Melitta is a well-known German brand whose main activities are the production and marketing of branded products in the field of coffee preparation (domestic and professional coffee machines, coffee makers, accessories) and tea, food storage and preparation, as well as home cleaning.

The hero of our today’s review is the Melitta Enjoy drip coffee maker, a representative of the middle segment. This is not the most budget model, but not the most expensive among the entire product line presented. Let’s see what this device is capable of.

Characteristics

Manufacturer	Melitta
Model	Enjoy
Type	drip coffee maker
Country of Origin	China
Warranty	2 year
Service life *	5 years
Power	1080 W
Housing material	plastic
Case color	black red
jug material	glass
jug volume	1.25 l
Auto power off	there is
Control	mechanical
Indicators	inclusion
Additionally	AromaSelector – setting the taste (strength) of coffee
The weight	1.56 kg
Dimensions (W×H×D)	18×31×22 cm
Network cable length	0.8 m
Retail offers

^* Contrary to common misconception, this is not the period after which the device will definitely break. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its performance and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.

Equipment

The coffee maker comes in a stylish cardboard box with full color printing. The background color is grey. Red elements look good on it – the company logo, a red coffee mug, plastic elements of a coffee maker, etc.

Having studied the box, you can get acquainted with the main features of the device. The information is given in many languages, including Russian.

The contents of the box were protected from shock with corrugated cardboard inserts.

Opening the box, inside we found:

• the coffee maker with a jug
• set of paper filters (5 pieces)
• instructions and warranty card

At first sight

Even at the stage of acquaintance, the coffee maker makes an excellent impression. There are several reasons for this: it is high-quality plastic, a good combination of colors (red and black), and an original design that immediately makes it clear that this device is not just another branded no-name from a Chinese factory, but a specially designed device. Let’s take a closer look at the coffee maker.

The general arrangement of the coffee maker is quite standard: in general, we have a classic drip coffee maker with all the characteristic elements inherent in this type of device. However, there are a couple of interesting differences: we will definitely talk about them a little later.

On the front, on a black glossy body, we see the company logo and the model name – Enjoy.

On the bottom right is the button to turn on the device, on top we see the graduation of the water tank – from 2 to 10 large cups, or from 3 to 15 small ones. A small mug corresponds to about 85 ml of water, a large one to 125 ml.

The tank capacity is 1.25 liters. Access to it is through a hinged plastic cover.

The brewing compartment folds to the left, giving access to the cone-shaped seat of the paper filter. Our coffee maker does not have a reusable plastic filter, so we would recommend stocking up on disposable paper filters right away.

The brewing compartment can be easily detached from the body of the coffee maker by pulling it up. Thanks to this, care of the device is simplified: the dirtiest part can be washed under running water.

At the bottom of the brewing compartment is a standard anti-drip system that dispenses coffee only when a jug is placed in the coffee maker.

The jug of our coffee maker is glass, the hinged lid and the handle are plastic. They are attached to the jug with a metal strip.

From the back of the device, we do not see anything remarkable.

At the bottom, attention is drawn to rubber feet and a cord compartment that allows you to release it both to the left and to the right. The cord itself can be tucked into the body of the device.

The jug is installed on a metal platform that will heat the finished drink after it has been prepared.

Finally, the most unusual element is the AromaSelector drink strength regulator, which in some magical way should influence the taste of the finished drink. Turn the knob to the left – the coffee becomes less strong, to the right – more strong.

Included with the coffee maker, we also found a bag of 5 disposable paper filters. Standard 1/4 size filters are suitable for our device.

Summing up the intermediate result: we have a nice and thoughtful device. In our opinion, it will be pleasant to use such a coffee maker: the manufacturer clearly thought about the convenience of the user.

Instruction

The user manual is an A5 black and white brochure printed on matte paper. Here you can find instructions in many European languages, including Russian.

The share of the Russian language accounts for three pages, which contain basic information on how to use the device correctly. There are no secrets or tips here. We can only find basic information regarding the operation and care of the coffee maker.

Note that even on these three pages we found a lot of typos, and the translator forgets from time to time and calls the coffee maker a kettle.

