerned when the delivery spouts merely dripped the first 3 or 4 cups; however, the instructions promised that trial and error would result in a great latte and it did. I am soooooo pleased with this machine.

Review By Janice Barnes

We’ve had our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for almost 18 months and have used it on a daily basis. Actually we bought it with “points” from our credit card. The set up instructions were extremely clear as are the cleaning directions. It makes a really nice cup of espresso and the strength and length of the coffee are easily adjustable. The steamer for a cappuccino works well and really I cannot find fault with it

Review By Henning Olsen

I bought this DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 because my old Krups espresso machine did not produce proper crema. Add to this, that I do not have a proper machine for grinding, so I had to find something. Lacking alternatives in my local area I had to buy this online and I was quite anxious to see what I got when I finally decided what to do. But no need to worry. The machine was easy to put up, there was a nice description step by step in how to start and make both espresso and cappuccino. The first cup of coffee was perfect and so it stayed. It’s very easy to clean the machine and the grinding function is good. Don’t use it for already grounded coffee. you can only pour one spoon of coffee. And you lack the ability to adjust the “power” of the coffee by other means than by putting more or less coffee on the spoon. Use whole beans in this machine. The steamer makes job good and nice job when I go Latte or Cappuccino. It’s both easy and quick to change between coffee-mode and steam-mode. And: Now my wife can make coffee too

Review By Sean Montague

This is my second espresso machine, my previous machine was Gaggia Baby Twin, which was returned due to steamer stopped working. Although I miss the aspect of grinding my own beans, tamping the freshly ground coffee in the porta-filter, but the coffee produced by the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is of the same quality as you would find at Starbucks or any restaurant. It did take some time to set-up the machine to account for the proper amount of coffee and water, instruction manual stated “setting up is trial and error” I would agree with this statement. But once I got it set-up making coffee is a breeze and every cup is the same.

Frothing wand is one of the weak points of the product. It only sticks out from the product about 1 1/2 inches and does not tilt so using a large frothing pitcher can be a problem. With the right frothing pitcher it does a good job of producing a hot product with a nice froth. Best point is the steam wand does not add a great deal of additional water to the product. This was a point that really turned me off from the Gaggia Baby Twin.

Another great feature of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is the speed in which the machine is ready to begin producing coffee from a cold start-up. Takes no more than 5 minutes if this long once the machine is turned on. Machine runs through a few cycles and is ready to produce coffee. All of this can be done in the time it takes to turn the machine on fill up the frothing pitcher with milk and get your cups out. One weakness could be that when making espresso you can not froth milk at the same time. From my one time at trying this, the frothing feature overrides the coffee making feature.

Although the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a bit pricey I do recommend. Although I do wish I controlled the process more using this machine is there is much less mess and from cup to cup the consistency of the product is right on.

Review By Jesse S.

I must preface this review by saying that I am not a coffee connoisseur (although I may be aspiring to be a coffee geek). Growing up, my best experiences with coffee were Cafe au Lait at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter, and Kona Coffee in Hawaii. In my search for better tasting coffee, I had used french presses, and an Aero Press(which did produce great coffee). Not until I met my wife did I know that you could spend more than about $200 on a coffee machine. Her parents have a Jura-Capresso super auto, which one I’m not sure, that I have used a few times. She wanted a super auto, because she loved the convenience, like not having to fumble with grounds while groggy.

I made the decision to buy the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 after about three weeks of traveling, without the Aero Press, and buying coffee from various drive through coffee stands. Tired of paying four dollars for over sweetened espresso based drinks, and having already determined to purchase a super auto for my wife, I decided to pick up the DeLonghi 3300 from Bed Bath & Beyond.

I had seen it there a few days before, and as it was the only super auto available in the area. I looked it up, had trouble finding reviews, and figured that if it wasn’t worth the money, I would take it back. When I showed up at the store, I found it no longer on the shelf. In a panic (I hate waiting once I’ve decided to buy something) I went to the front counter to ask where they went (in this town, I was pretty sure that they weren’t sold) and was told that they had sold out. Luckily, The manager walked by my wife, and asked if she needed anything, she mentioned the DeLonghi. From him, we got the strait dope.

Since the town wasn’t a great market for coffee makers over $25 a pop, they were only carried as a seasonal item. The boxed ones had all been sent back to the warehouse that morning! Luckily for us, the display model had not been sold, and we picked it up for $599 + tax.

So, I took the machine home, no box, just threw it (no, not literally) into the trunk of my car. It didn’t have the manual, and it took some time to find it on DeLonghi’s over animated site. It was pretty easy to figure out though. After a few hours, some Starbuck’s House Blend from Sam’s Club (which I returned the next day, not worth drinking) and some serious reading on this site to learn what the shot should look like (having never tasted a good espresso, I couldn’t gauge taste), I was able to produce a great latte (compared to your average over-the-counter) and what tasted to be a pretty good cappuccino. Since then, and learning more and more about manually pulling shots, I have been able to successively improve the taste and consistency through adjusting the machine.

Grind is adjusted on a dial in the bean hopper, and as with other super autos I’ve used, it has to be adjusted while grinding. I recommend running at least three shots through it after the grind is adjusted for the machine to catch up. I passed the setting I needed several times by not waiting a few shots to gauge the grind. I’m currently on 3, but would like to go to a finer grind, as I get closer to the 25-30 second shot timing.

The amount of water forced through the puck is determined by the leftmost dial on the front of the machine. It simply doubles the water for a double, so a single shot is right at the first dot above the lowest setting. As I was having trouble getting a single shot to take the right amount of time (it was running way short), I decided to set the single cup to a double (the fourth or fifth dot from the left). It works for me, and as I get to know the machine better, I may go back to the single shot amount. It can be set to make a larger cup, up to about 6 ounces it seems, but it runs all the water through the puck, which isn’t what I am looking for, although for a more standard coffee, it would work.

The next dial to the right is the “strength” which is simply the amount of grinds in the puck. This is what I have been using to try to dial in the timing of the shot, which may or may not be the best way, but it works for me. I currently set it at between 2 and 3 dots.

The rest of the machine is fairly straight forward. Everything is accessible from the front, with the exception of the beans and the grind setting, which are from the top. The machine turns off after 3 hours of neglect, which is a good feature, because it starts up quite quickly, and the cup warmer doesn’t work well anyway. I use the hot water feature, which comes out of the steam “wand”, after pressing the hot water button to turn off the steam, to heat the cups before dispensing a shot. It does the basic flushing itself out, and all of the components that are “user” cleanable are easily accessed. The manual seems to recommend scraping the machine out with a knife and a fork (I’m not kidding) and vacuuming out the machine every now and then. I don’t think it will be all that necessary as after a wipe down every other night while cleaning the kitchen, I don’t expect much build up.

The last important part of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300is the steam “wand”. It is an all-or-nothing steam function, and the froth aider can’t really be removed. If the milk and frothing pitcher are cold, and you swirl the milk while it is steaming, it produces nicely sweet macro foam. Definitely not going to make micro foam latte art, but it does taste good, and the kids love drinking the leftover steamed milk out of espresso cups.

Overall, I am very happy with my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. It does a great job for the money, and is simple enough for friends and family to use. As long as they understand the ratios, anyone can make great espresso-based beverages with little to no training, once the machine is tuned to the bean. Easy to clean at the end of the day rounds it out, I’m extremely happy with the machine, and look forward to further fine tuning it.

Review By Jose H.

I bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 from Bed Bath and Beyond with a 20% coupon. After owning a couple of Saeco machines, I appreciated the fact that all controls and trays could be access from the front, as well as the large capacity trays. After a few days I was making cappuccinos that tasted better than my previous machine. It also made better and more frost than my previous machine so I was pretty happy with my new purchase. After a week I noticed that it was leaking some water from below so I took it back to the store and exchanged it for another one. For some reason the coffee from the 2nd machine did not taste as good as the 1st one, even though I was using the same settings as before. Also, it did not make as much frost. So I took it back and exchanged it for another one. The 3rd one made the same amount of frost as the 1st one, but I still could not make the coffee taste the same as the 1st one. After a week of experimenting more with the settings I was able to get close to the coffee I was making with the 1st machine. I had to increase the amount of espresso being dispensed per shot to 1.5 oz instead of 1oz. The grinder is about half way and the coffee dispenser is set to max. I mainly use Starbucks Italian Roast coffee beans. I also tried Peet’s Italian Roast, but had to lower the coffee dispenser to half way.

Review By PacGenCon

Pros: Very good quality for the price.

Cons: Could steam the milk to a higher temperature.

We purchased our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 from Bed, Bath & Beyond using their ubiquitous 20% off coupon. The price was about $640 after the discount. We had tried other machines and returned them because at the lower price range, the machines are generally not very reliable. This one is easy to use and clean. It allows you to vary the brew strength and quantity of espresso with the turn of a knob. You can make up to five shots without refilling the machine with coffee (either beans or ground since the machine has a built-in grinder.) The machine is slightly noisy but not annoyingly so. The only fault that we could find is that the frother doesn’t steam the milk quite hot enough for some people. Otherwise, we have no complaints.

Recommended: Yes

Review By Ditzeechick

Pros: It works when plugged into the outlet. Easy to clean

Cons: Lukewarm coffee, blinking lights at all times even when all functions have been attended too

the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 would be great if it actually produced a HOT cup of java. At best it is barely lukewarm. Every cup requires reheating. If coffee/espresso prep becomes a chore it makes the morning tough, I would skip this brand (terrible customer service!) and buy another brand that actually provides HOT coffee/espresso

Recommended: No

Review By Vatsug

I have the ESAM3200, which is the previous model version. The differences are slight but noticeable to the newer. These machines are the best in class for price and performance, produce a great espresso, and are maintainable in ways that other manufacturers models are not. The coffee from the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is just as good as from Jura and even some manual models such as Expobar and Rancilio. It is very close to what you find in Italy – not quite, but for the price it is worth it. Great crema, hot temperature, rich flavor. And the best part is you can pull out the brew mechanism and clean it – VERY key. This will ensure sound operation and function for many years.

In order to keep this machine is fine working order, you need to do a bit of upkeep each week and use the right beans.

1. Only use non-oily, 100% Arabica beans. If you use oily beans it will clog frequently and attract rancid flavors. It will also shorten the life of the machine. I use Illy, but any espresso will do (I actually get the Illy dark roast – it has more flavor when brewing a larger “americano” cup).
2. Clean the brew mechanism once a week. Just snap it out and run it under hot water.
3. Use spring water instead of tap water. This will keep any weird flavors from your tap entering the coffee. It may build up minerals, but…
4. De-calcify the machine when it asks for it – don’t wait.

I, for one, would rather have manual controls over coffee amount, strength, etc. You are not losing out on anything by not having digital controls – other than not being able to have the machine automatically on and ready to go when you first wake up. As for the other models ability to do milk-based drinks at the touch of a button – how often do you really want a cappuccino? If it is every day, then get the 3500. If you are like me and need real coffee in the morning, then get this model. The milk canister can only sit in the fridge for so long. If you are planning to serve cappuccino at dinner parties, then you are committing Italian heresy – cappuccino is only served in the morning.

CONS
1. The cup warmer does not work very well, but get double walled cups and the temperature of the product will not be an issue.
2. You can’t have it turn on automatically at a certain time. But it only takes a few minutes to get up to temperature.
3. It is NOISY.

My espresso settings – coffee amount at 10 o’clock, strength at 3 o’clock, single cup dispense. Super double espresso in an espresso cup. I may have 2 of these on a Saturday.

My wife’s “americano” settings – coffee amount at 3 o’clock, strength at 3 o’clock, double cup dispense. Full cup of rich coffee in a normal cup.

Bean grind at 5.

Review By Dale Botkin

This is an update after three years of using our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300.

We bought our Magnifica after using a similar machine while visiting friends in Germany. We have been using it for over 3 years now, and are still quite happy with it. My wife and I both drink a lot of coffee — tall Americanos most of the day. I am a full time telecommuter, so I will average 3-5 a day in winter, 2-4 in summer. We also love being able to fill a couple of 16 oz. insulated cups before leaving on a road trip. I would say this machine probably gets more use than the manufacturer intended.

