Delonghi Bar32 Retro Review

The DeLonghi BAR32 Retro Review

This is a great-looking little machine that has changed the whole tone of mornings in our household.  I am one of three coffee drinkers living under one roof, collectively known as the ‘morning monsters’ to the rest of the house residents.  Before we brought this machine into our home, our options for morning caffeination were limited to either a dash to the local cafe, or, god forbid, suffering through a cup of instant coffee for a quick, but unpleasant shot.

That was six months ago, and I am glad to report that the morning monsters have now been well and truly tamed by the new Bar32 Retro. They, only rarely, make a brief appearance these days, before being quickly subdued by the intoxicating aroma of freshly brewed coffee, wafting from our new favorite kitchen appliance.

With only a limited budget, the monsters initially embarked pessimistically on our quest to find a machine that would slake our thirst for a quality morning caffeine infusion, while at the same time maintaining the high level of aesthetics and decor that we had managed to achieve in our share-house kitchen.  As soon as we laid eyes on the DeLonghi Bar32 Retro, we were smitten.  As its name suggests, this little beauty is all retro style, its curved black body unassumingly concealing its monster-slaying powers.

The power of the Retro comes from the fact that it is a pump-driven machine, rather than steam driven, which is a must if you are looking for a genuinely good coffee. Pump-driven machines will not scald the grounds as they brew, and so produce a less bitter flavor than steam-driven machines.  They also achieve much better extraction of flavor from the grounds, because of the significantly higher pressure produced by the pump.

The Retro comes with both single and double filters, although I must admit that we are yet to produce a successful double-shot into two cups with the double filter.  The water tends to flow through the two filter heads at different rates, so we end up shuffling the cups around to try and get even levels of coffee in both, losing some of the precious brew in the process. Since we each prefer to make our own, individual shots, anyway, this isn’t really a big concern.

There is also the option of using E.S.E, or easy-serve-espresso, certified pods with the Retro.  These are perfect for the morning after a big night out, when you might not feel like going through the ritual of measuring and tamping. Just pop in your favorite variety of coffee pod, and you are sipping your morning heart-starter in minutes. Perfect.

That is, perhaps, our favorite feature of the DeLonghi BAR32 Retro; the speed with which it delivers it’s caffeine delights. Although it does have a ‘quick’ heating option, to my knowledge, it has never been used in our house, as the regular heating method described in the manual is already impressively fast.

Of course, as with any coffee maker in this price-range, there are a few things about our machine that might be described as less than optimal. This is to be expected, unless you are happy to pay upwards of $2000 for a cafe-quality machine. These few minor quirks, however, are easily made up for by the fabulous coffee this little gem creates.

Espresso makers generally get bigger, the more expensive they are, and if you are looking for a machine under $200, you will probably find yourself looking at smaller units. This does pose a few design challenges for the coffee-maker-maker, particularly when deciding on the position of the steam wand.

Although the variable control on the Retro steam wand is a fantastic feature, and makes frothing milk a snap, the actual wand itself is annoyingly close to the counter-top, making it difficult to get the milk pitcher under it for effective frothing.  Fortunately, the Retro’s compact design also means that it is a simple matter to slide the unit nearer the edge of the bench before whipping up a jug full of creamy froth, so this is really a minor inconvenience.

It is perhaps not a great idea to have the machine too close to the edge of the counter-top when pulling the actual shots, however, as the machine does vibrate rather more than expected. I don’t think that it actually would vibrate off the bench, but the vibrations can move the cup around under the filter, so it’s a good idea to keep your eye on it as it pours.  I find watching the rich, aromatic crema forming before my eyes is rather a nice way to start the day, anyway, so again, this is not really a major problem.

The only other complaint, again minor, that we have about the DeLonghi Bar32 Retro, is that it does announce each caffeine offering quite loudly.  This is one of the less appreciated features of the machine in the early mornings, when only part of the household is awake.  Since it is a short, rather than prolonged noise, though, the discord it produces also quickly dissipates.

There is no cup warmer on the Retro, a fact that phased the morning-monsters not at all. We all agreed that if we want a warm cup, ten seconds under the hot water tap would achieve the same effect.  This is not a feature that we were willing to pay extra for, so the fact that it does not have one was actually a benefit in our eyes.

The DeLonghi BAR32 Retro is an easy to clean, compact and stylish looking espresso-maker, and is excellent value for money.  It is not a high end machine, but is easily capable of producing cafe quality coffee at home.  As long as you understand the limitations of any of the espresso machines in this price range, you will be very happy with the excellent espresso it produces.