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If you have decided on a bean to cup coffee machine and you have a budget that allows for something a little bit special then the DeLonghi Prima Donna S is definitely one to put on the shortlist.
If you are a coffee lover and looking for something a bit different then this is a little bit of pure indulgence that could make all of your coffee dreams come true.
This sits within Delonghi’s premium top of the range category of products that provides unlimited personalisation and a one-touch solution for all your coffee needs
Overall Score 9.4/10
Design 10/10
This model gets top score for design which is rare. This is the Ferrari of coffee machines.
A beautiful full stainless steel body just oozes class before you even turn it on.
The stainless steel is mostly a matt finish but the nozzle that delivers the milk and the coffee delivery unit have been finished in glossy stainless steel which dazzles on the eye and blends perfectly with the matt finish for an overall first-class looking coffee machine
This would definitely be classified as a modern, contemporary machine which would be suited to a minimalist style but would almost certainly work as a focal point for any kitchen.
This is not a small machine measuring in at 23.8cm deep, 47cm wide and 35cm high but for something that looks so good who cares!
Functionality 10/10
Your instructions to the coffee machine to make the drink of your choice is managed through a handful of buttons which sit beneath and around a small digital LCD display showing 2 lines of information for coffee selection.
Initial set up is simple and only takes a few minutes. Once English is selected on the LCD display then you are good to go.
Bear in mind that because the machine is brand new you will need to make maybe half a dozen drinks before the correct and full flavour of your coffee comes through to allow the machine to “bed in”.
Make sure you install the provided water filter as maintaining the correct quality of water is important to ensure a great-tasting cup of coffee.
The 4 buttons directly to the left of the display already have the most popular drinks pre-programmed so just one touch of the cappuccino button, for example, will see the DeLonghi Prima Donna S spring into action and in just a matter of seconds, your cappuccino will be ready for you to savour.
This coffee machine will, of course, do a lot more than that. The 2 buttons to the left of the display allow you to adjust the amount of water delivered into the cup and the amount of coffee that gets ground.
There are 5 different increments on both so whether you like a very strong coffee with very little water or a weak coffee with a lot of water or something in between there is most definitely something here for everyone.
It only takes a couple of minutes to heat up and be ready to go but if you just don’t have those few minutes to spare in the morning use the auto start function which you can set once and it will come on the same time each day.
If you literally have only 1 minute spare in the morning when you are rushing out the door you can use that 1 minute to push the cappuccino button and by the time you have put your shoes on your coffee is ready for you.
Keep a couple of cups on top of the machine as the automatic cup warmer will keep them nice and hot as you don’t really want to be putting hot coffee into a cold cup.
One of the most common complaints with coffee machines can be that the temperature of the coffee is not as high as people would like. Not with the DeLonghi Prima Donna S ECAM 510.55.M.
An excellent function which is not available on most other machines is the ability to set the temperature of the water which best suits you. If you like it piping hot then setting 4 is best. Not so hot and setting 1 could be right for you. These are the kind of features that you are paying for on a premium machine like this which may not be immediately obvious.
You can also adjust the grind of the coffee if you wish. The default setting should be fine for most people but if you want a finer grind and a stronger coffee just adjust the dial towards 1 and for a coarser coffee adjust the other way.
Ease of use 10/10
This is all about 1 touch. You can refine everything precisely as you like it and then just press one button for this coffee machine to produce a coffee which is as good as what you will get at one of the branded coffee shops on the high street but at a fraction of the price.
10 out of 10 because it doesn’t get any easier than that.
Make sure you look after the machine by descaling when it tells you and cleaning once every couple of weeks to ensure optimum performance at all times.
Quality of coffee 10/10
Don’t do this machine an injustice and ensure that you always use great beans to make sure you always get a great cup of coffee.
Not all coffee is the same. Take a look at our coffee bean recommendations which will all work great with this coffee machine
Value For Money 7/10
This one of Delonghi’s top of the range bean to cup machines which impresses across all measures. If you are looking for the latest technology and require full automation at the touch of a button then this is up there with the best.
However, you will pay for it and it’s not cheap. Delonghi has many different bean to cup machines in their range, some with minimal differences in features and performance.
If you don’t want to spend the money on the asking price of the Prima Donna then consider the ETAM 29.660.SB. It is our highest rated fully automated bean to cup coffee machine from Delonghi and in our opinion, it has almost identical functionality but it’s around half the price.
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Last update on 2024-11-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
