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DeLonghi Icona Espresso Maker
by jj1977
Having recently decided to add a bit of variety to my beverage selection, I decided to purchase an espresso machine. Going with experience meant that Delonghi was a good place to start. A bit of browsing through their range and I purchased the Icona ECO310.R model.
Being Italian means that styling is always going to be a premium, ... although occasionally this can come at the expense of reliability. However, my experiences with the brand seem to suggest otherwise and initial feelings with this machine are good too.
The Icona ECO310.R is available in a multitude of colours all with a high gloss finish. To fit in with my rather minimalistic kitchen, I opted for the Onyx Black. Boring I know but neither the scarlet Red or Azure Blue would quite blend in!! In terms of its' size, it measures a measly 33x23x26cm, so it is not going to be crowding the kitchen space of even the smallest property. It does weigh nearly 5kg but I tend to think that goes to emphasise the build quality. It doesn't rely on cheap lightweight materials and the weight is the end result. You can see that in the stainless steel used on the milk frothing arm and the removable drip tray. D'Longhi has built this machine in a stylish design that's also very easy to use, with a no fuss, simple three button control system.
In addition to the ease of use is its' inherent speed. Evidently, it has been designed f or people with busy lifestyles who want their favourite coffee fast and made to perfection. The instruction book suggests standard preparation time to be around fifteen minutes. In my experience, half that time is all that is required.
It has a two in one feature which allows for the use of easy serving espresso pods or ground coffee & also features a manual control milk froth arm. The variable steam emissions, mix steam, milk & air to create a rich and creamy froth for an exceptional cappuccino.
This Icona ECO310.R coffee machine is built to accommodate 2 fully sized cappuccino cups or 2 espresso sized cups. The coffee steam boiler produces fast results while offering optimum temperature controls and also features a tamper and incorporated crema device. Other features included is the 1ltr water tank, stainless steel drip try which is removable and a handy cup warmer. It delivers great tasting coffee as a result of the 15 bar pump pressure. There are free Coffee granules included with this machine so you're ready to start using the machine right out of the box and you can continue to use the machine with either granules or the easy serve espresso pods.
The box contains...
1 x De'Longhi Icona ECO310.R Pump Espresso Machine
1 x Product instruction booklet
1 x two in one filter holder
1 x UK fitting plug
You can pick one of these up from Amazon for around £125, although the keen shopper may find them cheaper. As with most devices of this nature, it comes with the industry standard 1 years warranty. Down points, well there aren't any. You get what you pay for. The machines you see in coffee houses cost in the thousands, so the results here won't be as good. However, they are not a million miles away and I'm very glad I have mine. I can have an espresso waiting for me when I wake up in the morning, rather than having to face the long trek to work first. And that is a very nice feeling, I can assure you.
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La Cafetiere Polka Dot
by bringingsexyback
WHAT IS IT?
An 8 cup cafetiere by La Cafetiere. The cafetiere is glass with an overlaying pink metal cover and lid. It is supplied as a gift set with two matching pink glass and metal coffee cups.
THE DESIGN
It's very feminine because of the colour, my husband dislikes it and chooses one of our other ... coffee sets when he makes coffee. I like it, the large polka dots brings it bang on trend and it is a beautiful item to use as well as looking good on display.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
The cafetiere is a good shape, the plunger depresses smoothly without requiring too much pressure. The glass is tough but thinner than Bodum so you should be careful while washing up and avoid banging it, the metal covering protects it slightly but it still feels very fragile. The lid is a tight fit to ensure no flavour is lost.
The coffee pours smoothly from the deep spout and it doesn't drip, I also don't experience any coffee grinds in my prepared cup of coffee. The coffee cools very quickly so I only make up what I need as it doesn't keep for many minutes after brewing. I have a cafetiere jacket that fits perfectly around this cafetiere and this keeps the coffee hot for a little while longer but the jacket doesn't fit tightly enough on this one because of the metal covering. If it would fit a bit tighter I think more heat would be kept in for longer.
The matching coffee cups are beautiful but are too small for me as they are of the more traditional small size. They are decorative when displayed with the cafetiere but are too mall for me to get a satisfying drink, unless I am using my cafetiere to make shorter espresso style drinks. They are made of glass that is a perfect thickness for drinking from and the handle stays cool.
4 Dooyoo Stars.
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