So the first thing to explain, given that DeLonghi and other brands have now followed various retailers in misusing the term "bean to cup machine", is that this is what we now have to refer to as an "automatic" bean to cup machine, to differentiate from what DeLonghi and other brands refer to as just "bean to cup" machines. More on this shortly.
The "Automatic" bit refers to the fact that the coffee is produced automatically, all you have to do is make sure there is water in the tank and beans in the hopper.
Features and Benefits
- Panarello Steam Wand
- 3 Pre-set Coffees (Espresso, Coffee, Americano)
- 1.8 Litre Water Tank
- 13 Grind Settings
- Dreg Drawer Capacity: 14 Coffees
- Max cup height: 14cm
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 24 x 44 x 35 cm
Going back to the "bean to cup" thing, Saeco coined this phrase when they invented the first "bean to cup coffee machine", in the 80s.
The presence of a brewing unit to replace the portafilter and the associated barista workflow, in addition to the integrated grinder, meant that it was literally "from bean, to cup", which is where the term came from.
These days, "bean to cup" is being used to describe any coffee machine with a built in grinder, which is one of my pet peeves, but anyway, it is what it is - I'm having to remember these days to add "Auto" to "bean to cup" when I'm referring to "true" bean to cup machines, not the end of the world I suppose ;-).
So as I've said, coffee (espresso, coffee, Americano) is automatic, you just press a button.
The milk frothing isn't automatic, it has a steam wand, what's referred to as a "Panarello" wand, for reasons no one appears to know, by the way, Panarello is an Italian surname so I'm guessing it was the surname of the person who first invented this kind of milk Frother, maybe?
Anyway, this is just a sheath fitted over the steam pipe with an air intake which drags air into the milk with the steam, creating the froth.
It works well, for big bubbled "old school" milk foam, but not so much for more modern micro foam, for velvety flat whites. The S Smart comes with the very clever 2 settings panarello which gives you control over the aeration, and allows the creation of micro foam texture.
I don't know why they don't put this steam wand on all their machines to be honest, it's the best panarello wand I've ever used. So, if you want that kind of control, you may want to look at the S smart.
If you're looking for a "one touch cappuccino" type machine, you may want to look at the Rivelia, or the Eletta Explore.
If you're mainly looking for Americano, coffee & espresso though, and maybe the odd cappuccino but you're really not fussed about this "micro foam" nonsense ;-), then this machine might be perfect for you.
It's one of the cheapest of this type, all the machines in the Magnifica range tend to produce very similar tasting coffee (they're more or less the same internally, so that would make sense) and it's just slightly more modern than the S and S Smart when it comes to the user interface.
If you're wondering what "coffee" means, vs espresso and Americano, by the way, this means "caffe creme", basicaly a bigger ratio espresso.
If you're someone who really knows their caffe creme and you're about to argue with me about that, by the way, there's no need ;-).
I agree that this isn't traditionally what caffe creme is at all - but this is more or less what this setting is on most bean to cup coffee machines, a bigger ratio espresso, and I think cafe creme is the best description for what "coffee" means on a machine like this.
If you want to experience the closest to true espresso when you're choosing espresso on a bean to cup machine like this, and the closest to traditional caffe creme when choosing "coffee", I'd recommend adjusting your grinder towards the finest end of the range for espresso, and towards the more coarse end for "coffee".