DeLonghi Eletta Explore

DeLonghi Eletta Explore Review: Why It's 100% Worth The Money

What We Loved

• Aesthetic design appealPersonally, I don’t think it’s the prettiest machine in the world. There’s nothing inherently bad about it, it’s just kinda a box. But, given that it’s a Red Dot Design 2022 winner and also the recipient of the iF Design Award 2022, I’m clearly just uncultured.
• Aroma intensityWe find that 4 out of 5 on the “aroma” setting with the grinder at the 5th finest setting produced the best coffee.
• Assembly & initial setup simplicityThe DeLonghi Eletta Explore is very easy to use. Although there are a dizzying array of coffee options, the machine is set up to help you through the process of choosing and making your coffee drinks.
• Auto-frother consistencyThe LatteCrema system is really good, we’ve liked it in all our DeLonghi coffee machine reviews. In terms of the foamed milk quality, we were really impressed with the hot milk. For the cold drinks, however, you should expect a less luxurious, foamy output.
• Build quality & durabilityDespite the plastic-dominant design, it doesn’t feel like a cheap machine. The drip tray and water tank slot nicely into place and feel of decent quality. The milk carafes and sliding nozzles also don’t look or feel likely to break.The stainless steel grinder should last around a decade if cleaned properly. And the brew group needs to be cleaned regularly, preferably at the end of each day but definitely every couple of weeks.
• Control-panel clarity (buttons, dials, touchscreen)An easy-to-use touchscreen that also gives you reminders and suggestions to improve your coffee. Choose your drink from the vast array of options, change the settings, and save for later. Simple.Plus the touchscreen is really smooth, responsive, and easy to navigate.
• Counter-space footprintThe DeLonghi Eletta Explore coffee machine is, of course, quite large – there’s a lot going on inside the box, after all. But at only 10.3” wide, you should be able to find space.
• Customization menu usabilityYou get helpful hints on how to customize your drinks, ideas for new things to try, and very accurate instructions on how many ice cubes to use.
• Descaling program effectivenessDescaling is the only time-consuming part of cleaning the Eletta Explore but this should only need to be done every 6 months or so. Luckily, it’s also very simple to do. Our friend, the Eletta Explore user interface, walks you through the whole process. It should take around 30 minutes.
• Ease of cleaningAll DeLonghi automatic coffee machines are easy to clean and the Eletta Explore is no exception. It will flush water through the milk system after every use to keep any nasty bacteria from building up. Plus, it will flush water through the coffee system when it turns on.
• Grind consistency (built-in grinder)The DeLonghi Eletta Explore has an excellent grinder for using fresh whole coffee beans.Whilst the grinder quality is excellent, it’s not the quietest out there.
• Iced / cold-brew function qualityChoose from a wide range of iced coffee options to enjoy perfectly chilled coffee with or without milk. Just add the appropriate number of ice cubes as indicated on the Eletta Explore’s screen (it’s impressively accurate) to get the right level of dilution.We were seriously impressed with the beautifully chilled specialty coffee drinks.
• Milk temperature controlThe Eletta Explore has two separate milk carafes – one for hot and the other for cold foamed milk. So, using the specialized milk system, you can get the perfect foam no matter what your favorite coffee is.
• Multi-drink versatility (espresso, lungo, Americano, etc.)The coffee options are essentially sorted into 3 buckets: hot, cold, and to go. This really helps cut down on the overwhelming choice from the menu. Plus, all those options produce great coffee.
• Overall cup quality / flavor balanceThe coffee from the Eletta Explore is excellent. We find that 4 out of 5 on the “aroma” setting with the grinder at the 5th finest setting produced the best coffee.
• Programmability / custom profilesHave all your personal coffee preferences saved to your profile so you don’t need to make adjustments every time. Everyone (well, 4 of you) can customize every drink to their own tastes for one-touch personalized coffee.
• To-go cup functionIt provides space for travel mugs to fit under the coffee spout and gives you the option for any of your favorite coffees in 8, 12, or 16-oz sizes. Simply select “to-go” on the menu and choose the coffee you want to fit your travel mug.
• Value compared to competitorsThe DeLonghi Eletta Explore fully automatic coffee machine is amazing value for money.
• WarrantyAll DeLonghi coffee makers come with a 2-year warranty as standard. As an added bonus, you also get an extra 1-year protection for registering your product.

Just Okay

• Grinder noise levelWhilst the grinder quality is excellent, it’s not the quietest out there. Similar to other DeLonghi machines, the noise is pretty high-pitched which drives my wife bananas as she’s a migraine sufferer.

Needs Improvement

• App setup simplicity & stabilityWith such an arsenal of coffee choices, being able to use the Coffee Link app would be nice (weirdly, app connectivity is available everywhere except the US.)This is one of my biggest frustrations with the Eletta Explore. The Coffee Link app by De’Longhi opens up a raft of extra drink possibilities (more than 100 recipes!) and an insane level of customization. But (and it’s a big but), it’s not currently available in the US.

