When you buy whole bean coffee to grind at home it is because you want the freshest coffee possible. With most espresso machines, once you grind the beans the unused portion is stored in a chamber for future use and this makes the beans less fresh. But DeLonghi's patented Direct-To-Brew feature provides you the freshest cup of espresso or coffee every time. The beans are stored whole in a chamber until you are ready to make your coffee, then only the beans you need are ground.

Take advantage of the latent heat of diffusion and preheat your cups to keep your drink steaming hot. There is a warming plate on top of the machine to warm your cup or mug; this will keep your coffee hotter as there will be no heat transfer from the hot liquid to the cold mug.

Additional features that come with the digital model:

Digital Programming - The digital menu gives you the capability to adjust water temperature, size of coffee/espresso, auto start/stop, strength of the coffee (5 different settings), and make adjustments based on your home's water condidtions (hard or soft).

Storage - The chambers for water, beans, and milk are large enough to keep your machine stocked for multiple brews. The chambers are removeable for easy cleaning and you can store the milk chamber in the fridge until it is needed.

Hot Water - Always have hot water available for other drinks - tea or hot chocolate

Frothing Container - The Magnifica makes the task of frothing milk for a cappuccino or latte a simple step with a built-in frothing container. Once the milk is ready, it will be poured into your cup by the machine.

Additionally, DeLonghi makes a mechanical Magnifica espresso and coffee machine. This version has the Direct-To-Brew grinding feature and cup warmer too.

The mechanical version is for you if you like to manually make adjustments for each cup of espresso or coffee. There are two dials to adjust the strength of the coffee and how much that is brewed.

Both machines will hold up to 7 ounces of coffee, have adjustable spouts for different size cups or mugs and an instant reheat function to keep the temperature perfect for each cup.

The digital version retails for $1500.00 and the mechanical is available for $1250.00. Or the equivalent of 250-300 Starbucks lattes - either machine will have paid for itself in less than a year.