Seems all these $1000 espresso machines are fantastically tiny and well designed (and what exactly do they do for $1000? Heat water to 1000 kelvin? Blast steam through coffee grounds at warp 9.9? Must be an engineering marvel for all that money). Then I try to buy a normal coffee maker and it seems my only option was going to Target and spending $29.95 on a surprisingly gigantic monstrosity. Unfortunately my counter space is measured on the nanoscale, no way was I going to give up half of it to a coffee maker. That’s why I was so excited to find this one at Bloomingdales – and then find it way cheaper here on Amazon. It looks great, and all the colors are fantastic in person (I saw all the choices at Bloomies).

Pros:
-Incredibly sturdy and well made. A pleasure to use every day. I anticipate having this a long time.
-Smallest footprint I’ve found.
-The 5-cup size is perfect for two adults to have a big, satisfying cup of coffee.
-You can use the included gold filter or use paper filters.
-Makes excellent coffee that is hot but still drinkable right away.

Con:
-See the silver top part? The whole silver top opens the long way (hinge at the back) to add water and the coffee. This means when you open it, it will not fit under your cabinets, so you have to pull it out to fill it, or put it somewhere that isn’t under a cabinet. So while it is only 12″ closed, it is 20.5″ open, and you have to open it pretty much all the way to add water and coffee.
-It makes coffee pretty fast so the cup warmer thing doesn’t really have time to warm your cups. This isn’t really a con for me as it’s not that big a deal, but if you care, then there you go.

This is a great looking coffee maker.It heats the water to proper temp and has a shower-head delivery system.The coffee is very good, about on par with the Moccamaster, not as good as an Aeropress. Its great if you just need to make 2 mugs without any fuss, or have a small kitchen.Its really cute.I have the aqua blue.

This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys fresh coffee. It is simple to use and brews great coffee. The coffee measuring spoon (included along with the mesh filter) may not be right for those who appreciate a richer darker coffee. 5 level spoons are right if you choose to use your current measuring spoon. The warmer keeps the coffee at the right temperature. Never a burnt taste nor a lukewarm cup of coffee. Easy to clean and operate.

I don’t think there is anything I don’t like about this coffee maker.

Things I do like about this coffee maker:

* Easy to operate, just a simple on/off switch, no programming, no hard to read numbers!
* Gold mesh filter basket comes included. Dont have to go out and buy more filters.
* The funnel that holds the coffee filter lifts right out so you can wash that.
* The top hatch (stainless lid on top) opens up on a hinge so its easy to get at everything inside to clean.
* Small footprint, fits just right on my tiny kitchen counter.
* Brews a small pot of really good coffee, I know it says “5 cups”, but for me thats 2 big mugs… perfect for 1 or 2 people.
* Cute cute cute… everyone that steps into my kitchen makes a beeline to coffee maker just to look at it

I ordered this coffee maker because it was one of the most highly rated makers in Amazon. After being disappointed and frustrated with my last coffee maker I didn’t want to mess around with one that got mixed reviews (by the way my purchase was a Kitchen Aid 12 cup glass carafe coffee maker that I reviewed with 3 stars initially then with 1 after only 4 months then introduced it to the dumpster after only 5 months). The only negative review on this DeLonghi that gave me worry was one (maybe two) who said it did not automatically shut off after 2 hours. While I was prepared for very basic functionality, I felt this one feature was a safety issue. All of my coffee makers have had auto shut off for so many years I’m simply not programmed to shut them off and I know I would run out the door with a hot plate, a few ounces of coffee and return home to the smell of burnt coffee (or worse of burnt house). The one reviewer said they even called the company and they told him that while it said on Amazon, on DeLonghi’s own website and in DeLonghi’s owners manual that it DOES shut off, that actually his model does not. That seemed outrageous. I almost didn’t buy but since there were few makers out there with such a preponderance of good reviews I took a chance. I am pleasantly relieved. Mine DOES SHUT OFF AFTER 2 HOURS. So here is my review after my first week of use.