The unit has been fairly trouble free. We have noticed a few occasions when water leaked from the tank where it connected to the machine, leaving a puddle on the counter. After a cleaning and more carefully aligning the tank, it ceased being a problem. We have run the de-liming process when the machine asked for it. So far no other problems. I would strongly recommend a complete, thorough cleaning inside and out every month or two, though. Use a brush and a vacuum.

The cup warmer seemed like a great idea; in reality it doesn’t do much. I was going to disconnect it to save electricity, but as it turns out it’s just a metal plate over the hot water tank — it doesn’t use any additional electricity. They just made a feature (cup warmer) out of an area where plastic would have probably warped and cracked by now.

It doesn’t get any quieter with age. Once you push the button you can pretty much forget any ideas you had about conversation until your coffee is done (I am always sure to offer a cup to the in-laws when they visit). I finally removed the covers and added some Dynamat left over from my truck stereo installation to the areas that seemed to be vibrating; that helped a little but it’s still pretty raucous.

I’m sure the guys who grind, tamp, press and adjust the pumps on the chrome semi-autos will turn up their noses at a machine like this, but it’s such a huge step up from the typical drip coffee maker (and ground Folger’s). If you’re a coffee lover you really do owe it to yourself to try a machine like this. The price tag made the purchase a tough decision — still 5x what we paid for the best drip machine we’d ever had — but we’re glad every day that we took the plunge.

Below is my original review, written a couple of months after we got it:

*****************
I wish I could give it a 4.5. As others have noted, it is a bit on the noisy side. We went from a Bunn drip machine (best drip coffee maker by far) to the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 after being blown away by the one our hosts had in Germany. It’s been worth every penny. Speaking of pennies, a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond is the ticket for low price and a VERY good return policy.

We have used Starbucks and Pears beans, and will continue to try others probably. Cleaning is a snap, my only real gripes are the water reservoir – obviously designed with coffee-sipping Europeans in mind, not us coffee-DRINKING Americans. Still, we haven’t used the Bunn since we plugged in the Magnifica.

Likes:
Superb coffee!! Great crema, better than coffee houses
Easily adjusted cup size & coffee strength
FAST warm-up
Easy to clean
Everything works perfectly

Dislikes:
A little noisy.
No automatic timer (not a big deal, since it warms up fast)
Cup warmer not of much use, and no way to shut it off

Review By Jon

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is truly a great espresso machine; consistent, easy to use, makes great coffee. I’ve been using only Illy beans with it, and I feel like I can hardly go out and buy an americano or a latte at commercial stores because it just doesn’t seem to taste as good as at home!

I think the first review really covered most of the details you need to know, but here are a couple of my favorite features. I love that it’s easy to get inside and really clean everything out, pull the infuser out and rinse off, etc. It also has a very nice amount of complexity vs. simplicity with respect to the settings for amount of water, coffee, etc. in each cup. My only negatives would be that it’s a bit hard to make a latte that’s really as hot as you’d want it, and i think the water reservoir runs out fairly quickly. Overall I would highly recommend. My wife and I figured that we would use once in a while after we bought, but it’s bean over 3 months now and we have yet to make a pot of drip again.

Review By WBS77

Bought our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 after heavy and satisfactory use of a Solis Palazzo over the last 4 years.

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 performs as advertised, providing convenience with, given sufficient patience and understanding, the prospect of also making quality drinks. The machine is a bit more complicated for a novice to use, compared to the Solis, and takes more tinkering to get a consistent drink. With that territory, though, also comes the possibility of making a better shot than I could with the Solis. I will explain.

We all pursue that shot with perfect extraction and aromatic crema delicately gracing the surface. Nothing is more fundamental. How does the DeLonghi do? For a shot of set volume, this machine gives us the typical two variables to play with: fineness of grind and quantity of grounds. I found it took a great deal of tinkering with those two settings to get the flow at that point of perfect extraction: not gushing, not dripping. Can be done, just takes patience.

Further, get the settings right for the one cup setting, push the two-cup button, and the results will be worthless. That such a button cannot be found on most comparable machines has a reason. Two shots means a thicker puck, throwing off all your careful adjustments of grind and quantity. Forget about that two-shot button, set things for a single shot and hit that button as many times as required by the lateness of your prior evening.

The settings are sensitive enough – something I have not seen in the Solis – that I find I must vary them from roast to roast. What works for a darker roast leaves a lighter roast mostly dripping out the delivery spouts. Perhaps a liability for those interested in convenience over quality. For others, another opportunity to get it right instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Quantity of grounds wheel is conveniently located on front so such adjustments are easy to make.

Some other initial observations:

* After a half-dozen cups, my machine locked up. Blinking lights and manual told be something was binding in the grinder and to contact manufacturer. My examination showed that the chute immediately below the grinder was packed up. Bent little bristle brush and some awkward maneuvering cleared up the problem which, so far, has not reoccurred.
* Specs say bean capacity is about 7 ounces. Anticipated this being an inconvenience as I roast in 12 oz lots. The bean hopper will actually take 11 or 12 ounces with no problem.
* Buried in the instructions is the observation that, if it has been 2 or 3 minutes between brews, then one should do a quick flush, hitting the descaling button, to assure optimal water temperature. Easy to do but not something I have seen on other machines. I see this as a positive. Yes, another step but one that improves quality.
* Specs suggest this will fit under a cabinet 14 inches above the counter. True, but if you want to be able to open the bean bin and fill, 18 ¼” clearance is necessary.
* The grounds you now grind are not those you next brew. There’s a 1- or 2-shot lag. So, that first shot in the morning has been sitting for, say, 20 hours, ground and letting the volatiles vanish. There go the qualities you sought by carefully selecting a particular bean and then finding the perfect and perfectly fresh roast for it. Discard that first morning shot. Or use it for the family member who likes to add flavorings.

Finally, foam. Two boilers meant, I hoped, extra oomph for the steam. And, that is the case. Makes great foam for those afternoon cappuccinos, wet or dry.

But, what about those morning lattes? Need that perfect micro-foam, nary a single visible bubble, to pour through the surface and float the delicate crema to the surface. Pull the outer aerating sleeve off the foam nozzle and, with practice, can get micro-foam. As the nozzle swings out and not, like most machines, out and up, it remains perpendicular so cannot get the spinning in the pitcher that experts recommend for those of us unable to get perfect micro-foam in the first stages; amazing what steaming sins the swirling milk will bury.

That’s not the real problem, though. Inner nozzle, when aerating outer sleeve is removed, is held on only by the friction of an o-ring, unlike others I have used where there is some kind of firm lock. Now and then, the inner nozzle, when used solo, fires itself into the cream pitcher.

So, lattes are not easy. Options I am considering: keep aerating sleeve in place and hold back the foam as I pour, making a 100% “wet” cappuccino; plug up the air intake hole in the aerating sleeve; or, hacksaw off the lower 2/3rd’s of that outer sleeve, keeping the portion that holds everything together. But, then, no cappuccino’s.

Update: Ended up taking a hack saw to the outer nozzle to kill the frother function, keeping just enough of the outer piece to hold the inner nozzle in place. Has worked very well. Can get micro foam good enough even to make my feeble attempts at latte art.

Summary: These machines are designed for convenience. The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 does deliver: want a fast, effortless beverage, you will get it after some initial tinkering. The complications that arise open the door for those who want to pursue a bit more but are not ready for all the hassles (and expense) of a full bore machine, requiring attention to several other variables. As to the latte foam issue, I chose 5 stars because the machine does perform well as advertised, including claiming to only provide foam for cappuccinos.

Update: Oct, 2010 – Has worked just fine until now – average of 5 or 6 double shot drinks/day day in, day out – over half include steaming milk. Steam system has now failed and so am in the market for a new machine. Steam nozzle always dripped a bit, became worse, eventually control would rotate only with great force. Then, control knob broke. Vice grips applied to knob are my temporary solution while deciding on next machine. May or may not reorder another DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 as it did work well for several years and all the others in this price range seem to have spotty long-term performance judging from the reviews.

Review By D. Dell

Several months ago I researched espresso machines and decided on a Saeco Super Automatic. I liked it, but it only lasted slightly over a year. So then I bought a different model of Saeco. I liked it also, but that one went out in just 6 months. Needless to say I researched a different brand and decided on this DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300.

I have only had it for a short time, but I do like this one better than the Saecos. I will not go into details about this machine because you can read all the specs for yourself. However, I will give you some information not listed in the description and some things are not in the manual.

There are two of us in the household. I prefer mocha cappuccinos and the other prefers regular American coffee in a 10 oz cup. The problem with that is the machine only dispenses a max of 7 oz. However, there is a way to get around this. You can either put more hot water in the cup by using the water/steam wand, or you can do the following. After it has stopped dispensing the coffee/water, press and hold the coffee button and it will fill the cup with more hot water until you release the button. However, be quick. You must press the cup start button within 3 seconds after it stops dispensing your coffee. There is also a third way to get more than a 7 oz cup of coffee that is not in the manual. Instead of pressing and releasing the coffee start button, push and hold the 1 cup start button until the desired amount of water is dispensed then release the button. Of course, anything over 7 oz is going to be weaker. So, you will want to increase the amount of beans to grind.

The descaling light will tell you when to descale. This is set at the factory and may come on more often than you actually need. I use filtered water, so I can go longer without descaling. Read the manual. It will tell you how to adjust this setting. The machine comes with a hard water strip to tell you how hard your water is. It has 4 indicator squares. One to four squares may turn red. The more red strips you have the harder the water and therefore the more often you have to descale. The manual tells you how to adjust the lights, from 1 to 4 to set the time you must descale. Helpful hint: The fewer lights you set, the longer you can go without descaling. If you have, say, 4 lights set then you will descale the most often. The manual really does not explain this, but does tell you how to set the number of lights.

The machine does not have a setting to automatically turn it on in the morning, but this is not a problem. It heats up and ready to use in a little under 2 minutes. Although, it will turn itself off 3 hours after the last use.

I read a few reviews that complained about how loud it is. Well, it is a little noisy, but not that bad. And, it is not any louder than the other espresso machines I had.

Another helpful hint: When you first turn on or off the machine it will dispense 1 to 3 oz of water. This action helps prime the pump and clean the infuser. Put your cup under the dispenser when you first turn it on. This will help heat your cup a little. Then throw the water out and make your coffee.

I really do like this DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 machine and highly recommend it. I can only hope it lasts longer than the other two Saecos I had

Review By Clay Whitney Babcock

I really do love my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. It greatly simplifies my morning mocha ritual. Just push the on button and this fabulous machine spends a minute cleaning an warming itself. Then all you have to do for an espresso is select the single or double button. Granted, Mocha lovers (like myself) still need to spend some time steaming the rest of the beverage, but the quality of the steam for the milk is really superior. The bean hopper holds enough for about six doubles and the water reservoir makes about four frothed doubles before needing to be refilled.

My only argument with the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is that the strongest adjustment on the bean quantity knob is a bit low and I had to dial back the water quantity knob and add less chocolate to make the ideal drink. Oh yeah. the stainless steel tray is easily scratched by ceramic cups so it will not remain perfectly shiny for long. Still. What a wonderful example of improved living through automation. Also it seems as if most of the parts are easily replaceable from the supplied order form.

Review By Robert F. Davis

We have a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 at work and I am saving up to get one for home. It is so easy to use. The Quality and Consistency of each cup is what I really like about it. You can decide how full you want the cup as well as how strong. And then you press a button.

We use Seattle’s Best Coffee Beans at work and it makes a great cup of coffee. It reminds me of going out to a coffee house in Germany.

If I could give higher than 5 stars I would!

Review By D. S. Greenberg

Before I got married – I had a Mr. Coffee Espresso maker – it did the job for me, but I had to grind the coffee myself, and I didn’t know what I was missing…

When I got married – someone gave us a Krupps Espresso maker. I still had to grind the beans, but the coffee tasted a bit better and I was happy for about a week… then steam shot out of the sides (some seal blew), and we took it back to Bed/Bath/Beyond… Got another one that didn’t work out of the box!

