Is it just me or does the coffee with him taste better?

It is possible that due to the effect of the corona virus and the closures in which we spent most of our days at home or maybe this is progress, but in recent years we have discovered that our home is our fortress and that it is possible to upgrade the atmosphere at home so that we feel like we are on vacation in a luxury boutique hotel. Not for nothing, in the last two years sales have increased in various categories for the home, from furniture to accessories to create an atmosphere, from hospitality tools to advanced kitchen appliances.

Among the growing categories, there was a significant increase in demand for coffee machines - after all, we couldn't go to the coffee shops and we were asked to bring the coffee preparation into the home, one that would remind the taste of the fine coffee that we drink outside and are willing to put our money on.

A trend we have recently identified indicates an increased consumer demand for fresh coffee that is ground directly into our coffee cup, consumers of quality coffee want availability of such coffee during the day even at home or in the office. Something in the aroma that wafts through the air while our coffee cup is filled with this addictive liquid, managed to turn the preparation into an experience and won the hearts of many coffee lovers - this is how, in the last two years, machines that grind beans at home have become a sought-after product, no longer the property of coffee shops only.

We went out to check one exactly like this and came back with impressions:

The DeLonghi brand is considered a strong player in the automatic coffee machine market and sells over a million coffee machines a year. We asked to check the model that would fit the house, that we could place in a prominent place in the kitchen, that would match the modern colors of the design, that would not take up too much space, that would be easy to clean and would prepare the most delicious and professional coffee possible. According to our (not small) list of requirements, the advanced and new model ECAM370.95 was proposed for the Dynamika Plus coffee machine series. We read the specifications and were charmed by the presenter (did we say Brad Pitt?) but when we saw her, we fell in love at first sight - as we'll see so far, she meets all expectations and it remains to test the coffee she knows how to produce.

The Delanogi ECAM370.95 coffee machine from the Dynamics Plus series can make 2 cups of short or long espresso at the push of a button, at the same time. It comes with a LatteCrema system for automatic milk frothing and cappuccino preparation. It has a digital control panel with a 3.5" color touch screen for easy and quick operation. It is possible to use coffee beans or ground coffee of our choice and you can control the temperature, strength and length of the drink and it offers defined recipes for different types of coffee at the push of a button. Its coffee grinder is quiet with a supply of 13 Grinding levels for maximum precision of the coffee texture. In addition, there is the possibility of creating an advanced menu with recipes adjusted according to personal taste and the possibility of pouring hot water for tea and infusions. Node connectivity with the Coffee Link application from DeLonghi that enables the creation of new and personalized drinks, access to advanced settings and more. To the machine In this model, a self-operated automatic descaling program and a removable and easy-to-clean brewing unit.

Long: slow brewing filter coffee and low brewing pressure Doppio+: double espresso with increased aroma.

Coffee: classic European coffee Cappuccino+: cappuccino with more coffee and increased aroma Cappuccino Mix Macchiato Latta Macchiato Latta Coffee Pot: Pot of FlatWhite coffee

Bean container capacity: 300 grams Removable water container volume: 1.8 liters Removable milk container volume: 0.5 liters Coffee pouring height: 84-135 mm Waste container capacity: 14 servings Power: 1450w Pump pressure: 19bar

Color: Titanium

Dimensions: Height 34.8 , depth 42.9, width 23.6 cm Weight: 9.5 kg Made in Italy

According to Yair Rosen, CEO of Berimag, the importer of the brand to Israel: "The Israeli consumer understands quality coffee and we recognize a dramatic increase in the purchase of automatic coffee machines for the home, which allow you to enjoy fresh coffee ground from fresh coffee beans, at the same level and quality as a coffee shop. In recent years in general, and with the gathering at home during the Corona period in particular, there is a consumer trend of switching from capsules to freshly ground coffee minutes before the first sip." In Israel, DeLonghi markets its products through Brimag, which operates the unique concept store for the DeLonghi brand in Tel Aviv and the Metro chain for household electrical products. The coffee machines are also marketed in electrical networks, specialized stores and authorized trade websites.

The price of the Delanogi ECAM370.95 coffee machine: NIS 3,990. It comes with a two-year warranty from the official importer of DeLonghi products in Israel.

For more details, you can go to the importer's website.

