Delonghi Clessidra Drip Coffee Machine ICM17210

Love my drip coffee – Very happy with this machine. It was a gift for mothers day a couple of years ago. Used daily and my only complaint would be that it doesn't keep the coffee got for long enough. I have to keep making a fresh pot through the day. But obviously, I drink to much coffee so fine if you just enjoy a couple of cups in the morning. Nice looking machine. Show details ·  1

The most expensive model in-store and now it's useless after just 6 months – I Purchased this drip coffee maker last December from a store in Shepparton. It was the most expensive model they had and I thought I was buying quality. This coffee machine has been the most disappointing purchase I have made in a long time. The coffee is claimed to be made at 94 degrees, what a load of rubbish. By the time the coffee gets into… Read more

the jug and then mug, it is barely lukewarm and needs a full minute in the microwave to be drinkable. Even pre-heating the mugs still results in cold coffee. The base heat plate does not make good contact with the jug and is ineffective. Another problem is when you add water to the top reservoir with the power turned off the water spills straight through the control valve and all over the hot plate and bench. I went to clean the jug by hand today with a sponge and just light cleaning pressure shattered the glass. I checked the DeLonghi website for spare parts and this model does not have anything available! I called the local store and they told me that the pathetically thin and fragile glass would not be covered under warranty so the entire product is now a throwaway after 6 months of use. I also communicated with DeLonghi who asked for all my details but then failed to respond. UPDATE: After posting the review DeLonghi responded and replaced the coffee maker, unfortunately, the replacement also fails to make HOT coffee.

Nice looking machine, but fails to deliver – I will start off by telling you that I normally drink an espresso or long black coffee, and use a Nespresso Vertuo machine at home. I will also occasionally make a pour over coffee using a stainless steel filter and holder. Unboxing the Clessidra was a nice surprise, as no polystyrene packaging was used; excellent job, Delonghi. The instruction… Read more

manual is basic, but covers most things. After washing and rinsing the containers, the machine needs to be operated twice with only water. Even after these rinse cycles, there is a very strong chemical/plastic smell in the brewed water. With my unit, this has continued for weeks after the first use. Only when brewing coffee is the smell over powered and not noticeable.

While the Clessidra is a nice looking coffee machine, it suffers from poor function and use. To brew a pot of coffee, you must fit the basket to the pot, fit a paper filter, add desired dose of coffee, and fill upper water reservoir. I always rinse my paper filters with hot water before use, as I believe the result is a better coffee without a "papery" taste. This is when I notice the strong plastic/chemical smell the most.

The machine is quiet on a normal brew cycle. On a "pour over" brew cycle, the machine makes a loud clicking noise throughout the cycle, as it starts/stops the water flow over the coffee grounds. The result is a slightly stronger and deeper flavour, but largely depends on your choice of coffee. As far as the quality of the coffee is concerned, it's on par with just about every other drip coffee maker I've used. I even tested it against a neighbour's Breville coffee maker, using the same coffee. No noticeable difference.

If you would like a cup of coffee while the Clessidra is still brewing, you remove the jug from the machine, then you need to open the lid, and remove the brewing basket before you can pour a cup of coffee. It's worth waiting until the brew cycle has finished before pouring a coffee. Other coffee makers make this much easier. Once the coffee has brewed, the basket needs to be removed and stored in a separate holder. Again, other coffee makers don't require this.

Pouring from the Clessidra's large jug is also not a good experience. It's fine if you've brewed 10 cups of coffee, but if you've only brewed 2-4 cups, or you're getting to the bottom of the jug it becomes inaccurate with the pour. If you're sloshing your coffee into a gigantic mug, I'm sure it won't be a problem.

The original machine I was supplied with developed a leak around the upper water reservoir, and within a couple weeks was boiling dry, and not ending the brew cycle until almost 10 mins after the all water had been used. The warranty claim was a fairly straight forward, although somewhat lengthy process, with the time elapsed between dropping off the unit at a service centre and getting a replacement unit being 3 weeks. The replacement has been without fault for a week.

In summary, the Clessidra is a nice looking drip coffee maker, with a simple and elegant aesthetic. If you tend to brew a full pot of coffee each time you use the machine, you may like this unit. It is however, pricey. About twice the price, compared to many other units which function much better than the Clessidra, and include reusable stainless steel filters.

Lovely Style and Finish but lacks adjustable temp control for keep hot base – As a Product Review Ambassador, I was supplied with the appliance for trial and impartial review. I have used drip / plunger / pod / and instant over time and all have good and bad points. Preferred taste is an individual thing, so it is a challenge to produce a 1 size fits all product. Coffee selection is key, to final strength and taste result… Read more

in the cup. I found initial results from local coffee specialist too strong, and after using Vittoria Maragogype, Lavazza Oro, which produced good coffee result, settled on supermarket available, Lavazza Oro or Regular Vittoria adjusting quantity for strength in appliance. Price of ground coffee is a consideration, as process consumes a lot for given result.

As I like milk in my coffee, I found the temperature drop between top tank and the held temp in base too low, requiring a boost in microwave once milk was added. this could be overcome by adjustable thermostat for base to hold temp at individuals preferred setting. I have measured temperatures using calibrated food service DeltaTRAK -50c to 200c probe and can confirm the top heating tank falls within claimed temp range. My only issue is the fall in temp in bottom tank. Addition of adjustable heat setting on bottom hot plate would make perfect appliance in my opinion. This appliance in use produces a consistent result.