That was it for me – I wanted something that WORKED and that I wouldn’t have to futz with (too much) any longer. We opted for the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 and haven’t looked back since.

This thing makes an absolutely wonderful shot of espresso, and great cappuccinos. Yeah, we had to play with the dials a bit to figure out just where we liked it – but that took a day or two to figure out. Once we got it set, I took a sharpie marker (fine tip) and added an extra dot on the dial. If you look really closely, you can see it – so we know what it’s for, no one else would notice.

Cleanup is pretty simple – you have to (OMG!) move the wand, open the door, pull out the tray, and dump the collection bin… Then rinse out the whole thing – use a bit of soap if you really need to, and let ‘er dry… Then reverse the process

I set the water hardness when we first got it and after about 6 months of use, I finally had to descale it (we make 1-2 cups per day). It was very easy – empty the water container, dump in the Durgol and add 1L of water… Hold in the descale button (which was flashing) for 5 sec, then when it goes fully lit, turn the frothing handle until the water comes out of the froth wand… Shove a small Glad 1.6L container under it to catch the crud…

30 min later, the water tank is empty – so dump the Glad container… Turn the froth handle off. Rinse and refill the water tank. Turn the froth handle on. Let it rinse the machine again… takes about 5 or 6 mins… Turn the froth handle off. Empty the tank. Rinse again for good measure, and refill.

Turn off the machine. Then for good measure, open it up, remove the infuser and rinse it out under the sink. Dry it off, and reinstall.

That’s it – you’re done. Good to go for another zillion cups of great coffee…

We’ve used Illy’s Dark Roast beans – they’re very nice, along the lines of a Blue Mountain taste to me but at 60% of the price. We’ve run out of Illy and I’ve started using Shock Therapy Coffee (yeah, find it here on Amazon – it’s GREAT stuff…).

As for the noise: Yeah, when it grinds, you get oh 10-15 seconds of grinding… boo hoo… If you don’t like that, then pre-grind the stuff and use the slot in the middle to scoop it in (although, if you’re doing that, it begs the question as to why you wanted the automatic anyway).

Frothing isn’t too noisy – but works much better than anything I’ve ever had. Get one of those stainless steel froth containers and a thermometer and you’re good to go (again, BBB has a combo with a thermometer that has the “Froth” temperature (about 160F).

Did I mention that I love the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300? Oh yeah, the fact that my wife and I don’t have to blow $5 – $10/day on Starbucks any longer means this sucker is paying for itself… Add in the fact that you don’t have to drive over, stand (or wait) in line, listen to the gossipy drivel or inane music, then risk your life in the parking lot again for a fix and I was sold ;->

Compared to Starbucks – the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 tastes a bit better to me…

Review By J. Thomason

I purchased the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 in the fall of 2008 for my home, but when it came time to deploy to Afghanistan again I could not just leave it at home. The Magnifica has followed my boys and I around Afghanistan and has continually provided us with tasty, caffeinated beverages throughout. The durability has really surprised me, but as in all things the key is to do maintenance every few weeks with some durgol. Additionally, we only use whole beans and clean the innards and outers weekly.

* best with Dunkin’ Donuts whole bean coffee!
* Awesome to dial your strength by the cup!
* Hot water and steam features are beneficial to us when were in a hurry and need some snacks!

in short, you cannot go wrong with this bad boy. I may purchase another for my parents for Xmas, so I can have great coffee when I am visiting home as well!

Review By T. Watson

Our last machine was a Barista from Starbucks, and it lasted for many years. The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 was a huge step up not only in ease and efficiency, but also in cost. But we purchased ours at Bed Bath and Beyond with the 20% off coupon they seem to always send us that saved us over $100! Looks great, very easy to use, and three different ways to adjust coffee strength and amt. to ensure consisting espresso every single time. Making iced lattes has never been easier. We love ours. It’s a fairly large machine, but seems like we are having to fill the water tank and espresso grinder after about every 6-7 double shots. Not a big deal for the ease of every espresso we pull. Sure beats what we used to have to do with the old Barista machine. easy to clean. I just hope it keeps working for many many years. There are lots of moving parts inside that makes this so automated. Steamer wand does an amazing job…almost makes too much foam. So stop comparing models and reading reviews, and buy it!

Review By Sam B

We have had a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for about a year (slightly different model, but same internals) and not a single hitch. It just ploughs on and on and we make lots of excellent coffee cups each day.

The coffee is much cheaper than the nespresso machines ( roughly 10% of the cost) so we have handsomely paid the machine off already. We hesitated at the cost, but have zero regrets. Nespresso is a real rip-off, cheap machine OK, but running costs .. ouch, with a quality of coffee really very similar (Froth, strength etc, once you have settled for the right kind of beans.)

True, it is a bit noisy when it grinds, but that’s OK, and one has to fill up the water container often, but as we need to empty the dregs, as well it’s not a problem, Easy to do both together.

When you have 20 guests, and they all want coffee simultaneously, well, it is slow, and a professional machine could be better, but here with a single pump, it’s fine for 6-8 guests.

Maintenance ? what maintenance ? – practically none, it’s very clean inside, and does not gum up, after a year of heavy use. The internals are well designed, robust and simple.

2 years later:
This is still going fine, with well over 4000 cups of coffee brewed.

I did have a hitch when my son-in-law borrowed the machine for 3 months, and used dark roasted coffee, (Starbucks)and it seemed not to be able to “take” the been into the grinder.

A Swiss friend helped me clean out, it was not jammed or worn out, but suggested me to take less dark roasted beans, as this is often a problem with this type of machines (also other brands)

Since, No problem. It just grinds away and gives excellent coffee, which my friends all love.

Review By Not a size 6

I have been using my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 on a daily basis for more than 2 years now, it’s been nothing but great coffee coming out. Today, finally got to try their customer service. The “infuser” dropped and the machine didn’t function this morning, on a Saturday. I was wondering I probably had to go out for my usual morning and afternoon latte, then I saw this customer service number on the machine. It said they are available on the weekends too. Made the call at 10 am, pressed only one button on the phone manual, 3 seconds later, a life person picked up! She instructed me how to fix it and made sure I know how to deal with the same problem, as well as how to avoid this issue in the future. DeLonghi, you rock!

Review By Marco A. Guzman Trigueros

The name bears the Fame!

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 really has it all! I bought it since October 05 and have enjoyed a triple espresso (To get my heart start beating!) virtually every single morning since then. The machine delivers a very consistent cup every time and the controls are very intuitive (there is really no need for the LCD display on other models). It is very easy to clean and maintain: no messy clean-ups, three minute cleaning and that’s it. I have used several beans during these years and I have always been able to “calibrate” the settings to my taste and get the perfect cup. When I have gone for a long time; (say) 6 months with the same beans, I’ve been gladly surprised about the consistency…I get the same quality in my cup of coffee every time. The manual says that with time you may need to adjust the grinder to maintain the tightness on the mechanism but I prepare an average of 5-10 espresso shots every single day and I keep getting the same quality. Flawless.

Pros:
Reliable, consistent, easy to use, built to last. Great value for the money.

Cons:
Noisy…It was not an issue for me until my wife and I realized that our 1 year old woke up at the same time in the morning when I make my coffee. The machine is located downstairs and my baby’s room is closed. We wake him up five minutes earlier since then to prevent a cranky wake up =)

The water tank has to be removed every time you need to fill it up and I thought that it would have an impact in the little grommet that controls the water flow from it. Although not very comfortable (other brands let you refill just by removing a lid and then pour water on the tank), the tank comes off very easily and you can snap it back without a problem.

Review By WhiteDog

Just replaced our Saeco machine with a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. The Saeco brew group needed replacing w/in 3 months…3 months later the thing broke again. Saeco customer service was not good (disconnected on three times after 20+ minute waits!) Thank goodness we were able to return it and replace it with this less expensive machine.

So far, we love the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. We’ve used it for 1 months and have made 4 drinks per day. To date, no problems. The machine will pay for itself in 3 months!

I think the machine even looks better than our old machine. But, it is not stainless steel. It will appear more ‘silver’ next to stainless appliances. And, it does occupy a lot of counter space. A small price to pay for delicious espresso at literally a touch of a button. From warm up to drinking lattes, less than 3 minutes.

If we run into any problems, I will re-post.

Review By J. Ralston

My husband is a HUGE coffee drinker. Two years ago, I surprised him with a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for a combo Christmas/Bday gift. It has been impossible to top this gift!

99% of the time, he drinks his coffee black. He even orders just plain ol’ black coffee at Starbucks. Since getting this machine, he can’t stand spending money at such places when he can make it just as good, if not better, at home! He is VERY picky about his coffee, so that says a lot coming from him.

We have had no problems with this unit in the 2 years we have owned it, and it has been used heavily. It is just now needing de-calcified, as we have used filtered water with it.

Not only does the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 make great coffee, it saves money. We are no longer dumping out pots full of coffee because it didn’t get drank. Between that and the money we save by not buying cups of coffee at Starbucks, this unit has probably paid for itself!

There are only a few downsides I can think of:
1) Tall coffee mugs/cups do not fit underneath the spouts
2) The milk steamer nozzle could stand to come out a little further. It’s not a huge deal, though.
3) I wish the water storage tank was larger. Again, my husband drinks SO much coffee so we are constantly refilling it.

We have absolutely no regrets about spending so much money on a coffee maker!!! If this one ever breaks, we plan on buying another one just like it. Do shop around. Prices can vary up to $200 for this unit.
———–
2/26/2010–
We have now owned our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for over 3 years. We have had ZERO problems with it!

Review By Latte Freak

We have had our machine, actually it is the previous generation to this one ESAM3200, for a little over 4 years. it has been a great machine. The only issue we had to use the warranty for was the handle on the steam valve broke. not a problem, delonghi USA sent 2 spares out real quick. Now, a couple months after the extended warranty was up, I had to replace the TAP (steam on/off valve assembly). not a problem and was not that expensive. I am now replacing the Genrator (this is the part the heats/boils the water) on my unit, literally just ordered it……..but considering I have had this unit for over 4 years, I am not complaining about having to buy a $80 part for it. How much do I use my unit, well, my wife and I both drink Latte’s, and considering we have both drank lattes on a daily basis for a little over 4 years with this machine. let me throw the numbers out there for ya’ll. That is somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 Lattes from my machine. if you look at it in terms of how much we would have spent buying Lattes (Large Double shoot, Suger Free Vanilla app. $4 a Latte), it would be something like $20,000 and $24,000 over the past 4+ years…..When/If I have to buy another machine, I WILL buy another Delonghi machine.

Review By Michael Maguire

I feel I should review this, as I used other reviews in my purchase. My DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 works great, does as it is suppose to do. I have owned it for 3 years without a problem. My mother bought one after I got her off of folgers, she loves it also. The only time I stop for coffee anymore is if I am on the road. I bought the fully auto because I know in reality I would use it more. I will keep this short, as I am not an expert on coffee, but want people to know this machine,for a lower cost fully auto, has handled everyday use for 3 years.

Review By Rebecca

Before purchasing the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300, I spent a few hours tormenting over the many choices on Amazon. The choice between Pump-driven or steam driven was the biggest dilemma. I bought this model two months ago, and we are very pleased. We have 4 kids who have their teenage friends over frequently, and the machine is put to use making lots of lattes. LOTS. It is noisy, but that is not a problem for us. The de-calcification light also flashes after one month, so buyers should make sure to find the water hardness test strip in order to set the machine to your water hardness. Otherwise, the machine will determine when you should de-calcify. So far, my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 has not made a bad cup of coffee and has been easy for us to use. We are now spoiled by the ease of use and would buy again

Review By Keil Steven Greg

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 espresso machine is one of the best purchases I’ve made, seriously!

