Customer Reviews

DeLonghi Caffe Sorrento Bar4 4-Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Machine, White

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We had a Mr. Coffee for several years, and it reliably turned out decent (not excellent) expressos and lattes. When the main switch failed recently, I looked into getting a new one and was surprised to see all the hyped up reviews on the Amazon site.
As a result, this simple little machine is selling for more than its list price -- ridiculous, in my opinion.

I bought the Delonghi Cafe Sorrento for $35 instead, and after about two months of heavy use, I couldn't be more pleased. Most importantly, it makes better expresso than the Mr. Coffee. I would rate the expresso as very good to excellent.

That fact by itself is enough to recommend the Delonghi, and when you consider the price (equivalent to a week's worth of lattes at your friendly neighborhood corporate coffee merchant), it's a no brainer. If it breaks or malfunctions -- I regret to have to say it in this brave new world of globalized and outsourced cheap labor -- throw it out and get a new one. You'll have gotten your money's worth, I'm sure.

So what else is good about it?

Style: a matter of taste. It is sleek, modern and European in appearance. I like it.

Frothing: Strong head of steam makes this quick and easy. The broad, plastic tip unscrews easily for rinsing, and cools very rapidly (unlike the metal tip on my old Mr. Coffee; the new models may have plastic tips as well).

Filter basket: The housing is plastic (not metal), which cools rapidly and avoids the potential for burns from metal housings that are handled shortly after brewing for emptying/cleaning/reuse. There is a handy tab on the housing which flips up against the filter basket to hold it in place with one finger when you invert it and whip it madly against the inside of your plastic (hopefully) trash receptacle to empty the spent grinds. Best of all, the housing has two spouts (is that the right word?), which allows you to actually rest the housing and filter basket flat on on the counter without having to hold it as you fill it with freshly ground coffee. This a simple design feature, but it makes such a difference in everyday use compared to the Mr. Coffee, which you have to hold in one hand as you fill it. And, of course, should you choose not to use the carafe, you could make two expressos directly into the cups at the same time.

Overall a great machine that makes very good to excellent expresso, is nicely styled, and has several intelligent design features that make it superior to the Mr. Coffee. So, have I convinced you?

I was given the Bar4 (Caffe Sorrento) by a co-worker that was moving across country and didn't want to take it with them. It lived in my desk for about a year until I finally brought it home when my main coffee was re-located to my ex-wife's house.

Here is what I did to make fairly good espresso in it:

1: Espresso ground 1/2 light roast with 1/2 medium roast

2: Added coffee to the fill line and then tamped it down with the bottom of a measuring cup I had, that fit into the filter basket (you could also use the top of a pill bottle)

3: Add cold, clean water to the machine in the amount suggested by the instruction book

4: Make sure the steam valve is completely closed

5: Turn the machine on and wait.


While you're doing that, if you want steamed/frothed milk, pour the milk into the container you intend to froth in. I ended up using a pyrex glass that was fairly short. I filled it half way with milk. Once the espresso is made, put the glass up to the milk frother so that it is only about 3/4 of an inch off of the bottom of the container and then open the steam valve.

While steaming, move the glass around to heat the milk. If you have a thermometer, wait for 160F. If you don't wait roughly 10 seconds for about a cup and a half of milk. Then slowly lower the glass so that the frother is about an inch from the surface of the milk and keep moving the the glass around. You will start to notice the foam rise. Keep moving the glass so that you get more foam and you are evenly steaming the milk.

Just before you have enough foam, turn the machine off so that it stops producing steam and let the steam run out.

A couple of key points from the other reviews:
- If steam starts going everywhere, turn the machine off
- If coffee starts going everywhere, turn the machine off
- If problems happen, TURN THE MACHINE OFF

Also:
- You can not froth cold milk.
- If there is still steam in the machine when you close the steam valve, it will start spitting out coffee again unless the machine is off and cooled down.
- The espresso is only going to be as good as the coffee you use. It won't turn cheap coffee into good coffee.

Overall, it isn't a bad machine. You get what you pay for. As long as you aren't rough with it and break the knobs on it, it should work fine. Plus you can buy replacement parts for it from the DeLonghi web site.

I was so excited to receive my DeLonghi Caffe Sorrento Bar4 4-Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Machine.
Being an experienced expresso drinker I started to brew my expresso, needless to say the frother works so so good you do not even have to turn it on. Water and steam everywhere, also the frother does not turn off, I tried so hard that the knob came off. I was very dissapointed.

I was so happy with this machine the first two times I used it. The third time was a disaster. The milk foamer did not work. I have tried everything, but it still does not work. Any suggestions?