Dualit Espressivo coffee maker

The basics

Dualit's 15-bar coffee maker is one for kitchen fashionista thanks to a classy chrome and cast metal body.

The Dualit backs up its beauty with Thermobloc tech to deliver hot water and steam on demand, extra cup height clearance and a delivery system that will handle ground coffee or espresso pods.

The good

The Espressivo is not a machine to be hidden away – its gorgeous stainless steel and cast metal body will raise diners' eyebrows before they've even had a sip of its wares.

Fortunately, the coffee's also good – the controls on the Dualit are simple, solid and a joy to use, and with a little practice, you will be dispensing perfect espressos with ease.

Coffee temperature is also bang on, thanks to the Thermobloc system, and there's no hanging about waiting for steam to percolate. There's also a high dispensing nozzle, for anyone who wants to fill up more than an espresso cup.

The bad

The Espressivo is a tad on the noisy side once it gets going, although the sound is reassuring rather than alarming. We also found that this machine was a bit of a dripper – use it regularly and that drip tray will be full in no time.

Given the generous height of the dispensing nozzle, it remains a mystery why the frothing nozzle remains on the positively stumpy side.

The bottom line

Quite simply the best-looking coffee maker of its kind, the Dualit Espressivo is as classic as a Vespa and almost as much fun to take for a spin.