I’ve had this espresso machine in our office (about 20 people) for three years now, and it hasn’t missed a beat. It’s used *every* workday by almost every employee, multiple times a day. The coffee is great tasting (I prefer it to the espresso from Starbucks, for example), it’s easy to use, and the machine hasn’t had a single build problem over these 3 years. I seriously expected it to konk out after such continuous use after a year or two, but it’s been a workhorse.

Highly recommended!

Review By David C. Knieriem

I’m at the six month mark for using my new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. First, for context: I do not sip coffee out of a mug in the morning looking out over San Francisco Bay as I contemplate life’s wonders. Instead, I want my mocha latte in the morning (and just about every morning) before I go to work. In addition, I am not a frustrated barrista falling back on my Starbuck’s training; I don’t even use the frothing wand because it is too much of a pain in the rear to deal with. Instead, I bought something that does it automatically, which kind of fits the theme of this machine.

I used a Gaggia Classic until it died. I was happy with it, but in a sense, I think this machine has it beat for one very important reason: consistency. You get the same cup of coffee every morning with good crema. And that is, to me, the only upside that matters. Is it noisy? It is quieter than my burr grinder. Do you have to clean it? Sure, about once a week, but it takes about 30 seconds. Do you have to de-calcify it? I only use distilled water, and I haven’t had to yet. Does it break down? Not mine, but I don’t leave it on all the time. I turn it on, it takes about a minute to get ready, I make my coffee, then I turn it off. No problems. Is it super hot? I use a double-walled Bodum cup, and it stays hot for 20-25 minutes with the foam on top. The trick is to either make the coffee right away, or pre-warm the dispenser (it can be done).

All in all, my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 does what it is supposed to do. What more can you ask?

Review By Mark Z

I purchased a new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 about a month ago, and this is my first automatic espresso machine. In short: I love it. It is easy to use and produces excellent espresso. It is also easy to use and clean.

From cold start to a finished espresso is around two minutes, and less from a warm start. The unit draws a consistently dark, rich espresso; the easy to adjust controls let you select single or two-cup, volume per cup, and darkness (strength).

The water tank is easily accessible (it holds about 3 bottles of bottled water, which is what I use since my local water is poor). It is easy to add more beans, but I do notice that the refill door is one the top in an area that makes it difficult to open fully if you have the machine positioned on a counter top under overhead cabinets.

Cleanup is easy (the unit does a small flush on start-up and shutdown), and the waste tray for the used coffee (which turn into solid “hockey pucks”) holds about a week’s worth of waste making coffee once a day for my wife and me.

After reading many reviews for this and other brands online, I was a little concerned about the learning curve to be able to brew a good quality espresso, but after only about 4 cups, I had it down…the machine really does most of the work.

I will echo comments from other reviewers: the beans you use are important, and I have been experimenting with different brands.

I would highly recommend the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 to others.

Review By R. Mansfield

I purchased a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for one of my husband’s Christmas presents. He is a true coffee lover who cannot start his day without a cup of joe and, as a result, has added much to Starbuck’s profits over the years.

I was not familiar with espresso machines (never having owned one) and did weeks of research to find the one that seemed right for us. My requirements were simple: I wanted something extremely easy to use and something that would provide good quality espresso.

I could not be more pleased with our new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300! His daily and my weekly trips to Starbuck’s have ended because of how easy this machine is to operate and the wonderful quality of the coffee. We push a button (after setting a couple of EASY to read dials) and voila! Espresso! Making a latte (my preference) is just one easy additional step in steaming the milk.

My husband reports that this is super easy to clean and it’s compact design is attractive on the counter. The bypass doser is easy solution for the times I want decaf. This is so easy that my teenagers can easily make a latte or hot chocolate (chocolate is made from adding the steamed milk to chocolate syrup)

Last note, I thought we’d miss not having a timer so that I could set it to make espresso at a certain time and we don’t’ miss that one bit. From the time you turn it on you have espresso in a minute and latte in 3 minutes. I also thought we might possible miss having the steamed milk dispensed from the machine automatically. Don’t miss that at all, either!

If you are questioning whether it is worth the cost – buy it! You will save money in ending the coffee shop runs AND you will have the option of having an espresso or latte whenever you want one. (Yes you will actually stop going to the coffee shops!)

Review By W. F. Acor

The last time I made a cup of coffee for myself (American style) in any kind of a machine was in 1997. Since then I’ve used nothing but press-pots.

Last week my friend gave me the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 as a gift. Finally! Someone has come up with a machine that can make a cup of coffee as good, and sometimes better than a press-pot.

Although the mouth-feel is less “bold” than coffee from a press-pot (it’s a coloid thing), I think the clarity of flavors more than make up for it. You can taste everything the coffee has to offer, from that very first cascade of flavors all the way to the finish.

The machine is straight forward, easy to use, and even easier to clean (VERY important for really great coffee). The only negative is the cup warmer. I don’t use it, so I think a switch to turn it off would be a great energy saver. But since it doesn’t effect coffee production, I didn’t knock off a star.

If you’re more interested in great coffee than the appearance of the plastic exterior, this machine is a great piece of engineering and well worth the money. For the best coffee, try roasting your own.

Review By C. del Castillo-Hegyi

I am not the type to write reviews, especially positive one almost a year out from purchasing. But given how grateful I am for the service my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 has given us, I wanted to give this my highest recommendation. It is a solid machine and has never failed us. It is a truly luxury to have at home but it pays for itself in the number of times you avoid going to Starbucks. The cappuccino/lattes are amazing. The crema in the espresso is perfect. The coffees are a little strong but I’ve gotten used to it. We love our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300!

Review By Mark J. Stanvick

I can’t hold a candle to the true coffee aficionados who have posted their reviews. But I will tell you that after throwing away the first few shots (as per the instructions) my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 was making a better latte than I have been buying at Starbucks for years. And in six months the machine will have paid for itself. Will it break? Eventually – but again, in six months it’s paid off. After that we’re saving six bucks a day so if it lasts just a year (the warranty period) my wife and I are up a thousand bucks! And it really is push-button assuming you aren’t an espresso artiste in which case maybe push-button isn’t for you.

Better lattes? Cheaper lattes? Super easy? Sign me up.

Review By Thomas P. Panfile

We’ve been using our new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 every day since Dec 26, 2010. We make about 3 cups of coffee per day. So far, every cup is perfect. It would be nice if it held more water in the reservoir. But filling it every other day is not a big issue (I make the max size coffee). The steam wand heats and froths the milk pretty quickly. So far, I’ve had no problems. I read the directions and followed them exactly….this probably made the difference in working on day one. However, the directions could benefit from more pictures of each step. I’ll try and update this post in 6 months. By then it should have paid for itself over purchased coffee.

Update (February 7, 2011)…..our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 still makes great coffee and works flawlessly. We’ve made 3 cups of coffee per day since purchase. That is about 130 cups or $390 worth of purchased coffee without even leaving home.

Review By David Munson

We bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 thing with our Saddleback Leather Amex Points and couldn’t be happier… and I’m from Portland. You know, where coffee is a way of life. It’s even handed out to you free in the grocery stores there. This last Christmas, we had a bunch of family over and they all asked about getting one because they loved it so much. As for the build being of cheap parts, well, Polycarbonate is what they use to make the water container. It’s also what is used for space helmets and headlights on cars. It’s really strong, but sadly it does have a cheaper feel. We’ve had it for 1.5 years now and would buy it again in a heartbeat. If we ever have a Saddleback Leather cabin or ranch, we’ll definitely put one of these in there.

Review By Casper

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300is an excellent, reliable machine with an elegantly simple design that makes a good quality espresso and good quality cappuccino. My motto: Keep it simple for better reliability.

We’ve been through 4 Cupresso super-autos. The first one lasted for many years. Each subsequent replacement failed or broke within a year. Cupresso’s are notoriously difficult to work on or clean due to hidden non-removable components and their steamers are not very strong. Every time there’s a problem, Cupresso customer service wants you to ship it to the repair center. After the 4th Cupresso, I was ready for something that was simpler with a removable brew group for easier cleaning and minimal maintenance. William Sonoma took our broken Cupresso in on a trade for this one, so it made the decision easier. I had bought a Gaggia for the office several years ago. I loved the removable brew group in the Gaggia. Delonghi took it one step further and improved the Gaggia design with an elegantly designed simpler brew group.

In it’s favor:

1) Simple Design
2) Very easy to clean
3) Very simple removable/replaceable brew group for easy maintenance
4) Good espresso
5) Powerful steamer with no gimmicks
6) Descaling indicator
7) Easy water filling

Minuses:

1) Very noisy grinder
2) The “works” behind the buttons feels fragile, so we take care not to press the buttons too hard
3) Iffy cup warmer (Have to leave the machine on for a while to heat up)
4) Some grounds sometimes miss the pressing cup and spill out inside the machine. Not a big deal.

Upon the death of our 4th Cupresso, we ordered a Gaggia Titanium from [...] with high expectations. It was a disaster. Try as I might, with 10 years of experience using super-autos, I couldn’t adjust the Titanium to produce a good rich cup of espresso and the bean chute was poorly designed, resulting in empty shots when the beans got stuck. The Titanium would also balk at heavy shots, so there was just no way to get a good shot from it. So I went to William Sonoma to see what they had. This one was the only one WS had with a reasonable price, and they took the Cupresso in on a trade. Given the simple design and somewhat lightweight build, my expectations weren’t that high. I have to say I was a bit shocked at how noisy the grinder is. However, after a few shots fiddling around with settings, I was able to get a nice, rich, shot of espresso! Even when overloaded with grounds, it doesn’t give up on the shot – it ramps up the pressure to meet the challenge.

I tend to hate the gimmicky steam wands you see on consumer cappuccino machines. This one isn’t the standard metal wand that you see on professional units, so I wasn’t expecting much. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. The steamer is very functional and easy to clean. I recommend that you keep the steaming wand deep into the milk until the milk is warm.

We have had our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for over a year making 3-4 shots per day with no complaints. The noisy grinder was a bit of a surprise, but soon became part of the ritual. I use the bypass chute for whatever I’m in the mood for. My S.O. uses the built-in grinder for decaf.

Recommend that you keep a small cup under the machine when you turn it on or off to catch the power-on/power-off rinse (no biggie). I use the power-on rinse water to warm my espresso cup.

For the money, we’re VERY pleased with this machine.

Highly recommended.

Unfortunately, a few days after I posted this review, the price more than doubled. Now I will say, “Highly recommended at less than $500.”

Review By R. Sullivan

I’ve owned my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for three or four years. It functions perfectly & the steamer is great.

There are no auto-settings, memory options, or auto-froth, but you’ll have to determine if it’s worth $1,000 – $1,500 extra to get those features.

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a solid machine and it’s being sold at a steal right now. Less than $600 is a steal.

Review By Luiz G. Santos

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 works great and I have just prepared several espressos….I am using mineral water to avoid scaling problems and I did not see up to now any problems at all.

Great for any time with or without friends to have a hot and strong coffee.

Review By Eric Taylor

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a good solid reliable machine that makes a good cup of espresso. I like the analog dials: the simplicity and elegance makes it easy for anyone to understand how to use it in just a few minutes.

Pluses:

1. Design simplicity
2. Good espresso
3. Easy to clean
4. Auto descaling indicator and simple to descale (comes with one Durgol descaler)

Minuses:

1. Noisy grinder
2. User’s manual was obviously written by a non-native English speaker, example: “the program of descaling is hour terminated and the machine is ready per do again the coffee” and as such, some of the instructions take some time to figure out.
3. The power on/power off cycles rinse the system causing brown fluid to drain into the drip catching tray – just keep a little cappuccino milk pot underneath to remedy this
4. Grounds bucket inside fills up irregularly so the warning light goes off before it’s really filled to capacity (requiring more frequent emptying)
5. I could not adjust the setting for water hardness (not that big of a deal, but it might prolong the interval needed for descaling)

Overall, a good super-automatic for the price (I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $639 using their 20% off coupon, but then you pay tax)

Review By Amy Tiemann

It took me a year to finally commit to buying an espresso machine because there are so many choices out there that it’s paralyzing to pick one. But after too much time shelling out $10 a day for two drinks at our local coffee house, we decided to take the plunge. I did a lot of research on the site Whole Latte Love and chose the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300.

