Melitta Aroma Elegance Therm Deluxe review

Most filter coffee machines are rather simple devices, but for those that really love their coffee a rather more complicated and fully-featured model would make sense. Step forwards the Melitta Aroma Elegance Therm Deluxe: a filter coffee machine for true aficionados. From its range of settings to the top-notch build quality, this filter machine shouts out that it’s for the enthusiast that wants the best.

Build quality

As you’d expect from a machine that costs this much, the build quality is fantastic, with every part feeling well made, and all of the moving parts securely attached. The design, with the water reservoir off to the side, means that the Aroma Elegance Therm Deluxe is a little larger than most filter coffee machines, so make sure you’ve got room to keep it.

While it may be bigger, the design has a few advantages over other filter machines. First, the water reservoir is removable, so you can easily fill it up and ensure that you’ve got the right amount of water. It can take a maximum of 1.25L, with markings showing the rough level of water for the number of small (around 85ml each) and large (around 125ml each) cups. There’s a minimum of two large or three small cups.

Secondly, the funnel, which takes the paper filter, swings out and away from the main unit making it very easy to change filters and add coffee. It’s great to see that this machine requires paper filters, as you’ll find that you get better results and you can change your filter types to adjust the taste of your coffee.

Before you use the coffee machine for the first time you have to set the water hardness: testing strips can help you, although your water provider will be able to give you the right information. This setting controls when the Descale light turns on: soft water areas mean that the Elegance Therm Deluxe has to be descaled less often; hard water areas will require more frequent descaling.

Making coffee

Making coffee couldn’t be easier: swing out the filter holder, drop in a new filter and then add the required amount of coffee. You then just fill up the reservoir with the right amount of water and you’re good to go.

You have two choices: you can use the simple controls on the front to programme a start time so that you can, for example, have hot coffee waiting for you in the morning. Secondly, you can hit the Go button and make coffee immediately. If you’re making less than six cups or less you can press and hold the button for more than two seconds to activate the Aroma Control button. This ensures that optimum coffee extraction occurs for smaller amounts of water and means that you won’t end up with watery coffee.

In all cases, the coffee machine warms up quickly and starts dispensing coffee into the thermal jug. The huge advantage of the heavily insulated jug is that your coffee stays hot for a long time and, as it’s not constantly being reheated, the first and last cups taste the same; hot plates end up turning the coffee bitter. An anti-drip device is installed, so that when you remove the jug, coffee in the filter compartment won’t fall out.

Coffee quality

Needless to say, the coffee quality from the Elegance Therm Deluxe was top-notch. I measured it in the cup at 69C, which is just right for a cup of fresh coffee. The colour was just right, too, with the coffee from the Expert Reviews test beans coming out perfectly dark. Taste was spot on, as well, with the more subtle flavours adding to the warmth and slight bitterness. It has to be said that this is as good a cup of filter coffee as you can get.

Maintenance

Due to the design, every part of this coffee machine is easy to wash by hand, so you’ll have no problems keeping it clean. The only other job is to descale the appliance. The descale light will turn on when the machine needs to be descaled and then you just have to run the simple descale programme, following the instructions in the manual: nice and simple.

Conclusion

Yes, this machine is comparatively expensive and you can get similar coffee from the cheaper Melitta Look Timer. However, that’s missing all of the excellent points of the Aroma Elegance Therm Deluxe: it’s easier to use thanks to its design, the thermal jug keeps coffee warm without ruining it, and you get a massive five-year warranty with it. If you want the best filter coffee machine, this is the one to buy.

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