It looks cool, but its little glitches will drive you nuts.
Positive Product Points
The thermal carafe keeps your coffee at the brewing temperature It has a spiffy modern look It includes a water filtration system and a permanent gold-tone filter
Negative Product Points
The filter basket is nearly impossible to open The coffee is brewed at too low of a temperature The thermal carafe's opening is too small for hand-cleaning the inside There is a risk of jamming the basket nozzle and ensuing spillage
Detailed Commentary
I obtained this drip coffee machine using Air Miles reward points in 2002. I was very excited about the prospects of the maker at first, as it was the first thermal system that I'd owned and the thought of forever abandoning the hot plate was fresh in my mind.
Upon the first couple of uses of the DeLonghi, I realized it would take a bit of coaxing to get it to brew a good pot of coffee. The filter basket didn't seem to properly align with the carafe, and the nozzle at the bottom of the basket didn't register that the carafe was in the proper place. Thus, the feature that is supposed to ensure that coffee doesn't dispense while the carafe is absent from its position (the 'stop-and-pour' feature) might cause an overflow. If you don't keep an eye on the brew process to make sure that you can push the carafe into alignment at the first sign of trouble, you might end up with coffee all over your countertop.
The thermal carafe seems to be the most sturdy part of this machine, and it keeps your coffee at the original temperature (which, by the way, is slightly too cool for proper extraction). However, the lid's diamater is about three inches -- far too narrow to fit your hand through in order to properly clean the interior.
The final product is not of poor quality -- the 'aroma' button seems to do a good job of slowing down the brew process and properly extracting all the potential flavour from the grounds. The shower-head water dispenser, which is common in many new drip machines, is also an advantage. In sum, if you can learn to manipulate the machine after lots of practice, you can get it to give you a decent cup three-quarters of the time.
However, probably about one in four brews will be flawed by any of the mechanical or physical glitches that the machine carries.
This coffee maker sufficed for me once I was able to work around its flaws, but I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase it.
Buying Experience
Air Miles rewards delivered within a couple of weeks. No hassles whatsoever.