Good machine for specific scenarios – TLDR: While this machine produces good coffee, it is best suited to a group setting like an office, or to a single/couple who are usually near the kitchen and go through 3-4 cups each over a relatively short timespan. I found this machine not ideal for just make 1-2 morning cuppas. Filter coffee machines have never really been popular in… Read more

Australia, as the image of one is typically associated with the awful brown stuff they drink in the USA, while here we drink ~*good*~ coffee. I suspect that this subconscious association will make selling this unit a tough ask for Delonghi, since despite having a glutton of caffeine addicts it's just too easy to find great coffee, even outside major metropolitan hubs.

Operating the machine is pretty straightforward. Grounds and water go in, coffee comes out. There are only two settings, but no real explanation in the manual as to what the difference between them is, so you're just left on your own to either look it up, or trial them out. The machine loves to click, crack and beep while brewing

The machine takes up less space than even a small espresso machine, but still seems bulky. The jug is very large in order to be able to fit the filter holder inside without having it dip into the coffee that comes out. The top reservoir also can't be removed to clean. In reality this should only be holding water so it shouldn't so dirty that it can't be hand-wiped clean, but there's always the possibility of mildew or mould building up.

One odd thing I noticed is that of the five holes where water drips through from the top reservoir to the filter, one of them (the right-most one) never had water coming out of it. I assumed this was just some issue with the unit I had received, but when watching one of the instructional videos from Delonghi, I could see the same hole did not have any water coming out of it. I assume this means it is either intentional (useless hole?) or a design flaw (hole is broken?). To be fair, this didn't seem to result in any uneven saturation or tunnelling in the grounds, so if it is a systemic problem I doubt many people would notice or worry about it.

The best use scenario for this machine would be some kind of group setting, rather than serving an individual. It feels really inefficient using this machine to just make 1-2 cups of coffee (like cooking 1 serve of pasta in a 12L pot), and I found if I made more I wouldn't drink it fast enough before it went cold, despite the heating plate. I think if you only had yourself or maybe 1 other person you could use this machine if you love pounding through a big coffee and then having another half an hour later. If you're a 1-a-day or 2-a-day coffee drinker this machine is probably not worth it.

This machine now lives at my office where it is a substitute for a pod machine. Coffee is just as good, great for bulk brewing, and no spent pods filling up the bin.

Complicated Way to Make Coffee – I invited friends over and we tried the coffee maker, which was given to me to review. It was interesting watching the water boil in the top of the machine. My friends who drink filter coffee agreed that the taste is indeed superior to regular drip coffee and it doesn’t have the burnt coffee taste that some drip systems end up with. It was a bit… Read more

of a novelty. As a regular espresso and flat white drinker, personally for me I prefer the taste of an espresso or stove top coffee maker coffee. I found this to be overly weak and nothing special. It reminded me of the old drip coffees we drank in the 1980s before we had good coffee in Australia.

This system is an overly slow and complicated way of making ordinary coffee. It would really suit people who enjoy the process. Here is a comparison. I usually make my coffee in a small Bialetti stove top Moka pot.

Moka Pot: 1. Put water on the bottom of the pot (put the pot under the tap) up to the line 2. Fill coffee funnel with coffee 3. Screw pot together 4. Put on stove. 5: while coffee is brewing, heat up some milk 6. When coffee is ready, pour into cup and enjoy

Items needed: bottom part of pot coffee funnel Too part of pot coffee milk water

Clessidra 1. Get out a jug and fill it with water 2. Pour the water up to the marked line in the top of the coffee maker (this part can not be removed so you must use a jug) 3. Put coffee filter into the filter container 4. Put coffee into filter, measuring with a scoop according to how many cups you are making. 5. Put filter and filter holder into the coffee jug 6. Put the coffee jug into the machine, making sure the little buttons at the back is depressed 7. Put the top lid on making sure the vents are at the back of he lid 8. Choose which function you want and press the button 9. Wait to see if it is working. If not, adjust the coffee jug and press the button again 10. While coffee is brewing, heat up some milk 11. When the coffee is brewed, take the coffee filter and filter holder out of the coffee maker and put them both into the separate coffee filter holder stand. You MUST do this, otherwise the coffee grounds end up in the coffee. 12. Pour your coffee.

Items needed: Water jug Coffee filter paper Coffee filter holder Coffee filter holder stand Coffee jug Coffee machine Coffee scoop to measure coffee Water Coffee Milk

Apart from being complicated, this is a large piece of equipment, too large for my kitchen bench. I does say that it makes up to 10 cups of coffee but I found the coffee to be weak so I made it 1.5 strength.

Advantages: Good looking machine Makes up to 10 cups of coffee Much better quality than average drip coffee makers Has a keep warm function

Disadvantages: Makes weak coffee Requires filter papers Uses a large amount of coffee Very complicated procedure Numerous items essential to good coffee making.

When I first used this machine I struggled to get it to work. I called the friendly customer service people at Delonghi and they were very helpful. I actually think it was still going through it’s initial cleaning process. I had to press the button numerous times to get it to work.

I know these days many people are trying different brewing methods, including pour over and cold brewing. But I think most Australians have moved past the drip system onto the stronger espresso style coffee. This model does have a pour over option but I don’t think it tastes better than the regular method. I’m not sure that a drip system is really suitable for modern Australian tastes.

Overall I think this would be useful if you need to make large numbers of coffees when you have friends over. But for me this rarely happens as I usually have people over in the evening and we don’t drink coffee after dinner. I gave it three stars as we agreed that it did better coffee than a normal drip filter coffee machine.

