DeLonghi TrueBrew coffee maker is a true game changer. It’s a fully automatic coffee machine with a built-in grinder for a bean to cup experience. It offers a variety of single serve cup sizes as well as a full carafe, as well as several brew styles that makes it the only coffee machine you’ll ever need.
This guide compares DeLonghi TrueBrew vs Breville Grind Control, which is another coffee maker with a built-in grinder. But having a built-in grinder is not the star of the show here, so please keep reading to understand why there’s a huge difference between DeLonghi and Breville’s coffee machines.
Key Takeaways
Here’s the rundown of the difference between DeLonghi TrueBrew vs Breville Grind Control
DeLonghi TrueBrew is a newer release than the Breville Grind Control, so you can expect more features like my personal favorite: Over Ice.
- DeLonghi TrueBrew offers a lot more than what Breville Grind Control can offer. True convenience, ease push button controls, espresso-style coffee and over ice coffee a long with so many cup serving sizes. DeLonghi TrueBrew is the winner here.
- If you want a coffee maker that will give you more precise controls over your coffee, provided that you have the experience to understand the difference in grind size and water ratios, you’ll like the Grind Control. This is not an intuitive machine, it needs adjustments to get things right, but it’s a high quality coffee maker for advanced users.
DeLonghi TrueBrew vs Breville Grind Control – Top Differences
Control Panel and Usage
I’m going to start with what I know to be the biggest difference between DeLonghi TrueBrew vs Breville:
Control panel and how the machine are used…
1- DeLonghi TrueBrew is a fully automatic coffee machine
2- Breville Grind Control is not fully automatic, or at least it is not as automated as DeLonghi
DeLonghi TrueBrew has an intuitive and easy to use control panel with a dedicated button for each cup size and brew style. Press a button and you’re all set to go! DeLonghi TrueBrew feels a lot like DeLonghi’s famous fully automatic espresso machines such as Magnifica Evo. But this time around, it’s a drip coffee maker.
Breville Grind Control is a classic drip coffee maker. There’s a nice LCD display that will make customizing your coffee easier, but it’s definitely not as easy as DeLonghi TrueBrew. There are a lot of settings and decisions you have to make for yourself, and a lot of trial and error until you get the coffee you want.
DeLonghi TrueBrew is the clear winner here in terms of ease of use and intuitive controls.
Coffee Brew Sizes
DeLonghi TrueBrew is available as a single serve machine or single serve and carafe machine. Both of them can do: 3 oz (Espresso style coffee), 8, 12, 16 oz and travel mug size 20 oz or 24 oz. The carafe model will do 24 oz travel mug and 40 oz carafe, along with the single serve sizes.
To brew any of these cup sizes on the DeLonghi TrueBrew, select the corresponding button for that size, which is clearly marked by name and a colored illustration.
Breville Grind Control will simple display the number of cups you want to brew, from 1 cup to 12 cups. It doesn’t mention how many ounces per cup, but the measurement they use is 5 oz per cup. So 1 cup serving is 5 oz, 4 cup serving is 20 oz and so on.
Brew Styles
DeLonghi TrueBrew uses Brew Style options to help you brew a cup of coffee to match your taste easily.
To start, TrueBrew has two options that the Breville Grind Control can’t do:
Espresso Style: which brews a cup of 3 oz coffee that is quite similar to a shot of espresso. It is strong and concentrate, it has crema, and it can be used as a base for a latte or cappuccino.
Over Ice: this is the option you select for making a brew over ice. While it still brews coffee hot, DeLonghi TrueBrew uses lower temperature and higher dose of coffee. What you get is a coffee that does not taste watered down with ice, and thanks to the lower brew temperature, it’s smooth tasting.
Other brew styles on the DeLonghi TrueBrew is: Light, Bold and Gold.
Breville Grind control does not have ‘Brew styles’ as presets. Instead, you’ll manually adjust your settings from grind settings to strength settings to get different brew styles.
Brewing Time and Speed
When it comes to brewing time and speed, both the DeLonghi TrueBrew Coffee Maker and the Breville Grind Control perform well.
The DeLonghi TrueBrew can brew a full pot in about 10 minutes, while the Breville Grind Control takes slightly longer at 12 minutes. For single-cup brewing, you may find the Breville to be quicker, taking just 3-4 minutes. Remember that having freshly ground beans can impact brewing time, so using the built-in grinder can add a minute or two to the overall process.
Coffee Quality and Taste
In terms of coffee quality and taste, both machines produce excellent coffee, but there may be differences depending on your preferences.
The DeLonghi TrueBrew offers 5 strength settings, allowing you to customize the intensity of your brew.
