On trial: De'Longhi Rivelia Coffee Machine

There’s coffee, and there’s coffee. If you’re considering recruiting a De’Longhi model to make yours, chances are you care about what you’re drinking every morning – the Italian brand has become a byword for barista-quality brewing. In recent years, it has taken extra steps to make its machines easier to use, and the most recent result is the Rivelia: a bean-to-cup machine that’s won awards for its user experience. 

First things first: it’s sleek. Unlike many machines on the market, with endless knobs and attachments jutting out at every angle, the Rivelia boasts a streamlined, minimalist design. The bean hopper, which sits on top of the machine, is interchangeable, allowing you to switch between regular and decaf without any fuss.

This machine is tailor-made for the chronically impatient: a touch screen is preset with almost every variety of coffee you could think of, and one tap gets the drink going. As a result, using the machine is remarkably intuitive – there’s no need to anxiously hover over guests explaining how it works. 

Notable, too, is the milk frother, which stands far above most of the competition. It quickly produced a remarkably smooth foam on cappuccinos and lattes. I tried it with non-dairy milk, too, and the results were the same.

For the kind of person who can’t function before a coffee, the “Coffee Routine” feature is a pleasing addition: the machine learns and remembers the drinks you like, so you’re guaranteed to get exactly what you want. It adapts throughout the day, too; I was impressed to see it remember that my choice of afternoon coffee was typically milkier and longer.

De’Longhi is justly proud of this machine, and it’s easy to see why – for user experience alone, it’s impressive. But, most importantly, it knows how to make a really great coffee. Just the way you like it.

★★★★