DeLonghi Rivelia Review: Two Bean Hoppers. Is That a Big Deal?

In today’s DeLonghi Rivelia review, I’ll be giving you the lowdown on a machine that’s only just been released in North America.

Exciting new “technology” doesn’t come along very often in the world of fully automatic espresso machines. Perhaps that’s why so many folks have been freaking out about the new DeLonghi Rivelia. Seriously, you’d think this machine was the best invention since sliced bread.

Of course, the Bean Switch System is to blame: Instead of changing beans being a chore, you simply replace the entire bean container. This idea is far from new, but it is extremely clever.

Although the Bean Switch System isn’t perfect, this DeLonghi fully automatic coffee machine is doing everything it can to become a new customer favorite. But can it make my list of the best fully automatic espresso machines? Let’s take a closer look!

De’Longhi Rivelia Review Overview

If the Italian manufacturer is to be believed, the DeLonghi Rivelia heralds a “new era of coffee making.” Because with this machine, “every Switch becomes a perfect moment, a revelation for the senses”.

In addition, we are dealing with an “especially intelligent and versatile coffee machine.” Calm down! The novelty factor can go a long way, but it’s still “only” a modern fully automatic coffee machine. Or is it?

The Bean Switch System is described as “innovative core technology.” At least that’s true for fully automatic coffee machines. But not for other coffee making equipment. Because removable coffee bean containers are fairly normal among the best espresso grinders.

Then again, you seldom see a second hopper included, nor have I seen a solution to the problem of old beans that are still hanging out in the grinder. Needless to say, I’ll talk more about this later.

With all the excitement surrounding the Bean Switch System, the actual banger features are somewhat overlooked. Because for $1,499.95, the Rivelia has a lot to offer for the “Perfetto moment”:

It’s funny how quickly things change. Until recently, manufacturers were all about cold coffee or almost completely electronic settings. Here, DeLonghi kind of hides these features.

DeLonghi Rivelia Fully Automatic Espresso Machine Features

Now that we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with, let’s continue this DeLonghi Rivelia review by taking a closer look at all the exciting features. And a little later, I’ll discuss my experiences using this fantastic new fully automatic machine.

Size and Design

It’s often the case that we’re more concerned with the width of a fully automatic machine when we’re taking kitchen countertop measurements. However, you should definitely take the DeLonghi Rivelia’s height into consideration too.

Rising to around 15 inches (38 centimeters) the Rivelia is much taller than the average fully automatic. Plus, to use the Bean Switch Technology, you need a few more inches of headroom.

However, you don’t have to worry about a chic design. Featuring an alluring blend of Scandi style and vintage vibes, the DeLonghi Rivelia has a unique look. With that said, I do feel like the side-mounted water tank detracts from an otherwise streamlined silhouette.

User Interface

The DeLonghi Rivelia features a slick, thoroughly modern full-color touchscreen interface. From here, you can access all the machine’s drink options, adjustable settings and maintenance functions. What’s more, DeLonghi has designed a super-intuitive system, so navigating the machine’s menus is a piece of cake.

With all that said, I was rather frustrated by the screen pavement. Rather than being angled toward the user, it sits on top of the machine. So, depending on the height of your kitchen counter, accessing the user interface could be challenging.

Conical Burr Grinder

Seeing as the bean hopper is removable, there’s no grind adjustment dial inside as with other DeLonghi machines. Instead, there’s a ring for changing settings located on the grinder collar.

With all that said, this is the standard DeLonghi stainless steel conical burr grinder with 13 settings. During my testing I stayed at level 5, but only because my beans were super fresh.

However, I’d recommend starting at level 3 if you’re using rested beans or those with a lighter roast profile. What’s more, I’d go even finer when using decaf coffee beans to avoid a sour espresso taste.

The grinder registered 66 decibels during my DeLonghi Rivelia review, which is fairly average. However, the quality of the noise was grating to say the least. Then again, this isn’t surprising, seeing as the bean hopper design torpedoes any attempts at sound insulation.