Control

The only control of the coffee maker is a button with an LED that starts the process of preparing a drink.

The auto-off inscription tells us that the device will automatically turn off after a while. After consulting the instructions, we found out that our coffee maker will heat up the drink for 40 minutes after the preparation is completed, after which it will turn off. This is how it happens in reality: after 40 minutes, the button automatically “clicks off” and the coffee maker turns off.

Naturally, the user can turn off the heating at any time by pressing the button to turn off the device.

Exploitation

Before first use, the manufacturer recommends rinsing the device twice with maximum
amount of water without using a filter and ground coffee.

Then you can start preparing the drink. For this you need:

• make sure the machine is connected to the mains
• using the glass coffee pot, fill the water tank with the desired amount of cold water
• after filling, close the lid of the water tank again and place the glass jug with the lid closed in the machine
• open the filter holder to the left side, fold the paper coffee filter 1×4 along the seam and place it in the filter holder
• turn the filter holder back until it clicks
• turn on the device

As we can see, everything is standard.

Finally, it’s time to talk about the coffee strength adjustment knob Aroma Selector, which, according to the manufacturer, with one turn of the switch will allow you to individually adjust the taste of coffee: from mild aromatic to strong. Already at this stage, some doubts crept in: it is clear that no mechanical handle is able to make coffee “stronger”. And therefore (as we assumed) Aroma Selector is a device that makes coffee less strong .

During the experiments, we found out that the Aroma Selector works similarly to the regulator of a conventional shower in the bathroom: depending on the position of the handle, water is supplied to the filter either in the center (like most drip coffee makers) or along the edges of the “watering can”, falling on the outer radius of the filter .

It is clear that in the latter case, the water passes through the filter faster, the brewing time is reduced, as a result of which the coffee is brewed less strongly. It is clear that a less strong drink can be prepared in a much simpler way: for this, you just need to pour less coffee into the filter.

In addition, it will be more economical than filling up a larger volume of coffee and “under-brewing” it using a cunning water supply technology.

Care

External cleaning of the instrument involves regularly wiping the housing with a soft, damp cloth. The glass coffee pot with lid, plastic funnel and swivel filter holder are dishwasher safe.

To remove scale, use a special tool, and after cleaning, pass clean water through the coffee maker several times.

Our measurements

We measured the main parameters that characterize the operation of the coffee maker.

First of all, we were interested in such characteristics as consumed electricity and temperature at various stages of coffee preparation.

Measurements showed that in the coffee preparation mode, the coffee maker consumes up to 970 W, which generally corresponds to the declared power (1080 W).

The appliance consumes 0.125 kWh to prepare a standard serving (full jug) of coffee. Water is consumed in a little more than 8 minutes.

As usual, we note that our measurements have a certain error: for example, to measure the temperature of the water supply, we used an external thermometer, the probe of which was placed in the working chamber with a slightly ajar lid. It is clear that it is unlikely to achieve great accuracy here, but it is not needed: a general idea of u200bu200bwhat is happening inside the coffee chamber can be obtained in this way.

Speaking of drip coffee makers, in the “practical tests” section, we evaluate the data we have received and consider them in terms of deviation from the standards.

In order to be able to judge objectively, we, as usual, turned to the recommendations of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Recall that the ideal coffee in a drip coffee maker, according to these recommendations, will turn out if the weight of water is about 15 times the weight of coffee.

It is easy to calculate that for our coffee maker, 1250 ml of water will require 83 g of ground coffee. However, some roasters recommend sticking to the proportion of 60 g of coffee per liter of water. If you count in this way, then it will be enough to fill a full jug with 75 g of ground coffee. Well, the same SCAA can recommend even less – 55 grams per liter.

Grinding for a drip coffee maker is coarse. Before cooking, it is recommended to pour a small amount of hot water through the paper filter in order to remove any possible paper taste. Note that the smaller the amount of coffee being brewed, the more important it is not to skip this step. If when preparing two liters of coffee it will be difficult to feel the papery aftertaste, then if you are preparing 1-2 cups, then the foreign aftertaste can be more than noticeable.

