Coffee vs Long button on the Magnifica, what's the actual difference?

[Thomas Martinez]

Was looking into how the Coffee and Long buttons differs on the DeLonghi Magnifica and figured I'd post this since it comes up alot in the owner threads. They're not just two volume settings but will produces different types of espresso shots overall despite having the same beans and grinder settings.
The Coffee button will produce medium brew time shots that are more strong than Long but weaker than espresso. There will be more crema on top with Coffee as well as a bold flavor for the brew. The Long button will produce a much milder coffee with less crema and a flavor that taste closer to drip coffee. People often compare this flavor to that of an Americano.
I'm curious as to how many of you uses the Long button. I basically never do. I just make two Coffee shots if I want a bigger mug of coffee.

 

[My Little Racc]

i basically never touch the Long. If i want more volume i just pull two Coffee shots into the same mug, tastes way better than the Long shot than

 

[Impossible Ibex]

Wait so the Long button pushes more water through the grounds at the same pressure but the pump dont slow down?

 

[The Hunt For t]

The Long button is for people who dont actually like espresso lol. They just want a bigger shot of coffee which can easily be accomplish by pulling a real espresso shot and adding hot water to taste. The flavor is totally different when prepared this way compared to Long button.

 

[My Little Racc]

The Long button is for people who dont actually like espresso lol. They just want a bigger shot of coffee which can easily be accomplish by pulling a real espresso shot and adding hot water to taste. The flavor is totally different when prepared this way compared to Long button.

yeah this. The Long actually over-extracts the coffee resulting in bitter notes to the brews
doubling up on Coffee and adding water separately is the way

 

[Double Sta]

Grind setting change the gap between Coffee and Long. When I make Coffee it’s 4 (out of 7) for the grinds but the Long is a little harsher. If I make Long with 5 it come out smoother. You have to choose which button for your machine only allow one burr setting at a time. Most people just choose Coffee and ignore the Long button which is why it gets such a bad name.

 

[Impossible Ibex]

Grind setting change the gap between Coffee and Long. When I make Coffee it’s 4 (out of 7) for the grinds but the Long is a little harsher. If I make Long with 5 it come out smoother. You have to choose which button for your machine only allow one burr setting at a time. Most peo…

so if i'm understanding right, going coarser on Long actually help because the extra contact time is what's killing it? does that mean fine grind + Long is basically the worst combo you could pick

 

[Unbeli]

mine broke last month dgaf about button anymore

 

[Double Sta]

so if i'm understanding right, going coarser on Long actually help because the extra contact time is what's killing it? does that mean fine grind + Long is basically the worst combo you could pick

Fine grind + Long = burnt bitter sludge. Fine ground beans almost choke the water flow through the filter and allow the grounds to extract for too long. Thats why your Long taste like garbage.

 

[Envious Emu]

I’ll defend the Long button. When I want coffee in the morning when I’m half asleep I dont want it as strong as a ristretto so the Long cycle make for great coffee that I can sip on while looking at my phone for 20 minutes. It’s not the best coffee my machine can make, but it’s mild, doesn’t wreck my stomach when I’m half asleep with nothing to eat and it save me having to deal with pouring two shots of coffee.

 

[Breakable Bison]

how does the My Coffee custom setting compare to these two presets? i programmed mine somewhere between Coffee and Long volume wise and honestly cant tell if its doing anything different beyond the water amounts