How to choose a coffee machine? Delonghi Stelia capsule coffee machine experience

How to choose a coffee machine? Experience with Delonghi Stelia capsule coffee machine. Compared with the popularity of instant coffee in the past few years, capsule coffee machines have gradually entered offices and homes in the past two years as living standards have improved. For ordinary users, the new Delonghi capsule coffee machine Stelia to be reviewed today may just be a new choice for coffee brewing, but in essence, capsule coffee solves a previous problem - how to strike a balance between convenience and taste.

The appearance is like this

First of all, I have to say that in my opinion, instant coffee is not something that some people would be afraid of; it is just that due to the loss of aroma during the production and drying process and the addition of fragrances later, it does give people a bad feeling after drinking it for a long time. This may be an inevitable choice under the consumption upgrade. As for the various coffee machines, capsules may be the favorite of lazy people. Let's stop talking about it and get to the point.

It should be said that among all the capsule coffee machines, Delonghi is one of the cuter ones, especially compared with my first capsule coffee machine, Nespresso Pixie. Compared with other small home appliance-style coffee machines, the above two series are both good-looking, but the styles are different. In addition, this coffee machine named Stelia, which looks a bit like a duck (the official said it was inspired by dripping coffee into a cup), actually has two brother models; one looks like a penguin and the other looks like a Ferris wheel.

Now that we have finished the appearance part, let’s talk about the functions.

We have said before that capsule coffee machines are a balance between taste and convenience for lazy people. This is not only for instant coffee, but also for water-boiled coffee, French press and semi-automatic coffee machines. This contrast may be more obvious after the launch of Stelia. Stelia has a water tank, a touch-screen operating table, and a tray for capsules to be placed for extraction. It is almost a complete operating system.

Just touch this area to operate

Each part is not difficult. The water tank is responsible for storing water for extracting coffee and can also be used to clean the entire system. The place where the capsules are placed has a damped suction and extraction effect, which feels good. The control panel is touch-screen, one is for cold water extraction, the other is for hot water extraction, and there is a columnar bar responsible for water volume adjustment. What you see is what you get, and this upgraded operation mode is more in line with today's "touch screen" operation logic.

Water tank

I would also like to praise the design. The round switch is cute enough, the red power cord and plug look distinctive, and they will not be lost on the wiring board. Good design may also be a way to adjust your mood.

Red plug

Capsule tray

In fact, you see, there are not many main components that we need to introduce, which means that the interaction is simple. After knowing the three parts of the water tank, touch panel and capsule holder, you can basically make a cup of coffee - fill it with pure water, put the capsule in, select the amount of water, hot or cold, and then confirm it.

This is why we say it is superior to many complex coffee machines.

Delonghi's machine has the required water volume for different coffees printed on the capsules, as well as the order of coffee and milk. Basically, you can make a standard cup of coffee by watching the capsule seal. In addition to the feature of speed, taste is also a major advantage of Stelia.

The amount of water to be put in is already indicated on the cover.

Stelia has an atmospheric pressure of 15 Bar, which can achieve better coffee extraction in a limited time and confined space; and because the capsules are made of Arabica coffee beans, they are quickly sealed for freshness, so you don’t have to worry about the loss of flavor. The combination of these two factors is also the reason why I say that capsule coffee machines are now the best choice for taste and convenience.

In contrast, the traditional coffee machine: the amount of water for grinding and extraction will affect the taste of the coffee to varying degrees. In addition, the capsule coffee machine will automatically make milk foam. If you consider the semi-automatic one, you have to choose fresh milk and then use the frother. The entry-level milk frother has difficulty in making high-quality and thick milk foam. The process is more complicated and difficult to operate.

In addition, the flavor is a major factor that restricts capsule coffee machines. It would be embarrassing if you worked hard to buy a coffee machine and it only has espresso. Currently, this series has 9 flavors on JD.com, including cappuccino, latte macchiato, mocha, and even Hong Kong-style milk tea. In short, the variety is quite diverse.