DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 Review - A Design That Has Stood the Test of Time
Pros
Cons
DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 Summary
This espresso machine offers one of the most intuitive and reliable designs of any home automatic espresso machine. Its over 20-year old design remains a favorite amongst coffee fans. The fact that DeLonghi continues selling this model, despite newer Magnifica models having been released (and discontinued) is testament of its excellent design. Although you will not find drink recipes or the latest bells and whistles, and this machine is a bit loud, this no-fuss design makes great espresso drinks at a very reasonable cost.
Are you in the market for an entry-level espresso machine and are eyeing the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300?
If that is the case, you have come to the right place!
This espresso machine has been one of the most popular choices for entry level home super automatic espresso machines for over two decades and with good reason.
In this post, we will take a detailed look at all of the features and benefits of this espresso machine, as well as some of its drawbacks. We will also answer any questions you may have about it, and make recommendations for who this machine is best suited for.
So if you're curious about the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300, keep reading!
Overview
At a Glance...
- Highly intuitive design with a no-fuss analog interface.
- The brew unit can be removed, and steam wand can be taken apart for easy cleaning.
- Convenient front access for the brewing system, water tank, drip tray, and waste coffee grounds container.
- Excellent value for an automatic machine that features lots of technologies (despite it's aging appearance).
- Dual heating allows rapid transition between steaming and brewing.
- Excellent reliability - some users report this machine has lasted them for more than a decade. This is backed-up by a 3-year warranty (if registered).
- The Cappuccino System steam wand creates a good amount of micro-foam with the potential to for latte art, although the pressure is not as good as dual-boiler machines.
- Conical burr grinder with 13 levels of adjustment.
- There are 13 coffee volume levels and 12 coffee strength levels to customize your coffee - all done intuitively with dials.
- The plastic exterior looks aged with its buttons and dials.
- Loud grinder.
- Incompatible with water filters.
- This machine lacks a screen and programmability.
- No drink recipes
Some Useful Specs...
- Model: DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300
- Type: super-automatic espresso machine
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 15.3 x 14.4 x 11.0 in (38.9 x 36.7 x 27.9 cm)
- Weight: 23.2 lb (10.5 kg)
- Pump pressure: 15 bar
- Water tank capacity: 60 oz (1.77 L)
- Bean hopper capacity: 8.8 oz (250 g)
- Adjustable spout height: 2.75 to 4.25 in (7.0 to 10.8 cm)
- Grinder type: Stainless steel conical burr grinder with 13 adjustment levels
- User Profiles: None
- Number of pre-programmed drinks: None
- Hot water dispenser: Yes, through steam wand.
- Display Type: None - control panel with buttons, dials and lights.
- Brewing System: Internal removable brew unit (part #7313251441)
- Milk Frothing System: Cappuccino system with steam wand
- Ground coffee bypass: Yes
- Warranty: 3-year manufacturer warranty (2 years plus 1 year upon registration)
- Power Requirements:1,350 W
Design and Build Quality
The Magnifica ESAM 3300 has a clean and elegant silver look that may not be the most futuristic but still looks good on any kitchen. It should fit most kitchen countertops thanks to its compact size, at 15.3 x 14.4 x 11.0 in (38.9 x 36.7 x 27.9 cm) in width, height, and length.
One of the first things you will notice is that this machine lacks a screen. Instead, it is operated by means of 6 buttons and 3 dials. These are mostly located on the left side of the front of the machine.
By the top left of the control panel, you will find the power button, the 1 cup and 2 cups buttons, and the hot water selection button. Towards the bottom left of the control panel, you will find the fifth and sixth buttons, which are the rinse/decalcification and ground coffee buttons. This latter button is used to deactivate the grinder and use pre-ground coffee instead (but you should be using fresh beans).
In terms of the dials, there the coffee quantity selector to select the coffee quantity, which ranges from 0.5 to 6 fluid ounces. The second dial, the coffee flavor dial, controls the coffee strength by increasing or decreasing the amount of coffee grounds used for brewing. The third dial, the steam knob, is located on the right side of the machine and controls the steam and water dispenser.
Despite the lack of a screen, we love this user interface because it is highly intuitive. You do not need to read the instructions manual to use the ESAM 3300 (although you should). Its functions and what each button does is fairly obvious and is something one can gather by simply glancing at the control panel.
