Appliance Reviews

I threw out my old stand mixer some years ago, swearing never to get another one if it couldn't mix the 7-cup French and Italian bread doughs which I make every week. Behold! Santa Claus deposited this on my kitchen counter two weeks before Christmas, and I am in love. It is a real work-horse, does an excellent job of mixing and initial kneading of any bread dough. You still have to finish kneading by hand - which won't upset any home-baker - but the DeLonghi reliably does the grunt work without whining or groaning. Its dough-hook action means there is no heap of flour at the bottom of the bowl, nor does the dough mass crawl up the hook arm... The resulting bread texture is finer and more even than when I was doing it by hand. The machine handled stollen, babka, a big pound cake and produced excellent genoise sponge with higher and more tender layers than I normally achieve. I believe that this mixer is the result of DeLonghi buying out British Kenmore, whose mixers were also reliable, heavy-duty workers. Unfortunately DeLonghi has not solved the Kenmore noise factor - it is still a loud motor. But it is also unshakeable & won't dance off your counter. If you have enough electric power and storage space, the DeLonghi is the best thing going for the serious home baker.

If I could own only one appliance, this would be it. Powerful, simple to use, super large capacity...this mixer has it all! I own a Kitchenaid, as well. While that has also served me well, I use my Delonghi for all the most demanding tasks. If you like to bake bread, you should own this.

This is an excellent mixer. I think it has the best value/performance combination of any other mixer on the market today. I love the fact of having a continuously variable speed control instead of a limited number of speeds. This provides a higher degree of control in comparison with the KitchenAid.

It offers virtually vibration free performance even when dealing with heavy dough. This is a very powerful machine (800 watts motor! The Kitchen Aid Professional has 525 watts).

I disagree with one of the other reviewers about the noise. I think that the noise level is very comparable with the KitchenAid; maybe a little higher noise level, but not much given the fact that is has a much powerful motor.

Quality wise, this mixer has very meticulous craftsmanship. The only complain I have is that the splash guard should be of better quality. It is made of somewhat thin plastic. I expected it to be more heavy duty.

Since I have stainless steel appliances, it complements my kitchen beautifully.

I highly recommend it

What I initially liked about this machine is the fact that I could use it off the stovetop and it really is not a counter hog--I bought it for my office, actually. I was surprised at how piping hot the coffee can get in it. All in all, it works well. Realize, too, this moka brew is definately a step down in flavor from traditionally brewed espresso (from a pump-driven machine). I recommend it.

THIS LITTLE BEAUTY HAS THE"SPEED YA'NEED" FOR THAT QUICK CUP OF ESPRESSO. OK SO IT DOESN'T GIVE THE FROTHY HEAD MANY OF US LIKE BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE UP HALF YOUR KITCHEN COUNTER SPACE EITHER! A NEAT COMPACT ITEM.

Unfourtunately it arrived without two important pieces, the Paddle and the Lid, both internal and smaller pieces, I cann't imagine why, it caused more than one disturbance because my father couldn't know how many pieces were, so he brought them to another country

I bought this ice cream maker two months ago and have used it about 20 times. It's paddle is made of cheap plastic. The end that fits into the lid has bent out of shape. It now fits loosely and gets stuck as soon as the ice cream starts to form. I tried to call customer service this morning and was on hold for about 20 minutes listening to music. I lost patience and hung up. Sent them an email - no response so far. I would advise strongly against buying this product.

We purchased our DeLonghi after sampling ice cream made from my Sister-In-Law's Cuisnart machine. Nice fresh ice cream unlike the old days where you had to manually crank a handle...and the results were mixed at best.

Comparing the DeLonghi to the Cuisnart....the DeLonghi is much quiter. And that is a big plus when you have visitors who you don't want to be disturbed and want to entertain. Also the texture of the ice cream is better.

Replying to another customer review appearing for this machine...it DOES make treats with milk and skim milk. All without all the preservatives you will find in over the counter frozen treats from stores. ...

Our first batch didn't turn out great...but it was related to not being familar with our new machine. Ever since...success.

The secret to making a firm treat is to mix your ingredients beforehand and freeze/refrig before adding to the ice cream maker. Add it to the machine and let it work away. Then if you prefer a firmer treat, freeze further for a few hours to overnight.

Another suggestion is to buy the Ben and Jerry ice cream guide. It also states the innovation which I just mentioned above...and gives you many other helpful tips which will solve any issues you might encounter.

Gelato, Sorbet, Ice Cream, Smoothies. All came out well.

I just called DeLonghi about the nonstick coating flaking off from the dimple where the paddle sits. They claim the bowl is an accessory and all the warranty covers is the motor. I've used it less than 10 times.

They will however allow me to part with $28 for a replacement bowl! Good thing my favorite flavor is Teflon Flake ice cream or I would only be able to use this as an ice bucket as suggested in the editorial review!<...

I would suggest staying clear of any company that can't stand behind a non-moving part of a product!

Delonghi, GE, Cuisinart... no matter what the name, these ice cream makers with the frozen bowls do not work for low-fat desserts. (I have gone through two now.) Unless your ice cream mixture is high in fat content, ie. cream, the liquid freezes faster just below the liquid level along the inside of the bowl forming a ring that eventually prevents the paddles from turning. (The ice cream maker is frozen (locked) but your liquid is not!)

There's a law of of physics that says ice will form faster just below the water level of moving liquid. (Remember how the Titanic's famous iceberg was much bigger on the bottom!)

What makes these kinds of appliances a consumer fraud is the fact the manufactures HAD to have tested them and knew they did not work properly-- and yet still claimed on the boxes that they will make 'frozen desserts' from skim-milk (which simply doesn't have enought fat.)

This design does not work...can't work unless you change how ice crystals form. And even General Electric can't do that. :)

I have to say I'm surprised by the negative reviews for this product. My husband bought me one for Christmas 5 years ago and I've used it about once a month ever since. When I lost one of the smaller parts, I called their customer service and they sent me a replacement part for free. Recently, one of the clips that holds the lid on broke off, but since the lid still stays on I haven't bothered to replace it. I have never had a problem with teflon coming off the bowl. I use 2% milk in place of whole milk in all my recipes and the ice cream comes out great! This has been one of the best gifts I ever got, one that's truly kept on giving for years and has made me a very popular dinner guest with my friends since I always bring home-made ice cream.