Events

DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite puts coffee making at the palm of your hand

I’ve been a lover of coffee since that first time I got a taste of it. Only, the difference between then and now is that my more mature mind has caused me to become more curious. As with everything that I’ve been discovering in the world of food, I’ve gone from the mere act of enjoying to actually wanting to learn about the where’s and how’s and why’s.


In the past, I was obliviously just drinking coffee, but now I find myself searching for the best brands and roasts, and actually wanting to learn things about coffee. How is it produced? What beans possess the best aroma and earthy flavour? Heck, I’ve gone so far as to wonder if I have it in me to learn latté art! Learning about coffee is in my foodie must-do list for sure.

This was one of the reasons why I was so game to attend the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elita launch. As we all know, DeLonghi is a top brand when you talk about coffee machines. Creating a coffee machine that is able to fully capture the essence of a particular coffee bean or roast is tough and requires a lot of understanding of coffee, so I figured DeLonghi might be able to share with me some tips. Or at the very least, it would be able to satisfy my cravings for a good cuppa.

Well I was not disappointed, both in the coffee I drank that afternoon and the machines that the coffee came out of. In fact I was pretty impressed with the technology of DeLonghi coffee machines. Each one of them is fully automatic, and the buttons are laid out in an uncomplicated manner. All the models look sleek, well-built, and shiny– basically the kind of kitchen appliance you lust after if you, like me, have an idea of what your dream kitchen would look like. (Hint: Filled with shiny things haha!)

Since I still had a bit of time before the main event, I couldn’t resist making my way towards the row of coffee machines displayed at one side of the venue. I was very excited to see how one machine could do what baristas created by flitting from one station to another.

Technically, if you owned one of these DeLonghi Coffee Machines, you don’t even need to move. Just fill the machine with coffee beans and milk, and watch as it creates coffee customized to your liking with just a push of the button!

What amazes me is the bean-to-cup system of these machines. The DeLonghi coffee machine models all have a built-in coffee bean grinder, which most coffee connoisseurs would tell you is a good thing. You see, optimal aroma and flavour can be attained only when the beans are ground moments before you brew your coffee. This is literally as fresh as it can get!

Thanks to the technology of DeLonghi coffee machines, everything happens in just moments. Once your cup has been filled with your coffee of choice, it’s completely up to you whether you want to add sugar. I normally don’t take sugar with my coffee, but sometimes I do like to indulge in a little bit of sweet Mocha. 🙂

I also managed to get myself a cup of espresso, watching with delight as it was prepared via DeLonghi’s Pump Driven Dedica Espresso Maker. Yet another absolutely stunning piece of machinery with easy to use illuminated buttons! It features a patented manual cappuccino system that helps achieve the richest, thickest, longest lasting foam.

Hilariously enough, I completely forgot to snap a picture of the glass filled with coffee before gulping it up!

I was in danger of falling into a coffee coma when Ms. Suzy Abrera stepped into center stage to get the party started. Everyone was already pretty energetic after having what I’m sure is a lot of coffee. But there’s more to be excited about really, because from the sneak peek we were shown of the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite, this was going to be the mother of all coffee machines.

The DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite coffee machines were set behind her on a long table, but they were covered with some cloth to up the surprise factor. Before the curtains were drawn, so to speak, Suzy first introduced the President of Concept Specialist Inc. (the company that is partnered with DeLonghi in the Philippines), Mr. Joseph Hung.

He was very warm and welcoming to us all, and he mentioned that the Philippines had the honour of launching the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite ahead of other Asian countries.

This event was so momentous, even DeLonghi’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Mr. Paul Accornero, was present. He gave us a little background information on DeLonghi Italy, and everything that it stands for. He told us about DeLonghi’s mission to create things that are emotionally engaging, approachable, and desirable. He shared that these coffee machines are the real deal, designed and assembled at the DeLonghi Factory in Treviso, Italy.

What struck me the most was what Mr. Accornero said about DeLonghi striving for a ‘Better Everyday’. To me it means two things: That life is made better every single day by having DeLonghi in your home, and that the brand itself aims to become better with each passing day. I mean, that’s how they are able to create things like the PrimaDonna Elite isn’t it?

Here’s the sneak peek on the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite I was talking about earlier. I think it gives you a pretty good idea how amazing this machine is. And well, at Php 178,800 per unit, it should be nothing but!

Soon enough, the grand unveiling of the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite was about to happen. The room was filled with great anticipation, which only doubled when Ms. Judy Ann Santos stepped into the spotlight to do the honours.

The first thing that went into my mind when I saw it: Wow! It is the most futuristic coffee machine I have ever seen. That touchscreen brings the modernity factor of this coffee maker way up there! Similar with the other models of DeLonghi coffee makers, all you need to do is some clicking on the screen. This one even has pictures so you can fully visualize the drink itself.

You can actually customize the beverages offered by the machine and assign them to a person. Each person does have a different preference over their coffee to milk ratio, but the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite handles that by allowing you to save presets and naming them after specific persons. You don’t need to keep inputting settings over and over every time you or someone in your family hankers for a glass of coffee.

But the cool part about all this is you can actually control this machine using your smartphone. Just download the app and you’ve got yourself a remote! Never thought the day would come when the ability to make coffee would literally fall into the palm of my hand.

To demonstrate how this whole thing works, Regional Manager for Southeast Asia Mr. Vincent Cheng took the stage. He showed everyone the responsiveness of the app and unit by using the phone to brew some coffee.

After his demo, he called on volunteers to try out the coffee maker for themselves, and Ms. Tessa Prieto-Valdez stepped forward with Ms. Patty Laurel. Ms. Tessa’s comment was that the coffee maker certainly helped a newbie like her create a cup that’s coffee-shop level. I must say, that’s a huge compliment!

Once everyone got familiarized with the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite, singer Aicelle Santos stepped up to serenade us with a few songs. (Did I mention how star-studded this event was?)

While my ears were treated to the music, I decided to wander around to check out the other products of DeLonghi that were on display. The first thing that caught my eye was the Il Gelataio gelato maker. It’s well-documented on this blog how much I love making ice cream at home. To be honest with you, I am sorely tempted to get myself a more high-powered ice cream maker like this one.

This has a special patented paddle that’s different from the ones I’ve seen on all ice cream makers. Apparently it helps ensure creaminess. Plus this thing looks super heavy-duty!

The next table over, I stared longingly at all the Icona Vintage appliances. They are gorgeous! The oven toaster is especially retro-looking, and maybe I’ll end up buying that for my future home. Who knows what my love for toast might make me do? 🙂

I also want to say this is the most fashionable kettle I have seen in my life:

Before I left the event, I checked out one last appliance: the DeLonghi MultiFry Low-Oil Fryer and Multicooker. I wasn’t able to catch the demo unfortunately, but I was able to get a taste of what this little baby can do.

My initial impression of the MultiFry was that it’s more for frying food than anything else. There’s a very real trend surrounding air-friers right now, so I thought this was DeLonghi’s answer to that. What I didn’t realize is that this thing has MULTI in its name for a reason. Imagine my surprise when what came out was risotto! It was a delicious and memorable way to end the day for sure.

Up until the very end, DeLonghi continued to delight and exceed expectations. Just when you start thinking it couldn’t get any better, they come out with something brilliant. They did it with the DeLonghi PrimaDonna Elite, which is a huge upgrade from their other already modern coffee machine models. I have no doubt DeLonghi will soon come out with another stylish but functional product. I’m looking forward to it!

Congratulations on a very successful launch!

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