Stylish and great for the after-dinner crowds – My typical coffee making patterns include 2 espresso machine flat whites for my wife and myself in the mornings, and another 1-3 coffees at work during the day. The work coffee’s are usually made in my work kitchen, and have varied of the years between instant, automatic espresso machine, manual espresso machine, and a pod machine with separate… Read more ·  1

milk frother. So the drip filter option was new to me – not having seen one since my parents used one some 30+ years ago. Aesthetically, it’s a nice looking unit, and has a footprint that is generally smaller than most domestic manual espresso machines. It’s also light enough to easily move around on the bench top – or if you have the storage room, to the pantry, though you’ll need a tall shelf as it’s a pretty tall unit. The process of getting a coffee out of it is pretty straight forward. Just add the water to the upper reservoir, place the paper filter in the holder (which has it’s own nifty bench top cradle), and add ground coffee. The filter assembly then easily sits in the main glass jug, which slides nicely under the reservoir. Hit either of the two brew mode buttons, and in just a few short minutes, you’re done. As with any espresso machine, it takes a while to find a coffee bean, and grind type, that works best with the machine, and your taste. Expect to find yourself trying a few different beans/grinds before you get a flavour you like. And, keep in mind, drip filter coffee tends to have a taste of it’s own – so don’t expect to be able to emulate the flavour you get from your home espresso machine – it tends to have a style of its own that may take a little time to adapt to. If you’re someone who prefers fluffy hot milk in your flat white coffee/cappuccino, then you’ll definitely miss it using this machine, unless you froth up your own milk separately. Otherwise, just adding a dash of milk can feel like you’re just making an instant coffee with a substantial flavour kick. Given the work that’s gone into the design and presentation of this machine, that might seem a waste. Another factor to consider is that I was usually only making 1-2 coffees at a time with it, and not utilising it’s much bigger capacity. This is where I think this machine comes into it’s own. Making 8-12 espresso-style coffees with a domestic espresso machine is very time consuming, rendering the host kitchen-bound for the duration of dessert. On the other hand, this beauty can pump out a dozen coffees in a much shorter time, with much less work involved. Same goes for work functions, small seminars, or other get-togethers where you don’t want to be slowly dispensing a dozen coffees, and missing out on the mingling. A small point to comment on was the two different brewing options. Each offered a slightly different means of running water over the coffee grind. With the types of grinds we used, we couldn’t notice a discernible difference – however this could change with different grinds, or larger quantities of grind being used. Also, whilst the grinds can make their way into the garden, the filter paper will have to make it’s way into the bin – which could be a deal-breaker for some. Generally, this unit presents well, is easy to use, easy to move, is very easy to keep clean, and greatly simplifies serving up good-flavoured, non-espresso coffee, to larger numbers of people. Like all coffee machines utilising ground coffee, it can take some experimenting to get a flavour you like, however, you can count on getting a consistent flavour once you’ve found the grind you like. It works well as a 1-2 cup coffee machine, however, comes into it’s own when serving up larger quantities – one of its main strengths. If you prefer your coffee white, and can go without the frothed milk, you’ll still get a rich flavoured beverage that’ll outshine an instant brew. If, however, you like your coffee black, I can imagine this machine would really grow on you.

Satisfied even the hardest coffee snob! – An old man once said to me that the things in life that are worthwhile tend to be hard work. And the 3 big ones for most people are being a parent, having a job and being married. But being good at something tends to be a combination of knowing something well and working hard at it. That is unless you’re married to a coffee snob. And I know this… Read more ·  1

