As usual, used coffee grounds are excreted as pucks, not the sort of sludge you have to clean out when using a cafetiere. It can even take pre-ground coffee, although it’s not designed to be used every day: accessing this option just isn’t as quick. Boiling block (should be cleaned every 500-600 cups) is easily reachable and removable, so you can quickly and simply do all the cleaning work. This coffee machine is easy to clean and maintain and can be programmed for auto switch-on and shut-off.

It also features a control that lets you set how fine the machine grinds coffee in the beans holding compartment.You can use pre-ground fresh coffee or grind your own beans with the integrated grinder with 13 settings. If your machine is half-automatic, then take off the coffee preparation handle, put empty dishes under the milk frother and under the coffee exit place. Very comfortable control and clear menu will make it very simple and easy to control and understand your machine. A fully-loaded bean-to-cup machine that tries its best to be compact is always going to have some compromises: this is one of the main ones, and there aren’t many others. The De’Longhi Autentica Plus doesn’t offer a thousand presets, instead offering essentially an espresso and ‘long’ coffee, which can then be tweaked in terms of strength and size.

Most kitchens will suit the design well enough, but if you’re dealing with an appliance-stacked surface plus overhanging cupboards, having to lift the reservoir off can be awkward. It’s even lower-maintenance than a cafetiere, and the design has clearly been thought-out to cater for those who don’t have gigantic, sprawling kitchens. It’s not for people who want one-button-press cappuccino, but then De’longhi already makes a machine for that purpose. There’s a risk of scalding your milk if you’re a novice (or if you’re not), but as with learning how to tie a bowtie or the perfect way to apply mascara: YouTube is there to help out. If you're using a semi-automatic appliance, remove the portafilter and place empty containers under the milk frother and the coffee dispenser.The new descaling liquid De’Longhi "Edodecalk" effectively removes limescale, which accumulates in the coffee machine’s water system and prolongs the life span of your machine. This Authentica Plus series machine grinder has 13 different settings, which will give you a chance to enjoy coffee just the way you like it.