DeLonghi ESAM6600 Gran Dama Digital Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

From Delonghi
	Price: $3,500.00
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Features - 1350-watt fully automatic 15-bar espresso machine - Thermoblock technology for excellent heat distribution - Integrated conical burr grinder; direct-brew system - Digital programmable menu settings; dishwasher-safe parts - Measures 16-1/2 by 11-1/4 by 15 inches Product Description DIGITAL PROGRAMMABLE MENU SETTINGS Allow you to adjust start time, auto shut-off and clock.You can adjust temperature of the coffee and water hardness. Plus, there are five settings for coffee strength: extra-mild, mild, regular, strong, and extra strong.Three buttons allow you to easily choose the size of cup you want: ristretto (small), espresso (medium) and large (American coffee). The three settings can be customized to your preferred taste. PATENTED SINGLE TOUCH CAPPUCCINO AND LATTE The system includes a 25 oz. milk container, two detachable lids, one for frothed milk for cappuccino and the other for steamed milk for latte. It also includes a unique automatic cleaning function with the easy push of a button. Plus, the entire container is detachable, so it can easily be placed in the refrigerator. All parts are dishwasher-safe. Place the cup under the nozzle and press the button. You'll get a perfect cappuccino or latte every time! Amounts of frothed / steamed milk and coffee are adjustable. WHAT YOU GRIND IS WHAT YOU BREW The compact and patented Direct-to-Brew System with Thermoblock technology provides excellent heat distribution and it's removable for easy cleaning. The beans are ground instantly to ensure the freshest espresso or coffee. 15 BARS of Pressure. PROFESSIONAL-QUALITY CONICAL BURR GRINDER Integrated burr grinder produces consistent, fresh and aromatic espresso or coffee. Grind settings allow you to adjust the fineness for all types of beans. INSTANT REHEAT FUNCTION Heats the core of the machine, ensuring that Magnifica maintains an ideal temperature for brewing. Customer Reviews Superb - Like most highend devices, it needs TLC Date: 2007-11-26 | Rating: 5 First of all, this machine is physically superior to all other super-automatic brands I checked out. The top line Jura, Saeco, and Krups are all wrapped in plastic with steel accents in front while the Delonghi is fully encased in steel. The engineering is very solid and it has a gorgeous presence in the kitchen. If you like Cappuccino, you will love this machine and its truly one touch operation. However, you must use proper sized Cappuccino cups to get the full experience. The machine is tuned to froth the milk and add the espresso shot so that froth extends about 1/4 inch above the edge of the cup. You can change these settings, but out-of-the-box it is perfect. I have never had a better Cappuccino anywhere - even Italy. (I use Illy medium roast beans). The milk container is incredibly convenient. I have placed the machine near my fridge so I simply store the milk container in the fridge after each use. It snaps in and out of place very easily. The espresso shots are wonderful. It is important that you take note of the grind setting when you open the box before you change it. They set the grind setting at the factory for each machine and it is unlikely that you will find a better mark. People say that super-automatics can't make a shot as good as the manual machines but think this machine defies that rule. To really enjoy and understand this machine, you need to read the manual and take some simple extra steps before and after you use it each day. First of all, use the rinse feature often. It takes 1/2 second to push the button. If the machine has been sitting for a while, hit rinse before you use it so the infuser will heat up. After your last cup for the morning etc, hit rinse. It is a quick and simple way to keep the machine working well. Second, before and after you use the milk container, hold the CLEAN button for 5 seconds. It blasts steam through the internal parts that transport the milk. There is no other way to clean the milk that enters the machine. If you don't do this, the milk will harden in the machine and cause problems. You do not need to CLEAN after every cup, just when you are finished for that period of the day. Again, it is quick and simple and makes a big difference. Finally, prep your machine based on your usage. Don't let the machine tell you to empty the container, fill the beans, or fill the water. Get ahead of it so that your coffee making sessions are not interrupted by these messages. Once every day or so, depending on usage, just check everything before you start so you don't waste time or coffee. Here is an important point. If you are drinking alone, this super- automatic is as much work or more than a manual machine. You need to prep and clean it more than a manual machine. The super-automatic only pays off in terms of convenience when you make the second cup and beyond. With this machine, you can just hit CAPPUCCINO 10 times in a row and you will have 10 cups - it's that simple. But after 14 cups you refil the water, empty the grounds container, top off the beans, clean the milk and rinse the infuser. To me, its all worth it because it makes a great cup of coffee and it is just so damn cool. In summary, I am so pleased with this product that I was motivated to write this review. What else can I say? Great Espresso! Date: 2007-10-16 | Rating: 5 I have used a manual espresso machine for many years and now that I have a super automatic I will never go back. This thing is a technical marvel that is completely programmable to make perfect latte's or cappuccino's just the way I like them. One of the best features