Do you want two portions of coffee? Then hit the button labelled with the 2 cups icon. Do you want you coffee stronger? Simply move the coffee strength dial. Do you want a full mug instead of an espresso shot? Move the coffee volume dial all the way to the right.
Easy peasy, right?
The coffee bean hopper is of adequate size, it can hold 8.8 oz (250 g) of coffee grounds. The water tank is fairly large at 60 oz (1.8 L), you will be able to run this machine for multiple cycles without having to refill the water tank.
For milky drinks, such as a delicious cappuccino, the Delonghi Magnifica workflow involves first steaming the milk, pressing the pour button (which grinds coffee beans and pulls your espresso shot), and then pouring the steamed milk onto your cup.
The water tank, brew unit, and waste tray can be conveniently removed from the front of the machine, which is a plus in terms of user-friendliness. The adjustable coffee dispenser has a vertical clearance range of 2.75 to 4.25 inches (7.0 to 10.8 cm) which should accommodate most cup sizes.
This DeLonghi Magnifica features all-plastic external materials, which does give it a bit of a cheap feel. The milk wand has a black plastic sheath. This heavy plastic use takes away from this machine’s simple and elegant design. In addition, the use of buttons and dials gives this machine a slightly dated look that may not appeal to everyone.
Nevertheless, the lack of screen, use of plastics and lack of sound insulation (the grinder is loud) is something that has allowed Delonghi to reduce costs, rendering this machine one of the most cost-effective ones in the market.
In addition, the design of this machine has proven to be very reliable, with some users reporting it has lasted over a decade, if well maintained. There is a reason after all that De'Longhi continues selling this exact same model over 20 years after its inception, despite various newer Magnifica models becoming available and then being discontinued throughout the years.
Please be aware that there have been reports of the steam knob breaking. So be gentle when steaming milk!
In short, we love the intuitive no-fuss design of the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300. Although it may not look as fancy as newer machines, and it may be a bit loud, this user-friendly design has stood the test of time. It has remained unchanged for over 20 years, yet, DeLonghi still sells it.
Features
As noted, the user interface is simple and intuitive. This machine features no screen but is easily operated using dials and buttons.
Further, you cannot program and save specialty drinks such as lattes, flat whites, cappuccinos, and so on.
If you live by yourself or in a small household that should not be a major problem; however, if you live with many coffee lovers who like customized espresso drinks, then you could potentially find yourself changing the settings of this machine before every use.
The Magnifica comes with a steel conical burr grinder with 13 grind settings. These can be adjusted on top of the machine. Something that is worthwhile to note is that this is not a quiet grinder.
So if you have babies or sensitive people at home this could be an issue, especially if you're one to have coffee in the wee hours of the morning.
There are 13 coffee volume levels and 12 coffee strength levels to customize your coffee - all done intuitively with dials. We love how you can see which settings are selected by simply taking a glimpse at the control panel. No need to navigate through a complicated user interface.
Unfortunately, a water filter cannot be installed in the Magnifica. This is one of its main drawbacks. As a workaround, we recommend using a water filter such as a Brita and pouring the filtered water into the Magnifica’s water tank.
If you do this, make sure you measure the water hardness of the filtered water with the strips provided instead of unfiltered tap water, when setting up this espresso machine.
There is also a cup warmer on top. It gets fairly hot, hotter than most of the espresso machines we have tested thus far.
This DeLonghi comes with two thermoblock heating systems to cut down heating time when switching between brewing and steaming. However, this is not the same as having two boilers. You can't brew and steam simultaneously, which is not a big deal as this features can cost several thousand dollars.
The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 comes with a Panarello style milk steam wand system, using their patented Cappuccino System. Air is sucked into small orifices on either side of the wand and then injected into the milk to create the froth we all crave.
The steam wand swivels but is a bit too close to the machine's panels, rendering the steaming process a bit awkward.
This DeLonghi can also dispense hot water via its steam wand, which is perfect for those who like Americanos or also like to drink tea.
Finally, this super automatic has a pre-ground bypass. We assume you will only use this if you want decaf coffee, as pre-ground coffee defeats the purpose of these machines. If you use this feature, make sure to press the bypass button and only add one scoop of coffee.
Some features that this machine lacks is programmability, milk customization options, user profiles, and wireless connectivity. These are features that even some higher-end espresso machines lack, and thus we do not penalize the ESAM 3300 for ommiting these.
