De’Longhi’s latest PrimaDonna machine is a potential soul mate for any coffee lover, designed to deliver a perfect cup of coffee in a few easy steps.
The PrimaDonna is the leading lady, the headliner, the beauty – and so it has always been, and continues to be, with De’Longhi’s premium range of PrimaDonna fully automatic coffee machines.
A key point of difference with the newly launched PrimaDonna Soul however, is that this Italian helps users connect with the “soul” of their coffee beans and achieve a perfect coffee minus the stress or hassle.
“The De’Longhi PrimaDonna have always been the most premium of our automated machines. Think of the Italian PrimaDonna in opera – she’s special,” explains De’Longhi Product Trainer Cheryl Bosworth. “The PrimaDonna Soul, however, is about getting to the soul of the coffee – it’s a machine that knows your beans. Simply put, this machine is going to get users to their perfect coffee with minimal effort. I feel like PrimaDonna Soul is actually like a coffee soul mate – you connect with her, she makes beautiful-tasting coffee, and she looks gorgeous in the process.”
One of the main features of the PrimaDonna Soul is the Bean Adapt Technology. This is an exclusive innovation from De’Longhi that adapts its settings to produce the ideal coffee extraction for the beans used.
“De’Longhi has based this technology on sensorial tests performed by coffee scientists – and essentially they’ve developed the optimum settings for different bean and roast types. Of course, you can try and make settings for every coffee in the world, but there are many other variables and then there is an individual’s taste,” says Cheryl. “What’s clever about this technology, is it starts at those optimum parameters for brewing according to the coffee bean information, and then guides the user through sight and taste to refine to their personal taste. All of this is based on the user’s input using the Coffee Link app.”
The app is an important part of that communication. It guides users through the process step-by-step so they can create their own, personalised coffee.
Users can save up to six bean profiles, with each one adapting the grind, dose, and temperature for each specific bean choice.
“This makes it really easy for users to switch between different bean varieties without the knowledge of the settings,” Cheryl says.
“It’s a seamless process and once a user has achieved that perfect cup, the machine remembers, so it will just be one touch of a button for the next time.”
Users can photograph and label their bean types, and also their finished coffees and save them for future reference.
Another key automatic feature is the electronically-controlled flat burr precision grinder.
“This is easily controlled through the touchscreen with guidance for users regarding the correct grinder parameters,” says Cheryl.
“What’s also amazing with the electronic grinder is that the settings will adjust straight away, so you don’t have to use all the beans in the hopper before the new grind setting can adjust, preventing wastage of specialty beans.”
Moreover, De’Longhi’s thermoblock technology ensures the optimal extraction temperature between 88°C and 96°C, tailored to the specific coffee recipe that has been chosen.
PrimaDonna Soul has 21 in-built recipes. Users can easily swipe through the selection via the large 4.3-inch touch display, similar to any smart phone or tablet device. It also provides users with easy access and customisation of the recipes, including one-touch favourites such as latte and flat white.
“The [recipes] I find particularly exciting are the Mug To Go, which allows users to save the recipe to match their specific travel mug size and offers two options of either coffee, milk and water, in any order you choose,” Cheryl says. “Others include the Cortado, which is a half-milk, half-coffee espresso that’s basically a piccolo and is also popular in Australia. Another is the Coffee Pot option, where it will individually grind and dose for every two cups in a carafe. And last but not least, the Over Ice, which provides you with a low temperature coffee extraction that you pour over your ice. You end up getting this filter, cold-brew-tasting coffee that’s absolutely sublime.”
To cater to Australia’s continuing penchant for milk-based beverages is De’Longhi’s LatteCrema milk system. This world-renowned technology is patented to De’Longhi, whose engineers have refined the method of skilfully mixing air, milk, and steam with accuracy to create a soft yet compact milk froth.
“The LatteCrema technology produces perfectly textured milk every single time – the right density, the right creaminess, and the perfect industry standard temperature into your cup,” Cheryl says. “As a fully-trained barista with over 25 years’ experience, I’m in awe of how this system achieves such flawless results each time I use it.”
Furthermore, PrimaDonna Soul includes an easy refill option on its LatteCrema milk system. This allows users to add milk to the carafe, even as the machine is delivering their coffee. It’s features such as these, and the bespoke recipes that have been included as standard which show just how much De’Longhi appreciates its Australian customer base.
“The Australian love for specialty coffee is absolutely reflected in this machine with its Bean Adapt Technology and the precision grinder – which are designed for perfect extraction,” Cheryl says. “Also, the recipes have definitely been influenced by Australian proclivities – for example, the coffee pouring before milk. De’Longhi have really listened to their Australian customer base and come up with recipes in this machine to suit their tastes.”
Personalisation is also a prime part of the innovations that De’Longhi keep developing and are exampled in this latest machine.
“Customisation is very important to De’Longhi. We recognise that achieving the perfect coffee is a personal journey, but we’re constantly trying to help make that journey as easy and seamless as possible,” Cheryl says. “De’Longhi are innovators in this sector because we’re always trying to improve on ourselves, and in PrimaDonna Soul we see the introduction of this new technology that makes a significant difference to the whole user experience.”
The Wi-Fi connectivity and Coffee Link app also means users can make modifications to recipes and even make a coffee remotely.
“You could be walking home from the train station and remotely start making your coffee so it’s ready when you arrive,” Cheryl says. “There’s also artificial intelligence at play, which brings all your favourite recipes to the fore. Honestly, there’s so much smart technology in this machine it’s astonishing.”
PrimaDonna Soul is specifically designed for coffee lovers who want to experiment with new coffee tastes and beverages without having gone through years of barista training. All they need to do is become acquainted with this leading lady.
“It’s a machine made for people who love specialty coffee but don’t necessarily want to go through all the exact processes to get to their perfect tasting coffee. It truly encapsulates the name PrimaDonna Soul. A star who gets to the soul of your coffee.”
For more information, visit www.delonghi.com/en-au/products/coffee/primadonna-soul