When it comes to my morning coffee, the simpler the better. It's the reason why my favourite pod coffee machine will always be the Nespresso Vertuo Plus, and it's also why I tend to stay away from the best bean to cup coffee machines. I've always preferred to press a button, grab a mug and go, and I really didn't expect that to change. However, this latest addition to my kitchen has certainly had an effect like no other.
The De'Longhi Rivelia bean to cup coffee machine was released last autumn, and instantly piqued the interests of many. Asides from being produced by a well-known brand, it had an impressive array of features that I just knew I had to explore. Keep reading to find out my thoughts exactly, and why it deserves five stars compared to other models on the market.
Before you do, have you read the 5 things I wish I'd known before buying a bean-to-cup coffee machine?
De'Longhi Rivelia review: price and availability
The De'Longhi Rivelia bean to coffee machine has an RRP of £749.99 and can be purchased from De'Longhi itself, or other retailers such as John Lewis and Argos.
It comes in four colours: Onyx Black, Arctic White, Pebble Grey and Sand Beige. Certain brands gain popularity from manufacturing their coffee machines in bright colours, but I love the neutrality that De'Longhi has focused on here. I've been trialling the Pebble Grey, and whilst I don't love the overall look of the Rivelia, it did fit in nicely with my kitchen.
Let's face the elephant in the room - £750 is a LOT for a coffee machine. However, once you find out exactly what this machine does, you'll understand it a little more.
De'Longhi Rivelia review: unboxing and set up
Setting up the De'Longhi Rivelia was a relatively easy experience. When I first opened it up, I came across some components, including two bean hoppers and the LatteCrema hot carafe. I then found the (rather heavy) body of the machine, which I just had to lift out and plug in. There was also an instruction manual, although I soon found out I didn't really need it.
Once I turned it on, the LED screen jumped to life, taking me through the step-by-step instructions. This was a huge relief, as setting up any appliance is often a task in itself. It tells you how to fill the water tank and attach the bean hopper, followed by heating up and rinsing itself out before use.
The Rivelia also came with a water hardness testing kit, complete with a pH stick. The machine then tells you to relay how many red squares you see on the strip, adjusting its brewing settings to suit how hard the water is in your area. This was a really nice touch, especially as I live in Bath which is notorious for its hard water and limestone content.
De'Longhi Rivelia review: design and features
When I first heard about the De'Longhi Rivelia last year, the feature that impressed me the most was its Bean Switch system. The De’Longhi Rivelia comes with two 250g interchangeable hoppers, allowing users to quickly change between bean varieties. Being stuck with the same beans until they run out has always been an annoyance for bean to cup users, so it's great to see De'Longhi has listened to this and acted upon it. I also love that they're different colours, meaning you don't have to get confused about which beans are in which hopper. Additional hoppers are available to buy for £16.99 each if you’d like to have even more choice.
When switching to another bean hopper, some beans are left in the top of the grinder. I love that the Rivelia gives you a choice of making one final drink with those beans, or instead lets you grind and dump the remaining beans to prevent a weird mixed bean coffee. It's small touches like this that show how thorough the design process of the machine was.
My second favourite feature is how the Rivelia tailors each coffee to its user, learning your routine and customising its menu throughout the day. As a flat white is my favourite drink to have in the mornings, the Rivelia picked up on this, moving the flat white option to the front of the menu when I turned it on each morning.
It also asks you how many people are in your home, allowing you to set up to four profiles. I won't lie, I took way too much joy from selecting profile pictures and colours for my housemate and I, but I guess it's the little things that count? You can also set the coffee strength and volume for each person, so that everyone can tailor their coffee the way that they want.
There is a 16-drink coffee menu, including espresso, americano, cappuccino and of course, flat white. I was also very impressed to see the Rivelia could make iced drinks, including cold espressos and americanos. I might be sticking to the hot drinks for now, but I am beyond excited to try an iced americano come summer.
The Bean Adapt technology configures the Rivelia to your coffee bean's roast level, so you can extract the best flavour. Before doing this, the machine recommends you to make three coffees using the same grinder position (it's preset to '5' when you take it out of the box). It will then ask you what kind of blend you're using, and what the roast type is. After this, you're asked to assess an espresso and provide feedback to the Rivelia, so it can determine the perfect roast level. Again, seriously impressive.
When selecting a milk-based drink option, the machine asks you to insert the LatteCrema hot carafe. The machine tells you how much milk you need per serve on the side of the carafe, perfect for avoiding any waste.
It also tells you where to position the dial that controls the level of foam produced, allowing you to make the perfect drink, followed with one-touch automatic cleaning after each use.
De'Longhi Rivelia review: performance
I was beyond impressed with the Rivelia's performance, and there isn't much criticism I can share. As I was trialling it over a few weeks, we were able to try each of the coffees and pay attention to how each one was made. The espressos and black coffees produced a lovely crema, something you don't get on a lot of other machines, and the milk coffees blended beautifully. I loved that each drink was customised, and that the option was there to customise it further.
When it came to cleaning and maintaining the machine, it was a really easy process. The Rivelia tells you exactly what to clean and how to clean it, which was a really nice touch, especially as this is my first bean to cup coffee machine.
One thing that did take me by surprise was that the machine used a little water to heat up every time before grinding. Whilst the drip tray catches this, I preferred having a container there that I could just dump out. However, I often forgot this and you'd catch me diving for a cup before the water started pouring. I got used to this eventually, so it wasn't a problem.
Appearance wise, I did find the Rivelia a little clunky looking. However, when you compare this minor point to the amount of features it has, it really isn't a big deal.
De'Longhi Rivelia review: verdict
The De'Longhi Rivelia is an incredibly well designed machine, adding a touch of luxury to every coffee you have. It has a wide array of impressive features, including its Bean Switch system and Bean Adapt technology. However, its multiple drinks option and personalised coffee experience is what makes it really special. It is expensive and looks a little on the clunky side, but it's completely worth it for what you receive.
De'Longhi Rivelia review: alternatives to consider
As the De'Longhi Rivelia is such an impressive coffee machine, it's only right that I recommend the best overall machine in our best bean to cup coffee machine guide. The Sage Barista Touch Impress was also launched last year and like the Rivelia, has a variety of impressive functions. Its Auto MilQ settings, integrated bean hopper and grinder, steam wand and multiple drink selection make it very similar to the Rivelia, but just more expensive.
Another alternative would be the Smeg BCC02. Unlike the Rivelia, it's very small and compact, but it still able to pack in a 1.4-litre water container, a decent-sized bean hopper and an efficient frothing wand. There's no LCD screen and only three drinks to choose from, but is great for anyone who likes their coffee quick and simple. It also looks the part, and the wide array of colours means it'll ft into anyone's space.
