Eletta Explore ECAM450.65 Review: 2 Years of Daily Use

De'Longhi Eletta Explore Review — After 2 Years of Daily Use

Overall score: 9.1/10 — Our high-end favourite

This is the longest test on the site: 2 years of daily use, 6 to 8 coffees a day with a family, and many different beans through the machine. If a single review should settle whether to invest €1,000 in a coffee machine, this is the one.

Check the current price of the Eletta Explore ->

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At a Glance

Why This Test Is Different

Not a one-week test: the Eletta Explore is a home machine, tested for 2 straight years, morning and night, in family use. This is exactly the use case that exposes machines: reliability, maintenance, consistency in the cup.

Field Notes

Espresso / lungo: 9.5/10

The core of the machine. The espresso is excellent and consistent, with a stable crema. Bean Adapt automatically adjusts grind and extraction to the beans: you feel the difference when switching roasters. The lungo stays balanced, without bitterness.

Hot milk froth (LatteCrema Hot): 9/10

Dense, creamy froth at the right temperature: cappuccinos and lattes worthy of a coffee shop. Only ritual: rinsing the milk circuit after every drink.

Cold drinks and cold froth (LatteCrema Cool): 8.5/10

Very convincing and used all year round, especially in summer: iced lattes and cold cappuccinos with velvety froth. Half a point off for the cold froth being less refined than the hot one, but it is a real feature never seen at this price.

Cold Brew (Cold Extraction): 9/10

Cold Brew in under 5 minutes, smooth and low in acidity, served directly in the cup. For iced-coffee lovers, this single feature justifies the price gap with a Magnifica.

Display and navigation: 9/10

Clear, responsive 3.5-inch TFT display, logical menus. All 50+ drinks are two gestures away. The Coffee Link app (Wi-Fi) works well for fine tuning and recipes.

Noise: 7/10

The admitted weak point: the grinder is quite loud, clearly audible in the morning in a quiet room. Nothing deal-breaking, but worth knowing in a studio or with kids nearby.

Maintenance: simple

Nothing more than on a Magnifica: descaling with the De'Longhi kit (fast, guided by the display), milk circuit cleaning after use. The carafe is easy to rinse.

Pros

• Huge variety of drinks (50+, hot and cold)
• Excellent, consistent coffee across many beans
• Robust and reliable: 2 years of intensive use without a single issue
• Easy maintenance with the De'Longhi kit

Cons

• Water tank a bit small for a family (frequent refills)
• Grinder noise is quite loud

Alternatives

• Below it (€699.90): the Magnifica Duo (ECAM332.80) also offers hot + cold + Cold Brew with a simpler display — the right pick when the budget is capped.
• Same tier: the Jura E8 remains superior in extraction finesse, but costs €1,300 and offers fewer drinks.
• Mid-range: the Magnifica Evo Next for those who do not need cold drinks.

Verdict

9.1/10 — Our favourite. After 2 years and thousands of coffees, the Eletta Explore is truly the top in terms of taste and drink variety. Robust, excellent in the cup, versatile from espresso to Cold Brew: it is the machine we recommend without hesitation to families who can afford it.