My previous Krups grinder packed up. I used it with a Baby Gadgia espresso maker. I have long wanted a Bean to Cup and this seemed a good opportunity. The Gadgia was fine but limited, and went to a charity shop. That's the background. Now the superlatives about my De'Longhi Magnifica S. it is quite wonderful. People often write 'for the price a product is good value' or similar, which implies 'not bad but good value'. That would be an understatement here. The De'Longhi does everything I want very well, from short to long espressos, one or two cups, bean to cup, reservoir for used grounds avoids discarding after every cup, good water reservoir (though it is not vast it is very easy to refill, cappuccinos and flat whites, the lot. And the interface is good, telling me ... MoreMy previous Krups grinder packed up. I used it with a Baby Gadgia espresso maker. I have long wanted a Bean to Cup and this seemed a good opportunity. The Gadgia was fine but limited, and went to a charity shop. That's the background. Now the superlatives about my De'Longhi Magnifica S. it is quite wonderful. People often write 'for the price a product is good value' or similar, which implies 'not bad but good value'. That would be an understatement here. The De'Longhi does everything I want very well, from short to long espressos, one or two cups, bean to cup, reservoir for used grounds avoids discarding after every cup, good water reservoir (though it is not vast it is very easy to refill, cappuccinos and flat whites, the lot. And the interface is good, telling me when it needs more water, emptying the ground or adding beans to a large hopper. Never used already ground bean capability but it's there. It's automatic. Switch on and it warms up and rinses. Put 1-2 cups under the dispenser. Select what coffee you want from buttons and leave it to do the rest. . Nicely made, it comes with a water filter (I have not used) and a simple method of testing your water hardness. And it runs an automatic rinse before and after every session. (I use the before rinse of hot water to warm the cups, then discard it prior to making the espressos) And a two year guarantee from John Lewis. In case it's not yet clear I am absolutely delighted with it. With some bean to cup machines costing 4 or 6 times as much this is an absolute steal.

I did a lot of research before purchasing this bean to cup machine. I wanted a built in bean grinder and the ability to steam (not foam) milk. This seemed the best option for my price range. The negatives first - brushed steel. Looks great initially but it gets marks on it so easily - even water marks. When you wipe even with a soft cloth, it takes the polish off the surface which makes me think it's cheap. You do need to do some research on what dosage to use, the temperature for the bean roast and also setting your water hardness. Having done all of that, I have managed to get a good decaff and full caffeine espresso with crema quite quickly. I do wish the temperature of the coffee was higher as I have to add hot water to it to make it hot enough. This machine is ... MoreI did a lot of research before purchasing this bean to cup machine. I wanted a built in bean grinder and the ability to steam (not foam) milk. This seemed the best option for my price range. The negatives first - brushed steel. Looks great initially but it gets marks on it so easily - even water marks. When you wipe even with a soft cloth, it takes the polish off the surface which makes me think it's cheap. You do need to do some research on what dosage to use, the temperature for the bean roast and also setting your water hardness. Having done all of that, I have managed to get a good decaff and full caffeine espresso with crema quite quickly. I do wish the temperature of the coffee was higher as I have to add hot water to it to make it hot enough. This machine is also better for one or two people but if you were making more than that, you have to keep going through the process so it could take a bit of time. Getting the hang of the steam wand is an art and again I watched many videos. It isn't a huge jug so it only gives a relatively small amount of milk for the coffee. All in all, I am pleased with it but I wouldn't give it 10/10 - maybe 8/10.

Pros: Produces nice coffee once you’ve adjusted the grind settings. Easy to clean and use. Panarello wand can be removed if you have barista skills to froth the milk better without it, eg for a flat white. Not noticed much difference but then I’m not a barista! Froths and heats the milk well for latte/cappuccino but still trying to master a flat white! Will make 2 drinks with same amount of coffee for both so they’re as strong as it would be for one drink. Separate Shute for ground coffee works well. Cons: Need an alert for when coffee beans are running low - as it stands, it will grind what’s on the dumper bit of there’s not enough, it just dumps the grounds which is a waste. Most of these BTC machines are noisy including this one so daren’t use it late at night. I ... MorePros: Produces nice coffee once you’ve adjusted the grind settings. Easy to clean and use. Panarello wand can be removed if you have barista skills to froth the milk better without it, eg for a flat white. Not noticed much difference but then I’m not a barista! Froths and heats the milk well for latte/cappuccino but still trying to master a flat white! Will make 2 drinks with same amount of coffee for both so they’re as strong as it would be for one drink. Separate Shute for ground coffee works well. Cons: Need an alert for when coffee beans are running low - as it stands, it will grind what’s on the dumper bit of there’s not enough, it just dumps the grounds which is a waste. Most of these BTC machines are noisy including this one so daren’t use it late at night. I drink so much coffee in a day and these are the only negatives I’ve noticed. Overall this machine is very good for the price and unless you want to spend upwards of £600 I don’t think any of them will be any better than this one.