As for the temperature of the water supply, it must reach 92 °C within a minute and not rise above 96 °C during the entire cooking process. We placed a small container in the brewing chamber and began to measure the temperature of the water in it. It turned out that the water temperature reached 90 °C, which we assess as a very good result: it is obvious that a degree or two is inevitably lost in the measurement process.

The coffee jug must keep the beverage at a temperature of at least 80°C and no higher than 85°C. In our case, the temperature of the water in the jug immediately after preparation was 77-78 °C and remained unchanged throughout the duration of the heating mode. This is very good: this result shows that the coffee maker does not “deceive” the user and does not hide the underheated water, reheating the undercooked coffee in the jug and thereby creating the illusion of a properly brewed drink.

Well, let’s go directly to testing.

practice tests

Full jug (1.25 l)

To begin with, let’s evaluate how a portion of coffee in the filter will look. We used a ratio of 60 g of coffee per liter of water and poured 75 g of coffee into the filter, which corresponds to a volume of 1.25 liters.

The beans were ground specifically for brewing in a drip coffee maker.

As we can see, there is a lot of free space left in the filter. This is good: we can be sure that the swollen coffee will not “leak” over the edge during the brewing process, and that all the water will pass through the coffee.

We started brewing by starting the coffee maker.

A characteristic gurgle, indicating that the water is running out, appeared after 7 minutes and 10 seconds. The complete flow of water was completed 8 minutes and 10 seconds after the start of cooking.

We evaluate this result as close to excellent: the coffee maker only slightly exceeded the maximum recommended pouring time (4 to 8 minutes), which resulted in a rich and balanced taste of the drink.

In the finished drink, we did not feel the characteristic sourness that often occurs during preparation in drip coffee makers due to the insufficient temperature of the water supplied.

The result, therefore, we evaluate as “good” (compared to semi-professional and certified devices) or “excellent” when compared to what home (budget) drip coffee makers give out.

Result: good/excellent.

Liter of coffee

Let’s try to make one liter of coffee in order to check our measurements again with the recommended standards.

We poured 60 grams of coffee and recorded the time.

This time, the characteristic gurgle was heard after 5 minutes and 20 seconds, and the entire cooking process was completed exactly 6 minutes later.

The energy consumption was almost 0.1 kWh, and the temperature of the finished drink was 78 °C. Very similar to the result, close to ideal.

The tasting confirmed our assumptions: the coffee tasted good. The temperature remained unchanged (changed by a maximum of 1 °C) throughout the duration of the heating mode.

The result turned out to be significantly better than that demonstrated by budget drip coffee makers.

Let’s take a look at used coffee.

As we can see, the entire volume of coffee in the filter was brewed, the excess coffee did not try to get out over the edge. Water also did not overflow anywhere.

Result: good/excellent.

findings

The Melitta Enjoy drip coffee maker, in our opinion, occupies a place between “amateur” and “professional” drip coffee makers, providing the owner with good coffee at an affordable price.

Who should pay attention to this model?

First of all, for lovers of large mugs, who do not particularly trust budget coffee makers (and they do it right!) and are able to distinguish a drink of more or less acceptable quality from an incomprehensible coffee broth, the main task of which is not to please with taste, but to bring caffeine to an unawakened organism.

Secondly, for those who want to get a stylish and thoughtful device in their kitchen.

Thirdly, for those who want to get coffee “at the touch of a button” and are not ready to bother remembering the correct brewing parameters, adjusting the temperature, etc. (The only thing is that you will have to immediately buy coffee with the right grind, this is important!)

Finally – looking for something in between budget and top models. We can please such users with the fact that, in principle, it is not necessary to overpay even more: it makes sense to look towards more expensive Melitta drip coffee makers only for the sake of additional functions such as a timer or a heat-resistant jug. But the taste of the drink will be approximately the same in the older version, in the younger version of the device.

Pros :

• stylish design
• adequate flow time
• stable temperature

Cons :

• strange (in our opinion, of little use) system for adjusting the strength