De'LonghiPrimaDonna Aromatic Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

It's a premium experience and worth every penny

Although I'm the furthest thing from a coffee snob or an espresso connoisseur, I think I'm uniquely qualified to compare the Primadonna Aromatic to some of De'Longhi's other superautomatics because I've owned the Magnifica Evo, the Magnifica Plus, and the Eletta Explore. I've also owned the Tru-Brew grind-and-brew coffeemaker. As some reviewers state, the brew group on the Primadonna is pretty much the same for all of my units. So what makes the Primadonna more desirable? Well, first of all, the build quality is superior. And I don't just mean the stainless steel trim. When you remove the grounds discard cup to clean the unit, there is a real difference in how much easier it is to clean. De'Longhi seems to have perfected this one so as not to have as much dropping of grounds all over the inside. Having cleaned the aforementioned De'Longhi machines thoroughly, I can tell you that the Primadonna stays cleaner inside--they seem to have improved the amount of water and grounds that get into the nooks and crannies of the machine. This makes a big difference for weekly and/or monthly cleanings. Another great feature is the electronic grinder settings. No more reaching into the hopper while grinding to change settings. Combined with the Bean Adapt feature, it really helps you get to that perfect-tasting cup much more quickly. Then every time you use one of your favorite beans, you can just choose it from the machine's memory and you are back to a perfect consistent cup, no matter how often you change beans. Of course, you can also use pre-ground coffee if you choose. Another nice touch is the on-board storage for your ground coffee scoop and the auxiliary water spout-- they are always there when you need them. Some folks have complained A LOT about the Coffee Lounge app that you can use to control the machine remotely. Honestly, it always works for me, so I cannot address those other users' experiences. I will say, however, that I do not see any great use scenarios for the app, since I usually am at the machine when using it. But the app DOES work for me as it's supposed to. In a nutshell, I love this machine and it was worth the extra money (make sure you get that 10% discount if you are ordering directly from De'Longhi). If you get one, don't feel like you absolutely need to use "better" coffee beans than what you are used to. I spent too much money searching for the best taste because I bought into all of the "connoisseur" hype. But the real shocker was the first time I used my extremely common store-bought coffee beans (Eight O'clock Original Roast) using the Primadonna's "drip-style" coffee setting and it tasted like a completely different brew than what I'd been getting out of my actual drip coffeemaker for years. So take it from a guy who loves coffee in all its forms, whether hot, cold, with foam or without it--this is a great machine if you want a top-notch superautomatic. It makes you look like an expert whether you are or not!