After almost 3 years of continuous operation can I make an objective evaluation. We had opted for the Siemens and against a new DeLonghi two reasons. We want to say instead of just warm coffee and a possible well-functioning and easy to clean milk foam system. Both criteria are met, the Siemens 100%. It can be set how hot you want to have the coffee. We have set the highest level, so that the coffee is really hot and therefore very long stays warm. The milk foam system actually works properly and with any milk. The times, indenes we tested all possible types of milk on good milk foam, are over. For connoisseurs of good Cafe Crema is to say dasss the crema is really first class. Depends of course a biscchen on the coffee. We are stuck with Melitta Crema because good and in our coffee consumption also affordable. For espresso I can not say much because we do hardly or no coffee. After my Geschack he is also good, but purists take it anyway special espresso machine. Of course criticisms. The first would be the water consumption, as the machine starts to flush with each Standby (Eco mode). In addition, it invites every 3-4 weeks to complete cleaning / descaling. Although annoying, but logically in our coffee consumption and preventiv well. My old DeLonghi began to leak causing irreparable 3.5 years because of calcification of all lines. Daily cleaning is very simple, as take out and rinse the infuser. The monthly cycle is the effort also acceptable. If that was not the noise of the grinder. My wife thinks the DeLonghi would have been much quieter. But this can be a subjective opinion. You'd have both devices are in the same environment side by side. But it's noisy. If Siemens would do something on the site and would install a genuine Whisper grinder, then the next machine would be guaranteed a Siemens!