De'Longhi TrueBrew™
Cool Machine; Great Coffee
07/09/2023 15:57
As with most folks these days, I run on caffeine and will have a cup of coffee in the morning and a mid-afternoon pick me up. I own many different contraptions from pour overs and french presses to moka pots and capsule-based systems. Here is what I loved about the TrueBrew system and some of the considerations.
The main piece that really stuck out to me with this machine is it being an all-in-one system! I can have my morning 12 oz cup which I like with a touch of cream and my afternoon espresso (the pick me up). It is able to make coffee of different strengths and sizes effortlessly. Also, since some of the beans are naturally stronger than others, being able to adjust the strength with different types of coffee was very useful. Also, it includes a built in conical burr grinder replacing the need for a separate machine. A couple considerations to note:
• the TrueBrew system does not allow for fine-tuning the grind size directly
• you can use pre-ground coffee, but must place it directly in the filter basket; finnicky with amounts and brewing
• The low bean indicator light would come on when there were still enough beans to make 2 - 3 cups of coffee
Additionally, when doing the 3 oz espresso, the TrueBrew system adds that coveted crema (foam) on top similar to traditional manual and capsule-based espresso machines. I could also schedule my morning cup quite easily so it was ready to go for me soon after my alarm - simple little things that just make sense.
The area that was a bit lacking and the main reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the cleanup process. Being a bit of a coffee snob and a clean freak, I did not feel the "self-cleaning" nature of the machine was sufficient. There was definitely coffee residue in the machine afterwards and felt I needed to do a deeper clean when switching to different beans that had different flavor profiles. Also, the used coffee grounds did not come out as solid pucks for me as advertised - they were soft and broke apart in the receptacle.
All-in-all, this is a great coffee maker that ties in multiple elements to really streamline items for daily use. It is not for those that are looking to really get into the nuances of their coffee by adjusting grinds, strengths, etc., but more for the everyday coffee drinker who appreciates a well made cup with very little effort on a regular basis.
Tester504
Chicago , Spojené státy americké
Age: 41
Gender: Female