For many of us, coffee is more than a drink… it is a passion and often our only poison. And this is why when the opportunity to review a coffee machine presents itself, it becomes hard for me to say no. This time, the coffee machine on offer was premium, making me wonder if I should test something you are more likely to see at an airport lounge than an apartment. But that is when it hit me that those who really love their coffee will go to any lengths to ensure they have the perfect brew.
The DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite Experience– marketed in India by Orient Electric– is almost like the Ferrari of coffee machines, it looks like one too. The Italian brand has coffee machines of different shapes and sizes, but this is the real flagship, as the name suggests and the price confirms. But this is also a coffee machine that tries to bring home the experience of a barista, without any of the hassles associated with making great coffee. The fully automatic machine strives to fulfil all your coffee needs by brewing everything from espressos to cold coffees, macchiatos and cappuccinos in between, with the ability to boil your milk and offer some steam, just in case.
This DeLonghi is big, so give this a miss if the size of your kitchen or dining room does not correlate with your love for fine coffee. It will take up a corner of the kitchen, and this should be at the top of your mind when considering the machine. But the chrome finish won’t look so out of place in your living room either.
DeLonghi uses a technique that grinds and does the beans just like a barista would (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan / Indian Express)
How to set up the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite Experience?
Set up is easy, so with the price you are paying, you will get someone to come and do it for you the first time. There is a 10.9-cm TFT touchscreen up front to adjust settings and select the brew you want. And there is the DeLonghi link app that lets you do the same from the phone. I found this convenient, and the user interface (UI) was easy to understand and use.
You will need to input water, milk and coffee beans in the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite Experience to ensure you get the coffee you need. The beans go up top, where the grinder is housed under a large flap. There you have the option to select the kind of grind you want — the finer the grind, the more intense the coffee. You can also add powder, which is a separate funnel under the flap. This is also where you will add the premixes if you are making a cappuccino or hot chocolate.
DeLonghi uses a technique that grinds and does the beans like a barista. You see the remains of this when you clean up the waste tray occasionally. Using the screen, you can choose the intensity of your coffee, as well as the size.
There is a 10.9-cm TFT touchscreen up front for you to adjust settings and select the brew you want (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan / Indian Express)
How easy is it to use the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite Experience?
I started with regular coffee, as I have never been a big fan of espresso. The coffee quantity was too much for the carafe to hold, as this is more for your espresso and doppio. So I repeated the process the next time with a proper cup. I loved how every time I switched on the machine, it would clean itself with water – it does so every time you switch it off too.
There is the option to add the creamer attachment to the spout on the left to froth your milk on top of the coffee if you are making a cappuccino. The machine does it all, you just need to add the attachment and ensure the outlet is just above the cup. However, I have never been a big fan of this kind of coffee, as I always get the feeling the milk is often just warm and not piping hot as we Indians prefer. And this is where DeLonghi goes one step ahead, as it allows you to control how hot you want your drinks to be in the settings. The ability to personalise each drink also makes this machine stand apart from the rest.
While the cappuccino I made using the attainment was good, the one I made by using the spout to steam my milk to a heady froth on top of the coffee was even better and also the right temperature. I would prefer this mode, instead of going fully automatic. There is another attachment that goes into the same spout to let you make cold coffee or hot chocolate, though I did not use this option much.
Cleaning up and maintaining the machine is easy, as you get alerts and guidance via the screen on when it needs to be done and exactly how. All the parts are easy to adjust and put back, which is something I was worried about given my experience with some coffee machines I encountered earlier.
Again, the machine is very capable and does pretty much every coffee version you can think of. But the quality of the coffee will finally depend on the quality of the bean, and that is uncompromisable, especially when you have spent so much on a machine like this DeLonghi.
The machine is very capable and does pretty much every coffee version you can think of (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan / Indian Express)
Do you really need to buy the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite Experience?
Even with all your love for coffee, getting the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite Experience for the home might be overkill. But there are exceptions. For instance, if there are multiple people who love different types of coffee at home. Or if you spend a lot on ordering coffee from outside. And if you have guests often. In such cases, a coffee machine like this will be of immense value and will pay for itself in a few months. But for regular coffee aficionados like me, a more compact machine that does the type of coffee I like really well would be a better choice. So for now, I will stick to the French Press.
