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didn't work for long
I bought this coffee maker for my husband to replace an old dual machine we had for years. We only used the expresso side on occasion but the drip coffee maker got used more regularly, but not everyday. After about 16 months, it stopped working. The water would not heat or go through the filter. Thankfully I bought it at [...] so they took it back well past the warranty and gave me a full refund. Given our experience and the short-lived nature of this machine, I would not recommend it.
[Wednesday, November 19, 2008]
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I started out cheap and learned the hard way.
I bought this coffee maker from amazon a couple years ago and am getting ready to replace it since I bought a high-end espresso machine.
I've been reading through the reviews and I'm shocked so many people have so many negative things to say; I never had issues with this machine. It did everything it claimed to do, and it did it well-enough, but then I had previously owned several lower rung machines that I considered to be far worse.
One reviewer said the frothing wand was counter-intuitive... he's right. It's on an odd arch that makes it difficult to swivel. But it's hardly impossible to work with. The frother on this machine actually works remarkably well. You'll get good foam.
And no, you can't make espresso and steam milk at the same time.
If there is one legitimate complaint to make about the design of this machine it's that it contains a flap for something that isn't used on this model; literally, there's a lid that opens up right over the espresso portion of the machine & it serves no purpose. Maybe you store stuff in there? I don't know, but whatever you do, don't pour water in.
Lastly, the only other "complaint" I can make is the espresso itself. You are not going to get barista quality espresso from a machine like this. Depending on what your tastebuds find tolerable, you will get an espresso that's drinkable, but there are far too many factors that contribute to flavor. The beans themselves, the quality of the grind, the amount of pressure -- all of these are of the utmost importance when talking flavorful espresso.
[Thursday, October 30, 2008]
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Good machine with some gotcha's
I've owned this product for about three years now and I have some mixed reviews about which I've listed below.
Pros
*Make a great cup of coffee / espresso / cappuccino.
*Simple to use (especially after some practice).
Cons
*Bad idea to have glass carafes. (They break easily and the replacements cost upwards to 1/3 of the total price of the machine.)
*Coffee doesn't come out very hot, (Most of my family microwaves their coffee to warm it up even though its just been brewed. Add this to the fact that the coffee is being brewed into a non-insulated glass carafe and you lose even more heat!)
*Coffee warmer turns on even during cappuccino / espresso brewing. (Huge waste of energy plus it can lead to an easy burn!)
*Flimsy feel. (The buttons, knobs and baskets all feel like they're going to fall off or break.)
*EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT PARTS (I think DeLonghi makes a ton of money from their replacement parts because the unit uses flimsy parts which break easily and the replacement parts cost a TON! Instead of a replacement glass carafe costing $6 DeLonghi charges $30!!!)
[Sunday, September 21, 2008]
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