De'Longhi Caffe' Corso Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine,Cappuccino, Espresso Coffee Maker, ESAM2800.SB, Silver and Black, R132212012

My first bean-to-cup coffee maker and I am delighted with it. It was very easy to set up and get working. The manual is easy to follow and De'Longhi also have a 'how-to' section on YouTube which people may find helpful, enter "How to videos for De'Longhi Magnifica ESAM 04" in the search box and amongst the videos listed you should see a playlist of 19 videos. Although these videos relate to the Magnifica machine it shares the same features as this Caffe Corso so should be useful if anyone gets stuck using the manual.I recommend reading through the user manual (it's not too long) and acquainting oneself with the different dials/buttons before even switching it on. Then follow the steps in the manual to set-up the machine. Do the water hardness test first with the test strip provided, then turn to page 15 in the manual to set the water hardness ( this will regulate how often the machine needs descaling). Then go back to the beginning to set up coffee strength, water temperature etc. It may take you two or three coffees before you have the machine set to your liking. I was lucky... I like my coffee quite strong so I set the water temp. to one below max and the coffee strength to one notch beyond the centre point and I have had perfect coffee right from the first cup. I have seen comments that the coffee produced is not hot enough... there are a couple of things you can do - 1. check that you have set the water temperature high enough, 2. put your cup/mug under the coffee nozzles when you switch the machine on - the machine goes through a rinse process every time you switch it on/off and this will produce hot water which heats up the inner workings and will also warm up your cup. Just remember to empty your cup before you press the button to start making your coffee! If your machine is already switched on just press the rinse button.This machine has great features such as the eco function, and an easy-to-fill clear water tank so you can always see how much water there is in the tank. There are also indicators which light up when you need to refill the tank or if the used coffee compartment is full and needs emptying. It is very easy to dispose of the coffee grounds, they are dropped into a box as discs, just pull out the drip tray, remove the box containing the discs and tip them out into your rubbish bin or worktop bin for composting.One thing to be aware of - the machine is quite noisy (as one would expect from a machine which is grinding coffee beans etc.) so if you live in an apartment with very thin walls you may upset your neighbours if you use the machine in the middle of the night when all around you is quiet. I checked with my neighbours and they have said they can't hear it at all so either the walls are thick enough or they were just being polite!I drink only decaff and saw a recommendation for the Lavazza brand in one of the reviews for this machine. I bought these beans Lavazza Deck Decaf, Coffee, decaffeinated whole Bean Espresso, Caffeine Free, 3 x 500 g and the coffee produced is delicious, hot and flavourful. The milk frother is excellent on this machine and the cappuccinos I now make are beter than coffee shop cappuccinos at a fraction of the cost (buy a stainless steel jug for the milk - 300ml capacity should be adequate).I've always known De'Longhi as a great, quality brand, so I fully expect this machine to last quite some time.I don't usually allow myself to be swayed by 'Black Friday' deals but I am so glad I did in this instance. I was researching buying my first bean-to-cup machine anyway and this machine came up at £179 (now at £199 after going back up to £249 after Black Friday, and still worth buying at that price - it was £280 on the De'Longhi website).Finally, thank you to all previous reviewers who helped me make up my mind to buy this machine.

**UPDATE**I have now had this machine 3 years and it's still going strong producing great lattes cappuccinos americanos expressos and hot water for teas etc. This machine is perfect for anyone wanting HOT coffee and not warm coffee that more expensive machines with one touch drinks. Being able to steam/heat your own milk enables you to have a hot drink not warm. When I have to replace this machine I will still opt for a machine I have to steam/heat my own milk as that's the only way you can get HOT coffee. I love this machine. If you are wondering if this machine is any good compared to a £450 machine I'd say its as good if not better because of the ability to get a hot drink. Still working as good 3 years on. And I highly recommend it.What can i say that others haven't? First of all i steered away from machines with a steam arm as i thought it would not only be hard work but more cleaning so i always wanted a all singing all dancing machine that was one touch and delivered milk and coffee automatically but at around £700 plus i couldn't justify that cost and bought this having read the reviews. Wow what a great machine, most reviews state the grinder is too loud... thats not true it is much quieter than my previous grind and drip coffee maker and I'm impressed. The all black or all silver versions of this machine would look better but don't let that stop you buying this as its fantastic. It is robust and well made looks great on the worktop and sits under my wall cabinets no problems and can still open the bean hopper. Some say make the shot first as if you froth the milk first then the boiler is too hot to produce a shot... rubbish. It doesn't matter what order you make your drink but i like to use a glass and add the coffee to the hot milk and watch the coffee going into the milk... little things for little boys lol. I add about an inch of cold milk to a glass press the steam button on and wait for it to stop flashing then i place the wand into the milk and froth. When its hot i remove the glass and turn off the steam button. Then i place a tea towel under the steam wand and open the steam to release the last bit of steam you will quickly see as the steam ends the 2 flashing green coffee lights will stop flashing and are ready to produce a shot. Simply place glass under coffee nozzles and make your shot. The coffee and frothing from this machine is great and I'm pleased with both the cost and performance. The cup warmer is useless but thats ok i pre heat my cups with water. I find if you heat the milk and cup then the final drink is plenty hot enough and unlike other reviews I'm happy with the temperature. You can increase and decrease the temperature of the water by reading the instruction manual and pushing the various buttons. You can pre program a switch off time so the machine will turn itself off if you forget. If you want good tasting coffee a machine thats easy to maintain at an affordable price this is the machine for you. Its a great bit of kit and a real delight standing in my kitchen. It looks quality. I paid £215.00 and I'm pleased with my purchase.