With an increasing number of people working from home and hoping to cut costs where they can, at-home espresso machines are in high demand. Yet many all-in-one espresso machines spread themselves too thin by trying to do too much, leaving coffee lovers disappointed and wanting more.
DeLonghi offers a solution with an espresso machine that promises every cup will be exactly the way you like it. The company claims that their Dinamica Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine is the world’s first and only fully automatic espresso machine with iced-coffee technology, so users can enjoy iced coffee that is not watered down, along with a variety of smooth, full-bodied espresso drinks and drip-style coffee.
To see whether DeLonghi Dinamica Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine can really make cafe-quality drinks at home, we put it to the test. Here’s what we found.
We had an avid coffee drinker test the DeLonghi espresso machine for several days, making sure to use all the features and take note of the setup and cleaning process. Those notes were used to compile this review.
DeLonghi Dinamica is an espresso machine with iced coffee technology, a manual frother and a built-in steel burr grinder. It’s capable of making espresso, long espresso, drip-style coffee and iced coffee.
We will note that this machine doesn’t really make a simple cup of coffee. If you’re someone who likes to brew an entire pot of coffee, you’ll probably prefer a straightforward coffee maker.
We discovered that setting up the DeLonghi automatic coffee maker is relatively quick but requires the use of the manual. After reading through the manual, we understood how the machine worked and felt better prepared to use all of the settings.
You’ll start by turning on the espresso coffee machine before removing the water tank and filling it with clean, cold water. Next, remove the filter from its package and rinse with half a liter of tap water. Rotate the calendar disk so the next two months are displayed, and immerse the filter in a full tank of water for 10 seconds, sloping it to allow air bubbles to escape. Press the filter into the filter housing as far as it goes, secure the lid and place the tank in the machine. Before you start drinking, it’s vital to make 4-5 cups of coffee and dump them out. This is standard on most espresso machines.
To use the frother, fill a pitcher or cup with your preferred choice of milk and push the steam button, which will flash. Immerse the frother into milk, making sure not to insert beyond the mark on the spout. Turn the knob to begin frothing and stop when you reach your desired temperature.
The adjustable steel burr grinder can control the strength and how coarse or fine you want your grounds. The recommended setting is between 3 and 5, with 3 being the finest.
One drink we were impressed with was iced coffee, which was the perfect strength and not watered down at all. To make iced coffee, place a glass filled with ice on the tray. Adjust the coffee strength to max level, which means all five beans light up on the touch-screen display. Next, press the “Over Ice” button to start brewing. Lastly, add any flavoring, milk, sweetener or additional ice cubes, and it’s ready to enjoy.
Unlike other espresso machines or coffee machines, the DeLonghi Dinamica Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine has a few features that separate it from the competitors. One of their most significant claims is that you can make smooth, full-bodied iced coffee that isn’t watered down due to their TrueBrew process. They accomplish this by brewing at a lower temperature, allowing for pre-infusion and offering the ability to customize the brew to extra-strong. Once you pour it over ice, your coffee will be the perfect strength.
For a home espresso coffee machine, it’s very quick to heat up, requiring only 40 seconds before brewing starts — which means you can start drinking your morning cup of coffee sooner. Along with being fast, the DeLonghi coffee maker promises to be fresh, thanks to the 13-setting, adjustable built-in steel burr grinder and because grounds are never left in the brew unit. Additionally, DeLonghi Dinamica can create rich, creamy froth with dairy or nondairy milk.
The brand also touts the Dinamica’s simple cleaning process and claims it takes less time and money than their competitors’ machines without needing any chemicals.
If you’re looking for other home coffee machines, here are a couple worth trying.
Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine
This machine features an integrated precision conical burr grinder, digital temperature control and manual microfoam milk texturing. It also offers low-pressure pre-infusion to gradually increase pressure at the start and help ensure all the flavors are drawn out evenly.
Sold by Amazon
This machine allows you to brew a simple pot of coffee or specialty drinks, including ristretto, latte, macchiato, cappuccino and more. It’s also capable of making two espresso drinks simultaneously with the OneTouch for Two function.
Sold by Amazon
De’Longhi Dinamica Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine retails for $949.95.
DeLonghi Dinamica Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine is available on Amazon or directly on DeLonghi’s website.
After opening the DeLonghi Dinamica Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine, our first impression was that it had a classic, modern look with a smaller footprint than traditional espresso machines. Once we read the manual for instructions, all drinks were easy to prepare, including iced coffee and pulling an espresso shot, latte and long espresso. We also found the 40-second heat-up time to be accurate, and we enjoyed having the coffee in our hands quickly.
We were impressed with the taste of the iced coffee and felt it lived up to its claim of delivering full-bodied iced coffee that is never watered down. We tried frothing different types of milk and thought they all foamed up nicely, even nondairy milk.
Cleaning the espresso machine was highly straightforward and quick. An included brush allows you to clean the grinder, and you can just wipe the frothing spout clean with a towel after each use. In addition, the water tank only needs to be cleaned once a month, according to the manual.
One drawback we noticed with the DeLonghi Dinamica is that it’s fairly loud. However, it makes drinks so quickly that the commotion was over soon after it started, so we really didn’t mind the noise. We had another minor issue with the abbreviated instructions included in the box and felt they didn’t offer enough instruction to set up the machine and prepare various drinks. The extensive manual, while it took longer to read, was much more useful.
Based on our experience, we feel the DeLonghi Dinamica is an excellent alternative to coffee shops and can make cafe-quality drinks at home. We were impressed with all the drinks we could create and how quickly they were ready. We recommend the DeLonghi Dinamica's Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine to anyone who wants to enjoy high-quality coffee drinks from the comfort of home.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Bre Richey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