is going to sound harsh to some but this is very relevant if you bear with me for a moment. My lovely wife is very picky about her coffee. It has to be the right temperature, have the right amount of sugar in it, be the right strength and use correctly roasted beans, use the correct type of milk, and just the right amount of foam on the top. She is no fool either. She can tell where the coffee was bought out of the 4 places I would usually get it from and she is more than happy to do another lap around the Macca’s drive-through if her coffee isn’t as expected. I even took an empty cup from her favourite coffee place (The Shed) one day and poured a coffee from a different place into the branded cardboard cup and she picked it straight away. Now this is the part I wanted you to wait for. I made a coffee for my wife this afternoon using the DeLonghi Clessidra coffee machine and a jug of milk out of the microwave and delivered it to her while she was in the green office on the phone. After a few minutes she came inside wide-eyed and exclaimed “This is as good as The Shed!” She wasn’t the only one wide-eyed after a comment like that. So I guess I will have to rewind 4 weeks to let you know how I got to this point. I received the machine at the beginning of the month and already knew it had the “approved mark” from the European Coffee Brewing Centre (Oslo) so I was expecting it to be a performer but when I lifted the machine out of the box it also had a Red Dot Design Award winner sticker from 2018. If you type this into Google you will see that you really need to come up with something outstanding to get this. In the last 10 years I have bought a Red Dot Design Award cake lifter and cheese slicer and both were a totally new approach to their tasks – each solving problems common to their peers. So now my expectations were heightened even more. The set-up is really easy. It is essentially a glass bowl on a stand with a glass jug underneath, a scoop for the coffee, a coffee grounds holder and a stand to use while pouring the coffee. My first impressions were nervousness around all the glass. It is a given that the coffee won’t have any plastic taste in it but I made sure the machine wasn’t close to the edge of the bench when out of the cupboard and the instruction manual also says to lift or move the machine by the neck (a bit like a kitten) or by the base while holding the bowl. Before using it the first time I ran it twice with a full bowl of water to clean it out like the instructions say to do and after that I used a filter paper and 10 scoops of coffee to make 10 cups. (Remember that to get the best tasting coffee you need to keep your ground coffee in an air tight container rather than in the fridge or freezer.) Starting a brewing cycle is as easy as selecting one of 2 buttons at the bottom of the machine. The left button is called the high quality brewing function while the right is called the pour over coffee cycle. (You need to push the buttons in not down.) In essence, one is dripolator coffee while the other is pour over coffee. While the functions look similar in operation a pour over coffee in its simplest explanation is coffee grounds in a filter paper inside a funnel while hot water is poured over it straight out of the kettle. Admittedly DeLonghi does it a lot better than that in order to produce a better, more consistent flavour. The machine beeps once to let you know the cycle has started and you see almost immediately the water starting to heat up in the upper tank. Part of the design award is to keep the water between 92-96°C and allow it to pass through the coffee grounds at just the right speed so you’ll hear it boiling and re-boiling the water during the process and a solenoid will click on and off a few times to start and stop the water flow too. More so during the pour over coffee cycle. When the brewing cycle is finished the machine will beep 3 times to let you know and then it will start the keep warm function which runs for 40mins after the 3 beeps. The beeping isn’t very loud however, so don’t wander too far away. I found that on a 20°C day the high quality brewing cycle took 10mins for 10 cups of coffee while the pour over coffee function took 11mins 30secs. The brewing cycle can be interrupted too because the machine has a unique anti drip feature if the jug is removed. If you intend doing this though, just remember to pull the brewing basket out of the top of the jug and rest it in the stand before decanting a cup of coffee otherwise you will pour yourself a cup of coffee grounds (I’m not speaking from experience). Once you have your cup of coffee just put the brewing basket back into the jug and place the jug back into the machine to restart the brewing process. Remember too that any coffee leftover in the jug afterwards can be decanted into a plastic jug for iced coffees later. What never ceases to amaze me is the 3 things that bring warmth or hospitality to a home are all smells – baking bread, a real wood fire and brewing coffee. This is where the DeLonghi Clessidra will deliver where pod coffee machines fall short – the smell of freshly brewed coffee in your home or small office. It brings people together, it starts conversations and it builds anticipation. When people come over and they smell coffee brewing it makes people feel as though they are wanted and valued because preparations have been made. After you’ve finished all your coffee making you might get to the part of the instruction manual that says nothing can go in the dishwasher and groan but it’s not all bad news. The top bowl has only had water in it so it can be easily wiped out with a tea towel. The plastic jug lid, the basket and the basket stand can be rinsed under hot water and tea towelled dry while the glass jug can be treated the same way if the coffee is consumed fairly quickly after the brewing process (or hand washed if not). And the outside of the machine can be wiped down with a damp cloth to remove dust, coffee or other stains (just remember to not immerse or rinse the machine). Also, if you live in an area with hard water, the machine will give a descaling alarm. If you notice lime building up around your shower rose over time it is likely you live in a hard water area and will hear the machine beep to warn you. Read the instruction manual on how to run a descaling cycle by pushing in both buttons together and perhaps preempt this process by doing it every 25 cycles of the machine. Lastly, the instruction manual hints at keeping a diary or spreadsheet of what you did to get the result you got so you can make changes next time you make coffee. Record things like the brand of coffee you used, the number of scoops, the amount of water, how long you heated the milk, how much coffee and milk you used in each cup and which coffee mode the machine was set to. I nailed it on the 5th time I ran the machine but also be aware your figures will be slightly off in summer and winter due to different starting temperatures. What’s missing? On more expensive models there is often a timer that allows coffee to be brewed and ready by a certain time. This is absent on the Clessidra and a wall timer or WiFi controlled device is an inadequate work-around as powering on the unit doesn’t start the brewing process like you can do with other models. After playing with the machine for four weeks and making coffee for friends and family, discovering all the features and the design awards, tasting the coffee it makes and considering the set-up and pack-up ease I was really surprised the machine sells for less than $200. A large coffee at $5 each for a couple working 5 days a week would pay for this machine in 4 weeks. And with set-up time of 2 minutes and pack-up and cleaning time of 3 minutes it is hard to argue that this is a product that brews outstanding coffee, and saves time and money compared with espresso coffee commercially bought.

Good, but some tweaks would make it even better – We’ve been testing this DeLonghi coffeemaker for the past three weeks under the Ambassador Programme. To date, the appliance has worked reliably. It’s intuitive to use - there are no complicated settings, programmes or timers. Just two buttons to make two types of coffee – the user can select from pour over brew or high quality brew. The… Read more ·  1

top compartment of the appliance is like a glass kettle with a removable lid– you add the cold water and you can watch the water heating up until it rapidly boils. Once boiling, the water then flows through the middle of the hourglass, over the coffee granules and into the carafe jug below. If the carafe jug is removed mid-cycle, the machine stops dispensing liquid. The carafe itself sits on a warming plate. This plate automatically turns on at start-up, and automatically turns off after 40 minutes – which is handy in case you’ve forgotten to turn off the appliance.

The design looks contemporary and is practical as well. Because the kettle part is glass and the lid is completely removable, you can look in and check that the receptacle is free of dust, dead insects etc before adding the water to make the coffee. Being able to see the water boiling and the coffee brewing also reinforces that the machine is working. The handle on the carafe jug is well designed even for large hands. The carafe is also the right size to double as a general purpose kitchen jug. The warming plate is also very effective. We found the coffee stayed hot for up to an hour after it finished brewing.

The product comes with a 6 page user manual. There is about half a page of information on how to maintain the appliance if you have hard water. To paraphrase this information, the appliance has a descaling alert – the lights inside both buttons will flash simultaneously when it needs to be descaled. Note: according to the manual, customers with hard water must use a commercial descaling cleaner every 25 cycles or the product WARRANTY WILL BE VOID. (See Photo 1). We’ve been using filtered rainwater in the appliance, and so far we have not experienced the descaling alert.