Before we describe the use of the machine, its operation and the taste of the coffee it produces, it should be noted that the entire preparation process provides a high-level customer experience that we have not yet known. So far we have used the home coffee machines (automatic and manual) that use a closed capsule whose taste and strength of coffee are defined in advance, before the purchase.The capsule we chose and the manufacturer's settings in the coffee machine dictated the nature and taste of the coffee that came out.

In the Delonghi coffee machine, the one we tested, you can choose the texture of the coffee you like by choosing one of the 13 levels of grinding the beans or, alternatively, use pre-ground coffee (the least good option in our opinion, since the taste is impaired compared to grinding coffee beans on the spot ).The machine we tested serves 4 coffee lovers who live in the same house, when each of us likes his coffee very differently from the other. Using the "MY" function on the display, you can program 3 personal coffee profiles in advance with a choice of the amount of coffee and milk.

The possibility to define personal profiles that the machine remembers forever was a convenient solution for us. No more customization in any preparation, these are a fixed setting for each of us. The milk tank of the machine is removable, very easy to clean, relatively large and get a new one, it is also thermal, one designed to maintain the temperature of the milk even when the tank is standing outside (however, maybe it's just in my head, I wouldn't leave the milk outside the fridge for more than an hour ).

The container can be stored in the refrigerator and does not need to be emptied after each use. Its size fits exactly on the shelf where the milk is placed standing up, also on the refrigerator door. The machine offers a connection to the interface with a dedicated application, Coffee Link, through which you can also remotely turn the machine on/off, or program profiles so that you can do this even while resting and not necessarily standing in front of the machine.

Apart from that, we didn't find any other real need in the app. While hosting, we tried the function of the coffee pot (like the one served in hotels), beyond the surprise in the eyes of the guests for the unusual serving, we were happy that we didn't really have to prepare the coffee, but could just press a button and the pot filled itself with the coffee we prepared in advance. In the mornings, when we are in a bit of a hurry, we use the option of making 2 cups at the same time, which is also nice for entertaining time. The piston from which the coffee comes out rises and falls and the spouts from which the coffee is poured into a cup (two) are close so that you can adjust any type of cup you like, tall or short, narrow or wide.

Slight disadvantages we found (which, by the way, do not reduce the intensity of the experience for the user) are:

1. The noise the machine makes while working is louder than the other coffee machines we know.

2. It is a bit slow - which is caused by the precise programming of the coffee we chose. After all, she calculates the amount of coffee we set, prepares the bean grinder to the texture we chose, makes sure the temperature of the water is accurate and brings the milk frother to the level of froth we requested, all this happens in 48 seconds until my cup of cappuccino is ready.

So it is slower than machines that "squeeze" capsules but not much more than the professional and large coffee machines in the cafes we know.

Admittedly, I drank the coffee without Brad Pitt holding my hand and the only connection between him and the coffee machine I tested is that both are painfully beautiful. During a week of wondering and tasting all types of coffee, in different strengths, with alternating types of beans, in varied textures (grinding levels of the beans from very fine to a coarser grind), perhaps the taste is affected by the experience, but the coffee tastes better to us than coffee in other machines that we have used. When the beans are ground as soon as the cup of coffee is made and the aroma spreads in the space - there is a feeling that every grain of their surface at this moment is there just for me! In the title, I described a "multi-sensory experience" and that's exactly what I meant.

The taste of the coffee, the smell of the aromatic coffee beans that are ground on the spot spread throughout the kitchen space, the sight of an incredibly beautiful machine that upgrades any kitchen, and the sound of the coffee beans that are ground on the spot. True, its price is quite high, with or without comparison to other coffee machines, those that grind beans or those that use capsules, but - for addicted coffee consumers, those who drink more than one purchased cup of coffee a day, those who like to indulge and are willing to pay for it, those who are willing to give up pleasures Others to enjoy one at home (or at the office or at the clinic or wherever you spend half of your day) - for them the one-time price makes sense.

The coffee beans for one cup (by a quick calculation) will cost about a third of the price of a capsule, so if you plan to purchase a machine that presses capsules, the cost savings is long-term when using beans. And the aroma... .oh the aroma.... it's a shame that you can't convey the fragrance here.

And no, she doesn't come with Brad Pitt but she is impressive, presentable, beautiful and seductive in her own right, did I say?