De'Longhi Rivelia review – possibly the best (expensive) bean-to-cup machine you can buy

I’ve tested plenty of family-friendly coffee makers, but none quite like De’Longhi’s Rivelia. Packed with well-considered features, profiles to map and predict each family member’s coffee habits, and a range of coffee options, it’s really raised the bar for other machines.

De’Longhi's name already sits on some of the best coffee makers on the market, all of which are incredible in their own right and in tough competition for our top-spot overall.

With the slick design, smart features, and flavourful coffee brewed by the Rivelia, I think I might have to clear some more room in our buying guide. It is brilliant. 

Specifications

Unboxing

The Rivelia is packaged in a big cardboard box and, like many of De’Longhi’s other products, comes with all the necessary extras. There’s a water filter, and water hardness tester (together these would cost you over $15) as well as a milk frothing device, scoop, brush, and waterspout. 

I didn’t spot all of these at first, because there’s a useful storage section on top not this machine where all the extras can neatly tuck away. There’s also a spare bean hopper, so you can use different bean varieties depending on your mood. I’ve never had this included in a bean to coffee cup machine and, since trying it, I can’t believe nobody has thought of it before.

My only criticism is of the plastic packaging. The machine was wrapped in a fair amount of plastic, which isn’t great for the environment, but it protects this glossy machine from any scratches in transport. 

Unwrapped, on the countertop, it’s beautiful. I would say that it’s a little longer than the average bean-to-cup machine, so watch out if your countertops are narrow, but I’m being really pedantic. I'm sure most kitchens would be fine with this. The Rivelia is available in four gloss or matte colorways to suit almost any countertop. 

Who would it suit?

This is perfect for families who have a range of coffee needs. You can set up profiles for each user and dictate how strong, long, and what type of coffee each person likes at what time of day. When you log in to the machine, you click on your profile and the Rivelia will suggest coffees based on your personal patterns. I used this with my family – each person has wildly different tastes to me – and we all found it very useful because we didn’t have to re-adjust each other’s settings every time we wanted a coffee.

The design is also relatively quiet and quick, even when grinding. It’s a great fuss-free coffee option, especially if you want delicious coffee, but don’t want to allocate more than two minutes of your morning routine to it. 

What was it like to use?

I love setting up De’Longhi machines. I’m aware that sounds strange, but here’s why. I find paper instructions can be frustrating and finding a good YouTube video for your coffee maker and specific needs can be time-consuming. 

De’Longhi provides paper instructions, but the screen talks you through every single part of the process. These are simple and easy to follow without being patronizing or condescending. The Rivelia will adapt grind, dose, temperature, and water hardness settings depending on your environment, which you select through the options. It reminds me of when you first turn on an iPhone and the screen talks you through the essentials before letting you explore the features for yourself.

Test 1: espresso

The first test of any good coffee maker is an espresso. I took one look at the high brew head and my small shot glass and thought it looked like a mess waiting to happen. To my surprise, the machine didn’t suffer any splashing at all. Even more surprisingly, when I wiggled the brew head, I found that it slid down low enough to pour directly into the cup without my coffee falling from a distance. This isn't a paid advert, so I really mean it when I say that the designers have thought about everything. 

My espresso had a really thick crema, which was a beautiful hazelnut hue. My setting was 0.9oz, which is a little smaller than some, but you can customise the size on the espresso setting depending on your needs. 

It felt quite hot from the outside of the cup, but the flavors were really delicate. I used a Rwandan bean blend from Union and the bright grapefruit notes were really dominant, which is a difficult flavor to extract well. Overall, an impressive start from the Rivelia. 

Test 2: Americano

The next test for any machine is a basic Americano. De’Longhi’s machine grinds at 64 dBA which is exceptionally quiet. I’m not actually sure how they do it, but they do it well. 

The Americano again had a lovely crema, but this was way too hot to drink straight away, so I had to wait for five minutes before giving it a sip. This was again a delicate, well extracted brew. Whilst I could still detect the grapefruit, I would say that this time the Rivelia had extracted a more generically citrus flavor. It was quite mellow too, which I like in an Americano, but again, any strength or size complaints people could raise don’t hold up when this is totally adjustable. 

Test 3: Cappuccino

Testing this out with milk frothing revealed another stroke of brilliance. The traditional milk spout is also fully adjustable, so it can retract for large glasses and extend for smaller, wider cups. 

The Rivelia made me milk on the most frothy setting for a medium sized (strength 2/5) cappuccino and the results were everything that it promised. The milk was silky, smooth and sufficiently frothy. The strength was perfect and the drink was the ideal temperature: warm enough to have extracted all my delicious coffee flavors and make sweet milk and yet cool enough to drink straight away.

Cleaning, storage, and maintenance

The useful screen keeps you up to date on all things cleaning. When you set up the machine, you establish how hard your water is and the machine will track your coffee making to keep track of any hardness or limescale that might need treating. 

After two coffees it suggested that I empty the grounds container for good practice and maintenance. This has capacity for much more than two; I would estimate you could make about 14 coffees before this filled, but it’s good to get into the habit of regular cleaning. Similarly, the milk frother has a clean setting which the Rivelia ensures you use after every single coffee. This can be frustrating if you’ve got a production line to get through, but it’s still good practice. 

How does it rate online?

The Rivelia has established a good following online. It’s a popular machine with almost no criticisms. Lots of people praised the customisable features, which are particularly useful for households full of different coffee drinkers. 

If there were any criticisms, it was the price. There are plenty of automatic coffee makers on the market for less money. However, I would argue that this feels premium and I don’t think you would feel cheated for the money. But it's still a hefty price tag. In short, you have to be sure about your coffee before buying this.

How does it compare?

I’ve tested plenty of automatic coffee machines and this is one of my favourites. It has more of a range of coffee options than our current number one choice, the Philips 3200. It’s also kitted out with far more customizable options for coffee drinkers and more adjustable, useful storage features. The Rivelia is more expensive and a little longer, but if you want plenty of coffee options, you’re in better hands with De’Longhi’s Rivelia. 

However, if you’re looking for more coffee options and the same premium features, De’Longhi’s Eletta Explore is a fantastic option. It has 52 different types of coffee to hand, but comes with a much higher price tag too.

Conclusion

The danger with the Rivelia is that you’ll be able to hone your home coffees so perfectly to your palette, that any café coffee will feel more like a compromise than a treat. This is an excellent, but expensive machine.

How we test

Before we recommend a coffee maker, we take it to our test kitchen. Here, we use it to its full capabilities, so that we get a sense of who it would suit and how well it performs.

If an espresso machine has an integrated grinder, we test that first. Then, the marker of any good machine, we make an espresso. Once we have made those two, we make an Americano by adding hot water to an espresso and a cappuccino by adding frothy milk to an espresso. This means that we get to test the steam wand and hot water dispenser if the machine has them.

We also unbox, clean, and store every machine. That way, we get a holistic experience with the machine. We base our feedback on a range of criteria: the coffee needs to taste good, the machine should be ergonomic and easy to use, and we love innovation. 

Our team of experts is well-versed in appliances and testing. I myself am a trained barista and have used a range of espresso machines, from commercial and pricy, to compact and affordable, so I am ready to deliver a good analysis of every appliance. You can find out more on our dedicated how we test coffee machines page.