DeLonghi BCO430 Combination Pump Espresso and 10-cup Drip Coffee Machine with Frothing Wand, Silver and Black

Ok, so first things first, you should take advantage of the neverending videos online on how to make espresso before buying and REVIEWING an entry level espresso machine. And you should also have some understanding of what to expect from a machine of this type before you make your purchase. This machine is for those who want to be able to make espresso/cappuccinos/lattes at home, but don’t want to dive Right in to the higher quality and much more expensive machines that require understanding of grinding, tamping, and even technique of milk frothing.
Here are some things to consider:
1. This machine is built with forgiveness of your grind settings and tamping, as are all machines that utilize a pressure basket, which helps you achieve the correct pressure via the basket instead of with the grind/tamp of the coffee.
2. Unlike a true boiler system, you have to preheat this machine prior to brewing. This is done by turning on the machine with the power button on the side, allowing the machine to heat up, the running a brew cycle without coffee until the light goes off. Once that happens, turn off the brew cycle and wait for the light to come back on. One tip, install the brew basket without grounds during this heat up cycle to make sure the whole system is at optimal temperature for brewing.
3. Froth your milk first, then brew your espresso. Countless hours of watching videos and reviews on espresso machines has taught me this. Reason for this step is that once brewed, the coffee starts to degrade and cool quickly after brewing. The milk will hold up and remain hot during the short process of brewing the espresso, which will give you a much smoother and warmer cup. After frothing, repeat the process of flushing the heater by turning on the brew process and then turning on the wand, which will running the remaining heated water out of the wand and not through the brew basket.
And last tip, if you want more of a micro foam rather than the large bubbled foam (latte foam instead of cappuccino foam), remove the pannarello wand and keep the tip of the frothing wand just Bellow the surface of the milk (you should hear the air being sucked in by the steam pressure) and make sure the milk is swirling rapidly. Once you have the foam density you desire, submerge the tip to continue heating the milk until the cup is hot to the touch.

This all was learned from doing the research before making a purchase. This is not the machine I had my heart set on, but it doesn’t have the $600 price tag either. For under $200, this machine will make a good cappuccino and latte, as long as you follow the instructions. I really like having the ability to make a brewed pot at the same time for those that don’t like the fancier coffee drinks, as the heating elements are independent from each other. I REALLY like the carafe and the set up of the drip side, minus the included filter. I have never cared for mesh filters. The wide spout pours perfectly as long as you don’t try to fill a cup in an instant and just pour steadily. Honestly one of the best carafes I have used.
The reason for the 4 stars is simple. This machine was purchased for our camper, and we have a much nicer and higher end Delonghi espresso machine at home, and the quality of the brew basket on this machine is not near as good. There is nothing holding the brew basket in, our other machine has bars in the basket housing that holds it in with pressure. Also, this basket uses too much plastic in my opinion that your brew will flow across. The other design on our home unit is all metal.
All in all, for a combo unit, this is a DECENT machine that will produce a good latte or cappuccino if operated properly, and a decent pot of drip coffee for the other half that prefer that. If you want to start down the expensive path of brewing espresso, this will get you heading in the right direction. But please, do your homework. There are many variables (grind, coffee type, etc.) that will affect the quality of your brew.

For some time I’ve had the minipresso espresso maker because I wanted to start making my own lattes. After awhile it became tedious to make two shots with that thing and quite the cleanup, so I started looking for an espresso maker. My wife likes to make regular drip coffee, and I thought it’d be nice to find a machine that makes both drip and espresso, alas we come across this machine. Now we’re both super big on reviews, and the 3.5 stars kind of made us hesitant, but we said screw it, let’s give it a try. Let me tell you, this machine is wonderful.
The 1-4 cups feature that strengthens the coffee and makes it more aromatic REALLY WORKS. My wife says she hasn’t had better coffee, and she’s even had it black (which she never does) ((We use the Lavazza Caffe Espresso ground coffee if anyone’s interested)). On the espresso side, it works and makes great espresso with nice crema and is very easy to load in two shots. Despite what people say, the instructions really are straightforward if you just READ THEM. I use the steaming spout as well and it works as planned if you just follow the instructions. I’ve since made some very delicious cappuccino’s/lattes and everything is quite easy and quick to use. Now I’ve only had for a couple days, and I can’t speak for the durability part. Everything works as expected so far, and I’m worried based on other reviews about the fragility of the pieces. But if anything happens to break I’ll have to come back and update my review.
TL;DR – if you want to feel like you have barista skills but really don’t and want to make delicious fancy drinks, 5 stars.
– if you want the capability of making drip coffee that tastes better than normal and espresso at the same time, 5 stars.
– if you’re already a pro barista and want to complain that it doesn’t “meet up to standards,” probably 1 stars.

UPDATE: Have had it almost 4 months. NOTHING has broken, NO leaks, and everything works exactly as when we got it. Still making coffee that I like better than Starbucks and several other local coffee shops.

I’ve had this coffee maker now for a few months and it is working perfectly. I use it every day and it makes delicious coffee. It is very easy to use, the directions are very clear (I know some people have said otherwise, but the English directions are very clear). If you’ve never made espresso before you ABSOLUTELY need to follow the directions perfectly and make sure to follow the cleaning directions perfectly. Making espresso is a science and you need to take care of your equipment or it won’t last very long. The drip coffee side of the machine is super simple and just like any other machine you’ve used. I love how compact this unit is for a 2-in-1, it really doesn’t take up much counterspace at all. I live in a small apartment in Brooklyn and counter space is very limited and this fits perfectly next to our stove top. Like others have said, you do need to be aware that to access the drip filter you will need open space to the right side of the unit in order to swing the door out. The unit is easy to slide out though and I wouldn’t say that should be a dealbreaker for anyone as this really is the best bang for your buck 2-in-1 unit.