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Pros
Very intuitive controls, options for hot and cold drinks, hugely versatile, lots of accessories included
Cons
Large footprint, lots of non-recyclable packaging, pricey to run

Read our full guide to the best coffee machines

How easy is the De’Longhi Eletta Explore coffee machine to use?

De’Longhi’s Eletta Explore is really easy to use with four buttons on the top of the machine (to go, hot, cold and favourites) and a super-responsive digital display. We found the manual’s quick-start guide helpful. The diagrams could benefit from some text, but as all the steps are displayed on the machine as you go there’s very little room for user-error.

Since the machine tells you what it’s doing at every step it's possible to make optimisations to your drinks – for example it reminds you to add ice cubes to the glass before making an iced drink, you can stop the drink while it’s being made if you want to add something in or use the ‘extra’ button to add more espresso.

We found cleaning the Eletta Explore to be very easy. The water tank is straightforward to remove from the front of the machine and there’s a self-cleaning function which rinses the spout for you.

Results

With more than 33 drink specialities available, the Eletta Explore offers versatility but it still does the basics well. We tested the espresso which we found was pleasant (although slightly too acidic for our taste) with a nice dark colour and a silky hazelnut-coloured crema.

The cappuccino we made was very hot with satisfyingly creamy milk and a good foam. We liked that you can adjust the amount of froth (using the milk cup dial) depending on your preference. The machine also tells you the ideal froth levels for the drink you’re making.

The cold brew setting really sets this machine apart — the flavour is impressive given the different brewing method used. The milk for our cold brew was rich and creamy. Although you’re advised to use either skimmed or plant-based milk for the best result on the cold brew setting, we only had full-fat milk to hand and were still impressed by the results.

olive’s take: should you buy the De’Longhi Eletta Explore coffee machine?

If you like high-quality coffee with an abundance of options including cold brew, this is the coffee machine for you. It’s also a great option if you live in a large household as you can set name profiles for each regular user of the machine with their favourites.

We were slightly disappointed by the sustainability credentials as the packaging was largely non-recyclable plastic, but the machine does come with advice on how to clean and prolong the life of the machine which improves its sustainability credentials.

All costs-to-run calculations were done against the variable tariff at the time of testing (16.6p/kWh), which may have since changed – read more on the current energy price guarantee rates.

De’Longhi Eletta Explore coffee machine specifications

Wattage: 1450W
Weight: 11.3kg
Water tank: 1.8L
Power-saving mode: yes, you can choose when it turns on
Dimensions: 26cm x 45cm x 38.5cm

Imogen Hope

De'Longhi Eletta Explore bean-to-cup coffee machine

Pros

Cons

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