Meet the Best Coffee Maker I can’t Live Without!
Coffee Lovers Beware - you will want this coffee maker!
Ten years ago I started drinking coffee and I never looked back!
Today, I have to tell you guys about my new found love, my new automatic espresso and coffee maker from De’Longhi! I loved coffee before, but now, I LOVE MY COFFEE!!! My De’Longhi Eletta Explore coffee maker always reminds me who made it!
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For the last 5 years I have been using a Keurig K-cup, single serve coffee pod system.
She's been a good girl, used, abused, and loved! She is not going anywhere either (always good to have a backup).
Before the Keurig K-cup pod coffee maker, I had a Tassimo coffee pod single serve coffee maker, that one was really nice too.
As you can see in my pictures, my kitchen cabinets, have a light rail on the bottom, fancy, lovely, gorgeous…but…it does not leave room for “conventional” sized coffee makers to “slide under the cabinet”.
This was an issue…and is still an issue. So, if you have light rails on your kitchen cabinets, keep in mind that most coffee makers won’t fit! Measure, measure and then measure again.
Every time I do research on coffee makers, I have a hard time finding ones that will fit. The Keurig K-Elite single serve coffee maker fit, and had a big water tank which I liked as well. 4 years later this is still a great K-cup coffee maker, I moved it to the guest room! Like I said, always great to have a backup, and as far as this style goes, I loved this one truly.
Alas, with the Keurig K-cup coffee...I would still find I'd run out of pods, then, OMG, NO COFFEE!!!!
What do you do when you run out of pods and NEED COFFEE!?!?!
Solution: Keep several coffee making options available - if you have a K-cup or single serve POD system, or even if you don't!
I've had to use my Rae Dunn drip cup coffee mug set several times, so I can tell you, it is always good to have a few backup methods for making coffee - desperate times!
As you can see, I ran out of pods and for a while I went old school and just using my Keurig to brew water and pour over my grounds in my drip cup set!
This was partly because I was trying to decide on a new coffee maker and didn't want to keep buying pods...
You may know by now I am not one to rush into decisions, especially when it involves and outlay of money! I always research, look for the best price, quality, etc.
Maybe to a fault, but hey, you guys get to benefit from my crazy madness and obsessive need to get the best items for the best price.
My friends and family had been the only ones to benefit from this for a while, but now, it’s coming to you, my extended friends and family network! Enjoy!
Let me tell you what sparked my decision to start shopping for a new coffee maker.
Throughout my trip to Spain back in September, every hotel room had a Nespresso single pod machine in it (check out the road trip through Southern Spain blog series here).
Since I fast daily, I don’t take sugar and cream in my coffee, I drink it black. So, imagine, it is better if it is actually good!
Having the Nespresso pods in the hotel rooms, I tried several during the trip and frankly fell in love! When I got back and tasted my old K-cup pod coffee…I realized that I had become spoiled and could no longer be satisfied by ordinary dull black coffee again.
First, I figured I’d just get me a Nespresso maker. Off to research I went! As I looked and looked…it occurred to me that I am simply replacing one single serve coffee pod machine for another, then another. Now, I am just adding another to the cycle.
It was time to break the coffee pod cycle I decided!
Nespresso is “espresso” essentially right. So, I figured, start looking at Espresso makers. I did. After much research I found a beautiful Breville Espresso Maker, with coffee grinder (supposed to be easy to use…). WELL…..
Breville Espresso Maker (not automatic, hard to use, had to return – what a pain)! At this point, I started getting a little frustrated honestly.
As I said, not liking to be rash to make decisions, and hell bent on not settling, I kept using my Rae Dunn drip cup coffee mug set and continued my research!
Basically, I was looking for something that could be used with the ease of a “pop a pod in” concept, but not take any work, and NOT BE A POD!
Also, my neighborhood stopped recycling and let’s face it the pods end up in the trash (not recycled). Not good for our environment!
Goal: Stop killing innocent coffee pods
My daughter said mommy, can you get something easy to use so I can still make you a cup of coffee to bring to you? How sweet is that?! She’s 9, what a doll! She could pop a pod in, press the button and bring mommy a cup of coffee…she still wanted to do that!
With the Keurig single serve K-Cup pods, she could pop a pod in, press the size button and bring mommy a cup of coffee…she still wanted to do that!
Now, my search included "easy enough for my 9 year old to use"!
Now for the moment we've all been waiting for...Why is this De'Longhi Automatic Espress & coffee maker so amazing?