Bean Switch System

Circling back to the Bean Switch System, I can once again say that this is an awesome feature. Still, what about the extra beans left in the burr chamber? The Italians offer us two solutions:

For the Bean Switch System to work, you must activate the so-called Switch mode on the touchscreen display. Then, the machine either grinds (and trashes) the remaining beans or prepares an “intermediate coffee” from them.

Either way, there are six grams of coffee beans that need to be dealt with before you can use the new batch.

I guess a simple solution would be to time the switch better and replace the hoppers before you actually want to change beans. That way, the intermediate coffee is simply the base for your next flat white.

Either way, the DeLonghi Rivelia is a great alternative to fully automatic coffee machines with two bean hoppers, but still inferior to a machine with two grinders.

Given its asking price, this is perfectly OK, especially since it’s way less bulky than fully automatic coffee machines with similar functions.

Milk Foam

The DeLonghi Rivelia is equipped with an integrated milk carafe for automatic milk frothing. And while the plastic carafe is rather flimsy, it’s bigger than the one included with the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo.

After I finally figured out that you can pull out the flexible milk foam tube of the carafe and bend it, my test latte and cappuccino arrived in the glass exactly as they should – fluffy, frothy, creamy and delicious.

At around 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius), both drinks were hotter than expected, which made Mauricio very happy. By the way, if you really want a lot of latte macchiato at once, that’s absolutely fine with the Rivelia:

My 10-ounce (300-milliliter) capacity latte glass was almost overflowing at the M setting. However, the scale goes up to XL.

So, if you’re making the largest size, I would definitely recommend adding at least one extra espresso shot. Otherwise, all that hot milk could end up being too dominant.

Specialty Drinks

The Rivelia’s specialty drink menu is loaded to the gills with all the usual suspects, including cappuccino, flat white and espresso macchiato. What’s more, you’re able to customize any drink to your liking by adjusting parameters like strength, temperature and the amount of milk.

Incidentally, if you’re an americano fan, you’ll be happy to hear that there’s a hot water adaptor located next to the pre ground coffee chute. Simply remove the milk carafe and attach the hot water spout to top off your espresso.

When it comes to dialing in your espresso, the Bean Adapt Technology really shines. The machine quizzes you about your beans and coffee preferences, then adjusts the way it brews accordingly. That’s really awesome, but what’s weird is that this is only available for straight espresso – you can’t use Bean Adapt Technology for milk-based drinks.

Incidentally, if you’re wondering about cold drinks, the Rivelia offers an additional collection that you can “unlock” by purchasing a Rivelia LatteCrema Cool Upgrade Set. Whether or not the manufacturer should have included this with the machine isn’t for me to say. However, be prepared to shell out a whopping $129.95 for the set if you want to whip up cold foam drinks with the Rivelia.

User Profiles

As I mentioned above, you can tweak your favorite drinks to your heart’s content with the DeLonghi Rivelia. But don’t worry about someone coming along and laying waste to your hard-won latte settings – you can save ’em in your own user profile.

As it happens, the Rivelia has four user profiles where you can save your favorite drinks. Heck, there’s even a guest profile, which is a very thoughtful touch. 

The DeLonghi Rivelia Coffee Machine in Use

Despite all the exciting technology and numerous coffee specialties, the Rivelia fully automatic machine is, first and foremost, an extremely intuitive coffee maker that’s very easy to use.

All drinks are specified in dress sizes as standard (S to XL). Unlike similar concepts, however, you have the option of setting the exact quantity – or leaving everything as it is.

In order to carry out a really practical test, I selected the preset volumes and only chose the drink size that most closely matched our ideals (espresso 1.4 ounces/40 milliliters, coffee 4 ounces/120 milliliters, cappuccino and latte matching the capacity of my Coffeeness glasses):

The temperature offers no surprises. From the three levels you should use the highest for espresso and the second highest or lowest for coffee and milk-based drinks.

For the coffee strength, I set the espresso to level 4 out of 5, while all the other drinks were best at level 3. With that said, if you’re using decaf I’d recommend always keeping the strength at level 4.

What Does Espresso From the DeLonghi Rivelia Taste Like?

