Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello: One Minute Review
The Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello Espresso Machine is not the typical espresso machine most people use at home, and you'll know it as soon as you take it out of the box. There are no buttons to push here, no dials to program settings. This, my friends, is an espresso machine on another level, not the industrial grade you expect to see in cafes, but superior to the automatic you have at home.
Most of the things you do on it are manual. Do you want your shot of espresso? You have to pull a lever and know when to stop the pour. Do you want foamy milk? You have to get used to turning a knob all the way in and then quickly closing it before the foam overflows. So I can't really blame anyone if she took one look at Diletta Bello and ran the other way.
But, while many of the better espresso machines make it easy for users these days, I found that there was a steep learning curve with this particular machine, even though it took less time a day for me to see its appeal (and learn their forms). As a coffee lover, I appreciate a smooth cup of carefully brewed coffee that greets you every day like a lazy Sunday morning, even on days when I feel like I don't have time. .
I also enjoy the meditative process that goes into creating one on this machine. It takes the focus away from the need to make coffee, unlike the best coffee makers which are convenience items, and back to the craft by slowing it down a bit.
And here's the thing: As intimidating as the Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello looks, it's also incredibly accessible and easy to use for first-time espresso machine users. With or without experience, I would recommend it to most people... or at least to those who are willing to pay the price.
Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello review: Price and availability
- List price: €1,699
- Not available outside of the United States
Although handmade in Milan, Italy, the Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello is only available for purchase on the Seattle Coffee Gear website (opens in a new tab) for US customers. This is because The company currently only ships to the United States (all 50 states), which is understandable given that the machine is packaged in a large, thick protective sleeve similar to what is found among photography and film equipment.
To get one yourself, you have to pay a steep price of €1,699 for the kit that includes baskets and filter holders. Since there are more expensive consumer espresso machines out there, I'd consider this an upper-middle-range entry, though it also doesn't come with its own bean grinder, which means you'll have to spend more if you don't already have one.
The specs of our Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello review unit
- Price: € 1,699
- Coffee machine type: Manual espresso machine
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Programming: None
- Preparation time: 30 sec.
- Boiler volume: 1,8 L
- Tank Size: 3L
- Material: Stainless steel
- Dimensions: 11 x 17,75 x 14,5 inches
Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello review: Design
- Manual controls
- Elegant minimalist design
- Big enough to take up space
As I mentioned above, the Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello has no buttons, taking a completely manual approach to brewing and steaming. So if you just expect to push a few buttons and let the machine do all the work for you, you definitely won't get what you want. Not that you should let that affect your decision to buy this machine, as the manual controls seem deceptively complicated.
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(Image credit: Future/Michelle Rae Oops)(Image credit: Future/Michelle Rae Oops)(Image credit: Future/Michelle Rae Oops)Actually, things are pretty simple here. Turn on the power switch, wait a few minutes until it reaches your desired operating pressure, which you can check with the decent-sized pressure gauge, twist the grounds-filled portafilter into place, increase the brew level to brew and pour, and go back down again to stop. Really, the only thing that's different here is that instead of a button, you're moving a lever.
Steaming milk is similar in that instead of pressing a button, you turn a knob all the way to the left to steam and froth, then turn it all the way to the right to close. This is the trickiest part here as you have to find the correct speed by turning the knob. It took me about three days to familiarize myself with its use, but that was only because I was being too careful. Once I got used to it, using it felt like second nature.
There is a hot water dispenser on the other side of the brew group that is very similar to the steam wand in appearance and function, except that it actually dispenses hot water instead of heating what's in the cup. There is also a cup warmer on top next to the water tank opening. Both are pretty nice additions to an already impressive machine. Unfortunately you have to invest in a stand alone coffee grinder as one is not supplied.
Like its old-school approach to its controls, Diletta Bello also features a retro design, as if SCG took inspiration from vintage espresso machines and modernized them. I think this allows her to look elegant and nostalgic while also being minimalist, especially if she opts for white (it also comes in black and stainless steel).
Unfortunately, like other older espresso machines, it too takes up quite a bit of space at 11 x 17,75 x 14,5 inches and is considerably heavy. So you better make sure you have enough counter space, lest you risk cluttering up your kitchen or losing valuable counter space.
Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello review: Performance
- It takes 13 minutes to heat up.
- soft beers
- Steam wand takes practice to use
The biggest drawback of the Seattle Coffee Gear Diletta Bello is that it is not designed for quick brewing. It takes 13 minutes to heat up, that is, to bring the gauge needle up between 1 and 1,5, though in my experience it makes for stronger, richer beers after the top right light turns green. That means getting in the habit of turning it on first thing in the morning, before you shower and start your morning routine.
However, this is what I noticed while using Diletta Bello for three weeks: the only thing that takes time is the warm up. Once you've narrowed the process down to a T, from making the milk to steaming and frothing, it really won't take much longer than making a cup of concentrate (if you were to also microwave the milk and then lather with a steamer).
It's also less tedious than using a French press, which is much more tedious to clean. And, the fact that it has a 3-litre water tank means you only need to refill it every five to seven days, depending on how much coffee you drink.
It also makes much smoother cups of coffee. I usually use a French press and condensed coffee as they are much more convenient for me, but I could really tell the difference between these and a cup made with the espresso shots I get from Diletta Bello. The shots also come out piping hot, so I make sure to pour each one into a larger mug as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the shot glass tends to get too hot to handle with bare hands.
The steam wand requires practice and patience to use. It does not work as a standalone frother, which normally churns milk. There is a trick, I'll explain it here, but you'd better watch tutorial videos on YouTube, and you definitely have to practice to get it right. Also, different types of milk foam differ in different ways. I prefer oat milk, which tends to foam less, so I had to practice a lot and try different techniques for days to get this part down to a science.
What took some getting used to here is the fact that it takes several turns to fully open the steam knob and the wand itself can make quite a bit of noise, which can be intimidating. Also, you need to be fast enough to close the button so the foam doesn't overflow, but not so fast that the foam lags behind.
However, once I got the hang of it, it was like second nature. So don't be discouraged if you've never used a steam wand before and don't get a coffee-like froth on your milk for the first few days. Just be very patient and maybe stock up on milk. Plus, it's a fun challenge to complete before moving on to the art of coffee foaming.
The Diletta Bello may be minimalist, but it comes with two additional but highly practical features: a hot water wand that dispenses hot water for tea and other hot drinks, and a cup warmer on top so you can warm your cup while I'm making a fresh concoction. Both are useful and work amazingly well, just like everything else on the machine.