We’ve had our machine for about six months now, so we’ve saved almost $1000 (above the cost of the machine!) and enjoyed great tasting beverages. My husband has actually switched from drinking cappuccinos to straight espressos because it tastes so good. I still drink lattes and that works, too. The super-automatic function really is easy: just add beans and push one button and you have espresso, foam the milk and you have a latte.

I chose the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 from a crowded field of options because it was not too expensive. I didn’t need a cup warmer or a timer. Honestly, on some of the more expensive models like the DeLonghi ESAM3500.N Esclusivo Magnifica I couldn’t figure out what more I would be getting for approximately twice the cost (a milk container? I can put the wand in the frothing pitcher myself. Perhaps if I could compare them in real life I’d see the difference. Comments from DeLonghi 3500 owners are welcome).

This basic DeLonghi has the internal guts that mattered to me, the direct grind “beans to brew” system that ensures that the beans are freshly ground for each cup.

I am giving the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 4 stars instead of 5 because it’s not perfect. The grinder is really loud, but hey, it’s supposed to be waking us up in the morning. The exterior construction of the unit is disappointingly plastic-y. The water container leaks a bit when you remove it, and we have a small amount of grounds collecting inside the unit (maybe we need to clean the grinder).

Overall, we are very pleased with my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. It gets the job done, producing wonderful espresso drinks at a reasonable price.

Review By Jonathan K. Perkins

I purchased my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 after getting disappointing results with a Cuisinart model. I didn’t research it much; it was on the shelf at my local retailer so I gave it a try. I really didn’t have very high hopes, because the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a little “plastic-y” compared to the Cuisinart, and because I typically don’t trust devices that are fully automatic.

Well, I was VERY pleasantly surprised with this model and I have been using it 2-3 times per day for about a month.

Here’s a quick rundown on how the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 works. You fill the bean hopper with coffee beans, and the water tank with (obviously) water. You turn the machine on, and it takes about a minute to warm up. It drips about an ounce of water, probably to heat and flush the machine. I catch it in a mug and dump it.

To make an espresso, you put a cup or two under the spouts, and press the single or double shot button. The machine grinds, clunks and whirs, and after about 30 seconds it begins dispensing espresso, nice and warm with a good layer of crema. The espresso is robust and tastes great.

To froth milk, you switch on the frother, and catch the water that comes out with a mug. When it turns to steam (about 10 seconds), you submerge the tip into the milk and begin frothing (use a frothing thermometer for best results). This is where the machine really shines–it is a strong frother compared to the other units I’ve tried.

It is true that the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is mostly plastic on the outside, so it may not be the pride of the counter top for the appliance-status-conscious. On the other hand, though, it is a fully automatic unit for well under $1000, and it makes great beverages. I have no regrets with this purchase.

Review By skepticalis

I have the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 which is effectively the same machine, and it has been a real workhorse. It is my second super automatic, and about my fourth espresso maker in general. If you’re an espresso or cappuccino lover, you can really get spoiled by the super automatic machines.

I have been told by someone who worked in the industry that to get a really superior espresso, you have to jump up to the multi thousand dollars, so in this price range, a great machine.

Previously I had a super automatic with higher reviews, but it died on me after less than a month. Before that I had semi automatics. I loved my little Starbucks machine but it isn’t made anymore, I used that daily for years.

One of the best features of this DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 product is the quality of the support if you need to call the customer service line. The employees are fantastic (native English speakers), patient and helpful. Last time I called I got the impression the call center was in Canada. I never got the feeling they were impatient with me, but so helpful and walked me through everything.

I always used filtered water, clean the machine as directed, and try to use non oily beans (but they are probably oilier than ideal).

Pluses
1. Reliable
2. Coffee quality is very good (not superb – but very good)
3. Great foaming for cappuccino
4. Machine tells you when it needs to be descaled
5. Fairly simple to assemble and take apart for cleaning
6. Wonderful customer support

Cons
1. Machine has a lot of plastic inside
2. A little noisy
3. Descaling process is confusing at first until you get used to the long silences and during the process

Review By My Cat’s Name Is Bernie

I waited until I had my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 1 year to write this review. I chose it because, based on reviews, it appeared to be the best low price fully-automatic espresso machine. I am really happy with it.

I use a frothing thermometer to tell how long to steam the milk for. This results in perfect cappuccino every time!

Pros:
- Makes great coffee
- Fool-proof milk frother
- Easy to clean – don’t need any special cleaning tablets

Cons:
- Manual controls for bean and water quantity
- My machine jams once every couple of months. However, the jams always clear themselves – no service has ever been needed

Update November 2010 after 18 months of use:

My DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 finally had a jam that wouldn’t clear itself. I called Delonghi tech support. To my pleasant surprise, the call was answered quickly, and the technician informed me my machine had a 2 year warranty. There is a service depot in town 1 mile from where I live. They were able to fix the machine in only 24 hours.

The cause of the jams appears to be a manufacturing defect. There is supposed to be a spring that allows an internal funnel to flip out of the way when the brewing mechanism moves inside the machine. My machine didn’t have the spring, so the brewing mechanism would sometimes catch on the funnel.

After the service, my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is now working perfectly.

Review By Dr. Todd W. Harris

I’m not one to write reviews, but I know the agony I went through looking at espresso machines. If you’re looking for a fully automatic espresso machine, stop looking and get a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. Read on for details.

I knew I didn’t want to have to grind and tamp my own espresso. I wanted to be able to grab an espresso two minutes before a conference call. I didn’t need another appliance I wasn’t going to use after the novelty wore off. So I was already set on the semi/fully/super automatic category.

Make no mistake, the buy in cost is high. But if you’re looking at this range of machines, you already know that. The cost will be mitigated with saved outings to the local shoppe, and tempered by the high quality espresso you’ll be enjoying. The Magnifica is simple to operate and simple to clean (an important factor in the durability of these machines). We pour five to six espressos a day and the machine has been running solidly for 10 months. I’ve descaled twice, a mindless process that takes about 40 minutes. Cleaning the inside and drip tray is just as easy and takes just a few minutes. Some people mention that it’s noisy. It isn’t. Folks, it has a built in burr grinder.

Pros:
* great quality espresso, cappuccinos, lattes, americanos.
* built in grinder. One less thing to buy, have on the counter, or store.
* ability to use grounds for single cups. Great for decaf orders at dinner parties.
* pours singles or doubles, together or as two cups.
* portability. Yes, it’s actually easy to move around. We take it to friends houses for brunch.
* hot water for tea, too, should you be so inclined.
* ease of maintenance
* heats up quickly
* auto shut off, good for absent-minded people

Cons:
* steaming wand is awkward. It’s either too short or not angled enough (not angled at all).
* plastic. Machine looks good, but it would have been better with a metal face.
* wish it had a timer
* cup warmer rather anemic

Review By michelle

I’ve had my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for over 3 years now and have used it daily with whole beans only (self imported from Brazil or Vivace from Seattle). Makes a decent espresso every time. I’ve never had to do any maintenance on it except for a weekly 1 min cleaning. I only wish that it could make a stronger espresso shot. I always have it the on max setting, but the espresso comes out slightly on the watery side. Still much better than Starbucks and cheaper in the long run, but doesn’t compare to the high end coffee joints like Gimme Coffee. For the price level though I think it’s the best out there in a one-button automatic machine. I would lose patience with using a manual machine every morning when sleepy even if it gave better espresso.

Review By Texzilla

I have the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. Makes great coffee fast and easy. The only thing it lacks is a low coffee bean indicator, meaning if you forget to check the beans it will just whirr. No big deal but it has an indicator for low water. The refuse box should be a little bigger as it fills quickly, but then again I drink it 4 doubles per cup. I got this for my wife and it is the first small appliance we use all the time. Highly recommended.

Review By Dorothy Goldwin

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is exactly as advertised. It’s taking a while to figure out the perfect amount of water and bean intensity for different types of coffee. It makes delicious coffee and I love being able to steam milk for something extra fancy! This makes getting up in the morning much more fun!

Review By BDunesMark

Purchased a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 after much research on line. Did not want to spend over $1000, but wanted to find a reasonable machine in the $500 to $700 price range. Purchased the first machine on line from [...] It arrived as promised from [...]…plugged the machine in and it would not power up. Obviously a fault that should have been found in the quality control process before it left the factory. [...] was terrific and I returned the machine the next day after contacting the Amazon support centre. Amazon had a new machine delivered the next day. No problems with this machine so far. I have been using Lavazza espresso beans and the coffee produced is very good…nice cream, flavor, etc. I find that if you grind the beans too fine, the machine struggles to move water through the coffee (i.e. drips rather than provides a steady stream). Have also used the milk steamer…does a wonderful job on lattes and cappuccinos. So far, I enjoy the machine, but continue to be concerned about it’s durability. Time will tell.

Review By Jake & Jackie

This is my 1st machine that is more than a $50 drip coffee maker. Well worth it!! After researching so many super automatics and reading reviews this seemed by far the best buy for the money. (after $100 rebate = $528.00!) This is an excellent buy for this machine. I have found the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 in retail stores for $800.00, sometimes they do offer 20% off such as [...] which would still put you at $640.00.

I just received my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 Thursday 12/23- just in time for Xmas eve dinner at our house. I practiced and tried out the machine early in the day with ease. By nighttime I was ready to go. My ESAM pumped out 1 espresso after another as well a couple of Americanos in between without an issue. My wife’s Portuguese family who are all avid espresso drinkers were all impressed and really enjoyed their espresso.

I can agree as I’ve seen some negative comments that the temperature could be hotter, but don’t be fooled, the temperature is quite hot & drinkable upon serving. If you planned to make your espresso and let it sit for too long than you may end up with a not so hot espresso- obviously!

There is a little bit of a learning curve in determining the right size to strength ratio but after 1 or 2 servings you should have that figured out.

Great machine(so far) for a great price!

Review By Robert E Ritchie

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 certainly lives up to its name. I purchased this product to replace an aging cappuccino machine that was on its last legs. I had tried a number of different machines, from the most basic to the most advanced, and each was found lacking when compared to the ESAM3300.

I find that my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 consistently provides a perfect espresso each and every time. The only adjustment I have ever have to make is to the volume of espresso generated (in order to match the size of the cup/mug I am using at the time). The frothing is, thus far, absolutely flawless.

However, I notice that the frothing valve on this machine is identical to that in the ESAM3200, which is notorious for becoming stiff and sticking after extended use (especially in areas with extremely hard water) due to mineral build up on the seals of the valve. The largest drawback to this, or ANY DeLonghi machine, is that replacement parts are extremely difficult to come by and customer service is virtually nonexistent. I have completely disassembled these machines in the past and the various components are simple enough to identify, access, and replace IF you can obtain the replacement parts that you require. Unfortunately, DeLonghi expects the user to empty and pack up the entire unit, ship it off to a service center, wait 6-8 weeks (average) and then the user is frequently told that the cost of repair is greater than the cost of purchasing a new unit.

Were it not for this one shortcoming, there would not be enough stars to adequately rate just how wonderful this machine is. Anyone, from the most advanced barrista to the first time user, can be making perfect cappuccinos in a matter of minutes using this machine.

Review By Robert C. Caridi

I used to have a Saeco but was unimpressed with their customer service. I purchased a machine that had a “ceramic” grinder because it was the “latest and greatest” but I was not aware that this is more difficult to clean when it becomes clogged (especially if you use oily beans). After several years the machine clogged and when I called service they told me I had to bring it somewhere for them to service it. It turned out to me a “mother board” issue and was going to cost about three hundred bucks. Told them not to fix it and I will by a grinder for fifty bucks. I saw this machine on [...] and it seemed like a good deal. Got it, worked well but when it came to cleaning the brew group it got jammed. I couldn’t get any satisfaction with DeLonghi as they told me it would need service or contact [...]. I went to the return site at Amazon and they took care of everything in seconds. Sent me a new machine (same one), and I sent the old one back in the box that came with the new one. Really simple. I know why it jammed–make sure the machine is OFF when you remove the brew group. It makes a nice cup of coffe and the steamer really makes for wonderful foam. Great value for the price. I am probably most impressed with [...]!