The only maintenance issue we’ve experienced happened when I was drafting this review, in the final two days of testing it. Hubby went to make the coffee and noticed a gummy clear liquid puddled around the temperature sensor probe. It left a sticky residue when he tried to wipe it away. I ran a boiling-water only cycle through the coffee maker. This made the clear liquid turn white, and left a white residue around the temperature probe and some other patches of white nearby. I waited for the machine to cool down, then rubbed the white patch vigorously. Most of the white flaked off. (See Photo 2)

Hubby thinks the substance might be the sealant they use around the temperature probe or possibly heat sink compound. To be honest, not knowing what the gummy residue is, has put me off using the coffee maker - up until then I was enjoying it and using it on a daily basis. If the user manual had mentioned what the glue-like residue around the temperature probe is, I would feel more at ease, but there’s just no information about it... I should add that the machine appears to be operating normally in every other respect. Tweaks (1) The machine uses disposable paper filters. I'd like to see DeLonghi make a reusable mesh filter for the machine as well, (even if it is sold as a separate accessory.) A coffee connoisseur might be able to taste the difference between coffee that’s filtered through paper vs coffee that’s filtered through fine mesh, but I can’t. Some people don’t like using paper filters these days on environmental grounds. Also it's getting harder to buy paper filters in the supermarkets (low or no stock).

(2) The machine has an automatic-on warmer plate. It works well - if you splash water or coffee on the warmer plate, it immediately sizzles and boils off within a few seconds. Except that’s also hot enough to burn the skin on a toddler’s fingers. And it’s easy for a parent or grandparent to forget to manually turn off the warmer plate because they didn’t have to manually turn it on in the first place. To make the product more kid-safe, DeLonghi could incorporate a toggle switch, so the user can choose – “warmer plate on” or “warmer plate off” before they start the machine. Frugal consumers and people who like to make just enough coffee for their immediate use, might also prefer the “warmer plate off” setting.

(3) It’s hard to see the light going inside the switch indicating the appliance is still on – especially in bright sunlight. It’s good that DeLonghi have made it so that the warmer plate automatically turns off after 40 minutes. But some customers could still feel that 40 minutes is wasteful in an energy conscious world – and that accidentally leaving a warmer plate going for 40 minutes is like leaving a stove hotplate on low for 40 minutes. DeLonghi could fit a coloured light inside the switch, so it’s easier to see in the daytime. Or perhaps an audible beep every 10 minutes to remind customers that the warmer plate is on. Or the warmer plate could have a pressure sensitive switch, so if there’s no jug or an empty jug sitting on the warmer plate, then the warming plate automatically turns off after 10 minutes.

(4) One final tweak is to update the user manual. Many Australians don't know if their town water supply is hard, and water quality can vary seasonally. It’s impractical for most households to keep track of the number of times they use their coffee maker (so they can stick to a descaling schedule so their warranty isn’t void. )And how does a consumer prove that they’ve been conscientiously using a commercial descaling product, and that they’ve been using this descaling product as per instructions?

It would be helpful if DeLonghi created a brief instructional video that showed the coffeemaker in descaling alert mode, and then showed the consumer how do descale the appliance. The video could also show customers the difference between scale and sludge.

An ideal updated manual should be reprinted in a readable size font for older users, and be free of grammatical errors. Photos would be better than sketches and a link to an online Q & A page would also be useful (our query about the substance around the temperature probe might suit the Q&A page if this is a common issue).

In summary, the DeLonghi ICM17210 coffeemaker is a good product already, but with a few minor tweaks it has the potential to be an even better product.

Awesome coffee is a learning experience! – The Delonghi Clessidra was my first adventure into drip coffee, and as a coffee lover I was so excited to take delivery of this beauty!! *SEE ATTACHED VIDEO FOR LONG TERM UPDATE* First impressions, it was packaged safely inside the box, however, the box was damaged when I received it. The instructions come inside. Having never used a drip… Read more

coffee machine, I studied the instructions very carefully! It took a few times to understand exactly what the difference between “high quality” and “drip coffee” was. I ended up resorting to google to learn what it meant. That’s 2.5 out of 5 for instructions there Delonghi!

Once I had an idea of what I was doing, I began making coffee like a boss! Nobody could stop me!

The thing I noticed, Delonghi have “1 cup” measuring at exactly half of a “real world” cup. I found that the usual sized coffee mug would require 2 1/2 cups of this drip coffee in order to make one satisfactory cup of real world coffee for an average person.

Keeping in mind I like milk in my coffee, the temperature of the final product isn’t hot enough with milk added to meet the needs of average Joe, so if you too enjoy milk in your coffee, I’d suggest pre-heating or frothing your milk to keep the temp right. If you don’t enjoy a milky coffee, then straight out of the Clessidra is the perfect temp for you.

Once I knew my way around it, I worked out the perfect ratios, and I think it makes fantastic coffee!

I do like how it keeps the end product at the optimum temp for about 40mins, so if you’re entertaining, there’s plenty there, even to come back for seconds!

Three stars from me.

The big letdowns are the instructions and lack of information on what type of coffee is what (for beginners like me).

I’d buy this machine again if I was looking at another drip coffee machine in the future.

Enjoy!

Hooroo Keithy

Press 3 vertical lines for great flavour, press 3 drips for a taste comparison – This is a good coffee machine which produces well brewed coffee! Obviously the end result is somewhat determined by the quality of the ground coffee used. But this machine definitely gets the best out of good coffee on the high quality brew function. The pour over function made my expensive coffee taste like instant coffee! So having double… Read more ·  1

checked the button functions on the DeLonghi website: - The left hand button (3 vertical lines) is the 'High quality brew function' (drip?) and it does exactly that it produces fantastic flavour from great coffee. (Which I am enjoying 3 mugs of a day!) - The right hand button (3 drips) is the pour over button which makes expensive coffee taste like instant coffee. I am not really sure of the point of it other than for taste comparisons as it produces a less noticeably pleasant brew than the ‘High quality brew function’ (presumably included for those people who don’t like properly brewed coffee?).

