DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 Review

Is this Super-Automatic espresso machine worth the brew?

We all dreamed of having our own espresso machine similar to the one we can see in standard coffee shops. Those perfectly made espresso shots and velvety steamed milk make us want to buy an espresso machine that can provide us these kinds of drinks.

Imagine enjoying those relaxing days when you just want to get a sip of quality cup coffee, sitting in your chair while watching your favorite television show.

Well, we all experienced those lazy days when we would like to just press a button and voila! Unfortunately, it’s not this easy. You first have to choose a coffee machine, and there are so many of them out there on the market they make your head spin! 

Don’t worry! A hero is about to save the day- “the super-automatic espresso machine”. Well, every hero has its strengths and weakness. Let’s discover one of the best super-automatic espresso machines. 

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DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300

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DeLonghi claims that you can become your own barista capable of brewing espresso, americano, cappuccino, latte, and more. This super-automatic machine features a unique beans-to-brew system that grinds coffee beans right before extraction for an optimal and exceptional brewing experience. You can also calibrate its grind setting from coarse to fine and adjust its volume. 

Now that’s a lot of features! Ready to purchase your own DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300? Well, to make sure that this super-automatic machine suits you, let’s tackle more of its features and risks.

1 Design

The Magnifica front panels offer quick access to controls for the on/off switch and milk steaming or hot water system, as well as for adjusting the amount of water and coffee to suit individual taste preferences, from long to short drinks, and from mild to bold coffee flavors. 

Its appearance is beautiful! With silver and black colors, the visual design is slick and elegant.

The exterior is made of plastic but is well built although it doesn’t have the elegant appeal of a stainless steel body. Its classic look is ideal for a wooden themed kitchen or place. In addition, the drip tray and cup warmer was the only exterior made with stainless steel.

In terms of features, however, the Magnifica excels. It comes with a fancy cup warmer, and an auto-shutoff feature that’s adjustable from 15 min to 3 hours. This DeLonghi machine comes with a standard 2-year warranty too.

Best of all, a lot of users report that they experience very few malfunctions on the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300, making them one of the least returned machines.

2 Brewing System

One of the most notable advantages of Magnifica is its 60-oz water tank capacity. This is very important if you are using this machine to make americano or other long beverages that necessitate a lot of hot water. 

What’s even more interesting is its front-access water tank which is great if you need to squeeze your coffee maker in tight spaces. In most machines, the water tank is located at the back part which makes it harder to lift or reach. The indicator lights will also let you know when it’s time to refill. The only downside is that the water tank is not designed to accommodate a filtration system, so you’ll have to use your own filtered or bottled water.

It also has dual stainless steel thermoblock boilers, with the brew side and the steam side each having their own. Unfortunately, you cannot brew espresso and use the steam wand at the same time. However, Magnifica’s instant reheat feature ensures that the time between brewing and steaming is minimal.

When it comes to brewing, the Magnifica espresso machine’s stainless steel conical burrs grind coffee beans on demand. The grinder offers 7 grind settings. There is one flaw though- it is quite loud. On the other hand, the bean hopper holds 8.8 ounces of coffee beans and has a pre-ground coffee bypass (if you’re looking for a decaf coffee tonight).

The steam wand has a plastic sheath over a stainless pipe. It also features patented “Cappuccino System” which is essentially a frother that mixes steam and milk to create rich and silky froth café style milk. 

3 Coffee Quality & Versatility

According to some users, the super-automatic espresso machine can’t compete with a well-trained barista on a manual machine. But don’t you worry, the Magnifica is capable of delivering espresso consistently even without those barista skills. 

This espresso machine is known for its consistent brewing time. Each cup is automatically brewed to its perfect temperature, richness, and density. And you can always customize the settings to produce your style of espresso. To do that you have to adjust the two dials on the front of the machine. The volume dial lets you set the shot volume from 0.5 to 6 oz, and the brew strength dial controls the amount of ground coffee dispensed.

