DeLonghi Esclusivo DCM485 10-Cup Thermal Carafe and Coffeemaker, Brushed Stainless Steel
by DeLonghi America, Inc
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List Price: Our Price: $108.49 You Save: $73.51 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $79.95 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of DeLonghi Esclusivo DCM485 10-Cup Thermal Carafe and Coffeemaker, Brushed Stainless Steel
Customer Review: Coffee is fine, machine is annoying
Summary: 2 Stars
My husband and I received this as a gift, and although we probably tend more toward the neurotic side, there are some features that I suspect a lot of people might find really annoying.
Here's the good:
The coffee tastes great, the unit looks good, and the carafe keeps the coffee hot (at least relative to brew temperature - we weren't as sensitive to this as other reviewers and always found the coffee hot enough for us.) The removable water reservoir is also nice - no spilling when trying to pour in from the carafe.
The not so good:
We found the mechanism for setting the clock to be really frustrating. There aren't separate hour and minute buttons so you have to cycle through a poorly designed interface every time you want to re-set - which you will have to do every time you unplug your machine. This quickly grows tiresome if if you have to unplug your machine at all regularly (which we do). In fact, we have found re-setting the clock so frustrating that we don't even bother, which means that we have also given up the auto brew feature - which is one thing that is pretty uncomplicated on even the cheapest machines these days.
Also, we have had the same inability to conveniently locate the water filters, and we have found that the carafe does drip sometimes, even when the arrows appear to be lined up. This is both unpredictable and mysterious.
The most frustrating thing for us is cleaning the carafe. You can't put it in the dishwasher, and when you rinse by hand, the inside never fully dries. The opening is also fairly small for reaching in with a sponge or towel, which may not be uncomfortable for everyone, but I'm more of a rinse and let air dry and then throw in the dishwasher every couple days kind of person when it comes to carafes.
Different things may annoy different people, and while there aren't any huge flaws in this machine, all the small oversights and annoyances overshadow its main benefit - the ability to brew decent coffee - and plenty of other machines can do that. The bottom line is that although this unit looks nicer, our old ($20) machine reliably made perfectly acceptable coffee with no spills, no frustrations, and easier cleaning.
Customer Review: Great coffee maker
Summary: 5 Stars
I read many negative reviews including repeated descriptions of the coffee not flowing into the carafe but overflowing. I read one that addressed this - "...assemble it correctly" was his response. In spite of all the negative reviews, we bought one. Works great and the carafe keep the coffee warm for a while without the taste deterioration that heated units provide. We love it and it looks nice so keeping it on the counter does not drive me nuts!Customer Review: TERRIBLE customer service
Summary: 1 Stars
I have been trying to got an issue resolved for over 3 weeks. When you e-mail anyone there it take 2-3 days to hear back from anyone. After giving me the run around for 3 weeks they basically said they would do nothing to help. When I finally got a hold of someone by phone. They reread all my e-mails(~23 e-mails) and I asked to speak to a supervisor, I was disconnected. I e-mailed them and they responded with "oh, sorry" Not, oh please call again, or e-mail us your number and a supervisor will contact you. Enough with the customer service.
The coffee pot was great. But mine lasted exactally 1 year 3 days. For $129. You make the choice.
Customer Review: BAD CHOICE...
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this coffeemaker in May, 2006 from Amazon. It was used on average of once a day for 13 and a half months, or about 410 cycles. During the brief time it was in use, it has been nothing short of a nightmare. Frequently, unexpectedly running over and returning hot brewed coffee back into the water reservoir. Resulting in brewed coffee and coffee grounds inside the machine and then erupting over the kitchen counter- a super colossal mess. Certainly intolerable, and upsetting, the first thing in the morning, upon climbing out of bed to make coffee. It is fortunate that no one was injured or burned when these incidents occurred. One morning in July 2007, when attempting to turn it on, the display began blinking rapidly and the machine failed to operate. Now it is completely dead. Silly me for not purchasing the Amazon extended warranty. Worse, I didn't use a Visa Card to pay for it- then I would have had a two-year warranty. Expensive lessons learned. A 1-star rating is too high, but is the lowest allowed.Customer Review: Disappointment in every cup
Summary: 2 Stars
I received the DCM485 as a gift several years ago, and have been absolutely disappointed with every step of ownership. For starters, it is very difficult to program the clock and automatic timer. The unit is difficult to clean without using expensive coffeemaker cleaning solutions (which I do advocate, just not daily!), and the coffee is just so-so. The unit is not intuitive - after 4 years of use I still refer to the instructions regularly. My other big beef is that replacement water filters are not widely available, and when I called the company to order them they were backordered for over 6 months. Very frustrating. Save your money and buy a Cuisinart or Capresso.