De'LonghiMagnifica Evo Automatic Espresso & Coffee Machine with Auto Milk Frother, Built-in Grinder & Auto-Clean Function - For Latte, Cappuccino, Americano, Iced Coffee, ECAM29084SB , Silver

I had a high-end espresso maker for years. I enjoyed the coffee but grew weary of all the effort and finally retired and sold my equipment. We recently spent time in Eastern Europe, including 5 days in a hotel with high-quality super-automatic coffee machines. I was initially skeptical but loved my morning lungo! I was even impressed with the cappuccino feature. Surprisingly good foam!So, we return home and I want to keep the lungos coming. I start researching super-automatic machines. I love spreadsheets and assembled one that enabled me to compare features, quality, price and maintenance. Digging out all the info I wanted took time and effort. I finally narrowed down my choices to De'Longhi and one other brand. I then had to decide which models gave me what I wanted. In our case, we want lungo and cappuccino. We did not need more coffee choices. We also wanted true super-automatic capability.I kept coming back to the De'Longhi Magnifica but they made several different machines with the Magnifica label. I was uneasy about the Magnifica lacking a specific lungo button. Well, I learned that this machine's coffee button is actually a lungo button (a more dilute espresso versus Americano and brewed coffee) and the machine can be adjusted to deliver the strength we prefer.I like the price and features of the Magnifica Evo and that's what we purchased. When the machine arrived, I was very impressed with the packaging. It is simply excellent! That helped me feel optimistic about the machine. After setting everything out, I was not as impressed with the manuals. The machine appeared to be quite complicated and more maintenance than I expected.After making a first cup of coffee, I liked the results but still found the manuals tedious and hard to follow. I turned to youtube.com. I found quite a few De'Longhi Magnifica videos but was especially impressed with the one by consiglioskitchenware. De'Longhi should put a link to this video in the front of the manual. The presenter showed me how easy it is to work and maintain this machine. The manual now makes a lot more sense.We've been using the machine now for a week and I absolutely love it!! The lungos are just what I want: a full-bodied brew with a lovely crema cap and no bitterness! The cappuccinos use a shot of espresso - also beautifully done - and the foam far exceeds what I expected. It's smooth with fine bubbles, maybe not as good as a high-end espresso shop but very nice for home results.As for the super-automatic features, they get top marks. We adjusted the coffee volume slightly and the machine faithfully remembers our adjustment. I punch the coffee button and I hear the grinder going to work. Then, a slight pause while the water gets set up, followed by the boiler delivering a cup of coffee. Then the machine discharges the used puck into the waste bin. When I turn off the machine or it turns itself off, it uses hot water to clean the coffee delivery line.I was skeptical about the ease of the cappuccino feature, especially foam quality and ease of cleaning. Again, the machine exceeded my expectations. I pour milk into the bottle, plug it back into the machine and hit the button. It starts with beautiful foam and then injects the shot of espresso. When I'm done, the machine has a "clean" button that discharges hot water through the foam delivery system. The milk bottle is easily rinsed and cleaned, and the head and suction tube can be easily hand cleaned or put in the dishwasher.Would I buy this machine again? Absolutely!!!

The media could not be loaded. I am thrilled to finally have this machine. It makes delicious fresh coffee and milk based drinks. You will see in my video that I add my favorite creamer before my latte brews. I like mine a little sweet, and that’s what works for me. I have bought some organic syrups and can’t wait to try those, too. It has been so much fun and a delicious experience getting to know my machine.I will try to keep my review list short and simple:Pros:*Makes a delicious coffee beverage (haven’t tried iced coffee yet, but I’m certain it won’t disappoint*Reminds you to clean the milk spout with a touch of a button when finished making your milk based drinks, as you will see in my video*Automatically does a quick rinse of the coffee/water spout when turned on or off, as you will see in my video (always keep a small cup there to catch the water)*Allows to reconfigure settings to your preference and memorizes the settings you chose - I.e. more water, less foam, etc. (you can find videos on how to change settings - super easy)*Has a decent sized water tank that provides multiple drinks before filling up again*VERY easy to learn and start making coffee right out of the box (just be sure to follow initial cleaning steps first)*Accommodates whole beans and ground coffee (be sure to read how to do ground coffee, as the machine is supposed to be on, can’t go over a certain amount at a time, etc. - easy to grasp but I want you to get it right)*Alerts when it’s time to refill water tank or remove coffee grounds from its disposal tank.*Very quick process and well worth the drink - it’s definitely a treat for my husband and me.*Has a hot water feature for teas, oatmeal, etc. You pick how much you need (no preset for that, I don’t think). Just be sure to have the hot water spout attached (original spout that you remove to attach the milk container for milk based drinks)*Very hot temperature, which I love. Just be aware and careful when you first brew and take that first sip. Temperature can be adjusted - just watch a YouTube video or read the manual to learn how.Cons:*Ive only found one, and I could be mistaken. But I don’t recall getting an alert when my beans needed refilled. I am new to ground beans and maybe it expects we know how many we should use. I don’t yet know, so I put enough beans in to cover the base. However, I could tell it was out during one of my drinks because I didn’t hear a strong grind. The drink was not good. Not a big deal, but it’s worth calling out if you’re wondering or like me and a newbie to whole beans. We will get it down!I love this machine, and I am so thankful it was on a deal. We splurged and got it for Christmas for us. My advice - don’t wait another morning without this machine. You deserve this; You won’t be disappointed.