Dualit 3-in-1 Coffee Machine | Polished Stainless Steel | 1.5 L Capacity | Multi-Brew Versatility | Patented Pure Pour Technology | Ground Coffee, ESE Pods, Nespresso, NX Coffee & Tea Capsules | 84440

I bought this machine in November 2014 to replace an ailing De'Longhi Icona.Being around the entry level for this sort of machine, I was disappointed by the lack of decent reviews, but decided to go for it anyway, based on my good experience of the brand.First coffee out of the machine justified my decision immediately. This machine produces an espresso shot far superior to the Icona range, with a much better crema. Although both machines report the same pressure, this machine gives the impression that it is more capable and produces the shot with much more ease.Having said that, the steam wand is not as good as on the De'Longhi - I don't count that as too much of an issue since I bought the machine to make coffee with steamed milk being a bonus. The only way it is inferior is in the amount of time it takes to warm the milk. Froth is still good and a side effect of it being slower is that it makes it easier to create a stiff froth for Cappuccino. The wand is shorter, so I've ended up buying a second, smaller jug for when I am steaming less milk.I like how easy it is to switch between producing steam and hot water from the wand (a toggle switch on the front of the machine). This makes flushing the wand after heating milk very easy.I've read some reviews that this machine makes coffee that is too cold - I've never had that issue. Running through the suggested pre-warming routine produces coffee that is too hot to drink immediately, both black and white. I tend to split a double shot between two cups, so I will fill both cups with hot water first as my pre-warming routine. This leaves more than enough water for four coffees. I don't generally repeat the warming routine before the second pair of coffees (unless I need to warm the portafilter due to rinsing in cold water).I do use the paper filters - I bought a large pack of them through espares and if nothing else, they help avoid having to clean the portafilter thoroughly every time. It was worth the extra spend for this ease of use.I did use the portafilter without a paper filter a few times when I was waiting for them to be delivered (and I as was getting used to the machine and forgot to use them initially). The paper filter does not affect the shot in any way.As with any entry level, domestic espresso machine, I've found I need to back my grind off a bit and not to compact the coffee grinds too much or the pump will struggle to draw the shot. On my Dualit grinder, this is easy enough to reproduce without issue. The portafilter requires 4-5mm gap above the coffee grinds to allow for expansion. If this gap is not left, the pump will slow and although it is still capable of drawing a shot, it will be much slower and over-brewed.One of the nice things about this machine is that my De'Longhi coffee glasses actually fit under the portafilter without having to remove any part of the base. Something that couldn't be said for the De'Longhi Icona.Over a year into having this machine, I love it as much as the day I received it. I am easily getting consistent results with it and it hasn't required much maintenance (using the finest Yorkshire water of course!). Owning and running a machine like this does involve a learning curve - you will need to learn how to grind your beans, the pressure required for tamping, how much coffee to add and how to steam your milk effectively, but that's what makes these machines rewarding.

I sort of expected this machine to fail in time and it has, 2 years in. Our initial experience was frustrating and messy, after a expensive trying ease pods which were not strong enough, and unreliable, we finally settled on home course ground coffee (you can’t trust store ground as it may or may not work, as the grind is to fine), and the occasional nespresso pod. The last few days the machine tripped out during use and has now stopped altogether. Disappointed for the price I’d expect 3-5 years. I felt from the beginning the engineering was weak, the pump under pressure and not ‘man enough’ as it were. Reliability is an issue according to others reviews.

This is my 5th coffee machine. I can only think it was designed by someone who only had a single coffee in the morning. Messy, clumsy, features missing. This will be in the bin by March

This is my second dualit - love the dual functionality of it - have learnt not to use such finely ground expresso and I religiously use the filters ... Last one lasted 5 years but took a lot of abuse - didn't use filters for 2 years, persevered with expresso ground coffee and didn't de-scale - lesson learnt !

Great product love the different ways it can be used. Good value for money

We have had this for 14 months - 1 month over the return date and are disappointed to inform buyers that the milk frother no longer works. It has been a great little machine and we've been dedicated to cleaning it regularly as the manual states - we flush the coffee filter and the milk frother after every coffee and clean the entire machine on a regular basis. As long as you buy good quality beans you get a fantastic coffee every time but £155 for one year of use is just not acceptable.

Good machine but needs descaling often. My first one was sent for repair because of leakage. I never got it repaired properly after two attempts by the insurance companys' repairer and bought another one but it stopped working too. It is hard to get someone to fix them. For that reason I would not buy again.

Good quality, good price and I am reliably informed relatively easy to use. Looks stylish sitting in the kitchen. Service provided excellent too.