De'Longhi COM532M Espresso coffee machine: Full Review

The De'Longhi COM532M is a combination espresso and drip coffee machine that aims to provide restaurant-quality coffee drinks in a compact, user-friendly package designed for home use. This versatile machine features dual stainless steel boilers and pumps to brew espresso and regular coffee simultaneously or back-to-back. With adjustable manual frothing, 15 bar pump pressure, a patented cappuccino system, and other convenient attributes, the De'Longhi COM532M enables you to create customized coffee drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and more. This review covers the key capabilities of the COM532M along with an assessment of its pros and cons to help you determine if it's a worthwhile investment for your home coffee needs.

Design and Build Quality

The De'Longhi COM532M has a premium metal, stainless steel and high-quality plastic exterior that looks great on any kitchen countertop. The metal parts like the portafilter feel sturdy and durable, capable of withstanding daily use for years to come.

The machine itself has a modern and sleek design, available in three colors - black, red and stainless steel. It's compact but doesn't feel flimsy or cheap. The buttons have a satisfying click to them when pressed.

Overall, the fit and finish is excellent at this price point. De'Longhi has a reputation for good build quality and it shows with the COM532M. The materials used seem reliable and made to last.

Another notable option in coffee machines is the Mr. Coffee 2132815. This machine is designed with similar attention to detail, featuring a combination of stainless steel and high-quality plastic parts. Its user-friendly design makes it an excellent choice for home baristas. With intuitive controls and a sleek look, it fits well in any kitchen. The Mr. Coffee 2132815 is crafted for both functionality and aesthetic appeal, ensuring a great performance while adding a modern touch to your countertop.

Features

The De'Longhi COM532M has a range of useful features that allow you to customize your coffee drinks.

• 15 bars of pressure: The pump can deliver up to 15 bars of pressure for rich, aromatic espresso shots. This amount of pressure extracts the flavors and oils from the coffee grounds effectively.

• Adjustable cappuccino system: You can control the amount of froth for cappuccinos and lattes with the adjustable cappuccino system. Simply turn the knob to increase or decrease the froth to your liking.

• Manual milk frother: The metal panarello wand froths milk manually for cappuccinos and lattes. You have control over the texture and consistency of the frothed milk.

• Adjustable spouts: The machine comes with a dual spout that is adjustable, allowing you to use different sized cups or glasses.

• Bypass doser: The bypass doser allows you to use pre-ground coffee if desired instead of whole beans. This provides flexibility in the coffee you use.

• Illuminated control panel: The easy-to-read control panel lights up, so you can clearly see the selected settings even in low light conditions.

• Cup warming tray: The stainless steel cup warming tray on top of the machine helps pre-heat your cups for hotter coffee.

• Instant reheat function: After idle periods, the instant reheat function quickly brings the thermal block back to the ideal temperature for espresso extraction.

• 1.4 liter water tank: The sizable tank provides enough water to make several coffees before needing a refill. An integrated water level indicator shows how much water is left.

If you are also considering other options, the Ihomekee CM6810 is another excellent choice for coffee enthusiasts. It features a user-friendly interface, a powerful steam wand for frothing milk, and a compact design that makes it convenient for smaller spaces. The Ihomekee CM6810 also provides customizable settings, allowing you to enjoy your coffee just the way you like it.

Ease of Use

The De'Longhi COM532M espresso machine is designed for easy, intuitive use right out of the box. The learning curve is quite minimal thanks to the thoughtful control panel layout and simple maintenance procedures.

Learning Curve

The COM532M has an easy-to-navigate control panel with a rotary knob and buttons for selecting your drink, adjusting the size, and starting the brewing process. The icons are self-explanatory so first-time users can quickly figure out how to brew their desired coffee or espresso drink. The included manual also provides clear instructions and troubleshooting tips. With a little hands-on practice, most users find they can create cafe-quality drinks within a few tries.

Control Panel

The control panel allows you to easily select between brewing espresso, coffee or cappuccino/latte. You can also adjust the size of the drink and specify the strength. The COM532M will automatically adjust the water volume, temperature and pressure for your customized beverage. There's an LED display that shows your selections and the machine status during brewing. This intuitive control panel makes it simple for anyone to create their ideal coffee drink.

Maintenance

To keep the COM532M running smoothly, maintenance involves rinsing and regular descaling which can be done easily following the included instructions. The drip tray, water tank and milk frothing carafe are also removable and dishwasher safe for quick cleaning. Overall the maintenance is straightforward for both daily use and deeper periodic cleaning.

Coffee Customization

The De'Longhi COM532M allows you to customize your coffee drinks with ease. You can brew single or double shots of espresso and adjust the strength and volume to your liking. The manual frother attachment lets you froth milk to create creamy cappuccinos and lattes.

With the adjustable burr grinder, you can set the grind size to optimize flavor extraction for the coffee beans you are using. The bypass doser also allows you to use pre-ground coffee if desired. Whether you prefer a short, intense ristretto shot or a longer, milder lungo, this machine provides excellent control over the end result.