Top 3 DeLonghi Coffee Machines in 2025 | Magnifica Plus vs Rivelia vs Eletta Explore - YouTube

What We Loved

• Accessibility of displaybeautiful and modern design highlighted by its 3.5 in color TFT screen which apart from looking very good makes using the machine simpler and more intuitive
• App setup simplicity & stabilityincludes the coffee link app which will suggest different recipes as well as allow you to adjust various machine parameters from your mobile
• Auto-frother consistencyincludes the latest in milk coffee preparation... stands out for even allowing you to adjust the amount of foam
• Bean-hopper capacity300 g of coffee beans
• Bypass chute convenience for pre-ground coffeealso allows the use of pregrown coffee. In case you ever run out of coffee beans or to prepare decaffeinated coffee
• Counter-space footprintone of the largest in the Dongi range measuring 26 cm wide, 45 deep and 38.5 high. It weighs 11.3 kg
• Iced / cold-brew function qualityfeatures cold extraction technology... prepare cold brew coffee at home in less than 5 minutes
• Mess-free used-puck disposal14 coffee grounds... one of the largest capacities in the Dongi range
• Multi-drink versatility (espresso, lungo, Americano, etc.)can prepare the most coffee recipes by far... prepare the 50 different recipes you can see on screen now
• Programmability / custom profilesits four customization profiles. With these, we can save our favorite configuration for each type of drink
• To-go cup functionhas a special to-go coffee function that will allow you to make preparations of up to 500 ml in its special travel mug
• Water-tank capacitycapacity of 1.8 L of water

De’Longhi Eletta Explore review: delicious hot and cold brews from one bean-to-cup machine | TechRadar

What We Loved

• Aesthetic design appealIt’s not a thing of beauty, but it’s not bad-looking, clad mostly in black and deeper grays
• App setup simplicity & stabilityThe Eletta Explore can also connect to De’Longhi’s Coffee Link App, meaning you can remotely control your machine and line up your orders from the sofa
• Build quality & durabilitysome of the design elements are a little underbaked
• Counter-space footprintRelatively compact at 15.13 x 10.25 x 17.5" / 38.5 x 26 x 45cm (H x W x D), the De’Longhi Eletta Explore manages to pack in a lot of features and functionalities without eating up too much counter space
• Crema thickness & texturewell-formed crema and plenty of body
• Customization menu usabilityThe app and machine both boast a huge menu of espresso-based options, too, if you’re ever looking for inspiration
• Ease of cleaningMaintenance-wise, the machine is pretty easy to look after. It cleans itself automatically, but you’ll need to keep on top of the descaling and water filter to make sure it remains in good working orderThe drip tray and grounds container are easy to remove, but the drip tray is a little fiddly to clean. The milk carafes are both dishwasher-safe, but relatively easy to clean by hand in the sink, too
• Froth texture / microfoam qualityIts cappuccinos had great microfoam with impressive staying power, and the lattes were delicious and creamy
• Grind consistency (built-in grinder)The conical burr grinder inside the machine is fantastic, crushing beans to the perfect size for smooth and delicious coffee
• Iced / cold-brew function qualityMost impressive, however, was the cold coffee made by the Eletta Explore. From rich and creamy iced lattes to delicious cold cappuccinos with excellent foamEven its cold brews that compress a slow brewing process into mere minutes came out deliciously, with only a hint of bitterness
• Milk temperature controlAll of the drinks came out at the perfect recommended drinking temperature
• Multi-drink versatility (espresso, lungo, Americano, etc.)perfect for coffee lovers who don’t have the time to maintain an espresso machine. Plus, it can make both hot and cold beverages and comes with everything you might need for a fully operational caffeination station.offering a gamut of both cold and hot drinks in one brilliant machine
• Overall cup quality / flavor balancepouring deliciously smooth and sweet espresso and cold brew coffee in record time with minimal maintenanceits results were consistent and rich, although occasionally it spat out a very acidic espresso
• Programmability / custom profilesThe Eletta Explore allows you to create up to four user profiles, each of which can select specific settings and preferences for their beverages

Just Okay

• Auto-frother consistencyFrustrating two-carafe milk systemSwapping between milk jugs is pretty annoying if, like me, you want to have different coffees throughout the day
• Grinder noise levelIt’s fairly loud (70dB) in use, but not the loudest I’ve tested
• Water-tank capacityWater tank design a little annoyingI found that the tank didn’t always quite align with its threads properly, meaning it would be slightly askew in the machine

Needs Improvement

• Hopper seal / bean-freshness retentionBean hopper not airtightoccasionally it spat out a very acidic espresso. This was usually only when ... the beans had been in the non-airtight hopper a little too long
• PriceExpensive, and doubly so in the USin the US it’s horrifically more expensive at $1,899.99inconceivable why it should be double the price

