Way back in 1902, Delonghi got its start fabricating industrial machine parts. They have evolved radically over the last hundred years, transforming from an air conditioner manufacturer to an international monster in the kitchen appliances industry. Though they produce everything from toasters to deep fryers, and still have a huge presence in the heating and cooling world, I want to speak on the state of the art Delonghi espresso machine.
There are nearly 20 different models of coffee makers, but today, I'm just going to touch on some of their more celebrated designs. This international corporation based in Treviso, Italy may put a lot of time and effort into growing and maintaining their current $1.5 billion in annual revenue, but there sure as heck isn't any skimping when it comes to putting together Delonghi espresso machines.
EC155 semi automatic espresso machine
They make some killer super automatics, which we'll get to in a moment, but the Delonghi EC155 espresso machine is a semi-automatic masterpiece. The EC155 provides rapid espresso making in a cheap and easy little package. I'd be willing to bet that this is one of their most popular models because you can easily find one for less than $100. There just aren't too many (good) semi automatic espresso machines on the market for that kind of price.
So what are they leaving out? Honestly, not a whole lot. It doesn't have quite as many features as the previously reviewed Saeco Aroma ($300), but it's a fantastic little machine nonetheless. For starters, if you want to avoid all of the leg work involved in making an espresso, the EC155 takes ESE pods for easy brewing, and the two way portafilter creates a delicious crema layer every time. Amazingly, for $99, it also includes a self priming pump, which means when you turn this sucker on, it gets itself ready to go without you having to do anything extra.
It sports a durable boiler made from stainless steel and two thermostats to keep the temperature in check. If you're a novice espresso maker, you shouldn't worry too much. The interface is very intuitive and easy to use. The front has a couple of indicator lights to let you know when it's on and ready to go, and you can make your drink the way you like it by choosing from its five easy settings. Even frothing is a piece of cake. Just flip on the steamer, wait for the green light (the indicator we talked about), and dip that sucker in your drink. Keep it clean, and you'll be sipping cappuccinos for a long time. It's just that simple.
If you're not in the mood for a massive dose of caffeine - let's say you want have a cough and need to whip up some Theraflu - just flip on the steamer again, and you have an easy to use hot water dispenser. And you can make all the hot stuff you want because the Delonghi EC155 comes equipped with an easily removable water reservoir, making fill ups and clean ups no problem at all. This little sucker is great if you like to sip espressos on the road. At 10 pounds and less than a foot long, you can easily pack it on road trips...I would anyway. I need my fix!
Caffe Nero Combination Espresso Machine
For $300, this Delonghi espresso coffee machine powerhouse does it all. The Caffe Nero serves as an espresso maker, milk frother, and an old fashioned coffee drip all in one 11 pound package. This thing is like a Swiss Army Knife for caffeine addicts. Say you have your whole family staying at your house for Christmas (you poor bastard). Your hip brother, and his nagging wife won't settle for anything but a perfectly brewed espresso, grandma just wants black coffee, Uncle Harvey want his coffee with lotsa cream, lotsa sugar, and you - you just want to get make everyone happy so you can watch your unappreciative kids open their presents.
No sweat. Before you go to bed, just program the coffee maker to start brewing at the crack of dawn, and while the drip is dripping, go ahead and whip up your brother's espressos. That's right, everything operates independently, so you can get everything brewing simultaneously. This Caffe Nero is a wonder machine.
One of my favorite features on this sucker is the Accuflavor system, which lets you control the strength of the coffee drip. Uncle Harvey likes his coffee to taste like dessert, so he turns the knob to the right for a less intense dose. Grandma likes her Joe with balls, so she cranks the knob all the way to the left for a clean bitter buzz. Another nice thing about this beast is that there's never a shortage of crack juice. Between the two removable water reservoirs, the Caffe Nero has a combined capacity of 92oz of water. It'll taste darn good too - every last drop is filtered.
You may be thinking that the maintenance on this rig is horrible. Not really. To give it a long life, it's recommended that you decalcify the machine, and clean the boiler every 300 brews, but Delonghi provides an easy to follow instruction manual to walk you through the process. For $300, the Delonghi Caffe Nero can make a beautiful addition to you kitchen counter.
Magnifica
The Delonghi Magnifica espresso machine is reserved for caffeine drinkers who are serious about their medicine. The two most popular models available in this super automatic product line are the Magnifica 3300 and the Magnifica 3500. They're both killer pieces of coffee making machinery but they're separated by about $700 worth of features - the 3500 comes in at around $1500. That said, let's begin by discussing their similarities.
They're both super automatic espresso machines, which in short means, if you own a Magnifica, regardless of the model, you won't have to wait long, or do much to enjoy a delicious espresso. They both feature separate stainless steel frothing and steaming boilers, which virtually eliminates any waiting from the time it brews to when the steamer is ready. Being super automatics, both models feature burr grinders which, immediately following the grinding process turn things over to the Delonghi Magnifica infusion system. The pre-infusion process dampens the grounds before they brew to ensure a full flavor. If you don't want to screw around with freshly ground beans in the hopper, or perhaps you have a guest who prefers decaf, just use the bypass doser to prepare a hot drink with the preground stuff.
Clean up on both machines is also easy. Both have automatic cleaning cycles, which kick on after every brewing cycle. When it's time to descale the machine, you'll know precisely when to do it. An indicator light let's you know, and Delonghi walks you through the simple process. They also include removable brew groups to make deep cleaning your $1500 piece of engineering magic a breeze.
As far as the differences between the Magnifica 3300 and 3500 go, you really aren't dealing with a lot. Personally, as fantastic as the 3500 is, I'm not sure I'd spend the extra $700 on it. It has an incredibly sleek and improved digital display, making it even easier to customize your hot beverages with the touch of a button. They also beefed up the conical grinder, making it quieter, and bumping it up to 10 settings instead of 7. The 3500 also has a pimped out cup warmer, and a few more indicator lights. Like I said before though, they both come with Delonghi's amazing service and warranties, and they're both super easy to use, beautiful stainless steel espresso makers, that will keep you buzzed and happy for a long time. I'd wait for the 3500 to come down a little in price, but if you have the funds, it's a darn fine machine.
Gran Dama 6600
This thing...holy crap, this thing is a monster...a $2500 monster. If you have money, and you have a kitchen, there's no reason why the Delonghi Gran Dama automatic espresso machine shouldn't be sitting in it. I won't bore you with too much detail, because this does everything that I described in the Magnifica 3500, except it does it faster, easier, and without you having to lift a finger...well maybe one finger.
Similar to the Saeco milk island, the Delonghi Gran Dama has a detachable milk container, which you can store in your walk-in Sub Zeros while you're not using it. The detachable container, along with the fully automated digital display makes it possible to make virtually any hot beverage you could imagine with a couple of buttons. You can choose one of the preset settings, or fine tune your espresso, as the Gran Dama gives you the ability to adjust every variable to a tee.
Cleaning on this thing is a joke. The exterior is totally decked out with stainless steel, and it boasts automatic cleaning cycles for virtually every working part of the guts. Remember the instruction manual you had to get out to descale the Caffe Nero? The Gran Dama walks you through the process on the built in LCD. If I had the $2500 to spend on one of these, I bet it could bullseye womp rats with me in my T-16 (don't tell me Star Wars doesn't have a place on an espresso machine review post!).
Regardless of the model you choose, I'd be very surprised if you had any regrets in the purchase of a Delonghi espresso machine
