In a Nutshell:
The DeLonghi ECAM 28465 has pretty much everything you’d want in a Super Automatic Espresso machine, including multiple pre-programmed drink settings, one touch operation, and complete bean to cup, hands-free operation. Note that this does not include the optional use of the steam wand, which you do have to operate manually.
Brew Quality
Customization options
Ease of Use
Value for the Money
Overall Rating
4.6/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Serious coffee drinkers. It has pretty much everything you’d want in a superautomatic espresso machine.
DeLonghi makes some truly outstanding espresso machines, but the Prima Donna is among the best of their lineup. We’ll take a closer look at it below to see what it has to offer and if it’s the right machine for you.
The Basics of the DeLonghi ECAM28465M PrimaDonna
The DeLonghi ECAM 28465 features an impressive 68-ounce water reservoir, which is more than enough to keep you supplied with your favorite drinks without having to worry about constantly refilling the tank.
The 8.8-ounce bean hopper is sufficient to keep pace with the reservoir, so you won’t have to worry about running out of one well before the other.
DeLonghi ECAM28465M PrimaDonna S De Luxe in More Detail
The grinder is all metal, which does detract slightly from this unit’s overall score because an all-metal grinder can sometimes leave the grounds with a burnt aftertaste. A ceramic grinder would be optimal here, but DeLonghi gains points here by offering an impressive thirteen different grind settings, providing enormous flexibility where grinding is concerned.
That matters, because when you alter your grind settings, you control the amount of oils you allow into the final drink, which can change the level of richness and overall strength of the final brew.
The DeLonghi ECAM28465M PrimaDonna S Deluxe is fully programmable and even has a two-line text display to keep you informed of where it is in the brewing cycle. Also, it displays other information such as when it’s time for a cleaning. Note here that the cleaning and descaling process is also fully automated.
Although you can make about a dozen different coffee drinks minutes after plugging the device in, you can also easily tweak these default settings, programming them to better suit your individual tastes and give you the perfect coffee drink every time.
The level of consistency is right, but the one slight drawback here is that the machine’s memory only holds one variant of each recipe. Therefore, you can’t have different cappuccino settings for multiple users, for example. Even so, programming and/or tweaking the existing program is not complicated, and you can begin making changes to each brew with relative ease.
Features of the DeLonghi ECAM28465M PrimaDonna S Deluxe
One nice feature to make mention of here is the “Twin Shot.” While it’s true that you can’t program different variants of a custom brew for multiple users, you can brew two cups of your favorite coffee creation at once by using this option.
You and a loved one can enjoy a drink together, rather than just make one, then having to wait to make the second, which is a nice touch.
The Prima Donna also has an energy saving function, a standby feature, and an auto-shutoff to help save on power. In addition to that, the drip tray is easy to remove, which makes cleaning a snap.
The DeLonghi ECAM28465M PrimaDonna is not a coffee machine for the casual drinker. Its size and robust capacity make it ideal for the serious coffee aficionado, but the casual drinker will simply be overwhelmed by the choices this unit offers. This is also probably not the best unit for a household with many serious coffee drinkers.
It’s primarily because the machine lacks the ability to program specific settings for a particular drink for multiple users. On the other hand, if everyone in your household has similar tastes where coffee drinks are concerned, then this unit will serve you well.
DeLonghi ECAM28465M Review – Conclusion
Well, in terms of feature set, we give it a perfect 5 stars. There’s certainly no shortage of features, and it can make just about any kind of coffee drink you’d care to enjoy. Where convenient features are concerned, we rate it 4.5 out of five. The Prima Donna loses a little bit of ground here due to the lack of multi-user support, but is otherwise excellent.
As for overall capability and the quality of the end product, we again rate it 4.5 out of five stars, deducting marginally for the metal grinder. If this unit had a ceramic grinder, it would be perfect in this regard, but the metallic grinder is well known for leaving a burnt aftertaste, depending on the intensity of the grind. Overall then, we rate this machine 4.67 stars, out of five in our DeLonghi Prima Donna review. It’s an excellent choice for the serious coffee drinker.
References and Resources:
- DeLonghi, Official Brand Website.
- Ceramic vs Stainless Steel Grinders: Which is the Best?, Aquaspresso.
- Best Super Automatic Espresso Machine, Coffee Forums.
- What is it about coffee?, Harvard Health Publications.
- The Importance of Coffee and Still Mornings, CAS Anthropology.