DeLonghi Magnifica XS Fully Automatic Espresso and Cappuccino Machine with Manual Cappuccino System, Silver

It took me a long time to pull the trigger on this hefty purchase and because there was no indication that it was ok to use with regular beans I was hesitant. My sister has one in Europe that I loved and she uses drip German beans and assured me that I can use regular drip beans. My husband was not convinced.We nervously bought it(no returns) and I have to report that this machine makes the creamiest, smoothest, non bitter coffee ever. The coffee is that good. I use drip beans from Canada which also makes a difference. The machine was so easy to set up and I love how you fill the bean reservoir once a week and the coffee grinds into a reservoir that does not need daily emptying. It also self cleanse everyday after use. It is a big machine so needs a designated space on your counter but it’s a handsomely designed piece. I also love the little side arm frother that actually works on oat milk. I am very pleased with this machine.

We are 2 adults that drink on average 1-2 cups of coffee a day, mainly in the mornings, and we do enjoy a good cup of coffee. So after trying Nespresso cups, Keurig and few other cheaper espresso machines decided its time to invest in a real coffee/ espresso machine. After spending a good amount of time doing online research we have come to the conclusion this is the best machine for our needs. Placed the order, waited full of excitement for the delivery day, unwrapped the machine with great caution, plugged in, put some coffee beans, filled the water tank and waited for the magic to happen....Well....nothing happened...!..How can this be? its the best of the best... Well u can only imagine the disappointment seeing there is power in the machine since the light to notify about the empty tank of water are coming on but this is where the magic stops since the rest of the machine is dead as a door nail... a pretty damn expensive door nail.... Of course this happened on a Friday evening and DeLonghi customer service is M-F regular business hours.Thank god for the amazing Amazon customer service and so the next Monday we had a brand new machine at our door. This one worked from the first try....and what a machine it is... . Normally I would be pretty upset considering that such an expensive machine was faulty out of the box, but the coffee that it makes...makes up for any inconvenience.When you first start using it you have to read the manual...otherwise nothing makes any sense. Its a european brand after all and the various combinations of blinking logos for whenever something needs adjustment or cleaning are not very intuitive. Also programming auto shut off and calibrating for water type in your area requires following instructions. Once you start using it things are pretty straight forward.The great things about this machine: its very compact, quiet, warms up quickly, smooth grinder, makes amazing coffee. When I first bought it I thought I will be using the pre ground coffee a lot more, thinking it will be faster and quieter (when making coffee at 6 am). Honestly it probably takes 20 seconds longer to make coffee from freshly ground beans and it tastes so much better.Overall very happy with the purchase.

After just 2 weeks the milk frother did not work properly anymore. It was not possible to reattach the inner plastic piece where it belongs. So when you steam, it blows that piece right of and the steam is leaking out so there is no frothing anymore. The piece was not (visibly) broken, it was just impossible to get it properly attached. It was only rinsed with warm water daily.Called Amazon and unfortunately there was no exchange possible at that time. So I received a 20% credit for the hassle to deal with the problem. Amazon customer service rocks!Called DeLonghi and even with the machine just 2 weeks in use they would only send a new plastic piece worth 2 dollars as a courtesy (which they had to repeat several times)! But first I have to send in the purchase receipt as a reply to their email - I never received an email from them...On top the frother was leaking a lot into the drip tray. It was full quickly.That on top made me return the unit.The usability of the machine was great, the milk froth was great as long as it worked. The coffee taste was not the best but great crema.So I really would have liked this machine...

Just received the Magnifica XS and am reporting my first impressions of this machine. Beautiful, streamlined well-made machine. Easy to setup. Truly bean-to-cup espresso. First sample was delicious and every bit as good as a Starbucks although I have increased the strength a bit for my next cappuccino. Fully automatic for coffee or espresso and manual for steamed milk, which is just fine at this price point. A breeze to clean the steam wand and the coffee machine cleans itself as needed. If you’re a Starbucks snob like me you like espresso and/or a latte/cappuccino that is not too bitter. So I also recommend Lavazza super crema, which create a beautifully smooth espresso. And if you read the other reviews you will find that the #1 complaint about this machine (and most other espresso machines BTW) is that oily beans can clog the grinder. So use a bean like Lavazza that is proven not to clog and also produces delicious espresso and you can’t go wrong with this machine.Update after 1 month of use: makes best lattes/cappuccinos I’ve ever had using the Lavazza super crema. No clogs in grinder whatsoever. Perfect combination with the Magnifica XS.Update after 3 months of use: still reliably makes best cup of coffee ever. But want to add a tip for maintenance of steaming wand. Repeated removal of plastic tip on wand to clean may make it difficult to slide it back on over o-ring. Suggest you get some food grade silicone lubricant for o-rings (available on Amazon of course) and keep the o-ring lubricated to allow easy reassembly of wand. I also ordered some replacement wand o-rings from eReplacements.com P/N 5313217751 to keep on hand.