The DeLonghi Caffe Nero BCO264B is a three-in-one combination machine that brews a 10-cup carafe of traditional drip coffee on one side and prepares authentic pump-driven espresso and/or cappuccino on the other. The DeLonghi Caffe Nero is an excellent choice for consumers who have different coffee preferences within a single household or those who simply want to have different options when it comes to their coffee.

This unit is styled in black with silver accents. It features a primarily rectangular base with curved edges that give it an interesting space-saving appearance. The auto-drip coffee maker functions just like a traditional unit. It comes with an easy-to-fill removable water tank, a removable gold tone filter basket and a 10-cup glass carafe. An innovative Flavor Savor brewing system and Accuflavor strength selector dial ensure great-tasting coffee just the way you like it. Brewing a full pot takes eight and a half minutes. There is even a 24-hour programmable clock/timer so you can preset the start of brewing.

Other coffee maker features include a drip-stop feature (to pour a cup of coffee before brewing has completed); a 1-5 cup option to improve the flavor extraction and prevent overheating with smaller amounts; a digital LED indicator screen with indicator lights; and a nonstick warming plate that keeps the coffee hot for hours.

The espresso function utilizes a 15-BAR pump with stainless-steel boiler heating system. It produces an authentic cup of rich-tasting espresso with almost no wait time between cups. We timed the machine's initial heat up at just over 2 minutes as well as its recovery time between cups (less than 1 minute). To alternate between brewing and steaming requires another short preheat cycle (or cool down) that also takes less than a minute.

The Caffe Nero comes with a porta filter and two filter sieves -- one for a single shot and one for a double shot of espresso. The sieves can also be used with pre-measured E.S.E. pods. The specially designed filter sieves deliver a wonderful layer of foamy crema.

We were extremely impressed with this unit's system frothing wand, which produced frothy milk, which was doubled in volume. The wand tucks into a recessed crevice when not in use.

Additional espresso maker features include a built-in tamping tool; a four-position control switch; ready indicator lights; and a removable 5-cup water tank.

The DeLonghi Caffe Nero three-in-one combination machine prepares pump espresso, cappuccino and regular drip coffee to satisfy a variety of coffee tastes. Its quality parts, including a stainless-steel pump boiler system and simple straight-forward controls, make it an excellent choice for the average consumer.


Pros: 15-BAR pump espresso system with boiler heating system, removable water tanks for espresso and drip coffee, 24-hr. programmable clock/timer, permanent gold-tone filter, quiet operation
Cons: Drip tray vibrates slightly during use

Warranty
1 year, limited