Review on De'Longhi BCO430BM All-in-One Combination Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine with Advanced Milk Frother for Cappuccino, Latte & Macchiato – Includes 10-Cup Glass Coffee Pot by Paul Haswood

Well first of all you should use the endless videos on the internet how to make espresso before you buy and LOOK at an entry level espresso machine. And you should also have an idea of what to expect from this type of machine before you buy it. This machine is designed for those who want to make espresso/cappuccino/latte at home but don't want to jump straight into higher quality and much more expensive machines that require an understanding of grinding, pounding and even brewing techniques. froth milk. Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. This machine was built with your grind and tamp settings in mind, as are all machines that use a pressure basket, which will help you get the right pressure with the basket, not with it the grind/tamp coffee. 2. Unlike a real boiler system, this machine requires you to preheat before brewing. To do this, turn on the machine using the power button on the side and allow the machine to warm up by running a brew cycle without coffee until the light goes off. In this case, switch off the brewing process and wait until the indicator lights up again. One piece of advice: Install a no-grind brew basket during this heating cycle to ensure the entire system is at the optimum temperature for brewing.3. Froth the milk first and then brew the espresso. Countless hours of watching videos and espresso machine reviews have taught me that. The reason for this step is that the coffee starts to decompose after brewing and cools down quickly after brewing. The milk lingers and stays hot throughout the short espresso brewing process, resulting in a softer, warmer cup. After frothing, repeat the heater flushing process by turning on the brew and then turning on the wand, which will drain the remaining heated water out of the wand rather than through the brew basket. One last tip, if you want more micro froth instead of large froth (latte froth instead of cappuccino froth), remove the Panarello wand and hold the tip of the frothing wand just below the surface of the milk (you should hear air being sucked in by the steam pressure) and ensure that the milk is stirred quickly. Once you have reached the desired foam density, dip the tip into the water to continue heating the milk until the cup is hot to the touch. All of this was researched during pre-purchase research. It's not the car I was aiming for, but it's not $600 either. For less than $200, this machine makes a good cappuccino and latte if you follow the instructions. I really like being able to brew the kettle at the same time for those who don't like more refined coffee drinks as the heating elements are independent. I LOVE the carafe and the dripper setup, except for the filter that came with it. I've never been interested in mesh filters. The wide spout pours perfectly when you're not trying to fill the cup in a hurry, just pour evenly. Honestly, this is one of the best decanters I've ever used. The reason for 4 stars is simple. This machine was bought for our camper van and we have a much nicer and better quality Delonghi espresso machine at home and the quality of the brew basket on this machine is not that good. There is nothing holding the brew basket, our other machine has bars in the basket body that keep it under pressure. Also, in my opinion, this basket uses too much plastic for your drink to flow through. Another design of our home device is all metal. All in all, for a combo, this is a GOOD machine that will make a good latte or cappuccino when operated properly, and a decent drip coffee pot for the other half that prefers that. If you're looking to start the expensive espresso journey, this will help get you moving in the right direction. But please do your homework. There are many variables (grind size, type of coffee, etc.) that affect the quality of your drink.