Review By imesswithtexas

I had a Kitchenaid Pro Line espresso machine prior to my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. I must say that I prefer this machine in every way.

Pros:
Fast warm up
Easy to clean
Pulls perfect shots every time (once you get it adjusted properly for your beans; you may need to adjust it slightly if you change beans, so the strength is what you prefer).

Cons:
The only real complaint I have is that this machine (like a lot of others) is lacking when it comes to the steamer nozzle. The steamer actually heats up pretty quickly, but it doesn’t pull out far enough from the machine to comfortably get most cups under. I would give it 5 stars if the nozzle rotated out further from the machine and you could change the angle it sticks out at.

On the whole, I think thge DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a great machine and would recommend it to others.

Review By S. Gualdoni

Definitely like the Delonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. Coffee results are good and the analog dials are intuitive and simple to use, even for visiting Grandma. A straight up espresso comes out very nice with crema. Even a full cup of weaker American style coffee comes out well once you master the dial settings. My main complaint is that the steam wand is not fully articulating e.g. just goes side to side. You have to hold the cup up to the wand while frothing. If the wand also went up and down, you could set the cup on the tray with the wand in the milk, but alas it doesn’t. Also, the steamer is designed for cappuccinos and not lattes. There is no way to turn off the air intake which creates cappuccino froth. The water tank is not huge but it’s very convenient to remove (from the front)and fill up. It has a top so spillage is minimal. Bean hopper is good size and super easy to fill. It’s not too loud when it grinds, relative to stand-alone grinders. The grind coarseness adjustment seems to work well. You can set it so high that a shot will just trickle out, which indicates it can grind very finely. One odd thing is that it uses a lot of water in it’s warm up cycle, thus requiring an even more frequent fill of the water tank.

Pros:
- Great espresso / coffee results
- Intuitive, easy to use
- Good build quality
- Easy to clean and refill
- Quality grinder
- Relative low cost, good value

Cons:
- Steam wand not very convenient
- Not geared for lattes
- Uses a lot of water in warm up cycle
- Bypass doser a bit cumbersome

Review By Stacey Goff Johnson

My husband bought me a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for my birthday a month ago and we both absolutely love it. He was a bit skeptical at first as it was so much more expensive than a regular coffee machine, but it is really worth the price. We both use it every day (I used it several times a day) for both lattes and regular coffee.

Pros:
Heats up fast
Brews delicious coffee fast
The frothing wand really froths up your milk quickly

Cons:
The machine is a bit loud when heating up
I wish the water chamber was a bit larger, however that require that the whole unit was larger
The machine isn’t really designed to give you straight hot water – so we still use the teapot for tea.

I have not had any problems as of yet with my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. I do keep it quite clean – every night I refill the water and dump out the old grinds. I also pull out the center mechanism every few days to ensure that is clean.

I can’t believe we went as long as we did without this machine!!! Definitely worth the money!

Review By L. Eckert

My new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 works very well. I have had it for about 2 months now without any problems. The only thing that I’m not overly thrilled with is the prep & clean up needed after each time you use the machine. Other than that it works very well. Oh, I also wish it had a larger water tank.

Unfortunately, after about 3 months of use with this machine it stopped frothing the milk very well. Yes, I cleaned it after every single use and it just stopped working as well as it did. Sadly I have returned the machine. I really miss my morning cappuccino’s .

Review By Ned Dunphy

Bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 a few weeks ago. It is very easy to use and fairly intuitive. It makes great coffee and better than average espressos. The only con really is that the water tank is not big enough…you have to refill it (depending on use) about every other day. Great machine for the money.

Review By C. Costa

My wife and I have never been a big coffee drinkers, but our new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 has definitely made us more excited about drinking coffee. We’re very happy with the quality of the drinks it makes and the ease of use. The only issue we have is that it’s quite noisy. It’s hard to turn this on without waking someone up in the morning. Although the amount of maintenance / clean-up / refills it requires is quite manageable, it bothers me that ti asks to refill the water when there is still about 1/4 left.

Anyway, apart from the noise this is a really great machine. I’ve very happy with the purchase!

Review By John R. Noviello

I did exhaustive, sometime overwhelming research, prior to this purchase. In this price range, I found that the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is the best value for the money. The next step up is more than double the price without many added benefits.

It took some tweaking to find “our” settings but it wasn’t difficult to use, is a breeze to clean and easy to load with beans and water. The super automatic took guesswork out of this all together, which for me, was perfect !

Review By Antonio Petruccelli

makes very good coffee, easy to use. however it leaks water from day 1. Need to bring it for service already. not happy about that. Leak from inside. I am in Canada so they are not upholding the warranty. Would not buy it again on [...].

Review By dagsinva

I wish the water tank would be bigger.

It holds a good amount of beans, but I need to refill the water tank about every day, depending on how much milk I steam.

Otherwise – love my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 . It was exactly what I wanted.

Review By V. R. Dharmavarapu

This product what I received was not a brand new one. Some body returned it which they send me

Review By Arnold E. Mauer

We used our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 primarily for coffee. It’s flexible for both doses of coffee and amount of water. You can also use ground coffee. That’s where the positives end.

The coffee was never very hot right out of the machine; had to use the microwave. The steam function quit after about six months. Back for service. After another few months the adjustable height coffee spigot wouldn’t stay up any more. Finally, the pump went and just dribbled a bit of coffee out. Back for service again. It left here on Dec. 15, ’09. It came back on Feb. 19, ’10. I called about it in January and was told the service center was kind of busy.

So, in the meanwhile, we got a Keurig. It makes a great cup of coffee and the coffee is hot! The DeLonghi goes into the basement awaiting a future tag sale. Real waste of money.

Review By Ketia B. Wick

I bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 after our Saeco machine finally broke down after many years of use. I have not had the problems that some of the others have had from the machine breaking, as I do not use it as much as I did my Saeco. The reason being is that this machine lacks power, and is very, very slow. If you don’t have a lot of time in the morning to make your morning latte, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Review By Mary

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is great if it works, once you need this machine fixed you have to drive 2 hours to drop it off. I called Delonghi to complaint and to ask why there was no where local to have my machine fixed they could care less. I called and spoke to Delonghi Canada and spoke to the supervisor named Carl and she did not care about my concerns. DO NOT BUY A DELONGHI PRODUCTS!!!!!!

Review By Li D Pan

I have same experience as Banshee. He posted his opinion on 11/30/2010. Unfortunately, I did not read his review until I received my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 and found the espresso it made just not hot enough and went online to look for answer. And, yes I have tried to preheat and rinse my cup and end result is ok but not that good. Same as him I ordered this on-line after reading many reviews but reviews and ratings missed the major and most important issue with espresso/coffee machines – the drink from the machine is tepid, not hot. I know this because I have a Saeco Royal in my office and it can brew a much hotter and flavorful espresso. Noise other mentioned is not a problem for me; they all noisy.

Review By Thecranialman

I bought two of these machines (one from Starbucks…never ever buy anything from them and the other online), one for the office and one for home. They work very well for about six months and then started to have a plethora of problems. I called the manufacturer and they were NO help at all and then I found a place that fixes them and sent them both and 1200.00 later they still don’t work. I had to go online and find parts and fix them myself and am in the process of finding new machines as the time and cost are ridiculous. DO NOT WASTE YOU MONEY ON THIS MACHINE

Review By Gary X

I almost bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 online but made a wise decision to see it first hand in a store. I couldn’t have been more disappointed by its appearance. The machine looks nothing like its picture on closer inspection. The shiny stainless steel-looking parts in the photo are nothing more than plastic covered in cheap-looking chrome foil. The only real metal part outside is the drip tray cover. The buttons and knobs are wobbly. From the looks of it this is a cheaply-made machine and I just don’t have the confidence that it’s going to last beyond its short 1-yr warranty period.

If you care about how a $800 gadget looks on your counter top, this is not one to own.

Review By Moore Paul Patrick

I bought a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 in 2006 after an almost-endless trawl through the Internet reading owners’ reviews – after all, we are talking about the search for the perfect espresso here!

The coffee quality is indeed great. The only misgivings I would have about using it are that the knobs have no user markings, which means that if there are several people in the house using the machine, it is impossible to select the previously-selected individual settings. Also, the time before the machine performs an auto switch-off is fixed at about three hours. I couldn’t find the power consumption in the user manual when in “idle” mode, but I think it must be substantial since it keeps the boiler/cup-pre-heater hot during this time. Not that the pre-heater is any use – I warm my cups by first wetting them and then putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

More seriously, I have had the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for three years and in this time it has broken down four times – the first time after six weeks, the second time after about 18 months, the third time after about 30 months, and again most recently last week. The first two times, the machine was fixed under guarantee, without any quibbles. I think the problem is that the environment these machines have to work under is probably the most severe to be found in the home: high-pressure boiling water, grinding, and the transport of the coffee grains within the machine. Maybe the build quality of the cheaper machines is such that they cannot cope?

While waiting this last time round for it to be picked up and repaired, I decided to open it up to check its build quality (I’m an engineer). DeLonghi has used thin plastic wherever possible. The coffee transfer path is not well isolated from the rest of the machine – as a result coffee powder had dropped into the moving motorised assembly at the back of the machine (I think this was the reason why the machine ultimately had failed).

Others here have commented on the machine’s coffee-making ability. I agree, it makes great coffee. It’s a pity that, in my experience at least, it was let down by poor engineering.

Review By Christiane Hoeninger

Apart from breaking after 4 weeks the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is a great espresso machine, we loved it. Easy to operate, makes great coffee and espresso. Maybe we had bad luck but after 4 weeks of use one of the coffee brewing buttons broke and then the on/off button wouldn’t work anymore. The machine was dead. It seems that the electronic behind the buttons is not very robust. I sent an email to the DeLonghi customer service but never got any reply.

Another downside: The machine asks for descaling every 2 weeks. This gets a little expensive considering that the recommended de-calcifier for one time descaling is about $6. I returned the machine to Amazon. They are always great with return. So fast, so easy. They are my absolute favorite online order merchant.

Review By B. Cherry

I purchased the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 Espresso Coffee Machine from Amazon in November 2006. It just died one month ago, out of warranty of course. When I called Delonghi to inquire as to how I could get it repaired, they informed me that they have only two places in the US that fix them. One on the east coast, and one on the west coast. So you have to ship it at your expense and insured to the appliance repair shop. I shipped mine the same day it broke to the east coast location; it went to Cross-Bay Appliance in Howard Beach, NY. It took them an entire month to look at the machine and they have a very casual, unconcerned approach. They will say, “I’ll try” to look at it for weeks until you start to get a little heated in your tone, then they will take a look at it. Well, after waiting the entire month, they looked at it only to tell me it will cost almost as much as it would to purchase a new one to repair it. I asked them to ship it back and not to bother adding the cost to insure it since, now, it’s nothing but piece of junk. Well, they insist on charging over twice as much as it would cost to resend it back to me.

Delonghi apparently does not care in the least about your out of warranty repair needs. Even if you have a small problem, you better give your beloved espresso machine a long kiss goodbye because you won’t see if for a while. In my case, it’s junk. I’ve heard of others having mechanical failures with these machines, but if they are out of warranty, which is only one year, you are screwed. I searched and searched for a appliance repair shop locally, there is NO ONE who knows about these machines but Delonghi knows and they will send you to this operation which does not have to try to get business, could care less about the customers and you can tell they know the drill. I’m tempted to let them keep it, but then realized that probably many people do that and they end up probably refurbishing them and then selling them, which I will not allow.

So, as much as I loved my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300, I would never purchase another one from Delonghi simply because there is no way to reasonably get it repaired in a decent amount of time and for a fair cost. So, your machine, once something goes wrong with it, will end up in the garage until you or someone else you know decides to go to the Espresso Machine Repair School for broke down Delonghi Machines.

