Delonghi ESAM 3200 Magnifica

...plunge. I test drove the Delonghi and the closest Gaggia and I knew the Delonghi tasted better and was better for value for money at £100 cheaper. I was sold.

I purchased my Magnifica from Whittard of Chelsea, Cheshire Oaks for £349. This included 500g of free coffee, a descaler kit, milk jug, thermometer and set of espresso cups. I left the store fully loaded with everything I needed to continue my espresso journey.

==Unpacking ...
...Jura.

DeLonghi and Gaggia are very similar with their machine specifications and price point, between £3-750 where as Jura will start at around £900 upto £2500. Some of their machines even connect to the internet which is slightly overkill! Although the Magnifica is one of the cheaper machines it is still an expensive purchase and cheap is one thing it is not!

A super automatic does everything for you. You place unground ... more

The first ever espresso machine was invented back in 1901 and to be fair they have come a long way since then! Espresso is a coffee beverage that is made through forcing pressurised hot water through finely ground coffee. The result is a dark, intense coffee that has become well known throughout the world as a drink in it's own right and also as the base for many other coffee based drinks. Coffee has come a long way since the early 1900's as have the machines that are used to brew this amazing drink.

Espresso machines have been through a long journey over the years, starting with steam driven machines, piston machines and finally the pump driven machines that we use today. The development of the pump driven machine made owing an espresso machine much more affordable for the consumer and machines can now be found in many kitchens all over the world. Today I shall share with you my espresso experience.

Espresso or Filter?

Coffee machines are not all the same. The two main types found in the home are most likely to be either Espresso machines or Filter machines. Historically, filter machines were more popular as they are cheaper. Ground coffee is placed into a cone and hot water is allowed to drip slowly over it, falling into a jug placed underneath. These machines cost from £9.99 in any supermarket and will slowly brew coffee to an average standard. They are cheap to make and cheap to buy and in comparison to an espresso machine, the coffee is very average in my opinion. An espresso machine is very different and is more of an engineering marvel than the ordinary filter machine. A measure of ground coffee is placed into what is known as a grouphead and then screwed onto the machine to ensure the system can be pressurised. The machine is then activated and the pump forces a pressurised amount of water over the coffee delivering a consistent brew. The coffee then drains from the grouphead usually directly into the cup beneath. The results are very different and usually with the espresso machine, you have REAL coffee as the Italian's intended.

Delonghi Magnifica - My Story

I have been a coffee lover for many years and it has always been my preferred drink over the traditional english drink of tea. As I grew up I wanted to explore coffee more, explore the flavours, the strengths and the different beans that you can purchase. So I began my coffee journey. I first purchased one of the filter machines and was quite happy with the results but my curiosity encouraged me to go further. I moved on to a morphy richards pump driven espresso machine and was amazed with the difference. It was at this point that my love for coffee really took off and I became mesmerised by the different tastes and drinks you could create with the different beans, grind, temperature etc and I was hooked. After a year or two and one or too many trips to Whittard I kept gazing at the 'super automatic' machines that delivered excellent espresso consistently at the touch of a button. These machines cost £100's and it was always a dream until one christmas I took the plunge. I test drove the Delonghi and the closest Gaggia and I knew the Delonghi tasted better and was better for value for money at £100 cheaper. I was sold.

I purchased my Magnifica from Whittard of Chelsea, Cheshire Oaks for £349. This included 500g of free coffee, a descaler kit, milk jug, thermometer and set of espresso cups. I left the store fully loaded with everything I needed to continue my espresso journey.

Unpacking and Setup

I am truly a kid at heart, whenever I buy something it doesn't matter what else I may have to do that day, the first thing I want to do is get my new toy unpacked and that is what I did.

The machine came in a large box with a strong carry handle, however due to the weight of the machine I would recommend that you carry the box firmly from underneath. The last thing you ant is the every so strong carry handle to fail as you walk out of the store! Upon opening the box the machine slid easily out and I unwrapped the packaging to place it down on my worktop. It is important to remember that these machines have a lot of technology inside and as such they have a large footprint. Those with a small kitchen or if you lack a lot of worktop space may think twice about getting one as it is quite dominating!

Setup was easy. I had to wash the reservoir before filling with water and slotting into place, remove the tape from the internal grouphead and then we were ready to go.

Switched on for the first time the machine whirred into action and you could hear things begin to move inside. The lights on the outside flashed to say it was 'busy' and before long they returned to static waiting for the machine to be used.

Setup took less than ten minutes and really was a breeze. Before I proceeded any further I took a quick glance over the manual to ensure I had got everything setup correctly and we were ready to get making some coffee. The last thing I wanted to do was break the machine on the first go without paying much attention to the manual so I made sure I gave it a good read. The manual was very easy to understand and before long I was happy to move on and try the machine out. Here comes the good bit!

What is a Super Automatic?

Described as the dogs danglies, a super automatic is truly the most sophisticated and advanced espresso machine you can buy for the home. They cost in excess of £300 up to £2500 and are the simplest way to brew excellent espresso and coffee drinks. The most recognisable brands in the super automatic arena are DeLonghi, Gaggia and Jura.