Positives: - Really great coffee (I have stopped needing to put milk in it) - Reasonably quick - Hot plate Keep warm plate for a while - Looks really great - Handy thingy for putting the filter in - Drip prevention seems to work well. - Easy to keep clean

Negatives: (Generally minor) - The top water container forms a lot of condensation from residual water when not in use. - What is going on with those symbols on the buttons? While it is pretty obvious from the end result which is the better button to press it is not obvious which method produces it! - It is quite noisy both boiling, beeps and thermostat clicking (Annoys my non-coffee drinking wife) - The hot plate only stays warm for 40mins! (A couple of hours would be more useful) - Manual is confusing especially as this machine only has two buttons!!!! - It looks big but the capacity is only 3-4 large mugs worth. - Condensation in top half forms about an 30mins to hour after use.

Not included but would be nice: - A metallic coffee jar in a similar style as the machine to keep the ground coffee fresh - A filling jug.

I don't really like this machine – As a member of the product review ambassador program, I was given this coffee maker to keep, on condition that I test it and write a review. So, I have been ‘paid’ for this review. Overall Description The Bottom Line I will probably use this occasionally, but I wouldn’t recommend buying one because of the bad points - see below. I’d normally… Read more

spend longer testing something before reviewing it, but I really don’t like this machine and the longer I leave it, the more bad things I’m likely to say. I gave it three stars because it does make a good cup of coffee if you use good coffee.

This machine makes a tasty brew of coffee in a reasonable time. It takes about 6 minutes to make 750ml of coffee. I haven’t had a bitter cup of coffee from it and that’s a very good thing for me.

My wife adds cold milk to her coffee and this makes it too cold. This is what people used to say about filter coffee makers years ago. The trouble is that for people like me, if the coffee is made with water that’s too hot it’s ruined.

What is it?

This is an automatic, electric filter coffee maker, which uses paper filters. It has two ways of dripping water onto the coffee. One way is supposed to be like somebody pouring the water by hand, apparently, but if I wanted that, I’d probably use a kettle full of hot water. The other way is what earns this machine approval from the European Coffee Brewing Center and it controls the temperature and the saturation time to their standards.

Appearance

It’s big! The jug is enormous because the filter fits into the top of it, rather than into the body of the machine itself, which is what I’ve seen on other electric filter machines I’ve used. Apart from that, it’s inoffensive and sits on the kitchen bench without clashing with the air fryer next to it. According to the box, it won a Red Dot design award, although it wouldn’t win one from me.

Review Summary

Good Points

It can make a very good cup of coffee, and it seems to extract a lot of flavour from a small amount of coffee.

Bad Points

Why oh why do they make things like this and then say you can’t put any part of it - not even the jug - in the dishwasher!?

The jug is very big. It only holds up to 1.25 litres of coffee but is actually a 2.7 litre jug, 19 cm in diameter and 19 cm high.

I couldn’t find a way of either removing or locking the lid of the jug closed or open. When you pour coffee, the lid can flap open and get in the way of seeing what you’re doing.

If you want to take the jug out and pour a coffee before it’s finished filtering, you have to remove the filter, then pour your coffee and then put the filter back. But at least it doesn’t drip coffee while you’re doing this.

The water reservoir doesn’t come off. You can only wipe it in place. I suppose it shouldn’t really get dirty, but I prefer to be able to wash things.

It makes loud cracking noises as it works. I thought at first the jug had cracked, but it hadn’t.

Maybe it’s just my fingers, but I flip up the lid and take my finger away and the lid is pushed back down again.

How Did I Test It?

I tested it by making coffee and drinking it. It’s a job somebody has to do!

The coffees I used are listed below.

I used the recommended weight of coffee in each brew based on 60 grams per litre using the ECBC button. I don’t normally weigh my coffee but I wanted to be completely fair and use the Clessidra as the makers recommend.

What Do I Think Makes a Good Cup of Coffee?

I like my coffee to be strong and tasty. I can’t abide bitter coffee. I very rarely get a good cup of coffee when I’m out, so I drink less coffee than I used to. My favourite coffee used to be the small, strong, intense brew they served in French cafes in the 1970s. Even this seemed to have disappeared by the 2000s. Despite that, one of the best cups of coffee I’ve had in the last couple of years was a weakish, but tasty filter coffee.

What Coffee Machines Have Tried Previously?

I guess the only way I haven’t made coffee is in one of those hand-pressurised espresso machines, with a big handle that you pull down on to force the water through the coffee. I used an electric filter machine for many years; an old fashioned electric percolator; a stovetop espresso machine; a jug; a stovetop percolator.

I have a really good little electric espresso machine and every couple of years I take it out and use it for a while. Great cup of coffee, but a bit of a chore.

A while ago I stayed in a hotel where there was an espressotoria coffee machine that uses pods. I bought one because it’s simple, clean and quick and there was a coffee pod that I liked - but only one, so I don’t get any variety. Anyway that’s what I use at the moment when I don’t use a plunger.

Which Coffees Did I Try?

I think that the coffee used is at least as important as the machine. These are the coffees I used in testing this Clessidra filter coffee machine and a very brief notes about how well the coffee turned out.

