Whilst this machine is easy to use, it is very flimsy & too lightweight for my liking. Unfortunately I purchased the extended warranty so I’m stuck with it. I find that it turns off even before I get to put the coffee in, even with a non slip mat it moves around. I miss my Breville machine which broke down after warranty & is too costly to fix or replace. Look for a machine other than this one.

I chose this machine in large part because it was ESE compatible and I had a pile of pods to get through from my last (dead) machine. This Delonghi is a pretty good domestic machine for its price. I've only used it with pods, but it draws a good shot (as far as pods go) and the milk wand produces a consistent frothed milk. The tank is easy to remove for filling or cleaning and can be filled on the machine if need be. The the machine is dead simple to use and has an auto off function (which is handy) and nifty indicator to tell you when to empty the drip tray. Its narrow body means it takes up minimal room on the bench top. I bought this purely online and did not check it out in a store first, so was a little disappointed to find that the body is mostly plastic. The only metal bits are the head, the hot bits of the handle and the drip tray cover. The top plate is chromed plastic. The plastic seems strong enough to do the job, but I do not know how it will age. This also means that the machine is not very heavy, so moves easily and you usually need to hold it down with one hand while using the other to engage the handle. It is a good looking machine, though there is no where onboard to tuck away any excess chord. The metal drip plate cover developed a light corrosion-like patina very quickly (no salt air near me) which detracts somewhat, but it has not worsened and, hey, coffee machines lead a pretty hard life so lets be philosophical about it. The wand sometimes drips a little when its element is heating up, which I hope does not worsen as the machine gets older. It's not a perfect machine, but probably as good as its competitors at this price point and definitely better looking than most. It has been reliable and consistent, and despite not being as flash, produces better results than the older and much, much more expensive machine it replaced.