The De'Longhi makes it simple to dial in the ideal temperature, pressure and brew time for your preferred coffee style. The rapid cappuccino system maintains the optimal temperature so you can pull shot after shot with superb crema. If you want to make back-to-back milk based drinks, the quick heat boiler reduces downtime between frothing sessions.

Overall, the extensive customization options allow you to brew cafe-quality espresso, cappuccinos and lattes at home. You can consistently recreate your favorite coffee shop beverages with the right dose of aromatic espresso and perfectly steamed, frothed milk.

Milk Frothing

The De'Longhi COM532M comes with a manual frother, which allows you to steam and froth milk for cappuccinos and lattes. The frother attaches easily to one of the machine's dual spouts.

To froth milk, simply fill the frothing pitcher halfway with milk and immerse the frother tip just below the surface. Turn on the frother and allow it to run for 30-60 seconds, until the milk increases in volume and takes on a creamy, microfoam texture. The frother whips air into the milk quickly, creating a rich, silky foam.

You have good control over the froth with the manual frother. It's easy to achieve the ideal microfoam texture for latte art. The frother is powerful enough to froth both dairy and non-dairy milks with ease. Frothing a small amount of milk for a single drink takes less than a minute. Overall, the manual frother on the De'Longhi COM532M performs very well and makes it easy to create creamy, foamy milk topped drinks.

Cleanup and Maintenance

The De'Longhi COM532M makes cleanup and maintenance relatively simple.

• Descaling the machine is straightforward - just fill the water reservoir with descaling solution and run it through the brewing cycle. The machine will guide you through the descaling process. De'Longhi recommends descaling every 200 espresso shots or 2-3 months.

• The drip tray, water reservoir, and parts like the portafilter are removable and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. The stainless steel construction helps resist corrosion and rust.

• The internal brewing components are accessible by removing a panel on the side of the machine. This allows you to thoroughly clean the infuser and other parts exposed to coffee oils and residue.

• There is a cleaning brush included to make scrubbing the infuser and frothing wand simpler.

• Overall, the machine is designed for convenient maintenance. The descaling alerts, removable dishwasher-safe parts, and easy internal access make cleaning efficient and prevent any buildup issues over time.

Value for Money

The De'Longhi COM532M offers excellent value considering its build quality, features, and performance. At around $200, it sits at the lower end of mid-range home espresso machines. For the price, you get a durable stainless steel construction and many of the capabilities of more expensive models.

The machine comes with a 1-year warranty, which is fairly standard for most espresso machines in this price range. With proper care and maintenance, the COM532M should provide many years of reliable service. The overall cost of ownership is quite reasonable given that it uses widely available #2 paper filters instead of more expensive proprietary coffee pods.

While it may lack some of the advanced features and metal parts of premium espresso machines that cost $500+, the COM532M delivers where it counts for making cafe-quality espresso drinks at home without breaking the bank. For those looking for an affordable semi-automatic machine with excellent espresso and milk frothing abilities, the De'Longhi COM532M represents a great value purchase.

Pros and Cons

• Pros
  • Brewing capability for both espresso and regular coffee
  • 15 bar pressure for rich espresso extraction
  • Adjustable manual frother makes high quality milk foam
  • Intuitive and easy-to-use control panel
  • Separate water tanks for coffee and milk
  • Removable water tanks for easy filling and cleaning
  • Maintenance alerts tell you when cleaning is needed
  • Compact, attractive metal design
• Cons
  • Single filter holder limits brewing to one shot at a time
  • Steam wand can be tricky to properly position
  • Doesn't support pre-ground coffee
  • No programmable options or memory function
  • Smallish water tanks require frequent refilling
  • No automatic start or shut off feature

Overall, the De'Longhi COM532M is a high quality home espresso machine that makes it easy to craft cafe-style coffee drinks. The combination of espresso brewing with a manual frother provides flexibility and allows customization of your beverages. While it lacks some convenience features of more expensive models, it delivers rich espresso and foamy milk at an accessible price point. For coffee lovers seeking an affordable but capable starter machine, the De'Longhi COM532M is an excellent choice to consider.

Conclusion

The De'Longhi ECAM23210SB fully automatic espresso machine delivers exceptional espresso and cappuccino with minimal hassle. It's a solidly built machine with a sleek stainless steel exterior that looks great on any kitchen countertop. The intuitive interface allows you to easily customize your beverages with just a dial and a few buttons. The built-in burr grinder and brew unit produce cafe-quality coffee drinks time after time.

Making frothy milk for cappuccinos and lattes is effortless using the manual milk frother. With multiple foam settings, you can achieve the ideal milk consistency for your preferences. Cleaning and maintenance are fairly straightforward, though descaling is required every few months to keep the machine operating properly.

Overall, the De'Longhi provides an easy way to enjoy barista-style espresso without the barista-sized price tag. For a similar fully automatic all-in-one machine with premium results, Breville's Barista Express offers comparable performance and options in a sleek package. However, the De'Longhi costs considerably less, making it the best value model for delicious espresso and frothy cappuccinos at home.