Does the versatility make up for the noise?

The De’Longhi TrueBrew is one of the most versatile drip coffee makers out there, with plenty of settings for serving sizes and brew strength. It is not without its faults, though. In fact, it has about as many faults as it has versatile settings, chief among them being its excessive noise. 

Other issues the BestReviews Testing Lab discovered include a rigorous and time-consuming cleaning process and servings of coffee that weren’t strong enough. Still, for the right office, it could make for a solid machine for a break room. 

What is the De’Longhi TrueBrew?

The De’Longhi TrueBrew offers numerous settings and features to customize your brew.

Product Specifications: Dimensions: 12” W x 15” D  x 15.8” H | Brewing Size Options: 6 | Pod Compatibility: No | Water Reservoir Capacity: 60 oz | Brew Time: Untested

The TrueBrew is a feature-packed drip coffee maker from Italian coffee company De’Longhi. Its extra-large 60-ounce reservoir, six brewing sizes and multiple brewing styles, including Over-Ice, mark it as a machine built for serving multiple people with different coffee preferences. 

It also has a few features that make it serviceable for use in homes, including an Auto-On brewing function so you can wake up to fresh coffee. Its built-in grinder is another strong feature because it eliminates the need for extra equipment, plus it cuts down on the mess since there’s no need to transfer grounds between appliances.

Pros

• Plenty of settings (including six serving sizes and five brewing options)
• Extra-large water reservoir
• Stylish design

Cons

• Very loud (when brewing)
• Weak coffee (from most brew settings)
• Laborious cleaning and maintenance

A closer look at the noise level

The amount of noise this coffee machine makes while brewing coffee is a negative that’s second only to the low quality of the brew. We compared it to a jet engine during testing, and while no one was sleeping nearby to prove it, we’re confident that it could easily wake up someone in your home.

A closer look at the versatility

The two main options that give the De’Longhi TrueBrew its versatility are its six size settings and five brew settings.

Four sizes are standard in all versions of the TrueBrew. These are 3 ounces (De’Longhi calls this “espresso style,” though it’s not a true espresso shot. It’s more of a smaller, stronger cup of coffee), 8 ounces, 12 ounces and 16 ounces. There are also 20 and 24 ounces in machines without a carafe, or 24 and 40 ounces in machines with a carafe.

There are five brew settings:

• Light: We found this setting (brewed at 160 degrees) to be too light. The flavor and aroma were so weak that it may as well have been plain water.
• Gold: We found this setting (brewed at 165 degrees) delivered slightly more flavor and aroma, but it was still too weak for our taste.
• Bold: This setting (brewed at 165 degrees) was the best of the built-in grinder lot, though we thought its flavor and aroma were at a strength more akin to what we expected the Gold setting to taste like.
• Over-Ice: This setting was even more watery than the Light setting, though that’s a consequence of brewing it directly into a cup of ice, which immediately melted, as per the instructions.
• Pre-ground: Using the Pre-ground setting (brewed at 165 degrees) got our coffee to taste and smell as strong as we thought the average serving of coffee should, at a minimum. Know that the steps to use this feature are precise, and the coffee won’t brew properly if they aren’t followed exactly.

Who is it for?

We think the De’Longhi TrueBrew is best for office break rooms for two reasons. First, the lowest cost version of it is still a considerable $400. Second, the ability to brew so many different sizes of servings at three different strengths means everyone can enjoy coffee their way instead of settling for a shared carafe (even though you can still have a shared carafe).

How we tested the TrueBrew

You must remove the machine’s front section in order to clean the interior.

We focused on three aspects during testing.

• Brew quality: Testing brew flavor, strength and aroma involved brewing servings at each strength setting, tasting and comparing along the way against each serving brewed and against other servings brewed by other machines. 
• Brew temperature: Testing this involved recording temperatures immediately after brewing was completed and after each serving cooled for one minute.
• Brew volume consistency: Testing this was a matter of repetition, brewing servings with the same settings at least three times in a row. The results were always consistent and accurate.

Also, we considered ease of use and ease of cleaning and maintenance, comparing these aspects against the other machines we tested and machines we’ve used personally. 

Price and where to buy

There are three versions of the De’Longhi TrueBrew Drip Coffee Maker. 

• A mostly plastic version costs $399.95. You can find it on De’Longhi.
• A stainless steel version costs $499.95. You can find it on Amazon, Best Buy and De’Longhi.
• An alternative TrueBrew Drip Coffee Maker, stainless steel with a thermal carafe, costs $599.95 on Amazon and De’Longhi.

How to use the De’Longhi TrueBrew

At the touch of a button, the grinder expels the last of the beans for easier cleaning.

Because of the De’Longhi TrueBrew’s excellent interface, using it is exceptionally intuitive, with few steps to follow.

1. Make sure the built-in bean grinder and water reservoir are full enough for your serving. If you’re using pre-ground beans, insert a filter and add grounds to the basket. 
2. Select the serving size from the six options.
3. Select the coffee strength from the three options or the Over-Ice specialty option (if using the built-in grinder). If using pre-ground beans, select the Pre-ground specialty option.
4. Press the Brew button.

How does it compare to other coffee machines we tested?

This De’Longhi coffee machine is easily one of the most fully featured drip coffee makers we’ve tested. From its built-in grinder to its multiple drink settings and features, it’s just as capable of a single-serving coffee maker as it is a carafe-filling whiz. That’s why it’s unfortunate that the quality of the built-in grinder brews is so low.

Should you get a De’Longhi TrueBrew?

The removable reservoir is easy to fill in the sink.

We think not if it's for use in your home. To us, it’s far too expensive and performs too poorly when it comes to brewing. And the cleaning and maintaining procedures are much too daunting. If you’re looking for a coffee machine for an office break room, however, it could be worthwhile.