is the detachable milk container that has an automatic cleaning function so it can go righ back in the fridge. I also like the easily removeable brewing system that can be taken out for cleaning. One touch brewing for all my favorite drinks what a treat. Mostly Automatic Espresso Machine Date: 2009-05-04 | Rating: 5 I am a bit of a coffee snob and always wanted a high powered espresso machine, but my wife was put-off by the complexity of the commercial machines. We bought the Gran Dama because it is so automatic that making great latte and cappuccino is now a breeze for her and I love the real espresso taste. The instructional DVD and intuitive programming got us off to a fast start. Watching the DVD a couple of times before plugging in machine helps set-up go smoothly. Like any espresso machine this requires some maintenance. However, even the maintenance is semi-automatic. There is a message to fill the water tank, add beans and empty the grounds. I have already gotten in the habit of doing all that and emptying the catch tray when the "fill tank." message comes on. It automatically goes into a rinsing cycle when its turned off/on. It's also recommended to push the rinse cycle button after several consecutive uses. There isn't any message to clean the steam/milk nozzle on the milk tank, but all you have to do is hold the CLEAN button on the tank down for several seconds and you're done. The milk can dry hard as concrete onto any steam nozzle, so I recommend cleaning it after every use to avoid problems. Don't be put-off by the maintenance, it's easy and you won't even get your hands dirty. There are a couple small things that could be improved. The height under the espresso nozzles is about 3" and tall cups or glasses can't be used. So we bought a 12 ounce stainless pitcher to catch and transfer drinks. The other nuisance is connecting the milk tank can become difficult. It occasionally requires a detailed cleaning and I use a little canola oil to lube the connections. We highly recommend the Gran Dama to anyone who wants real espresso/milk flavor without all the hassle. It is worth every penny. Worth Every Penny Date: 2009-02-10 | Rating: 5 I had to grit my teeth to spend this much on a an Espresso machine but it has been worth every penny. I have only been using it for a couple of weeks so I can't comment on how reliable it is but my machine is working perfectly. It took a little experimentation to find the right coffee to meet my expectations. I lived in Italy and want something that comes close to my favorite Pasticerria coffee. I like that I can alter the amount of milk added to each kind of coffee and of course, it's awesome that latte, cappuccino, macchiato and espresso are available at the touch of a button. The machine heats up quickly and since you get coffee and milk at the same time, both are hot unlike my old machine where I could brew the coffee and then had to wait for the water to reheat before I could steam the milk. I love that I never have to wait for the pressure to release before removing the grounds holder again. I used to have to wait five minutes or more before brewing another cup but the Gran Dama empties the grounds and reheats in seconds. The machine is easy to clean which is a plus. It comes apart easily and reassembles with no effort. I read the directions carefully and watched the DVD that came with it and was making coffee in a few minutes. I have only found two drawbacks so far. When I use ground coffee I get the "add grounds" message even after adding the measure of grounds. I have to add more than one scoop to get rid of the message and at one point it stopped and told me to remove coffee before it would brew. I don't really care because I will use beans and not grounds from now on. The other issue is that you must always ensure there is water in the tank and milk in the container before starting. If you don't, it will start to brew and then stop. The machine steamed the milk and delivered it and then told me to fill the tank with water because I failed to notice it was low. Apparently you can't just add water and continue, but must start over, wasting the already steamed milk. I'll just have to be careful to check the levels before brewing. Otherwise, it makes a superb coffee, very quickly, with no work. I can have delicious cappuccino whenever I want and it tastes better than Starbucks! The machine looks good, very impressive. I am very satisfied with this espresso machine. The coffee beast Date: 2009-07-20 | Rating: 5 I have owned a run of the mill krups coffee maker forever. It refused to die. I could not imagine spending thousands for a coffee machine but my wife really wanted to get me something special for father's day. I did a fairly compulsive online review but it was not until I saw the Grand Dama up close and personal that I made up my mind. It's a beautiful piece of kitchen sculpture. Now came the test, would it work? I knew going into this that all of the machines are surprisingly hit or miss and we were talking Italian engineering! Well the dvd would not play in my player, bad start, but it ran fine in my MAC. The video was easy to follow and the written instructions were also easy. It worked first time and every time since and I am in love! so is my wife and so are my teenagers the Grand Dame's (sic) a real hit. Like the previous reviewer, I've found a little lubrication is the secret to happiness. I've also figured out how to get hot frothed milk for hot chocolate, etc. Run the machine on the manual grounds setting, push latte or capacino and don't add coffee...voila hot frothed milk. This thing is virtually the same total work per 8 cups as a drip maker and 1000 times better. Put's the local starbucks and caribou to shame.