De’Longhi TrueBrew: Specs
Cup Capacity: up to 40 ounces
Size: 15.8 x 15 x 12 inches
Programmable: Yes
Brew controls: Yes
Milk frother: No
Removable water reservoir: Yes
Auto shut off: Yes
One of the worst aspects of many of the best coffee makers is that many rely on K-cups. Sure, they’re convenient, but they’re incredibly wasteful; all that plastic and all those coffee grounds ending up in landfills rather than being used to, say, help your plants grow.
The De’Longhi TrueBrew eliminates the waste from those cups — and even disposable filters — while still delivering a customizable and tasty cup of coffee. This drip-style machine has a built in burr grinder taken from De’Longhi’s espresso machines, which measures out the correct amount of grounds, and then compacts them into a little disc when it’s done brewing. The machine can brew everything from an espresso-sized cup to a 40-ounce carafe with just a few taps, too. But at $599, it’s one of the most expensive coffee makers around — that’s hard to swallow.
De’Longhi TrueBrew review: Price and availability
You can order the De’Longhi TrueBrew in two versions: A Williams Sonoma (opens in new tab) exclusive model (CAM51035M) costs $599, and has an all stainless steel exterior, has six brew sizes (3, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 40 ounce) and comes with a 40-ounce insulated stainless steel carafe.
A $499 model (CAM51025MB) is available more widely at Williams Sonoma (opens in new tab), delonghi.com (opens in new tab) and Amazon (opens in new tab). It has stainless steel and black side paneling, can brew 3, 8, 12, 16, 20 or 24 oz cups of coffee, and does not come with the carafe.
Both have been available since the beginning of March 2023.
De’Longhi TrueBrew review: Design
The TrueBrew looks like an elongated cylinder standing on one end; at the top is a removable plastic panel into which you can pour coffee beans or grounds. The front of the machine has a panel at the top to select your desired beverage; below that is a recess that holds the included insulated carafe. Remove the carafe, and you can flip down a small panel if you’re making smaller cups of coffee.
Choosing your brew could not be easier; three touch-sensitive buttons on the face of the machine let you select from one of six brew sizes (3-ounce, 8-ounce, 12-ounce, 24-ounce, or 40 ounce) as well as five brew styles (light, gold, bold, espresso, and over-ice). While it would be more intuitive to press the individual icons for the brew sizes, etc., it was still easy to figure out.
The entire center section also slides out, so you can empty out the used grounds container and dump any excess water that falls into the grate.
On the right side of the machine is a large 60-ounce water reservoir; I like that it’s both clear — so you can see how much water is left — and is on the side of the TrueBrew, which makes it easy to remove when you need to refill or clean it.
The entire coffee maker is wrapped in stainless steel, save for the top and the center-front section, which is black plastic. While it’s not as sleek as an espresso machine, it’s stylish enough to leave on your counter.
De’Longhi TrueBrew review: Performance
To test the TrueBrew, we set it up in our office so that our fellow coffee lovers could test it out. In general, reactions were positive, as most of our officemates found it delivered a tasty cup of coffee. “Amazing!” wrote one person. The Bold was definitely bold; one staff member told me he had the jitters after downing a cup made at that setting.
If you’re brewing a larger pot, and select the “strong” setting, the machine will have to grind a few pucks worth of grounds to get the strength you desire, so it takes a little bit longer than a typical drip machine.
“Looks confusing at first, but it’s actually pretty simple,” said another coworker. “ I would rather press the size drink I want versus the ‘size’ button. I am considering buying it, but the coffee is not hot enough.”
Espresso aficionados will be a bit disappointed with the TrueBrew. In my tests, it didn’t make a cup with nearly as much crema as you’d get from one of the best espresso machines. I also found I had to set the strength to Bold to get that jolt of caffeine as we got from dedicated machines. A coworker also noted that the espresso came out a bit watery.
The TrueBrew’s insulated carafe also did an excellent job at keeping coffee warm for several hours after it was brewed. I also found that the machine was easy to clean; the center section pops out easily (but not too easily), and the various parts can also be removed and washed.
De’Longhi TrueBrew review: Verdict
Overall, the De’Longhi TrueBrew is a very good coffee maker, delivering consistent results in an easy to use machine. However, the one area where it fell down was making espresso, which just didn’t measure up to purpose-built espresso machines.
The price for the TrueBrew is also steep; at $600, it’s far more expensive than other highly rated coffee makers with built-in grinders. For instance, the Cuisinart DGB-850W Burr Grind & Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker with Thermal Carafe (opens in new tab), which has a 4-star rating on Amazon and is Food & Wine’s top pick, is just $229. Similarly, the Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker (opens in new tab) is $329. While neither of them can make a cup of espresso and also require the use of filters, I suspect many will overlook the convenience of the TrueBrew’s grounds-disposal system to save a few hundred bucks. The De’Longhi TrueBrew is an innovative machine, but not one that fully justifies its price.
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