Customer Reviews

DeLonghi BCO120T Combination Coffee/Espresso Machine

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(72)

 

 

I received this machine as a christmas gift, I like having the option to make expresso/cappacino but it just didn't work well from the start. It leaked water from the bottom and now it has just stopped working. This is my second Delonghi that stopped working after about 8 months of ownership.

I purchased this item April 27th - the espresso portion never worked right - the temperature of the espresso was lukewarm at best. The coffee maker worked fine until about a week ago. Now the coffee maker has stopped working completely after less than 90 days!

This was a wonderful machine at first. Then I slowly started seeing water on the counter...then on the floor. Now it just stopped working after 3 months. Not worth wasting the money on this. Their customer service was worthless and they have very limited repair facilities.

I bought this product as a Christmas present for my wife. Now I'm in the dog house. Well, not really. Fortunately she likes coffee and not espresso, and the coffee is pretty good with this unit. But I like espresso with cream, and this machine does a poor job of doing espresso. My previous machine was a small pump espresso machine. This one is a steam espresso maker. There is a big difference that makes you wonder why anything other than a pump machine is ever built. Pump machines make an espresso that tastes creamy and rich. The espresso world term is crema. Anybody that wants a real espresso maker needs to get a pump espresso maker. There are relatively inexpensive ones out there, so keep looking and stay away from this one. The only reason I picked this one was that I like having a combination unit that both my wife and I could use, and not knowing about steam espresso makers, I thought I'd take the chance. Personally, I can't even drink this espresso. It just tastes bad. I'm sorry I was swayed by it's looks and 2 in 1 use. For me it just wasn't worth the purchase. I could have bought a better stand alone coffee maker for my wife that would have been much better and stayed happy with my old reliable pump. Live and learn.

I received this coffee machine as a gift after moving cross country. I drink espresso/cappucino daily and drip coffee only occasionally, and I really loved my friend's Caffe Nabucco machine of the same brand. I love this gift. It is a coffee center, giving me several options for my own coffee needs (I like my coffee better than all those other coffee shops.) The frother is a nice addition, although it isn't practical if you are in a rush - it needs immediate cleaning. The drip side - and the programmable timer - is an improvement over the previous model and really handy. I use it daily and have not had one problem in three months with any part of the machine.

I was fortunate enough to get this machine using credit card points and was it worth it? Yes, since I didn't have to use 'real' money for it ;). But seriously, the negative reviews are way overblown. Could it have been engineered better? Yes. Does it take a little finesse to use? Yes. Does it make good coffee? Yes. Does it froth milk? Yes. Does it make good espresso? Not really.

Here's a little more detail on my comments above...
The water pitcher will leak if not seated correctly, it just needs to be centered and pressed down firmly so the gasket seals.
In terms of making coffee, I'm comparing it to my old Mr. Coffee that I retired after eight years of service (good bye, old friend!).
The steamer is new to me and pretty neat. It foams up my soy milk nicely and I use it occasionally to make hot chocolate. Yum! The arm could have been made a little longer and maybe angled so that a mug could be placed under the tip without bumping into the side of the machine. First few times I used the machine I spilled foam all over the place trying to get my mug out. Maybe I'm just a klutz.
Finally a word on the espresso. The instructions are specific on not pressing the grounds into place. As a result, the resulting liquid has little or no crema, and the taste is not quite there. In other words, it's strong coffee rather than true espresso. Not that I am that worried about it; my girlfriend the ex-barista was quick to point that out to me. Sometimes I hate know it alls.

In conclusion, would I pay $100 for this machine? No. If it comes up for 80 new, I'd consider it since it's got a lot of bells and whistles for a coffee machine.

Update: Eight months of service, no major problems. If you pour water directly on the gasket, it will leak, but otherwise, no complaints

Update: 20 months of daily use with no major problems. Could use a new gasket for the water tank, but I have been pouring the water in the tank with out removing it anyways.

Update: May 2011, about the same as last update. Now that it is down to $80 I would consider buying it as a replacement once this one dies

I purchased this 3 months ago, this never really makes a hot cup of coffee, the espresso portion sort of works but is a difficult to use and it is difficult to get your cup under the steamer. Also the espresso maker is not as hot as it should be. The removable water tank leaks and you will find a puddle under the unit. I dropped the plastic water tank from about 2 feet off the ground and it cracked, making it useless, I was suprised how soft plastic could break so easily, and as of yet I am unable to find a replacement, and Delonghi wont respond to my emails. this unit is cheaply made, and not worth the 100 bucks I spent on it
look elsewhere for a better combination machine

There is more than one model of the DeLonghi line of Coffee/Espresso Machines. I have owned 2 of the Delonghi Combos. I have read the reviews and have concluded that most of the negative remarks come form those that do not know how to use it or have the model that are not digital. We have enjoyed cappuccino, for almost every day, for the last six years. I suggest 100% Columbian coffee and second I suggest to use nothing but soft or distilled water for the best coffee and cappuccino.

I got this coffee maker in late 2007. It's beautiful from the outside and a number of reviews of similar DeLonghi machines got my hopes up.

I had serious problems with the espresso machine. First, it was almost impossible to get the espresso filter cup (where the grinds go) to attach securely to the unit. This resulted in grinds and water all over my counter top. I had to push so hard to latch it that I thought I was going to break the handle off.

The steamer was difficult to use and I ended up burning my hand. I never tried using the espresso portion again.

For the first 6 months or so, the coffee maker worked pretty well. About 2 months ago, I noticed grinds were spilling into the coffee pot when the coffee was brewing and the water reservoir started leaking. I have probably half a cup of water on my counter from the coffee maker every day.

It's frustrating that my old $10 Mr.Coffee was more reliable than this thing.

I was given this as a gift and sadly had to look the gift-horse in the mouth. My boyfriend returned it and got his money back.

This is a sub-par product that is poorly manufactured and almost 100% plastic.

The coffee maker did not even work, it did nothing when we tried to make a pot of coffee, and the espresso it created was simply "strong coffee".

I have been a barista and am knowledgeable about how to make a proper espresso. This machine is not capable of that.

Use your money towards a better product - research a good pump driven machine.

Or simply purchase the $40 Mr. Coffee - tho its not the quite the same, it will produce something closer to espresso than this machine ever could.