Delonghi Eletta Explore Espresso Machine Review

What We Loved

• Build quality & durabilitymade out of a mixture of metal and plastics. The body is made of plastic, while the drip tray cover, cup warmer, and burrs are made of stainless steel. Of course the bean hopper cover, water resevoir, and drip tray are made out of high quality plastic. Nevertheless, the plastic parts feel solid and well made.
• Control-panel clarity (buttons, dials, touchscreen)Speaking of the HMI display, it is of the swipe type, and it’s in full color and with good contrast.On the display, you will find all the drink possibilities, from espresso based drinks, to milk based drinks.There are macro buttons, grouping the selections between To Go, cold drinks, and hot drinks. There’s also a button for Favourites, which is convenient.To switch between drinks, just choose To Go, Cold or Hot, and swipe to the left or right.
• Country of manufacturekeep in mind that this Eletta Explore is actually made in Italy. That is already a plus point in my book. Their cheaper models are made in China.the cherry on top is that this is even made in Italy!Also on my machines, the Eletta Explore is made in Italy, while the Magnifica Plus was made in Romania.
• Crema thickness & textureget a nice syrupy drink with delightful crema.The shots are chocolatey, syrupy and full of crema.
• Dose accuracy / weight consistencyEspecially when using the ‘Doppio+’ option, we get actual espresso pucks, 14-15 grams in weight, and ground fine enough for a good espresso.With the Doppio+, you can get a proper 14-15 gram dose.
• Ease of cleaningClean up is quite easy, and the results in the cup are really good.To do so, just remove the top from the canister, remove the rubber hose inside, and give everything a thorough rinse under the sink. Of course, don’t forget to start the “Clean” cycle as well, while the carafe is still mounted to the machine, which clears out the lines of milk after frothing.Clean up of the LatteCrema system is quite easy for such a device
• Extraction consistency shot-to-shotwe can actually get the pressure of the extraction up into espresso range, so that we can get a nice syrupy drink with delightful crema.
• Froth texture / microfoam qualityexcellent LatteCrema milk frothing attachment, this machine impressesThe Delonghi LatteCrema system really does a great job of texturing both for cappuccino and for latte, and gives me a nice drinking temperature, too.I feel that this LatteCrema system provides even better textured milk than does the LatteGo system from Philips.
• Grind consistency (built-in grinder)the grinder in the Eletta Explore, and really all Delonghi superautomatics, is a stainless steel conical burr. This ensures better drink quality in the cup, and longevity in the lifespan of the burrs.Something positive I can report about the grinder is that it can actually grind fine enough to choke the machine.
• Grind-size range & precisionThis grinder can actually grind so fine, that the pump struggles to push water through the puck.The grinder is adjusted within the bean hopper, and has 13 settings. I find that a setting of 4-5 works well for my freshly roasted beans. For older beans, I would advise to grind finer, more in the range of 2-3.
• Grinder burr durabilitythe grinder ... is a stainless steel conical burr. This ensures better drink quality in the cup, and longevity in the lifespan of the burrs.
• Heat-up time from cold start30 second heat up time
• Height clearance under cabinetsEnough space for travel mugs
• Milk type versatilitythis machine even comes with 2 milk carafes: one for hot milk, and one for cold.it comes with 2 milk carafes which also allows for two different milk types
• Multi-drink versatility (espresso, lungo, Americano, etc.)the most eclectic superautomatic coffee and espresso machine I have ever tested, for its wide array of 50+ espresso and milk drinks, and even cold drinks!The sheer amount of drinks on this machine is quite crazy: you can make an Espresso, Espresso Doppio+, Long, Coffee Crema, Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino Mix, straight up Milk Foam, water for tea, and more.Delonghi states a total of 50+ “one-touch” recipes!
• Overall cup quality / flavor balancePretty darn good, I have to admit.The shots are chocolatey, syrupy and full of crema. They might not get as complex in flavor as say a Breville Barista machine, but all things considered, it is a proper espresso.
• Programmability / custom profilesthere are profiles to use, to select the ‘aroma’ or amount of beans to be ground, as well as the drink volume, and that for up to 4 different users.if I want a Coffee Crema with full strength, but my wife wants it just to be super mild, then we can set our profiles that way.

Just Okay

• PricePrice is on the high side, depending on market

Needs Improvement

• App setup simplicity & stabilityThe app on the other hand, is nothing to write home about. While it is functional, and good for making the initial choices, it is slow and kind of buggy, as of the time of this writing. It takes 1 minute to connect to the machine, and sometimes it just crashes.the app does suck because it’s so slow and is often disconnects.

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What We Loved

• Auto-frother consistencydifferent foaming options for your hot lattes as well as even foaming options for your cold drinks
• Cup clearance / adjustable drip trayits To-Go menu will allow you to program an output to really fill your tumbler all the way to the top
• Froth texture / microfoam qualityit does cold foam really well … really thick and velvety foam
• Iced / cold-brew function qualitycold drink menu … cold foam really well
• Multi-drink versatility (espresso, lungo, Americano, etc.)a very deep cold-drink menu as well as different foaming options
• Programmability / custom profilesan expanded menu letting you customize your hot drinks