De’Longhi TrueBrew + Thermal Carafe
The De’Longhi TrueBrew has a built-in conical burr grinder, is easy to take care of, and can brew a variety of drinks.
$599 from Williams-Sonoma
About the De’Longhi TrueBrew
Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The De’Longhi TrueBrew can brew espresso, coffee, and carafes with freshly ground beans.
This isn’t your typical single-serve coffee maker—but it does promise similar convenience.
Rather than sourcing coffee from single-use pods or even grounds, this machine boasts a built-in grinder to transform fresh beans into your desired cup. The conical burr grinder uses De’Longhi’s distinct Bean Extract Technology to accurately grind, dose, and brew each distinct cup to perfection.
But if you choose to forgo whole beans (or are partial to your own grinder), there’s an option to brew coffee with pre-ground beans as well.
The TrueBrew goes beyond the functionalities of most single-serve coffee makers, too. In addition to individual mugs of drip coffee (in 8-, 12-, and 16-ounce options), this machine can also brew espresso, iced coffee, and a full 40-ounce carafe. There are ways to customize each serving to match your palate, with Light, Gold, and Bold options for varying strength.
You can even schedule your machine to brew coffee at a certain time, so that it’s ready to drink when your morning alarm goes off.
The intuitive control panel will also notify you when it’s time to refill water or coffee beans, empty the grounds container, or descale the machine.
What we like
It makes fresh, delicious coffee with very little effort
Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The built-in conical burr grinder results in some seriously fresh coffee.
De’Longhi coffee machines have wowed us in the past for their ability to make delicious, café-grade coffee available to the average home consumer, and this machine is no different.
The intuitive interface requires almost no manual reading or self-teaching before you can get started. All of the menu options are easy to decipher, and there are plenty of ways to customize your cup—from size to strength to bean type.
Most importantly, the TrueBrew produces some seriously delicious coffee. I enjoyed sipping everything from the full-bodied espresso to surprisingly strong iced coffee. The conical burr grinder automatically adjusts dosage and coarseness according to the selection, and coffee comes out with a fresh aroma and full-bodied flavor to appease any coffee lover.
It has a variety of drink and size options
No more fighting with your partner over whether to invest in an espresso machine, drip coffee maker, or high-quality grinder.
This machine offers it all, with the ability to brew everything from espresso to fresh drip to iced coffee. And the customizability echoes a coffee shop experience, with the ability to choose between three coffee cup sizes, a 24-ounce thermos, and a 40-ounce carafe for entertaining.
It’s the easiest, most convenient way to streamline a variety of coffee cravings and experiences, without having to invest in multiple machines that could break the bank (and monopolize your kitchen space).
Upkeep is a breeze
Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Cleaning and refilling the TrueBrew is a breeze.
Often, the most annoying part of making coffee is the clean-up. Coffee machines with built-in grinders, especially, can sometimes be more trouble than they’re worth due to poor design.
But TrueBrew is different. Regular clean-up for this machine couldn’t be simpler: The control panel will display a notification when it’s time to empty the waste containers. Then, just pull open the front part of the machine and remove the disposal water container, drip tray, and coffee grounds container, empty and rinse them, and place them back in the machine.
The water container, coffee grounds container, and carafe are all dishwasher-safe, too, so you can forgo the hand-washing step for these parts.
When it’s time to descale the machine, the screen will also notify you. And following the manual’s instructions makes this process a breeze, too.
What we don’t like
Sizing isn’t always accurate
Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Sizes of drinks we made in the TrueBrew weren’t always accurate.
Upon brewing one of my (many) 12-ounce coffees while testing the TrueBrew, I started to notice my 13-ounce mug was nowhere near full. After confirming with a kitchen scale, I realized my suspicions were correct: The 12-ounce button only produced a nine-ounce cup.
Reading a few product reviews from consumers confirmed this issue, as others reported a similar issue with sizing being inaccurate. This issue didn’t happen with each serving, but I did notice that sizes were sometimes inconsistent over several uses.
Full carafes take some time to brew
Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The carafe took over seven minutes to brew during testing.
Since this machine isn’t primarily designed as a carafe coffee maker, brewing a full 40-ounce pot takes some time. A full pot took over seven minutes to brew during our tests and took place in three separate batches that switched off between grinding beans and extracting liquid. (For reference, other drip coffee machines we’ve tested could brew a full pot in about half the time.)
Don’t let that dissuade you from investing in this machine, though—especially if you typically make single-serve cups more often than full carafes. Even though carafes take some time to brew, it still beats having to use multiple machines for freshly ground coffee.
Espresso options are limited
If you’re a self-described espresso aficionado, you may feel limited with this machine. There’s just one espresso option in the TrueBrew, and it extracts about three ounces of crema-topped, espresso-style coffee.
Beyond that, you don’t have much control. You can’t brew a shorter or longer shot or something like a ristretto. And, of course, this machine doesn’t come with a steam wand for milk or the ability to brew hot water for an Americano. (If those are your top priorities, we recommend opting for a traditional espresso machine).
Should you buy the De’Longhi TrueBrew?
Yes, if you value convenience and freshly ground coffee
Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The De’Longhi TrueBrew is great for coffee lovers who love convenience and want to save on time.
Aside from some minor details, there’s not much I could find to fault about this machine. I fell in love with the convenience of having tasty, fresh-tasting coffee at the touch of a button. And the ease of use when it came to cleaning and upkeep made me even more hesitant to return this machine after testing.
That being said, your potential love for this machine will depend on your coffee priorities. If you love convenience—but lean heavier toward espresso drinks than drip coffee—you might fare better with the De’Longhi Magnifica Evo. Or, if you don’t mind the meditative practice of making coffee by hand, there are plenty of high quality coffee grinders, espresso machines, and pour-over coffee makers (that we love) to choose from.
De’Longhi TrueBrew + Thermal Carafe
The De’Longhi TrueBrew has a built-in conical burr grinder, is easy to take care of, and can brew a variety of drinks.
$599 from Williams-Sonoma
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
Meet the tester
Monica Petrucci
Senior Staff Writer, Kitchen & Cooking
@monicatpetrucci
Monica is Reviewed’s senior Kitchen & Cooking staff writer and an avid home cook; she’s been testing a wide range of kitchen products at Reviewed for over a year. Previously the Digital Editor at Culture Cheese Magazine (and a former barista), she’s also had her work published in The Boston Globe, Modern Luxury, Boston Magazine, and more.
See all of Monica Petrucci’s reviews
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