There are regular espresso machines, and then there are magnificent automatic espresso machines. The DeLonghi Magnifica is one such machine. All that stands between you and excellent espresso, cappuccino, or latte is the push of a button.
What makes the ESAM3300 so magnificent? Let’s find out in this DeLonghi Magnifica review!
DeLonghi Magnifica Review(ESAM3300): In a nutshell
There’s no doubt at all in our minds that the DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica is one of the best super-automatic espresso machines out there, period. It’s reliable, easy to use, easy to customize, and most importantly, it makes really good espresso and specialty coffees at the push of a button.
Plus, it’s on the lower end of the price range when it comes to automatic espresso machines.
Pros
- Very reliable: thousands of reviews testify to this
- Removable water reservoir
- Double boiler for quick brewing and steaming
- Knobs and user interface very intuitive and easy to use
Cons
- Not compatible with a water filter
- Steaming uses a lot of water
- Grinder is noisy
Design: 4/5
The DeLonghi Magnifica is on the lower end of the spectrum when considering super-automatic espresso machines. In fact, at first glance, it may not seem that special at all.
The exterior is made of a high-quality plastic and you won’t find any metal parts on the exterior. The plastic build may make the machine look a little unassuming, and there is no doubt that other espresso machines do much better in the aesthetics category.
However, the machine is well-built, so there’s no need to worry there.
You still get the higher-end bells and whistles. There is a cup warmer on top of the machine, the machine can shut off automatically on an adjustable timer, and it has a 2-year warranty.
Measurements:
- 11 x 15.3 x 14.4 inches
- 23.2 lbs
The DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica is a comparatively smaller machine, but it packs a lot of features for the size and price.
Brewing: 4/5
The DeLonghi Magnifica has a generously sized water tank that can be accessed from the front of the machine. Front access reservoirs are super convenient as you don’t have to pull the machine out or tip it forward to remove the reservoir.
The water tank is a very generous 60 ounces, which provides more than enough water for a few shots of espresso and a few rounds of steamed milk. A light tells you when you’re running low on water so you don’t end up brewing a shot with no water in the tank.
As we mentioned in the introduction, there is no way to put a filter in the machine, but you can indeed use your own filtered water.
Water is heated with two thermoblock boilers. Normally, two boilers are indicative of being able to brew and steam at once, but that is not the case with the ESAM3300.
That’s not to be considered a dealbreaker, though, as heat is preserved very well using Instant Heat and you can make a cappuccino from start to finish in relatively little time.
Grinding
Once the water is heated, the built-in grinder grinds your coffee beans before every brew. This is the best way to make coffee, as grinding just before brewing ensures the greatest amount of freshness. Stainless steel conical burrs make for a nice and even grind.
You can adjust the grinder to 7 different settings to dial in your espresso to your liking.
In case you have your own grinds, you can bypass the grinder to use your own grinds.
Steaming
The steam wand looks a little different than typical stainless steel wands. There’s a bit of plastic covering the steam wand, with little holes on the side that pull in air and incorporate it into the milk.
These types of wands are called Panarello wands, which some people swear by and others hate. If you belong to the second camp, you can remove the plastic and use the wand as a regular one.
Quality of coffee: 5/5
Like most automatic espresso machines, you will have to dial in your espresso when you first use the Delonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica.
This is a part of setting up any automatic espresso machine!
There are two dials that you use to control the volume of the shot and the amount of coffee used in the shot.
You can get away with not fiddling with the shot size, but you will need to adjust the quantity of coffee to your taste.
A good way is to start in the middle and adjust up or down as necessary.
You may need to adjust the coffee dosage every time you use a new kind of coffee bean, too.
The shot volume is adjustable from 0.5 ounces for a ristretto to 6 ounces for a lungo. That makes the Magnifica ESAM3300 quite a versatile espresso machine!
There are two buttons to pull either a single or a double shot. In case you decide to cut your shot short, you can just push the button again to stop the pull.
With the steam wand, you can steam any volume of milk you desire to make cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, doppios, and anything else you can imagine.
It’s worth noting that the phrase automatic espresso machine does not necessarily mean everything is done automatically. You will have to froth the milk manually!
Maintenance and durability: 5/5
The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 has one awesome design factor that makes it leaps and bounds ahead of all similar coffee machines.
The brew chamber can be removed when the machine is off. This makes it super easy to clean the innards machine. Just remove the brew chamber and rinse it thoroughly.
Most of the time, the rinse button will do the trick, but it’s a good idea to remove the brew chamber once every one or two weeks and give it a good cleaning.
It’s really important to rinse and descale your machine regularly as there is no built-in water filter. If you live in an area with hard water, you should descale once every month or once every two months. You should also keep the water tank empty if you don’t use the machine very often.
Here’s the really cool part: the DeLonghi Magnifica ships with a hardness testing kit that you can use and set into your machine. The machine will then calculate how often you need to descale and a trusty indicator light will remind you.
That will go a long way to extending the life of your machine.
The drip tray is removable, and an indicator will tell you how full it has.
Since this is an automatic machine, the coffee pucks will be discarded in a compartment in the machine itself. Every 14 brews, the drawer fills up, so you’ll have to empty it. You can remove the puck compartment by removing the drip tray.
As with everything else, an indicator will let you know when it’s time to empty the puck.
Overall, the DeLonghi ESAM3300 is really sturdy and a workhorse of a machine. Since this machine has been around for so long, self-repairs are quite well-documented online.
Value for money: 5/5
Now that you’re well informed about the DeLonghi ESAM3300, let’s examine the last bit: the value for money that you get from this machine.
For the price range, you get an impressive espresso machine that has a feature set that rivals the features you would find in machines that are double the price.
Considering that for the price, you get a grinder, an excellent espresso machine, a reliable steam wand, the ability to customize your shot, and indicators that remind you of regular maintenance, it’s hard to pass up a deal on this machine.
In fact, you’re getting a super-automatic espresso machine for the price of similar semi-automatic machines.
The fact that it’s been on the market for so long is an indicator of how reliable and successful the DeLonghi Magnifica is.
DeLonghi is paying heed to the old adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Should you get the DeLonghi ESAM 3300?
So should you drop the cash and get yourself a DeLonghi ESAM300?
If you’re in the market for an automatic espresso machine and are planning to make espresso, cappuccino, latte, and other specialty drinks, there’s no better machine you can get for this price range.
However, if all you plan on drinking are espresso shots, americanos, or long blacks, many of the added features like the steam wand are unnecessary.
Instead, you could pick up a manual espresso machine that would offer you the same level of flexibility and control over your shot, if not more.
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Final thoughts
The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 is hands down our favorite super-automatic espresso machine. We don’t usually sing praises this easily, but this machine has it all: it’s easy to use, easy to clean, grinds beans, makes a great espresso, also works with ground coffee, and steams milk, too.
What more can someone ask for!
Last update on 2024-04-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
