De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
Customer Review: irresponsible reviewers! words from an espresso master...
Summary: 5 Stars
This machine is fantastic and after i ordered (over great deliberation) and received mine, I could not wait to review this and rebuke other reviewers who clearly have trouble following simple directions or have no experience making espresso (point being, don't go so out of your way to bash something when you are clearly no expert). I was pretty put off by the bad reviews by seemingly well meaning and "intelligent" people. I've owned a really good espressso machine and the issues they were describing sounded like the sort of issues one might have if you didn't know what the heck you were doing. So I gambled ($60 bucks) and got this little thing. It ROCKS.
Here are some tips:
1. It's all in the grind, grimsy. If you grind your coffee into powder, you will not pull shots - period. You still want it slightly grainy - about cornmeal. All those one star reviewers (and others who rated it higher and actually thought they were making good espresso) who whined about the "soupy mess" left over - are getting it wrong. No espresso machine on earth will pull a good shot through powdered coffee - hence the water remains in the filter basket (= soupy mess and a crap cup of espresso) and does not get compressed through the grind. Duh. You should be left with a hard little red hot puck (I use chopsticks to dig this out).
2. The level and compression of the coffee grinds are important (not as important as the grind though). I also bought the metal 2 inch tamper that others recommended and I do think it's worth it but I also used my palm once and found that it worked great note, I am a contractor and I have a fairly fat palm so if you tend to be on the bony side - get the tamper).
Fill the "basket" with coffee. tamp it down until it is exactly at the rim. Not above it, and at most a millimeter below the rim (you'll understand "rim" when you see it, it's obvious). Push down on the coffee with the tamper or your palm with the same amount of presure you would use to squeeze toothpaste. It's not hard, with a little practice, to make it level - make it level. Clean ALL grinds off the rim or they wll get crushed into the part that seals in the pressure chamber.
If you pulled a good shot, you will get a nice, thick, crema with a buckskin or carmel color (this will settle more and more the longer the shot sits there). When you fill your shot glass and turn off machine, the crema should be around a quarter to half inch high. If it's really high (say, half the glass) you probably didn't tamp it hard enough or your grind is too course. If there is no crema, it's all wrong.
When you pull the basket off to clean it, you should have a hard, fairly dry (zero visible moisture/water on top - it should appear almost as damp dirt) coffee puck that is slightly resistant to coming out and has to be dug out with a little wooden stick (use chopsticks or a small wooden BBQ skewer).
NOTE: I actually tried to over compress it once - really torqued it on there and to my surprise, with my "cornmeal" grind, it still pulled the shot! I was amazed. I could probably go to a fraction more of a powdery grind but again - cormeal is the way to go and you can really compress it and i find that when i make coffee/espresso, it is less bitter if i don't make it too powdery - your call.
3. You can remove the little silver tray (it's superfluous and serves no great purpose) and just put a larger cup in the catch basket underneath - problem solved for all the whiners who complained about "no room." I love how small the thing is whereas at first I thought "Oh god, it's a toy." It's not.
4. My machine seemed to heat up in no time (10 minutes) and my shots were scalding hot (I have no idea what to say to those who complained that their coffee didn't get hot - mine would give 3rd degree burns and the cup is far too hot to hold). I admit there seems to be some confusion in the literature about warm up times (15 mins, 30 mins - what is it guys?) but I guess it involves the fact that you can preheat it (by actually using it to cycle water only, with no grinds involved) and reduce the actual "ready time" and by practice, this seemed to work (though, again, the instructions actually say "preheat for 15 mins, cycle water...and it should be ready... now wait 30 minutes" - what??? This is clearly a typo - text left in when it should not have been and as I used to be a technical writer (computer manuals, etc) I can tell you that's a common mistake - typos are eazy to see but sensible text, mistakenly left in is not since it does not at first blanch appear out of accord.
5. My steamer doesn't work, it only makes hot water, whaaaaaa!!! Yes it does, you just havn't had your cup of joe and you're still ASLEEP. You have to turn the knob....get ready for it, here it comes...to "STEAM." It does not make steam when the knob is in the "I want espresso" position - it makes hot water. Mine makes plenty of zero water steam and when it seems like it starts to run out, turn the knob off, and, in 10 seconds, it is ready to steam again. The knob doesn't say STEAM, or, I WANT ESPRESSO, but the little pictogram showing steam blasting out of a nozzzle that suspiciously looks like an espresso steam nozzle - should be enough, even for sleepy heads.
This thing also takes the pre-made "pods" of coffee and as far as I am concerned, I would never use something like that. Old school for me, all the way and I guarantee you my shots blow those hugely overpriced poodle pods out of the water.
So, there is a tiny little art to this but it's not that hard to get it right so long as you know the importance of the grind, and how hard you tamp it in (and thus the amount of coffee you use but how hard you tamp it in will dictate that - if there is too much coffe, it will be too high, simple). Have a little patience or you will be going back there to have teenagers make your $5 cup again which i don't really mind except I don't have time to stand in line for 30 minutes.