My top reasons why I LOVE my De'Longhi Eletta Explore Automatic Espresso maker:
My top reasons why I LOVE my De’Longhi Eletta Explore Automatic Espresso maker:
- It makes a cup of coffee at the touch of a button
- Easier to use than a K-cup/Pod coffee maker
- Fresh ground coffee beans every time
- NO MORE DEAD PODS
- LCD display screen
- Save up to 4 user profiles, with favorite coffee settings
- So many choices of coffee
- Can use pre-ground beans too!
- Milk frothing capabilities – hot and cold
- To- Go cup feature
- Easy to Clean – and it self cleans
- Easy to Fill up Water Tank
- MAKES DELICIOUS COFFEE!!!!
You'll see there are a few different variations of the De'Longhi automatic espresso and coffee makers. Each have different features but seem to have the same basic design. The one I got had the flip up travel cup option, but not the app control option, which wasn't a big deal to me.
The design of this coffee maker is amazing: smart, easy, and intelligently designed!
Macy's has a nice selection of these DeLonghi automatic Expresso and Coffee makers - I added some links here for some of the different models they have available.
There are several different De'Longhi automatic espresso and coffee makers, I looked at all of them and read reviews for all of them as well. Again, most have the same design concept, and like all models, each model has different features for each persons desires and price points! I love that too! There are lower end priced options and higher end priced options. I chose to be right in the middle! 🙂
Again, most have the same design concept, and like all models, each model has different features for each persons desires and price points! I love that too! There are lower end priced options and higher end priced options. I chose to be right in the middle!
After looking at all the different De’Longhi automatic espresso and coffee makers I finally settled on the newest model, because it has one feature that I really liked, a To-Go Cup feature!
As you can see, this doesn’t fit under my cabinet either! It is just half and inch shy (this model is slightly taller than the others I almost bought).
But, I love this coffee maker so much I decided I would rearrange my kitchen to make it work!
Eletta, I'd rearrange my life for you! And I did!
Another feature I absolutely love is how the spout pulls down to adjust to different mug heights!
On my old Keurig, I used to always stack coasters to use different size mugs, and not get “coffee splatter”! This feature on this machine allows you to lift it up or down to any coffee cup size so you don’t get that splatter!
You can see I didn't even realize, I started stacking my coasters on day 1! Then I figured it out!
Note: you see my little Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Tea Cup there, you need to keep a cup there!
Since this De'longhi coffee maker "self-cleans", it will rinse itself and then turn off. She is smart and hygienic, gotta love that!
Leave a cup or mug there for the rinsing water! It does this when it turns on and when it turns off!
My next step is to get some of these nice double walled glass mugs for latte's and cappuccinos, these are perfect for that European Café' feel! They have these at Macy's, you can check them out by clicking the photo.
UPDATE: After having this for 8 months now, I have to mention something that happened to me (that I did read in reviews happened to others) due to this rinsing feature – WATER ALL OVER THE COUNTER!? WHAT?
After trying a few things to figure out why my machine was “overflowing” or “leaking” (since I was not sure what exactly it was yet), even though I would empty it every time it told me to . The water drip tray does have to be emptied, but I was doing that.
Here is what I figured out! If you know anything about building and balance, you’ll know that if something is not perfectly level, well…where water is involved…it was overflow off the “uneven” area of a surface. The coffee machine, on my “not perfectly balanced to precision” counter top, did overflow a few times.
SOLUTION: I put a decorative print “drying mat” underneath it! I have since seen ZERO water anywhere and it slides perfectly on it with no issue. Seems to solve the slight imbalance issue, keeps the area neat and clean, and catches any would be water that may find its way!
This De’Longhi coffee maker is seriously just my new favorite thing! It is so smart and easy to use! The LCD screen tells you want to do and when to do it. The best part, it makes amazing fresh ground, fresh brewed coffee in a beautiful and delightful way. Win-win!
Lesson I learned: this has a place to use "pre-ground" coffee also (another very cool feature, although the fresh ground coffee is the best).
As you make a cup of coffee use "pre-ground coffee beans", the machine will tell you to "add one scoop only". (I filled it up...LOL, and learned the hard way)!
Let the machine tell you what to do...it is smarter than it looks!
This espresso and coffee maker tells you what to do, and when to do it!
I hope you enjoyed meeting my new bestie!
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Until next time…keep smiling, improve every day, and build a life you love!
Yours Truly,
January