1. Republica Melbourne Laneway Ristretto. This is a new coffee to me. I also made it in a plunger machine and it was surprisingly strong and not at all bitter. It made a great pot of coffee in the Clessidra.

2. Harris Black Label Another success for the Clessidra.

3. Melitta Espresso Gusto Milano Pretty ordinary pot of coffee.

4. Macro Dark Roast Pretty ordinary pot of coffee.

5. Oxfam Africa Blend In an electric espresso machine, this has been my favourite coffee lately. It’s rich and tasty with no bitterness. Not so good in a coffee plunger and hopeless in this filter machine. It probably needs about twice as much coffee.

Hardly ' Hot Stuff ' – The Delonghi Clessidra is a stylish and good looking machine that promises much but sadly doesn't live up to its claims . I like my coffee hot as I suspect most do , ideal brew temperatures aside the final product this machine delivered was lukewarm to say the least . I used a calibrated, scientific, digital thermometer to measure the… Read more

temperatures at each stage of the brewing and drinking process . The water was heated in the reservoir to 97.8/98'C , directly after entering the jug the coffee was at 81.4'C , five minutes after, 78.9'C despite the warming tray and after twenty minutes the temperature dropped to 74'C where it remained . Not so bad, but once poured into a room temperature mug and milk at 5.1'C added the temperature plummeted to an insipid and tepid 54'C , less than the temperature of the hot water straight out of the tap at my kitchen sink . Despite playing around with grind sizes and blends as much as I could I haven't been able to achieve a decent brew once . The instructions suggest you use a coffee approved by the ECBC based in Oslo but then they also state that you shouldn't use this machine in offices , staff rooms , hotels , B and B's and confusingly ' Farm houses ' , places where such a machine would be ideal . I have a farm house and ignored this instruction I used freshly ground coffee beans , no one from the ECBC has kicked my door down yet . There are other annoying facets to this machine , when in the ' Pour Over ' mode it CLACKS and clacks and clacks , every 15/30 seconds for what seems like ages until the water has entered the lower jug , guaranteed to ruin the early morning peace of any household. You would assume that the jug is ideal for filling the reservoir but again the instructions state you shouldn't , I suspect this is because it is extremely thin and likely to break if knocked . The claimed capacity is very subjective as well , it doesn't make ten real cups at all, the jug is huge but that is because it holds the filter unit as well , I managed 5 mugs , 8 largish cups , 10 tea cups and 16 of the small pictured . I suppose the Delonghi could be useful for the odd coffee and cake afternoon or an after dinner coffee for six guests but then a decent plunger at a quarter of the size , cost and time would give much the same result .

It's great. Beautifully made machine. Coffee is smooth & fragrant – Beautifully made, glass, chrome finish, solidly built, I mean it adds value to my Kitchen :) Simple to use, works very well, easy to clean. Makes a very nice cup of coffee. But here's the information I keep looking for, so I took the time to test it. The daily, average Mug drinking user guide :) I was a French Press user for years & wasn't sure… Read more ·  1

how this machine would stack up.

10 cup brew = 3+ mugs (1250ml) I use 2 scoops of packaged coffee grounds. The manual says much more. You adjust it as needed, but trust me less is more here people! Plus the roast strength, bean type & freshness all effect the final amount & so the result.

Brewing on 'high quality ’ takes around 10m. (from - 1.25L cold water boil to last filtered drop)

It tastes good, better than a French Press! Coffee is smoother & a bit richer. Not bitter or burnt. Very nice.

Bonus for me is clean up, much easier than a French Press, 5c standard large paper filter grabs all the mess, a quick rinse of everything else & you're done. Best to leave lids a little askew so they dry.

Bottom line I would recommend it. Nicer & easier than a French Press. Less waste & more control than a pod machine. Easy to use unlike some of those fully automatic huge home machines. If you enjoy coffee & want to go up a level in quality, try the filter method, this machine is ideal.

But of course there's more info to help understand the device & it's price point. Rather than soaking the coffee grounds all at once, a system of gradual water pouring, temperature control (92-96C) and infusion, makes for better results & creates a much nicer flavour and aroma.

This is what you're paying for, compared to cheaper coffee brewers or pods, it's a better cup/mug of coffee! Plus a solid stylish build.

There are two methods it uses to make coffee, try & see which you like : ‘high quality brew’ - I prefer this. Small pours of hot water over the grounds, stopping & starting. ‘pour over’ - takes longer, for me wasn't as nice a flavour. It fills the coffee, soaks it more, then pours out.

All temperature controlled so that the coffee grounds are not burnt or brewed so long they get bitter.

Features include : * Anti-drip mechanism * Keeps the coffee warm for up to 40 minutes * Temperature set for better brew * Auto shut off * Descaling Alert * Water filter * Quiet

* Size is 188Lx280Wx330H * Up to 1.25L of water can be boiled at a time

Good looking, big and easy to use, hard to use well – Product Review DeLonghi Clessidra High Quality Coffee Maker (ICM17 series) Sep 2019 This coffee maker was delivered in good condition and in a large box. It was bigger than I had anticipated, very flash, very shiny and stands 33cm tall, it is all glass and chrome, very impressive to look at. Very simple to operate and yet much more difficult… Read more

to get a consistently good cup of coffee. We currently use a pod based coffee machine with Nespresso style pods.

Packaging: Arrived in one carton, very well protected for travel, the packaging was not excessive. Contents of the box was the main unit, the jug, the filter holder and the filter holder-holder and a measuring scoop. A simple short operation manual was also in the box as well as 5 filters. No coffee is provided.

