DeLonghi Magnifica S Broken 4 Times in 2.5 Years

doptimal on 05/03/2023 - 19:27
Last edited 05/03/2023 - 20:08 by 1 other user

I've had the DeLonghi Magnifica S for 2.5 years and it has broken 4 times, twice within warranty and twice just out of warranty.

0 months - From brand new, steamer wasn't working (very low pressure).
12 months - Descale warning light would not go off even after descaling. It was repaired, and 2 weeks later the light came back on. (I use filtered water, and descaled as per instruction manual)
25 months - Steamer lever broke off, unable to use steamer.
29 months - Steamer not working (very low pressure).

I love this machine as it's extremely practical. I'm happy to trade off some coffee quality for ease of use during busy life with kids etc. However, enough is enough! Every repair is $250 and two weeks without coffee!!!

I'm looking at different brands as I would not buy another DeLonghi. I'm looking at the Breville "Express Impress" and "Barista Pro", has anyone had these for several years and can attest to the build quality?

Thanks! Any feedback appreciated.

• 

  Ocker on 05/03/2023 - 19:41

  +2

  You have a "lemon". First step is to ask for a brand new replacement unit. If the refuse tell them it is a prime example of a case for the ACCC to adjudicate.

• 

  azm on 05/03/2023 - 19:45

  Buy a reliable manual machine like Rancilio Silvia.

• 

  Solrak on 05/03/2023 - 19:57

  Breville range are pretty easy to use, provide great bang for buck. But if you want a machine to last more than 5 or 6 years then a Silvia or Gaggia Classic Pro would be my suggestion. You would have to factor in a grinder Breville SGP at a minimum. Unfortunately this isn't a fully auto solution.

  If you were happy with the end result of the Delonghi then a pod machine would be a cheap and easy option.

  • 

    timthetoolman on 05/03/2023 - 20:31

    Both the impress and pro have grinders in built?

    • 

      Solrak on 05/03/2023 - 21:45

      Yes they do.

• 

  7ekn00 on 05/03/2023 - 20:13

  The cheap L'Ors have been surprisingly good!

  First $50 one (from Coles) lasted 38 months, roughly 20 pods per day ;)

  Second one was "free" with 120 pods and it has already lasted 18 months with 20+ pods per day …

• 

  Drakesy on 05/03/2023 - 21:13

  It is a Delonghi…

  TBH though that is pretty piss poor.
  I've only had crappy experiences with Delonghis.

  Bought a Gaggia and have had zero issues 10k coffees and counting.

• 

  jizmo on 05/03/2023 - 21:29

  Buy a TDS water meter to find how good or bad your water is. You can buy online for under $10..
  Think about buying a R.O water filter off ebay or somewhere to bring your TDS to 5-6. With that you wont need the filter in the machine or any other new replacement machine, as long as the reverse osmosis is working.

  • 

    Solrak on 05/03/2023 - 21:52

    Absolutely do this. Buy a TDS meter or water hardness test kit from the pet shop ($30) and test your water especially if you live in Adelaide or Perth. Our water is harder than Chuck Norris on PCP!

    Just be careful with reverse osmosis filters as they can strip all the minerals from your water (you want some to remain for taste and to inhibit corrosion on some boilers)

• 

  Snowy83 on 06/03/2023 - 16:04

  I have a La Specialista Arte, got it about a month or so ago, it is a fantastic machine, haven't felt the need to buy a coffee from a cafe since to be honest. I packed the DeLonghi PrimaDonna S De Luxe away, that ran flawlessly for years, just wanted to get better tasting coffee, so sounds like you got a lemon.

• 

  bobkin on 07/03/2023 - 06:01

  I agree with above comments that you should ask for a replacement unit. We have a DeLonghi e860m that was repaired twice under warranty before they replaced it. We’ve had the replacement unit for 9 years and it’s still going fine. The issues we had were with the steam wand. One reason the replacement has lasted so long is that we stopped using the wand and instead use a separate Nespresso milk frother. Something like this might be an option for you, even if you can’t get the unit replaced.