In short, the DeLonghi ESAM 3300 is extremely easy to use with its dials and knobs system. It includes a cup warmer, pre-ground coffee bypass chute, a 13-level grinder, two thermoblock heating systems and a steam wand that packs a punch. It lacks modern features such as a screen, coffee recipes, programmability, and wireless connectivity. However, we do not penalize this machine too much given these features are not essential features and this is an entry-level machine.
Coffee Drink Quality
Despite its low cost and simple appearance, the Magnifica ESAM 3300 comes packed with technology to ensure preparing espresso is as simple as can be.
And yes, the espresso drink itself is delicious.
This machine comes with the DeLonghi patented Tubeless System (TB), a technology made to minimize the amount of leftover coffee in the grinder, which over time, can become stale and spoil your coffee beverage.
The Magnifica also packs the Direct-to-Brew System, another DeLonghi patented technology. The Direct-to-Brew System allows this machine to brew the coffee grounds immediately after grinding, to ensure no freshness is lost after grinding.
The instant reheat function keeps your machine hot between cycles, so that you don’t have to wait for your next cup of coffee.
This super automatic machine features a powerful 15 bar pump which is more than adequate to prepare high-quality espresso.
The double thermoblock heating system enables you to quickly switch from steaming milk to brewing coffee within just a few seconds. As noted, this is not to be confused with a double-boiler machine.
The stainless steel conical burr grinder is noisy, as noted, but offers 13 grind settings which should suffice for your espresso needs. In their operating instructions, DeLonghi states that "the coffee grinder must not be adjusted", at least initially. However, we find this confusing as your coffee grinder would require adjustment based on your coffee beans and preferences.
We managed to pull a good quality shot of espresso with plenty of crema with minimal tinkering. As noted, the coffee strength (13 levels) and volume (12 levels) can be changed using the twisting knobs in the front control panel to suit your preferences and your settings will be saved for the next use.
The Patented Cappuccino System creates lots of foam, but you cannot set the temperature. The milk texturing is manual so you will need to hone in those barista skills.
With some skills you could create latte art, although if this is your priority we recommend the Breville Barista series.
In short, the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 hides under its hood an impressive array of technologies to deliver delicious espresso drinks. The steam wand also performs well, although it may not be the best to learn latte art (but it's doable!).
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
Ease of cleaning and maintenance is one of the greatest strengths of this DeLonghi Magnifica, and perhaps one of the reasons why these machines are so reliable.
First, the brew unit can be removed. This is a huge plus in our eyes. Removing it allows you to properly wash it by rinsing it and removing all the guck that can accumulate after prolonged use.
Another advantage of a removable brew unit is that it can be replaced should it fail, without having to throw away your precious espresso machine.
This DeLonghi comes with an auto-rinse cycle and button to keep it clean, but we still recommend removing the brew group at least once a week to thoroughly rinse with water.
The removable drip tray and coffee puck container are conveniently accessed from the front of the machine, which is a plus if counter space is premium in your kitchen.
After every use, you should clean the steaming wand with a damp cloth. This machine does not feature an auto-purge feature, so run some steam through it after you finish your drink and before you brew your next one.
The steaming wand also easily comes apart. You can twist the black plastic sheath and then pull the plastic milk frother to remove both pieces to rinse them and remove any milk residue (ew).
The warning lights at the front let you know when it’s time to refill the water tank, empty the coffee puck wastebasket, and run the descale cycle.
In short, the DeLonghi ESAM 3300 is as easy to clean as it is simple to use! You can easily remove the internal brewing, disassemble the steam wand and drip tray for a thorough cleaning. The are prompts by means of warning lights to tell you when your machine needs some love.
Value for Money
This is one of the best-value super automatic espresso machines in the market. For about $700 (we have seen is as low as $500!), this espresso machine is packed with technology to ensure consistently good fresh espresso shots and quality milk based drinks, while being several hundreds of dollars cheaper than newer models with similar features.
DeLonghi has done an excellent job in selecting only the necessary components to make good espresso drinks reliably while discarding any unnecessary costly features that may not be necessary for an entry-level machine. That's why there is no LCD touch screen, high programmability, or a fancy stainless steel frame.
DeLonghi has been making this machine for over 20 years now, which is a testament to its design. Although there is no way for us to test this, some people report that this machine has lasted them for more than a decade.
