De’Longhi All-in-One Espresso and Coffee Maker Review
Why we chose the de’longhi all in one espresso and coffee maker
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. See my disclosure policy here.
for the love of coffee
We started out with a regular ol’ coffee maker when we first got married. And we never used it. The smell of coffee was heavenly. The taste? Not so much.
We got rid of said coffee maker. But then came the Keurig with all the different options for cappuccino and lattes and teas, etc. So we invested in a Keurig and we loved it!
Then I went back to work after having our firstborn and one of my jobs was making the pot of coffee each morning. My boss loved the flavored coffees. Flavored coffee? I’d never heard of such a thing! I found I really liked it. Add cream and sugar and even better!
We started branching out and trying different drinks at Starbucks. Instead of the usual vanilla bean frappuccino (a glorified milkshake, really, but still delicious!), we’d get a white mocha or an iced latte.
As we grew accustomed to the stronger brew, my hubby, Eric, started getting into espresso and nitro cold brew. It was a little much for me but he was into it. Pretty soon he was buying whole beans and a coffee grinder. Then came the french press and the pour-over. Ya know, the fancy stuff.
So now we LOVE coffee. And over the last couple of years, we’ve started drinking more of it. LOTS more. Our Keurig bit the dust but my brother gave me his that he didn’t want anymore so Eric bought an espresso maker. He started experimenting more while I happily drank my coffee pods.
Then it came. The day when the Keurig was no longer fulfilling the needs of our multi-cup a day drinking habit. What’s a person to do?!
Shopping for espresso machines
We started shopping for coffee makers. And then we decided it would be really convenient to have an all-in-one combination espresso and coffee machine so we could have more room at our coffee bar.
Non-Negotiables
We made a list of what we wanted. Really, Eric made the list because I’ll be honest, I still haven’t learned how to make the fancy drinks.
He had some non-negotiables: it had to have a frother that would also heat milk. It needed to be capable of brewing professional-quality espresso. It needed to be able to brew small and large pots of coffee.
The Contenders
It came down to three options. The Keurig K-Cafe Coffee Maker, the Ninja Coffee Bar, and the De’Longhi All in One Espresso and Coffee Maker.
He liked the Keurig K-Cafe because it had an auto frother that heated the milk while frothing and the machine was easy to use. But it didn’t have a large capacity drip and it uses pods so it’s not genuine espresso.
He liked the Ninja Coffee Bar because it did large capacity drip and the frother was easy to use. But it wasn’t true espresso, it just brewed strong coffee. And the frother didn’t heat the milk, it had to be pre-heated which was inconvenient.
Also making the decision difficult were the reviews. It seemed like over half of the reviews on the machines were from people who didn’t know how to make coffee or only tried to use the machines a few times and it didn’t taste like Starbucks so it must be the machine’s fault.
Why De’Longhi?
We ended up choosing the De’Longhi All in One Espresso and Coffee Maker.
He liked that the machine does both espresso and drip. The espresso does 15 bar professional quality (Eric had to explain this to me because I was clueless) which is the amount of pressure at which it forces the water through to brew the espresso and effects the quality.
The frother wand is built-in and steams the milk so there is no need to warm it up first. The frother is easy to use.
The machine is black and stainless steel and looks really sleek and pretty on our coffee bar (yes, he said this was a factor lol).
The De’Longhi All in One has an auto setting so you can set it to brew when you wake up in the morning.
The water and coffee reservoirs are front-loading so you don’t have to move the machine, which is really convenient.
The machine has settings to brew smaller portions (1-4 cups) and larger portions (5-10 cups) in the carafe. And it keeps the coffee warm for up to two hours.
Overall the De’Longhi All in One Espresso and Coffee maker is easy to use and had all of the features we had on our wish list! It was the perfect choice for our needs.
Some Tips
If you’re new to this whole coffee thing, Eric has some tips to make your experience better as you learn to make the perfect cup!
Buy beans and grind them for a better quality cup of coffee.
Don’t cheap out on espresso. He really likes the Lavazza and Starbucks espresso beans.
Learn to use a tamper and how to pack in the espresso for a stronger brew.
Experiment with single and double-shot to find your preference on strength.
Experiment with frothing (do you like more or less?) and be ready to make lots of coffee! Don’t expect the first cup to be perfect. It may take several tries to get it how you like it. Have fun with it!
Accessories
Tamper
Tamper mat (to prevent damage on countertop)
Espresso double-walled thermo glasses (holds the temperature)
Coffee grinder
Air-tight coffee canister with scoop (to keep ground coffee fresh)
Frothing pitcher
How to use the De’Longhi All in One Combination Espresso and Coffee Maker
Have questions? I’d love to hear from you in the comments! Have a great day!
Related Articles:
Best Coffee and Espresso Maker Combos for 2020
OTHER RELATED POSTS:
Dressing Up the Coffee Bar
Coffee Bar Makeover Reveal
Why we chose the de’longhi all in one espresso and coffee maker
PIN FOR LATER:
This coffee maker sounds amazing!! Good Coffee is always a must!! And, your coffee bar is soooo cute!!
-Emily
Aw, thanks so much friend! I agree, good coffee is a must!!