On the other hand, the Breville Grind Control provides more flexibility with 8 strength settings and the ability to control the grind size, giving you greater control over the extraction process. So, it depends on how much control you would like to have when achieving your desired taste.
*Note: Keep in mind that using fresh beans, clean water, and calibrating the settings according to your preferences can greatly affect the end result in terms of taste and quality.
Cleaning and Descale Features
The DeLonghi TrueBrew Coffee Maker makes regular cleaning and maintenance hassle-free. By following the steps provided in the user manual, you can effortlessly remove the brew unit for a thorough wash. Remember to clean the brew unit with warm water and avoid the use of harsh detergents. Your appliance features a descaling mode that helps in removing mineral buildup, ensuring your coffee always tastes great. Remember to purchase the DeLonghi descaling solution for the best results.
The Breville Grind Control also simplifies cleaning and maintenance. To get to the removable parts, like the bean hopper, burr grinder, and the drip tray, follow the instructions provided in the manual. Ensure you clean these removable parts using warm water and mild dish soap. For descaling, use the built-in scale function and a recommended descaling solution. Adhere to the step-by-step guidance in the user manual for a seamless experience.
User Interface
The DeLonghi TrueBrew Coffee Maker has a user-friendly interface, simplifying the brewing process. With straightforward buttons and a digital display, you can customize the intensity, strength, and temperature according to your preferences. The informative display assists you in handling various settings and alerts you when descaling or cleaning is required.
On the other hand, the Breville Grind Control offers a nice control, but it’s not as convenient. The clear LCD screen displays the key settings such as grind size, brewing volume, and strength control. You can easily navigate through the options with the help of designated buttons and the control knob. The interface is designed to be foolproof so that you can personalize your perfect cup of coffee effortlessly.
DeLonghi TrueBrew is a lot easier to use and gives you exactly what you want with a push of a button. As opposed to Grind Control, which requires some tweaking every time you want to change customizations.
Price and Value for Money
Warranty
When considering the DeLonghi TrueBrew Coffee Maker and the Breville Grind Control, it’s important to look at the warranty and customer service offered by each brand.
DeLonghi offers 2 years warranty out of the box. And an additional 1 year warranty if you register your machine on their website.
Breville offers a 1 year warranty, which you can extend by purchasing an additional coverage.
Overall Investment
When comparing the prices of these two coffee makers, you’ll find that there is a notable difference. The DeLonghi TrueBrew is more expensive than Breville Grind control, it’s actually around double the price, at the time of writing this guide at least.
When weighing the value for money, consider the features that each machine offers, such as grind customization, programmability, and brew strength customization.
DeLonghi TrueBrew offers great value for its price. While it is a drip coffee machine, it also gives you the ability to make espresso style shots of coffee, which eliminates the need for an Espresso machine. Also, it has DeLonghi’s most popular Over Ice feature which iced coffee lovers enjoy the most for its smooth and refreshing results.
On the other hand, Breville Grind Control is a great machine, too. And it gives excellent value for its price, but it’s not as intuitive to use as DeLonghi TrueBrew. You have to adjust a lot of settings to get the best results for each brew volume you want to make. While with the DeLonghi TrueBrew, it’s a simple touch of a button and everything is done for you.
Also, Breville Grind Brew is missing two features: Espresso style and Over Ice.
DeLonghi TrueBrew vs Breville Grind Control – Which One To Pick?
It’s pretty obvious that I am kind of in love with DeLonghi TrueBrew, and there’s a good reason for it:
It’s easy to use, there’s no guess work, you don’t have anything other than selecting your cup sizes and brew style.
DeLonghi TrueBrew combines the convenience of single-serve coffee and espresso machines with a pod-free system and a freshly grind beans that make superior coffee.
The variety of brew styles along with serving cup sizes gives you an ultimate coffee experience and makes it great for home or office use.
What does Breville Grind Control offer, on the other hand?
I find this breville coffee maker to be a great pick for an advanced user who has the time and need to precisely adjust their coffee settings.
The controls are not as easy as DeLonghi TrueBrew. If you select Single-Cup, you have to know what you are getting in ounces, which the machine will not tell you on the display.
For coffee makers like Breville, 12-cups is measured in 5-ounce increments, that’s something you’ll have to keep in mind when brewing any cup size, which you’ll adjust manually every time you brew.
Features DeLonghi TrueBrew Coffee Maker
DeLonghi TrueBrew Single Serve or Carafe
DeLonghi TrueBrew is available in two variations:
DeLonghi TrueBrew CAM51025MB: this model odes hot or iced coffee single serve coffee in several sizes.
DeLonghi TrueBrew CAM51035M: This model does Single serve and a full carafe of hot or iced coffee.
Brew sizes will depend on the model you choose. All of them do single-cup servings, but only TrueBrew CAM51035M can do a 40 oz carafe.