Delonghi offers three years of warranty (2 years plus 1 additional year upon registering it) for this product which includes parts and labor. However, they do not cover shipping costs to your nearest authorized De'Longhi service center, but they do cover the return costs.
In short, the Magnifica ESAM3300 is a $700 super automatic espresso machine that does espresso and milk frothing consistently well and has the potential to last over a decade. It is certainly one of the most cost effective espresso machines we have come across. Period.
The Verdict
Pros
Cons
DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 Summary
This espresso machine offers one of the most intuitive and reliable designs of any home automatic espresso machine. Its over 20-year old design remains a favorite amongst coffee fans. The fact that DeLonghi continues selling this model, despite newer Magnifica models having been released (and discontinued) is testament of its excellent design. Although you will not find drink recipes or the latest bells and whistles, and this machine is a bit loud, this no-fuss design makes great espresso drinks at a very reasonable cost.
Who is The DeLonghi Magnifica For?
The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 is for beginner espresso drinkers and those who want a no-nonsense, reliable machine. It's easy to operate, clean, and maintain. The coffee quality is consistently good and the value for money is excellent.
If you're looking to buy your first espresso machine or are on a budget, this is an excellent choice.
Who Should Avoid The DeLonghi Magnifica?
If you are looking for an advanced machine with more programmability and features, this is not the machine for you. The DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 is a great entry-level machine with few bells and whistles.
If you are a coffee purist and don't care about the milk, then we recommend the Jura A1. If, au contraire, you want to hone in your latte art skills, check the Breville Barista series semi automatic espresso machines.
If you want a fully-automatic espresso machine without a steam wand, check the DeLonghi Dinamica with LatteCrema. Alternatively, for a more luxurious experience, check the Jura E8.
If you are an advanced user with a high budget, we recommend the Breville Oracle. Its use of dual boilers, and a portafilter, makes for a true coffee shop experience while at home.
Feel free to browse our DeLonghi espresso machine recommendations for more inspiriation
Frequently Asked Questions - DeLonghi Magnifica
How long does a DeLonghi Magnifica last?
Most automatic espresso machines at this price range at least 5 years before something goes wrong. However, with proper use and care, the Delonghi Magnifica can last for over a decade.
Can I make lattes or cappuccinos with the DeLonghi Magnifica?
Yes, the DeLonghi Magnifica can make both lattes and cappuccinos. There are not pre-programmed recipes so you will need to manually measure the appropriate milk quantities and learn how to manually texture milk for different drinks.
What is the warranty on the DeLonghi Magnifica?
The DeLonghi Magnifica has a three-year warranty (2 years plus 1 additional year upon registration) that covers parts and labor. Shipping to the nearest De’Longhi coffee specialist support center is at your own expense, but Delonghi covers the cost of returning your machine to you.
Does the DeLonghi Magnifica make coffee?
Yes, if you mean a high-volume coffee beverage. By cranking the coffee volume knob to the max, you can get a 6 oz beverage. Obviously though, this is not the same as pour-over coffee.
Can you make Americano with DeLonghi Magnifica?
Yes you can! Simply pour an espresso shot, press the hot water dispenser button to pour hot water into your drink to make a delicious Americano. Add ice for a refreshing iced Americano!
What is included with the DeLonghi Magnifica?
This machine includes an instructions manual, an instructional DVD, water hardness test strips, 100 mL of natural descaler, a scoop (for the ground coffee bypass) and the machine itself. Note that a milk jug is not included.
What to do if the Delonghi Magnifica brew unit is stuck?
The most likely reason is that you disconnected the machine or pressed the power off button at the back of the coffee machine too quickly. Turn back on your machine, and then turn it back off using the front control panel power button. You will hear the machine make some noise. Allow it to finish before disconnecting and attempting to remove the brew unit again.
What is the difference between the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 vs the DeLonghi Magnifica S?
The main differences between the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM 3300 vs the DeLonghi Magnifica S are that the latter is now compatible with water filters, and the adjustable coffee dispenser can be raised higher, from 4.25 to 5.6 inches. This allows you to use larger coffee cups.
What type of coffee beans should I use with the DeLonghi Magnifica?
Check our best espresso beans picks for ideas. For most super automatic coffee machines, we recommend coffee beans that are not too oily (usually medium roasts). However, since you can remove the brew unit you should be able to use oily beans no problem, as long as you routinely clean and maintain your Magnifica.