I was shocked that this was my ONLY option, and the repair shop Delonghi sent me to has unprofessional and callous morons running it. They know you either pay what they ask for or pay whatever they want to ship it back regardless of the actual cost to ship it back to you, which further aggravates you because you have no choice. It’s abusive. I will be filing a BBB complaint for this repair shop and giving Delonghi two thumbs down. Your purchase will be short lived. I’m looking into the Pasquini Espresso machine now, but I will find out what process I will have to go through if it needs any type of repairs in the future–post-warranty. These machines are not cheap. At first I loved Delonghi, but now that I know I’m buying their products only to put them in the garbage later because of outrageous repair costs and inconvenience by the morons Delonghi sends you too, I will never buy another one.

Review By Blythe Ripepi

I ordered a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 for my mother for Christmas. What convinced me to go with the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 were the overwhelming number of outstanding reviews on Amazon. I will say that for three and one-half weeks, the machine made outstanding coffee. It then broke. The lights would blink on and off over and over and the machine would no longer brew. When my mother called customer care they suggested a possible solution. When that didn’t work they said it would need to be sent back for repairs. She asked about a replacement. They told her ‘no’, that it would have to be repaired. She then asked about an extension on the warranty for the time it was in their shop. They again said ‘No’. Having no other option, she sent it back (after waiting two weeks for the shipping box and label to arrive). That was THREE months ago. She has called customer care. They referred her to the appliance repair shop. She attempted to contact the appliance repair shop NEVER receiving an answer. She again called customer care and was told that the shop is in Seattle, WA (we are in Virginia) and that they are only open Monday-Wednesday from 9-5 and Thursday from 9-1. They have no answering machine. You must call during working hours and be lucky enough to get someone on the phone. She found this out last Thursday. She now has to wait until Monday at 11 am to make another attempt.

We estimated that we probably had 40 cups of espresso before the machine broke. When I purchased it it was $799 (say an even 800 for sake of easy math). That means each cup cost us about $20 (not including the cost of the beans). The coffee was good, but it didn’t pump out $20 cups. The company may believe that the quality of the machine is ‘good enough’ for the $800 price point, that a few lemons here and there are to be expected for that price point. Investing $800 in an espresso machine (in anything) is significant and not something I took lightly. It is an expression of trust. I don’t mind the fact that we received a lemon, I do mind that the company does not seem to care or respect our investment in them. Beyond the money, it has cost my mother time and frustration. I am embarrassed that our family’s gift to her (on my direction and recommendation) has been little more than a source of stress for her.

When (or if – at least seemingly) she gets the machine back from being repaired she is seriously considering just returning it to Amazon, even though we cannot get a refund due to the time that has passed.

Like I said, I read ALL the reviews on this before I selected in this particular machine – good and bad. I have never before run into a more appropriate application of the saying ‘Let the buyer beware!’. If you are still thinking about investing in this Delonghi, we might have a deal for you! That is, if we ever get it back.

Review By C. Shephard

Our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 makes fantastic coffee, but it began leaking around the infuser immediately after getting it home. Then, about five months later, it started leaking from beneath the unit covering my counter top with water and ruining a cook book on the same counter top. After proving that I had purchased the item less than a year ago, Delonghi recommended that I send it to a service center. They provided the box and the shipping label and told me it would be a few days turn around. That was five weeks ago. I’ve contacted Delonghi and the service center, but the unit has not even been out of the box to be examined yet. There is no recourse with Delonghi as they will not help in expediting the repair. I’ve given them every chance to honor their promise and their warranty, but now I’m so frustrated that I plan to take the unit back to Costco for a full refund after it is repaired. I’ve read many other reviews after experiencing this for myself and Delonghi seems to have a consistent habit of not honoring their warranties. Buyer Beware.

Review By Alanant

I have had our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 break twice for no explainable reason. Repairs have been related to the “boiler” and “generator” and have come in at $600. The machine is only used by my wife and I. Its de-scaled monthly. I seriously have no idea why my machine is so fragile and neither do the Delonghi authorized repairers. I have no doubt it will break again so I am looking for another brand.

On a positive note the coffee tastes good, heat-up is quick and cleaning easy. It could do with a larger water tank though and I guess a more powerful pump so as to heat up the milk faster.

Review By J. Lopilato

Don’t purchase any DeLonghi product…

Machine will not turn on after making 12 cups of coffee. Customer service is curt and not helpful.

Only solution they had was to send machine from Florida to California for repair. Between the transport time and ordering parts from Italy ? ( no parts kept in the us, then don’t sell it here ! )and then sending it back to Florida, my new machine will be gone between 6 to 12 weeks.

It doesn’t matter how good the coffee is that it makes if it doesn’t work !

I figure each of the 12 cups cost me about $ 66.00 so far !!

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT

Review By S. Bauer

I ordered my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 on-line after reading many reviews. The product reviews and ratings missed the major issue with espresso/coffee machines – the drink from the machine is tepid, not hot. Everything else about the features of the machine have no value if the espresso is not brewed at hot enough temperature. I returned this machine and then bought a Delonghi that works great, the DeLonghi Perfecta 5400.

About temperature. Coffee needs to brew at about 200 deg F to extract the right flavors. Then coffee is served at 160-180 F. Starbucks coffee is set at 180 F, maybe a little hot for immediate drinking. The 3300 delivered coffee at 140-145 F, way too cool, since coffee then cools more in the cup. The 5400 delivers coffee at the right temperature of 160F. All the other controls also work excellently. I highly recommend the DeLonghi Perfecta 5400. Do not buy the 3300 – just delivers tepid weak coffee.

Review By KEK

All arrived on schedule, but the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 did not work. I had very satisfactory assistance from DeLonghi technical support who said the product needed to be returned for exchange. I am looking forward to the replacement arriving as I love coffee — specifically lattes and espressos. Will do an update on Amazon’s response and assistance. DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

Review By Dyan McCool

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 machine makes great tasting coffee but my machine has broken twice in two years. I’ll never buy this brand again.

Review By Dudley Lovely

I received a DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 as a gift. It was new in a factory-sealed box. The first time I tried it, water leaked from the seams on the side of the machine by the water tank. It was completely unusable. I attempted to have it serviced under the factory warranty. It took about 5 phone calls to the Delonghi customer service call center, and about 1.5 hours on the phone, before I was informed that they would not cover the machine under factory warranty because, even though it was brand new, it was not purchased from an authorized retailer.

Caveat emptor.

Review By W. Kirkpatrick

I drink a lot of coffee. Roast my own beans, etc. The idea of just pushing a button is very appealing. But… For the cost of a upper-mid range major appliance (washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove, etc.) I think I should be able to expect a device with at least some degree of quality. Not so this machine. It is, well, just cheaply made. Cheap plastic. Cheap controls. Cheap, cheap, cheap. OK, I guess $800 in plastic junk is what the market will bear. $800 will buy a pretty decent stainless steel range, with a life expectancy of 10s of years. Lucky if you get a few years out of one of these coffee makers, and other reviews seem to highlight that fact. Many talk of how great their previous machine of a “few years” was and now they’re onto buying another one…

Go look at one first. Don’t reward manufacturers that have neither shame, nor pride, in their work.

Review By W. Turner

Worst investment ever made. I’ll never buy Delonghi products again. I was convinced to buy because of all the great reviews but it turns out Delonghi did most of them.

By Steve

Pros
* Easy To Clean
* Easy To Use
* Great Taste
* Well thought out design

Cons

Best Uses
* Anytime
* Formal Dinners
* Kitchen
* Morning Coffee

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

By dvbell

Pros

* Easy To Clean
* Easy To Use
* Great Taste
* Quick Brewing

Cons

Best Uses
* Anytime

I purchased a new DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 to replace one that I had bought at another retailer several years ago. Compared to the manual one I had it is much quieter than my previous machine. I read the reviews about it being noisy and that was the general consensus from several customers but to me it seems quieter than what I had previously and the bonus is everything is in one machine which I like a lot. It took a few tries to get the grind and other adjustments to where I liked but overall I am extremely happy with my purchase and am not disappointed.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

By Ben

Pros:
* Easy To Clean
* Easy To Use
* Great Taste

Cons:
* Small Water Container

Best Uses:
* Anytime

My Saeco was leaking and was not functioning properly. It was also making more noise that the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. I had paid more for the Saeco than the Delonghi but this machine is so much better, it is almost unbelievable. The coffee also tastes better. I will never buy a Saeco again but I would buy another Delonghi any time.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

By Mean Bean

Pros:
* Easy To Clean
* Easy To Use
* Great Taste
* Large Water Container
* Practical
* Quick Brewing

Cons:
* Noisy

Best Uses:
* Anytime

compared to my previous machine which became unusable after a year the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 seems like it will be more reliable. the self cleaning with each shut -off should help keep the insides happy and user cleaning is easy. The controls feel a bit flimsy but otherwise construction is decent. coffee is perfectly made. a bit noisy but most of these super automatics are. happy after 3 weeks.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

By Frank

Pros:
* Easy To Clean
* Easy To Use
* Great Taste
* Quick Brewing

Cons:

Best Uses:
* Anytime
* Kitchen
* Morning Coffee

We like our DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 . It does what it says it will…makes a good cup of coffee every time. It’s easy to clean and maintain, and so far, after a month of use, we’re quite pleased with it.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

By salila

Pros:
* Easy To Clean
* Easy To Use
* Great Taste
* Large Water Container

Cons:
* Noisy

Best Uses:
* Kitchen
* Morning Coffee

Fantastic machine; only downside is that it is a bit noisy. Not ideal to make a lot at one time as isn’t super fast.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 to a friend

By Jakester

Pros:
* Easy To Clean
* Easy To Use
* Great Taste
* Not a Saeco

Cons:

Best Uses:
* Anytime

Ok, here’s my story and we will see if review stands. First, I started my love for Super Autos with the Saeco Italia. Read the reviews. Like an Italian sports car… when it worked it was great. Most of the time however!!! Went through three before I got one that lasted three years. Even on that one, the brew group failed. After a long call to Saeco they sent new brew group for free.

It seems clear the Saecos are incredibly temperamental. See reviews and all have same hassles. What’s worse is repairing them usually cost an average $300-$400. Call a service center and ask. I tried a Saeco Odea Giro. Failed in first week. Simply stopped working.

So finally, after reading, researching and frustration, I buy the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 from great people at [...].

People, it is like magic! Finally, a logically designed reliable super auto! 2 year warranty and in home repair service from DeLonghi!

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 has power control up front and you can see water level on the side. Steam wand tucks in out of the way. Controls on front for shot size and intensity are great. Bypass includes a spoon that sits in chamber. It even includes a water test strip for calcium so you can correctly set the descale interval alert based upon your water quality.

THIS IS THE MACHINE TO GET UNDER $1000. AVOID THE FRUSTRATION AND JOIN THE SATISFIED.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

By DJ in Colorado

Pros:
* Easy To Use

Cons:

Best Uses:
* Anytime

I use my DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 everyday, it is easy to use, tastes great and I am very happy with it. I would recommend it to anyone. One thing, don’t buy beans from [...], they are too oily. Buy your coffee beans from another source like Seattle Coffee Gear.

Review By M IN THE MORNING

I started drinking cappuccino’s 27 years ago in Italy. I purchased a machine over there and when I had to replace it, I went to Krups. Never had any problems with them and I had 2 or 3. I decided I wanted to have luxury. Just under a year old and the “needs water” light kept coming on although there was water in the tank. It would work off and on. Contacted the company, tech support walked me through a few tests. Machine finally stopped completely while the boxes were coming to ship for repair. Did not work for over a week. The boxes arrived and the thing started working again. It just quite again about 1 month later. Tech support was very nice. I just ship the machine out today. I hope it doesn’t take long to repair. I bought a less expensive one to get me through the fix. I am disappointed that I had problems with the machine for the cost. I am glad it is covered by warranty but nervous for the future. My son has a Saeco for 4 years now and never had a problem with it. The machine makes great coffee and is fast.

Bottom Line: I would recommend the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 .