DeLonghi TrueBrew Brew Sizes
| DeLonghi TrueBrew CAM51025MB (Single-Serve) Brew Sizes | DeLonghi TrueBrew CAM51035M (Carafe) Brew Sizes |
| 3 oz (Espresso), 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 oz | 3 oz, 8, 12, 16, 24, 40 oz |
DeLonghi TrueBrew Single Serve has a variation of cup sizes, from an espresso style 3 oz, 8oz to 16 oz coffee cup and 20 or 24 oz travel mug size brew.
On the DeLonghi TrueBrew Carafe, you get: espresso style 3 oz, 8 to 16 oz cup sizes, 24 oz travel mug and 40 oz carafe. This model is missing the 20 oz travel mug serving size.
So both of them have 6 serving sizes, but with a slight difference in what they offer.
DeLonghi TrueBrew Brew Styles
Both TrueBrew models have the same 5 brew styles:
Espresso style: Since TrueBrew is a drip coffee machine, it does not make an authentic shot of espresso. But it does make an ‘espresso style’ 3 oz shot that you can use to make a latte or cappuccino. You will, however, need an external device for milk like an electric milk frother.
Light: this is for anyone who enjoys a milder taste of coffee. The machine will brew the coffee in less time to make it milder in taste.
Gold: When selected, DeLonghi TrueBrew will use the Golden Cup standard in terms of temperature and extraction time, as approved by European Coffee Brewing Centre.
Bold: This is a classic strong brew. The machine will steep the coffee for a longer time to give you a stronger and more robust cup of coffee.
Over Ice: For a refreshing iced coffee that is never watered down, use this feature. DeLonghi TrueBrew will lower the temperature and adjust the dose for a stronger coffee. When mixed with ice, you’ll get the perfect smooth cup of coffee over ice.
Also, Over Ice cuts the serving size by half. So if you’re brewing 8 oz, you’ll get 4 oz dispensed + ice, and when it’s all mixed, you’ll get the correct amount of coffee.
DeLonghi TrueBrew Over Ice
If you’re familiar with DeLonghi’s super automatics like Magnifica Evo or Eletta Explore, you know that DeLonghi excels in Over Ice technology. Now, they have added this feature to TrueBrew coffee maker.
DeLonghi’s TrueBrew Coffee Maker features TrueBrew Over Ice Technology which allows you to enjoy a refreshing, rich iced coffee. This innovative technology adjusts brewing to ensure full-bodied, smooth, and flavorful iced coffee that is never watered down. You’ll consistently get great-tasting, cold drinks perfect for those hot summer days.
Built In Grinder
DeLonghi TrueBrew has a built-in grinder to give you a full bean-to-cup experience of drip coffee. The bean hopped capacity is 250g and it comes with a sealed lid to keep your coffee beans airtight sealed.
Since TrueBrew is a drip coffee maker, the grinder on this machine does one grind setting only, which is medium grind for drip coffee.
If you don’t want to use the built-in grinder, you can use the bypass doser for pre ground coffee. It allows you to add in up to 3 scoops of ground coffee, using the included measuring scoop, and it works for serving sizes up to 16 oz only.
Other DeLonghi TrueBrew Features
- Control Panel: Touch buttons with colored icons
- Digital clock with Auto brew: works for any serving size.
- Cup tray holds short cups high to avoid splashing.
- Can accommodate large travel mugs (up to 24 oz serving size)
Breville Grind Control Features
Brew Sizes
Breville Grind Control is a carafe drip coffee maker, but it has the option of brewing a single cup only. Adjusting brew sizes is done by rotating a dial knob that goes from ‘cup mode’ to carafe setting. For Carafe setting, you can brew as little as 2-cup and up to 12 cups.
Built-in Grinder
The Breville Grind Control has a built-in conical burr grinder that saves you space and the need for a separate grinder. You can grind your coffee beans right before brewing, ensuring a fresh and flavorful cup every time. Moreover, the grinder can hold up to 0.5 pounds of coffee beans, so you don’t have to refill it constantly.
Customizable Grind Size and Brew Strength
With the Breville Grind Control, you can customize your grind size and coffee strength to suit your taste. The machine offers six grind size settings, ranging from fine to coarse. But they’re all in the medium grind range.
Additionally, there are eight strength settings, allowing you to fine-tune your coffee’s intensity. Experiment with different combinations until you find your perfect cup.
Programmable Settings
The Breville Grind Control is equipped with programmable settings for added convenience. You can set the machine to start brewing at a specific time, ensuring that your coffee is ready when you want it. Plus, it has an auto-start function, so you can wake up to a freshly-brewed cup every morning. The machine also gives you the option to brew a single cup or a full carafe at your desired strength and size.