Although I hadn’t tested a DeLonghi machine for quite some time, I was pretty sure that the manufacturer had upped its game somewhat with the Rivelia. Coffee and espresso tasted lively, with a pleasant freshness and plenty of sweetness. The machine also did a great job of highlighting the chocolate notes in my Coffeeness Signature Espresso Roast.

I also think it’s a good sign if you don’t notice that something is missing when you’re drinking a decaf coffee. Although the taste was definitely different, it was just as full-bodied and balanced as the caffeinated version.

Temperature-wise, both the espresso at 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) and the coffee at 174 degrees Fahrenheit (79 degrees Celsius) make the Rivelia a hot drink king – even if the current Jura S8 EB, which I tested on the same day, really comes close.

Best Coffee for the DeLonghi Rivelia

DeLonghi Rivelia Cleaning

Almost all coffee maker manufacturers have now realized that customers have many questions about how to clean a machine properly. Especially when it comes to using the dishwasher.

So it’s all the nicer that DeLonghi doesn’t just tell you in the operating instructions which parts can and can’t go in the dishwasher. You can disassemble all parts of the coffee machine and will always see a symbol if they are not allowed in the dishwasher. Otherwise, go for it.

The rest of the cleaning process is also getting better and better thanks to simple symbol instructions and tutorials directly in the machine. Simply follow the instructions on the touchscreen.

Incidentally, it also complains if the milk carafe hangs out full of milk on the appliance for too long instead of being stored in the fridge. Exemplary!

One thing to bear in mind is the water tank, which takes a little getting used to. It comes off from the side of the machine by tilting it from above, which doesn’t seem very intuitive at first.

However, once it is out, it stands on its own – not a matter of course with fully automatic machines. Although this detail has nothing directly to do with cleaning, it makes handling even better.

DeLonghi Rivelia Technical Specifications

DeLonghi Rivelia vs Other Super Automatics

Let’s face it, there’s a reason why DeLonghi features prominently in my guide to the best Italian espresso machines. I mean, the manufacturer keeps pumping out high-quality semi-automatic and fully automatic machines like there’s no tomorrow. With that in mind, let’s see how the Rivelia measures up in comparison with a couple of its stablemates.

DeLonghi Rivelia vs Magnifica Evo

If you’re on a budget, the DeLonghi Magnifica Evo is definitely worth considering. I mean, at $674.99, this awesome machine represents very good value for money. Sure, DeLonghi hasn’t reinvented the wheel here, but there’s enough to satisfy espresso and milk foam lovers.

What I really appreciated about this machine during my testing was the milk flask, which has clear volume markers. This means you can make a drink without having to waste a bunch of milk. That sounds fairly obvious and straightforward, but it was the first time I’d seen such a thoughtful feature.

See Also: DeLonghi Magnifica Evo Review

DeLonghi Rivelia vs Eletta Explore

I also like the DeLonghi Eletta Explore. In particular, the latest version really offers everything that a beverage-oriented fully automatic coffee machine should currently be able to do. Heck it even produces even cold milk foam.

In this duel, too, you need to know what you want from a fully automatic coffee machine. If you regularly like to use different coffee beans, you will definitely be happier with the Rivelia. If you want lots of beverage ideas and a cold foam milk frother, the Eletta Explore is better. In terms of price, the $1,680.00 Eletta Explore will set you back just a little more.

See Also: DeLonghi Eletta Explore Review

DeLonghi Rivelia vs Others Comparison Chart

Verdict: DeLonghi Rivelia Review

Personally, I don’t care about the Bean Switch System or the Bean Adapt Technology. What’s more important is that the DeLonghi Rivelia is a modern fully automatic coffee machine that makes killer coffee and is bang on the money in terms of preparation and design.

However, I’m sure it’ll be rated one of the best DeLonghi espresso machines, and perhaps even one of the best fully automatic machines out there, precisely because of the switch technology.

There is still room for improvement with the Bean Switch System. But any new idea that offers you more coffee preparation at a reasonable price is absolutely justified in my eyes.

However, if you’re really serious about being able to switch, you might be better off with a dual-grinder machine like the Jura J8 Twin. Even if it is way more expensive.