De’Longhi TrueBrew coffee maker review

The De’Longhi TrueBrew is a coffee maker with its own burr grinder, and doesn't require a paper filter. It makes very good coffee, but costs far more than other drip coffee makers with grinders.

Built-in burr grinder

Easy to use controls

Doesn't require filters

Makes good coffee

Expensive

Mediocre espresso

Why you can trust Tom's Guide? Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Cup Capacity: up to 40 ouncesSize: 15.8 x 15 x 12 inchesProgrammable: YesBrew controls: YesMilk frother: NoRemovable water reservoir: YesAuto shut off: Yes

One of the worst aspects of many of the best coffee makers is that many rely on K-cups. Sure, they’re convenient, but they’re incredibly wasteful; all that plastic and all those coffee grounds ending up in landfills rather than being used to, say, help your plants grow.

The De’Longhi TrueBrew eliminates the waste from those cups — and even disposable filters — while still delivering a customizable and tasty cup of coffee. This drip-style machine has a built in burr grinder taken from De’Longhi's espresso machines, which measures out the correct amount of grounds, and then compacts them into a little disc when it's done brewing. The machine can brew everything from an espresso-sized cup to a 40-ounce carafe with just a few taps, too. But at $599, it's one of the most expensive coffee makers around — that's hard to swallow.

You can order the De’Longhi TrueBrew in two versions: A Williams Sonoma exclusive model (CAM51035M) costs $599, and has an all stainless steel exterior, has six brew sizes (3, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 40 ounce) and comes with a 40-ounce insulated stainless steel carafe.

A $499 model (CAM51025MB) is available more widely at Williams Sonoma, delonghi.com and Amazon. It has stainless steel and black side paneling, can brew 3, 8, 12, 16, 20 or 24 oz cups of coffee, and does not come with the carafe.

Both have been available since the beginning of March 2023.

The TrueBrew looks like an elongated cylinder standing on one end; at the top is a removable plastic panel into which you can pour coffee beans or grounds. The front of the machine has a panel at the top to select your desired beverage; below that is a recess that holds the included insulated carafe. Remove the carafe, and you can flip down a small panel if you’re making smaller cups of coffee.

Choosing your brew could not be easier; three touch-sensitive buttons on the face of the machine let you select from one of six brew sizes (3-ounce, 8-ounce, 12-ounce, 24-ounce, or 40 ounce) as well as five brew styles (light, gold, bold, espresso, and over-ice). While it would be more intuitive to press the individual icons for the brew sizes, etc., it was still easy to figure out.

The entire center section also slides out, so you can empty out the used grounds container and dump any excess water that falls into the grate.

On the right side of the machine is a large 60-ounce water reservoir; I like that it's both clear — so you can see how much water is left — and is on the side of the TrueBrew, which makes it easy to remove when you need to refill or clean it.

The entire coffee maker is wrapped in stainless steel, save for the top and the center-front section, which is black plastic. While it's not as sleek as an espresso machine, it's stylish enough to leave on your counter.

To test the TrueBrew, we set it up in our office so that our fellow coffee lovers could test it out. In general, reactions were positive, as most of our officemates found it delivered a tasty cup of coffee. "Amazing!" wrote one person. The Bold was definitely bold; one staff member told me he had the jitters after downing a cup made at that setting.

If you’re brewing a larger pot, and select the "strong" setting, the machine will have to grind a few pucks worth of grounds to get the strength you desire, so it takes a little bit longer than a typical drip machine.

"Looks confusing at first, but it's actually pretty simple," said another coworker. " I would rather press the size drink I want versus the ‘size’ button. I am considering buying it, but the coffee is not hot enough."

Espresso aficionados will be a bit disappointed with the TrueBrew. In my tests, it didn't make a cup with nearly as much crema as you’d get from one of the best espresso machines. I also found I had to set the strength to Bold to get that jolt of caffeine as we got from dedicated machines. A coworker also noted that the espresso came out a bit watery.

The TrueBrew's insulated carafe also did an excellent job at keeping coffee warm for several hours after it was brewed. I also found that the machine was easy to clean; the center section pops out easily (but not too easily), and the various parts can also be removed and washed.

Overall, the De’Longhi TrueBrew is a very good coffee maker, delivering consistent results in an easy to use machine. However, the one area where it fell down was making espresso, which just didn't measure up to purpose-built espresso machines.

The price for the TrueBrew is also steep; at $600, it's far more expensive than other highly rated coffee makers with built-in grinders. For instance, the Cuisinart DGB-850W Burr Grind & Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker with Thermal Carafe, which has a 4-star rating on Amazon and is Food & Wine's top pick, is just $229. Similarly, the Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker is $329. While neither of them can make a cup of espresso and also require the use of filters, I suspect many will overlook the convenience of the TrueBrew's grounds-disposal system to save a few hundred bucks. The De’Longhi TrueBrew is an innovative machine, but not one that fully justifies its price.

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom's Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he's not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he's probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.

WWDC 2023 news and analysis: Vision Pro, iOS 17, MacBook Air 15-inch and more

iOS 17 won't be coming to iPhone X, iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus

Hurry! Every MacBook Air is now on sale — deals from $799

By Alejandro MedellinJune 01, 2023

By Kate KozuchJune 01, 2023

By Mark SpoonauerJune 01, 2023

By Jane McGuireMay 31, 2023

By Jane McGuireMay 31, 2023

By Tony PolancoMay 30, 2023

By Brian NadelMay 30, 2023

By Kate KozuchMay 30, 2023

By Becks ShepherdMay 28, 2023

By Alex BracettiMay 26, 2023

By Matthew MurrayMay 25, 2023