DeLonghi and Gaggia are very similar with their machine specifications and price point, between £3-750 where as Jura will start at around £900 upto £2500. Some of their machines even connect to the internet which is slightly overkill! Although the Magnifica is one of the cheaper machines it is still an expensive purchase and cheap is one thing it is not!

A super automatic does everything for you. You place unground beans in the top of the machine and water in the reservoir. You then simply press a button for one cup or two after selecting your strength and cup size and the machine will grind, brew and deliver an amazing espresso drink. It will even dump he used grounds into another container after brewing, ready for the next drink. Effort is minimal with one of these machines. There is also a steam arm found on these machines that allows you to froth milk for your Latte or Macchiato etc which is a breeze to use.

Using the Machine

Once the machine was setup I added beans to the hopper in the top of the machine. This can hold around 175g of coffee beans and the lid closes to seal the hopper off to keep the beans fresh. You then need to ensure there is adequate water in the reservoir. This sits on the side of the machine and is clear, allowing you to see the water level and check there is sufficient water to make a drink. When the water runs low a light comes on the control panel to alert you to fill the machine up. I recommend you fill up with fresh water everyday, good coffee needs good water!

Once you have the coffee and water in place you are good to go! You need to ensure you have set the two knobs on the front of the machine to the strength rating which tells the machine how much coffee you want grinding for your drink. Weak coffee will grind a small amount where as a strong coffee will grind a lot of beans. The other knob will be set depending on the size of cup you are using. For a small espresso cup the rating will be low, however for a large mug the rating will need to be higher. Both of these are self explanatory and you will find the perfect setting for your palate and mug collection through trial and error the first few goes, rocket science it is not!

Before you brew your coffee you will want to ensure your cup isn't bone cold as this will only cool the coffee quickly. On top of the machine on the right side is a cup warmer that can hold around eight espresso cups, once the machine is turned on the tray heats up and the cups will then warm as they wait to be used. This doesn't get too hot so there is no danger of burning yourself, however it will warm your china to a good enough temperature.

Once your cup is warm you need to place it under the nozzle on the front of the machine. There is space for two cups and the operation buttons reflect this. If you press for two cups it will double the amount of beans and water than for one cup. Once you have pressed your button the machine whirrs into action and gets going. You can hear each step of the process, the grinding is first and is quite loud, then you can hear the machine move the grounds into the grouphead, then the pump comes on and you can hear the water force itself through and before you know it there is fresh coffee filling your cups. Once completed the machine continues to whir as it cleans itself out and dumps the used grounds and your drink is complete!

If you wish to froth some milk a quick turn of the steam valve and you have hot steam on demand to fill your jug and get frothing. Once finished you turn the valve off and add the milk to your drink.

So to recap, add beans, add water, turn two knobs, press one button = COFFEE! It really is that simple!

How good is the Coffee?

This is highly dependent on the beans that you use in the machine and the water quality. If you use good beans you will no doubt receive good coffee, bad beans it won't be so good. One thing I can say is that I have used beans in this machine that I have used previously in other machines and the taste is very different. The coffee tastes so much better and you can really taste the flavours. The crema on the top of the brewed espresso is perfect and leads to an excellent drink. The DeLonghi has produced without doubt the best espresso I have ever had at home. FACT

I used Whittard Santos and Java and Blue Mountain Jamaican and both are excellent. Give them a try even if you don't buy this machine!!

Cleaning and Maintenance

So you are probably thinking that given the technical spec of this machine that it is a nightmare to clean and maintain, well think again.

Cleaning is a breeze, apart from a soft wipe over the exterior after use, I open the maintenance door on the front once a month and pull the drip tray out. I wash the tray in the sink, empty the dump bin into my kitchen bin, clean the dump bin, dry and replace. That simple! The steam nozzle pulls off and washes easily in the sink, again allowing for easy cleaning. The machine will also clean itself after each use when you turn the machine both on and off. It will run an automatic cycle of hot water through the system into the drip tray to ensure it is kept clean internally and that it doesn't become dirty and stagnant inbetween uses.

Dependent on the water quality in your area you will need to descale the machine. I live in a medium area and will descale every 9 months. It is as simple as filling the reservoir with the water and descaler and then turning on the steam nozzle and pulling the water through the machine. You then need to run a few coffee's through and discard them and you are back up and running again. Really simple maintenance.

Final Thoughts?

Without a doubt this has been one of my finest purchases for my kitchen and I really couldn't live without it. In the morning when i'm in a rush to work it gets me my caffeine fix within seconds and at a fraction of the price of a Starbucks, at dinner parties it can deliver knock out espresso within minutes for a large number of guests. It ticks all my boxes. It has been a permanent fixture on my worktop for four years now and it is still going strong and I would heartily recommend this machine to anyone who has both the £ to spend and the desire to purchase an excellent espresso machine. You will not be disappointed, believe me!

Machine is still available to purchase from Whittard of Chelsea along with a number of updated models. The Magnifica collection is excellent, go check it out!

 

...less