When Black Friday hits, one popular home appliance shoppers go wild for - and rightly so - is a discounted coffee machine. So it's no wonder coffee fans are scrambling to get their hands on Amazon's 'best selling' espresso machine, which 'makes absolutely delicious coffee' and has garnered over 33,000 glowing reviews.
Slashed by 35% in the retail giant's Black Friday week sale, the De'Longhi Dedica Style, Traditional Pump Espresso Machine typically retails for £229.99, but it's been reduced to £149.99, saving you £80 - matching the price at Curry's.
Now, when you want to invest in such a machine, reviews, pros and cons are crucial in helping you click on that 'buy' button. As a proud owner of this exact coffee machine - for several years (and still going strong) - I can vouch for the aforementioned claims and attest to its quality - and money-saving benefits. Plus, without blowing my own trumpet, I have a pretty good authority to comment on it.
Read more: Lookfantastic sale slashes price of Urban Decay's iconic eyeshadow palette this Black Friday
Read more: Sephora shoppers save £48 on Gucci perfume that gets 'lots of compliments' in Black Friday sale
Having worked in various coffee shops from Starbucks to local independently run cafes, I've earned the right to call myself somewhat of a coffee connoisseur (or 'snob', if you prefer) and so know a good cup of Joe when I taste one. While I love visiting my nearest indie spot for a flavourful, full-bodied, creamy flat white, getting a coffee out all adds up - especially in the lead up to Christmas.
Image:
Eve Rowlands)But getting a coffee machine for my kitchen completely changed the game and has saved me some much needed pennies. In fact, doing the maths, buying this coffee machine works out to the equivalent of 57 coffees out (that's if a latte is priced at £4).
This means after a few months of owning this machine, you'll have essentially made your money back - especially when it's on offer, reports MyLondon.
This make and model has been fuelling my coffee addiction for years now and is showing no signs of giving up on me. It's possibly my favourite kitchen gadget to date (sorry to my Philips airfryer...), not only because it brews excellent coffee, from Americanos to lattes to cappuccinos, at a fairly reasonable price, but also because it's incredibly simple to use.
This De'Longhi model doesn't have countless buttons for the different types of coffee it can brew, nor does it grind your beans for you (I buy mine pre-ground); it has three buttons. One for a single espresso shot, one for a double espresso shot and one to prepare the steam wand (so you can whip up the frothiest or smoothest steamed milk).
Image:
Amazon)Now, as a former 'barista', in my humble opinion, that's all you need as making a good brew shouldn't be that complicated. Of course, mastering the perfect milk might take a few tries, but once you've nailed it, you're on track to crafted a delicious homemade latte in minutes that rivals your nearest Starbucks (or independent alternative) - and without the queue.
The machine comes complete with a coffee tamper (to ensure an evenly distributed espresso) and is built with a high 15 BAR pressure. Made with thermoblock technology, the water remains at the optimum temperature to brew your ideal espresso and its water tank is removable and make at least three mugs without the need to refill.
Plus, it's a breeze to clean via its manual descaling system which only needs doing every so often. The discounted device has been hailed by coffee addicts for creating 'heavenly coffee' with over 22,000 five star reviews.
While some have called it 'the best fuss free home espresso machine for home use', some shoppers haven't had the best experience with the frother, stating it can be temperamental. Although this is something I've only experienced once or twice when getting used to the machine, for the most part, I've personally not had any issues with it.
What I will say, however, is detaching the water tank can be a bit fiddly and stiff and so you will need both hands to fill it up and clean it. That and if you fill the espresso portafilter even slightly too much, it's bit of a battle to get it on so just be mindful of overfilling it.
Alongside making good coffee, its size and sleek design not only looks elegant in your kitchen but slots neatly into any space without being an eyesore - 149mm wide and 330mm deep.
With Amazon's Black Friday sale live, this isn't the only coffee machine caffeine nuts are snapping up. Breville Barista Max+ Espresso, Latte & Cappuccino Coffee Machine has been reduced from £563.99 to £349.99 here, meanwhile the Nespresso Creatista Plus Coffee Machine by Sage is now £289.95 from £479.95.