PROS:

It looks GREAT! I got the white but I bet it would look good in any color. My husband is a chef and it is “his” kitchen. The only item that is 100% mine (he drinks tea) is the coffee maker. I usually give him a say but I was so confident he would love this sitting on the counter while he cooked, I ordered it when he was out of town. He was so excited when he got back. Couldn’t believe what a great job I had done. Even the 10 cup feels small so it doesn’t crown our – already too small for him – kitchen. The white part is plastic but you really wouldn’t know it. It looks and feels so sturdy. The stainless is VERY shiny and cleans up super easy (so far) with a soft cloth.

Cup Warmer: Again, this looks great but it works pretty well too. From what I can tell though, to get the cup pretty warm you need to put it over the steam release hole in the middle of the top. I put one up over that and I get a nice warm cup (my father in law is going to LOVE that when he comes to visit. I’m not sure you could get 4 cups warm at one time. I tried putting my one cup toward the back of the warmer and all I got was a warm rim. which might feel nice when taking the first sip but not really a warm cup.

Simple: On-Off switch. This is a pro to me after my Kitchen Aid drove me to the brink of insanity. It had one button controlling lots and lots of features. You pushed it lightly to turn it on. Held it a bit longer to set it to Auto. something in between to program it. If you didn’t get the touch just right to turn it on, you were off in programming land. All the time it was beeping. Asking my husband to turn on that coffee maker was like asking him solve a Rubik’s cube. Then it had a “clean” indicator which is nice but by the second time I cleaned it I could no longer figure out how to get that darn word to go away (my husband and I both read the manual and could not) Sooooo. This is really, really, nice. Relaxing even. Not to fight with my coffee maker in order to enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee.

Good Coffee: I’m not a coffee snob. Can’t tell you about water temperature or pressure etc. But I find this coffee hot and flavorful. Not bitter. And actually I find I’m using a bit less coffee to get the same flavor than I did in my Kitchen Aid and in this economy saving a couple scoops of coffee every morning is a welcome savings.

No Drip: My Kitchen Aid was introduced to the dumpster in the end due to the carafe leaking like a sieve. So what a joy that the DeLonghi’s carafe is well designed. NO DRIPS when pouring a cup and no drips when I pull out the pot (though I wait for brewing cycle to complete as they suggest) It has an anti drip feature but I don’t think it has a “brew pause” feature. It also says not to put the carafe in the dishwasher which I won’t. I did put my old carafe in the dishwasher as the manual said the carafe was dishwasher safe. But I think that was what caused it to start to leak so badly.

CONS:

Need’s lots of space above it: I think coffee maker manufacturers assume everyone can place their coffee makers on a counter with no cupboards above it. I think this is a luxury. Most of us find room under a cupboard. And while this little beauty feels small in a kitchen, that changes when you go to make a pot. You will need to pull it out from under the cupboard (which is pretty easy. It is light and sits on a base that moves very easily). The water goes in the back and that lid is pretty short but you’ll need to be able to reach it. The coffee goes in the front and that lid is most of the top which needs to be lifted to a full 90 degrees. Lift it less than straight up and it falls back down. I measured the 10cup total hight with front lid open and it is 22in.

Let’s face it Coffee Makers just aren’t made to last – within 3-5 years they start to leak or die or break in some way and just like most electrical items built these days they are not worth getting repaired., hence in my 18 years living in the USA I have gone through about 4 or 5 different machines. Ranging from inexpensive $75 makers all the way to high end $250 makers. I find it’s usually the ones with all the bells and whistles that break the soonest :(
FINALLY a simple one switch stylish maker has arrived from DeLonghi and WE LOVE IT. It doesn’t burn the coffee – looks great – and boy is the one switch such a welcome feature.
Wether this one last’s longer than other models I’ve owned, we shall remain to see., but so far were incredibly happy with it.
Thank You DeLonghi.

Ended up choosing this model because it had the fewest negative comments of all the makers I was considering. I was so impressed taking it out of the box. It is SO attractive and solidly built. I feel I got what I wanted….a good coffee maker without unnecessary frills. There is simply an on and off switch. Easy to operate and clean, great full-bodied hot coffee and quality craftsmanship. It’s built to last unlike plastic coffee makers. Well satisfied.