The Manual: 8 pages long, the first page has drawings of the parts while the second has drawings of what to do with the parts. Clearly the machine comes from Europe as there is safety advice such as “Danger of burns”, nuff said. This is followed by an index to the drawing’s, a description of the appliance and advice to run two clean water runs to clean out the mechanism before making coffee. Finally, how to make coffee followed by an explanation of some features, cleaning and maintenance, troubleshooting and descaling. The manual is barely adequate, if it were a manual for using a car there would be lot of accidents. The manual instructs what to do but not really why and what the results will be.

Basically to use the machine put a filter in the filter holder, put a measure of ground coffee in the filter, place the filter holder in the top of the glass jug (handle facing forward), put the jug on the heat pad (handle facing outward), add a measure of clean cold water in the “water fill compartment”, press either of the two buttons on the base, stand back and watch the action. About 4 minutes later a 3 cup pot of coffee is ready. The more you make the longer it takes. I ran a full pot of 10 cups as indicted and it took 11 minutes to complete.

There are two operating buttons on the base that select two different methods of coffee making. The manual is not so good at explaining why you might like to choose on method over the other. The two methods are the “High quality brew function” and the “Pour over brewing function”. Both take roughly 4 minutes to do their thing for 3 cups of coffee.

High quality brew function (Left button): The manual explains that this machine’s coffee flavour extraction is approved by the European Coffee Brewing Centre (ECBC), in fact the manual recommends you buy ECBC certified coffee. I looked in my local supermarket and could not locate any, online research did not do much better.

Pour over brewing function (Right button): The manual explains this uses a “specially designed shower head and automatic waterflow control” that “ensures an even saturated coffee powder”.

There is on last little statement hidden away in the instructions for how much coffee to use that advises that the type of coffee blend has considerable influence on the coffee so experiment to get the taste and strength you like. This should be highlighted and bold.

I started “experimenting”. We had some Vitoria brand coffee in the cupboard that was suitable for pour over coffee makers like the Clessidra. I followed the instructions by putting one scoop of coffee (about 7.5grams) per cup. A little deduction is required to figure out De Longhi call ‘125ml’ a cup while my wife tells me a cooking “cup” is 250ml. As I was making two cups of double shot coffee, I loaded 4 scoops of coffee with 4 “cups” as per the water level indicator on the water fill compartment, selected the High quality brew function and watched. The water in the compartment heats very quickly and as soon as boiling starts some clicking is heard and coffee starts to pour into the bottom jug. The clicking continues until the water runs out and a short while later the machine beeps and it’s all over. The coffee produced was VERY strong and bitter. My wife poured hers down the sink. Clearly some research was needed on this machine.

I looked online for specific information related to this machine with not a lot found. I widened my search to make it more generic. I did find a couple of websites for the pour over coffee making method and all the sites said positive things about the quality of the coffee produced. It must be me I thought.

I eventually realised that I was putting too much coffee into the filter for the amount of coffee I wanted AND that the coffee strength relates in some way to the how many shots, (similar to a pod coffee maker). I dialed down the amount of coffee used and only poured 30ml ‘shots’ into the cup then topped up with hot water. Finally, drinkable coffee. Yeeees!!

I next tried my newfound knowledge with the Pour over brewing function. Online research suggested that this method produced less complex coffee flavour than the ECBC function, but it all came down to individual taste. I personally find this method produces a better, less bitter and good to drink cup of coffee.

The filter holder has a little door on the bottom that springs shut and stops coffee pouring out into the jug. It seems to be controlled by the machine using, I suspect, magnets to spring open then shut the door during the coffee making. There is no mechanical link between the main unit and the filter.

I watched the process and took note of the differences in the ways the machine makes coffee. The big difference I noted was that the ECBC method allows the hot water to load the filter and only pauses a couple of times while the pour over method seems to load the filter with hot water with the little door shut allowing the coffee powder to soak, the door opens, coffee drains out, the door closes and the filter fills again, repeat until the water runs out.

Next and using some fresh ground coffee, I followed the exact same process and got roughly the same results with the new coffee. I next made one double shot coffee. I used two scoops of coffee and 500ml of water. The measure inside the water fill compartment indicated I had loaded roughly 5 cups or 575ml of water (the measure maybe calibrated to account for water lost during the brewing process). I used the pour over method, did not dilute the coffee and got a nice cup of coffee.

Do I like this machine, yes if I can get used to it and work out its little foibles perhaps, it can make a lot of coffee at once and keep it hot, its fairly fast and produces less waste than pods i.e. only coffee grounds and a paper filter. Would I buy one – no. Would I regularly use one over the pod system – unlikely.

Good points. Quick, very quick compared to pod machines if making a lot of coffee. Keeps the coffee warm. Very quiet. Low cost to use and relatively cheap to buy (around AUD$200). Very flash looking kitchen appliance. Simple and easy to clean. Manual gives reasonable instruction on how to make the machine operate.

Bad points. Doesn’t seem to make consistent tasting coffee even when using the same process. I don’t know why. Sometimes luck seems override process. If the lid on the water fill compartment is left on after making coffee the condensation remains on the compartments glass walls, over time a nice breeding place for something probably not nice. I take the lid off and let everything air after use. Quite a big appliance to store in your kitchen. Only keeps the coffee warm (not what I would consider hot). Manual not really helpful for making a good cup of coffee.

Costs approximately 30 to 32c per cup.

Coffee 200gm coffeeA @ $8 = (200gm / 7.5gm per cup = 26) 8/26 ~ 26c per cup Coffee 250gm coffeeB @ $8 = (250gm / 7.5gm per cup = 33) 8/33 ~ 24c per cup Filter pack of 40 @ $2.50 = 6c per cup.

I will revisit this review in a few weeks to see it my option has changed.