DeLonghi BAR32 Retro Pump-Driven 35 ounce Espresso Maker

Nice machine for the price, not the best though

Rating:

By Will Hetsko

We bought the Delonghi BAR32 Retro pump driven espresso machine around 8 months ago and have had no big problems with it. Others complained about the gaskets around the tank leaking but ours is fine. I like the removable tank design quite a bit as it is simple to fill and clean. The frother works very well but I did have to tinker a bit to get a good shot of crema, or at least the way I like it. I now have it working perfectly but it did take some experimentation. The built in tamper works ok but I like my handheld one better as it isn’t as big a mess to cleanup. This is a big thing for me as I don’t want to spend 15 minutes cleaning it up every morning.

One thing I don’t like about it is the operating noise, it is quite loud. It also takes a bit of time to cleanup after the brewing is done, especially if you use loose coffee grounds. I really like my coffee strong and bold, and this filter doesn’t quite hold enough of the grounds for my taste. Sometimes I have to prepare a second bowl to get it just the way I like it. I also had to get used to the amount of time to warmup the machine. The instructions said 30 minutes but I find that it doesn’t take nearly that long if you do it right. I would say that the only thing keeping me from giving this espresso machine 5 stars is the time to create the latte or cappuccino as well as the cleanup when I’m done.

I recommend the DeLonghi BAR32 Retro as a solid, affordable espresso maker. While it won’t compare with the best machines out there today it is FAR cheaper. If you aren’t an expert then you probably don’t need to spend that much anyways, and this model will be just fine.

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