Review By: Espresso Snob

My husband and I first brought the Saeco Spidem auto espresso machine, the coffee was okay but with in a week it broke down. Had no problems returning it to Costco.

After much research and reading reviews… we brought the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300… and boy what a difference. We are totally happy with it, it brews the most amazing cup of espresso with great crema.. yes it makes a little noise, but hey big deal. It makes a consistent brew every time and you can make cup after cup no hassles. The shot/shots of espresso come out nice and hot and it steams the milk really fast and hot also. It is easy to clean.. as you can take out the brew group and rinse it frequently which is recommended on the instructions.

The machine does rinse or purge about 2oz of water when you switch on and about 1oz when you switch it of. Maybe a little much for the rinsing factor, but hey it’s no big deal.

Once again the espresso that comes out of it is really great with flavour and crema. So far we have used Pete’s espresso forte and Major Dickinson blend and Starbucks espresso all whole beans.
Oh one other thing.. it also has a slot where you can put a shot of ground coffee in for the friend that wants decaf or just to use ground coffee.

We brought it from [...] whom also have a great return policy if needed, and we used the 20% coupon. I recommend buying it from a place that will not give you a hassle should a problem arise. So far so good and we have had it for about 1month now.

Really excited to come home for a good coffee, rather than spending 3-4 dollars a pop out somewhere. Hope this helps out!

Bottom Line: I would recommend this product.

Review By Coffee Can Dan

I simply got tired of paying out the nose for espresso from Starbucks and invested in my own machine. Boy, am I glad I did. I was no barista when I started, but after a little trial and error, I got the cycle down to a science and I make a great cup of espresso, if I do say so myself! I love that the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 has different settings and is so adjustable because not everyone likes their cup as strong as mine… The frother makes great foam quickly. Possibly the best part for me is the automatic rinse when you turn off the machine.

Bottom Line: I would recommend this the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300.

Review By patsy

BOTTOM LINE: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is everything you want in a coffee making world!! This is my second one, for a second location, and this newer version is much improved, less noisy, quicker turn around in between brewing and steam. You will not want another one, ever!!!!

Pros: Quick Brewing, Commercial Grade, Great Taste, Easy To Use, Easy To Clean, Large Water Container, Good looking

Review By Love Latte

BOTTOM LINE: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

This model is much quieter, easier to use and has a much quicker steam recovery time than the model I’ve been using while living overseas. We are very happy with the purchase would definitely recommend it to others.

Pros: Quick, Quick Brewing, Quiet, Easy To Use
Cons: Rather expensive

Review By Belsevy

BOTTOM LINE: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Wonderful coffee, you’ll never spend money again at a chain of coffee brewers. Great taste, many adjustments, good looking machine. It’s a little noisier than I expected, but I guess it’s the price to pay for REAL European style drinks.

Pros: Large Water Container, Quick Brewing, Easy To Clean, Great Taste, Easy To Use
Cons: Noisy

Review By Cathy

BOTTOM LINE: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

I can make a better cup of coffee than [...].

Cons: Expensive, Noisy
Pros: Quick brewing, Great Taste, Professional, Large water storage container, Easy to use, Easy to clean

Review By graycat

BOTTOM LINE: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

This machine is well worth the money – almost perfect – except for the noise! If you have a light sleeper in close proximity forget stealing an early morning cup to yourself.

Pros: Easy to use, Hot coffee, Quick brewing
Cons: Noisy

Review By sori

BOTTOM LINE: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

It’s really awesome!!!!!!

Pros: Easy to use, Quick brewing, Good taste, Professional, Large water storage container, Easy to clean

Review By WilsonInWA

I just got this when it was marked down, and so far I am really happy with it. It is really easy to operate and the espresso is wonderful. I thought it might be difficult to set up, but it was easy to do, and now it’s just a matter of turning it on and pushing a button.”

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes

Review By Phenix

Ordered the first unit online and had to return it as the frothing knob was damaged (probably in shipping). Second unit from the store itself was purchased about 1.5 months ago….and no issues on my end. It’s a large unit for sure, but you can’t go wrong with the other great reviews, and with the 4-year warranty from the mfg. if something does go wrong with it. It’s too pricey at its ‘regular’ price, but with the right discount combinations you can get a great deal on a high-end machine. The controls and facia are of course plastic and feel cheap….but again….warranty and using it carefully with usual cleaning I’d imagine isn’t an issue for most people.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By CoffeeLover65

My family spent this past summer in Italy and went to a small cafe in Naples where we had absolutely incredible coffee. I always remembered that taste and was craving it when we came back to the states. My son surprised me by buying this machine for me for Christmas, and tasting the coffee brought me back to that wonderful cafe in Naples. I really love the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 and recommend it if you are a coffee lover like me. Try it, you won’t regret it.

Overall Rating: 5 out of

Review By Lisa2007

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this machine. I first purchased the Keurig K-Cup after all the great reviews and was disappointed with the “glorified instant coffee taste.” and weak coffee. I first was hesitant about spending the money, but after getting it home and using it, I am LOVING this unit. Make sure that you purchase a coffee bean that you really like to get a coffee taste to your liking. Also like the warming unit on top of the machine that warms your cups for you when the machine is on. Simple to use and easily can make multiple cups of coffee without constantly refilling the coffee and water.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By AM509

We originally bought DeLonghi’s Gran Dama but it had a malfunction after the 3rd drink. We shipped it off to the factory & bought the 3300 instead and it was the best decision EVER! By comparison, the 3300 is more efficient. You have better control over frothing temp which you don’t with the 6600. Same mechanics if you buy the 3300 with the double boiler, just not a digital setup. It’s a must have if you’re a coffee shop regular, trust me – I’ve been there & won’t be back any time soon. I can’t walk by our machine without wanting another. Bottoms Up!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By Greytmom

My husband and I purchased this machine when our local Starbucks closed. We love it. We can make lattes exactly how we like them. He likes them a little stronger. I would highly recommend this espresso machine.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By LisaE

This machine is awesome! The Espresso tastes great and it is super easy to use. I bought this somewhat based on comments posted here and I have to say I am not disappointed. For the price you can’t find a better machine.

Overall Rating: 5 out of

Review By faderjockey

Bought this unit for my wife for Christmas and we cannot be happier with it. The quality is great and it is very easy to use. Took us just a few cups to adjust the settings to our preferences. We had lots of family in town around the holiday and have easily made more than 70 drinks by now. I was originally looking at the more manual machines, but after using this I would highly recommend it. Worth every penny!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review by YellowShopper16

I purchased this machine this summer and have used it every day since. It makes great espresso and the frothing feature works quickly. Be sure to read the entire manual before beginning as there are a number of tips and suggestions for working the machine properly.”

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By BruceO

We were in Seattle during the time Starbucks went from a quirky local institution to being an international sensation. We learned our Espresso. This machine has been doing yeoman duty for us for over a year and a half and has not failed us. It really didn’t require any adjustments when we got it other than to set the amount of grounds and water. Since I got to drink the results of the few needed adjustments, that was no burden. The fineness was dead on and required no adjustment at all. If you follow the start up directions, and it isn’t hard, you’ll be making espresso drinks no very little time. I just wish it could teach me how to make a macchiato.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review by Lattes

I purchased this espresso machine about 2 months ago and I just love it! It takes a few times to get the flavor down exactly, but it is extremely easy to use. Watch the DVD first! and then you can make your adjustments….Initially, I hesitated whether to buy this machine because of the cost however; if you watch your sales and monthly coupons offers from Macy’s you will think it is worth it. Enjoy!”

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By Freaksmom

I have had this machine for over 8 months and it works like a champ! My daughter and I use the machine a lot – making at least 2 lattes each every day. I read on another site that it is very important to purchase fine quality coffee – we use Lavazza super crema – the beans do not have that oily appearance some other espresso beans do. Also, we use filtered water and do the cleaning process when indicated. A great buy for the money!”

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By coffeemachinenovice

I visited my sister who has this machine and I love coffee. I used it multiple times a day for a week. I added grounds, removed used grounds and refilled the water compartment. Each time something needed to be changed the unit clearly showed what needed to be done and it was very easy to maintain. The coffee is never bitter and it was easy to use this machine considering I had never read the manual or worked at a coffee shop! Great coffee!”

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review by HonoluluGuy

Makes great Espresso and Coffee at about 160 Degrees. Single or Doubles. Start up is quick, and ideal if your on the run and need a quick cup to get you started. Best feature is it grinds each cup fresh from beans each time. Will also accept pre ground coffee, but is limited in amount you can input into machine. Great with Kona coffee beans as well… One concern is machine housing is plastic. Looks good and for the price is worthwhile. Dials control strength of brew, via (1) amount of water and (2) amount of coffee ground. I’ve been using “Starbucks” espresso as well as 100% Kona. If beans are too oily, instructions warn of potential problems… So far no problems with use last 30 days. My first Espresso machine. Like the automatic features. No fuss or mess. Would be good for small parties, as guests can make their own….

Overall Rating: 1 out of 5

Review By Mag1

I have owned the Magnifica and used it everyday that it wasn’t down for some malfunction. It is great when it works. My first problem was an apparent piece of grit in the grinder. Out of service for 6 weeks. Next it started to have electrical problems (worked some times and would not turn on other times). Out of service part time for 8 weeks. Most recently it quit delivering water to the coffee spout and instead spills it on the counter. This happened after a de-calcifying cycle. I am now in the process of trying to find a place to get it repaired as the Delonghi service center (and as I understand it, most all, except those on west coast and east coast,)have been closed.

Were it not for the significant investment in this coffee maker it would be in the trash can.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

Review By katvaz

I bought the ESAM3300 after the ESAM3200 which only had one boiler. I have to say that I tested EVERY high end machine before settling on the Delonghi and here is why. This machine has two boilers which makes it easy to go from making coffee to frothing milk. Where ALL of the other machines fell down was in the frothing. I could NOT get the thick foam from any of them. The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300, on the other hand, delivers a thick HOT foam. You NEVER have to put your coffee in the microwave to get a hot cup as you do with other machines.
What is SUPER important to remember when using this machine is to keep the frother clean. This requires taking it apart and cleaning the inside as well as the outside. If you don’t you’ll find it won’t deliver a good foam.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review by BosKat

When my husband told me that he was buying this machine I thought he was crazy. Being a stubborn Yankee I couldn’t understanding spending more than $100 on a coffee maker. Now that this has been in our home for four months I would never go back to our old machine. It is wonderful to wake up in the morning, press a couple of buttons and have a rich, delicious cup of coffee at my fingertips.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Review By simal

I used the Magnifica recently in Europe where I was introduced to Swiss coffee or cafe creme. The coffee is wonderful, with an aroma that no other coffee can match. The Magnifica I used was stylish, worked perfectly every time and was easy to clean. Needless to say, I rushed as soon as I came back to buy one. Of note is that in Europe DeLonghi offers a standard 3 years warranty at a 30 % cheaper price. Unfortunately it only works with 220 V and not 110… The higher price and shorter warranty will however not stop me from enjoying my cafe crema.

Review By Unknown

I purchased this model around 15 months ago in an attempt to reduce our out-of-control coffee shop expenses. We use this machine every day to make ‘crema’ coffee, and also to make caps and lattes a few times a week. It is easy to use, easy to clean, and has not failed us yet. I suspect it has probably paid for itself by now since it also saves us money on coffee beans (it is more ‘efficient’ than a drip machine). My only wants would be for a larger water reservoir so we could go longer between fill-ups, and just a little more clearance under the pour spout to fit our taller coffee mugs. We usually get around this limitation by just using a frothing pitcher and then transferring the coffee to a mug.

Review By Unknown

I’ve owned an earlier model of this machine for 3 years. The machine is used daily by me and my wife, and I would estimate that we’ve made something on the order of 2 to 3 thousand shots of Espresso. The only issue encountered is that the hinge broke on the bean cover, which isn’t really a big deal because the cover lays securely over the bin. I have no comment on the frother/steamer as we’ve literally never used it. Instead we heat the milk in the microwave, and as a result a weekly light cleaning of the machine is all it takes. I’d buy this machine again in a second.

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