It also produces fresh espresso for every cup. The professional burr grinder with 7 adjustable settings, grinds fresh beans every time to ensure maximum freshness. You can also use the pre-ground in the by-pass chamber. Brew your beverage of choice- regular, specialty or decaf coffee.

You can use the single or double shot button to brew and you can press it again to stop brewing before the entire shot has been pulled. Craft your ideal espresso and cappuccino recipe by calibrating the machine to match your ideal preferences. The machine remembers the details, from the boldness of your espresso to your preferred beverage size, and much more. 

There are many additional accessories- a manual steaming wand, froth used to steam the milk to create a rich, creamy froth for evenly textured drinks – just the way you like them. If you’re looking to practice latte art, you can also use this machine to master this interesting craft.

4 Cleaning & Maintenance

One of the best features to consider when buying an espresso machine is the ease of cleaning and handling. The feature that sets the Magnifica apart from nearly all of the espresso machines is the removable brew chamber and drip tray. After brewing and deciding to clean your machine, just turn off the machine and you can easily remove the chamber from the front.

Cheers to the stainless-steel removable double boiler, the inside can be cleaned easily and fits perfectly in your sink! To maintain the best flavor, regular cleaning of the machine is required, at least twice per week. Look at it this way, by cleaning your espresso machine regularly, you’ll increase its longevity and durability. The dirty machine gets broken down easily!

The Magnifica has a removable drip tray which comes with a level indicator. The coffee puck drawer also comes out with the tray and indicator light. The tray needs to be emptied after 14 cups of brew cycles.

If you don’t use a coffee filter and as hot water evaporates, calcium deposits will slowly accumulate. These deposits, which are also called limescale, can then harm the performance of your espresso machine.

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 comes with a descaling program. When it’s time to run a descaling cycle, a warning light on the front will prompt you to run a descaling program. To clean it, just fill the water tank with the manufacturer’s recommended solution, let the machine dispense it into a 34-oz vessel. Then rinse, refill the tank, and repeat the process once more with descaling liquid. 

If anything goes wrong, the Delonghi Magnifica features a troubleshooting manual and equipment warranty. Repairs are also easy- in other words, you can repair some minor malfunctions yourself. You can access the mechanism by removing a couple of screws, and if you’re confused, there are plenty of videos on how to solve the most common issues and how to repair it using the DIY method.

5 Value For Money

So is it really worth the brew? Before you decide, there are almost hundreds of choices when it comes to coffee maker worth $1000 or less. After concluding and summing up DeLonghi Magnifica’s pros and cons, I can conclude it goes against all expectations and offers excellent value for money.

Its label price is as good as any semi-automatic espresso makers with built-in grinders. From time to time, you can even get it while it’s on discount, which makes it even harder to resist.

Avoid buying the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 if…

 You want to steam milk quicker.

Although all coffee machines that cost less than 1000$ have the same problem when it comes to milk-steaming time and efficiency, the pressure of steam made by DeLonghi Magnifica cannot be compared with high-end coffee machines. DeLonghi Magnifica is a home-based espresso machine, and it is rarely used for commercial purposes. But for starters, the steam pressure is just a minor problem. 

You are a fan of dark roast or Italian roast coffee.

Because it’s a super-automatic machine, and everything is programmed and automatic. Brewing dark roast coffee can cause build-ups of oils that can clog the brewing filter, causing too much extraction time and bitter taste coffee. We recommend that you brew coffee using light-medium to black-brown roast coffee or you can just adjust the water-coffee ratio for a bolder coffee flavor. But if you still prefer dark roast coffee, make sure to clean the system daily to avoid oil and coffee build-ups.

You want to avoid buying a noisy machine that produces noise when extracting coffee.

Yup, the grinder is quite noisy when it’s brewing. But for most baristas, the noise of the grinder is just a part of daily hassles, the noise even produces a total coffee experience and café ambiance. 

Overview of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300

The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 super-automatic machine delivers delightful espresso, makes smooth, frothy milk, and it is easy to maintain. What more could you possibly want? Reliability and build-quality are good, and the design is such that it can be repaired DIY-style with relative ease.

Get the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 here.

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