That's about it. I only just got the machine so can't say how long it lasts, reliability, etc, but from what I read that is not an issue.
Customer Review: Stop Searching
Summary: 5 Stars
I almost spent $700 on an espresso machine so I wouldn't have to question if it worked or not, and it was an automatic (grinds and presses the coffee for you). I researched espresso machines and reviews for a few months. I purchased a cheap one at Target for about 80 bucks. It broke on my second latte. I went to steam the wand to clean it and the water pump snapped off in the machine and the buttons started leaking water. I returned it that day and decided to do more research. The Delonghi EC155 came up time and time again as being a great machine for the low price, however I thought it was ugly and wimpy looking. Being a barista I know my coffee and I wanted to get something that would not only last, but make kick ass espresso as well. I found that most of the reviews for brands like Krups, and Hamilton Beach were terrible products and broke after a month. I took a chance and decided to purchase the Delonghi. I got mine for 95.85 after shipping from Amazon. I had read that the 12 ounce krups milk frothing pitcher made it easier to use the short frothing wand. I also bought a milk thermometer, a must for anyone seriously picky about their coffee temp.
I LOVE my machine. I was terrified that it would break, overheat, or have some terrible defect. When it arrived the box was very beat up and that made me really nervous. The product had been re-packaged, however, it seems brand new. The machine comes with two espresso shot stainless steel inserts, one for a single, one for a double. There is a tamping wand which you use to tamp the grounds with right on the side of the machine. It's awesome. I use it every time (I haven't tried pods yet, I use grounds), I learned that if you fill the insert full with grounds and then tamp it down it makes a puck like espresso mound after you run the water through. This is good, it makes really great espresso, as opposed to having a soupy mess to clean up because the grounds were not full to the top or the insert.
I wanted great quality in my machine. So for this one being so cheap I was worried the espresso would taste like crap. WRONG. The Crema (the brown froth on the top of the espresso shot) is thick and creamy and golden brown just like at a cafe. This amazed me. This machine has great espresso, it's strong and really high quality for a machine of this magnitude. I use pre-ground DunkinDonuts Original roast. If you use a flavored coffee your espresso will be more "sour" tasting than bold. Always go with a breakfast blend or original coffee, stay away from flavors.
This being said, I don't drink straight espresso. I really enjoy Cappuccinos(all milk foam and espresso) and lattes (steamed milk, espresso, and foam on top). So having a sturdy steamer that didn't overheat was really important. If you buy syrups, whip cream, milk, and toppings you can make any drink that you buy at your local starbucks. Mochas= steamed milk, chocolate syrup, espresso, and whip. Caramel Machiattos are the same as a latte except you add caramel and vanilla syrup. I made eggnog lattes and apple cider for the holidays, the wand will steam anything.
Cleaning: I clean my machine after every use. It's a habit. Once you steam something remove the plastic nozzle and run it under water, before screwing it back on run some steam through the wand and wipe it down. The wand is hot so be careful. But cleaning the machine when your done with it will keep bacteria out and prevent a nasty crust from forming on the wand. Dump espresso out of the espresso wand and run under water. The espresso wand can be taken apart and cleaned easily. I take all of the removable parts off and run them through the dishwasher once a month for extra measure.
WARNINGS:
-Read the instructions and prime the water pump before you make your first drink.
-Keep water container full. Check regularly so you don't burn out your pump.
-Clean after 3-4 uses at least.
-The steaming wand is hot and spews hot hot water, be careful.
-Low clearance on the steam wand, however, a 12 ounce pitcher will work great to steam milk. Fill pitcher halfway until you get the hang of steaming so you don't make a huge mess.
-Steamer makes a hissing noise when frothing milk, this is normal, move the steam wand above milk then submerge again and it will go away. Takes practice.
-Only a shot glass will fit under the shots spout, a mug or glass is way too big. I recommend using a child's teacup, or a clear shot-glass to see the crema.
-The first few drinks will taste like plastic. I ran water tests through mine for the first 6 uses. This reduces the plastic taste for the first drink.
-The machine makes a small pounding noise before pulling the shot. This is normal. It is not very loud though. The vibration on this machine is very low. and so is noise level.
-I could only find this machine online.
Watch out for overheating. I have never experienced a problem, but I only make 2-3 lattes at a time. The steaming knob gets very hot when you turn it and leave it steam. Just put space in between every three lattes to ensure the machine doesn't overheat.
I recommend again the 12 ounce pitcher, and a thermometer. The machine does not automatically turn off when the milk is hot enough, and i like my milk 140 degrees. That being said it takes about a minute to steam it that temp, and i make my milk before the shots because it takes less time to make the shots. I have had my machine for about 3-4 months and I love it. I have made roughly 120 drinks and it still works great. The experts recommend a cleaning solution that's sold both in stores and online to be run through it like once a year to remove buildup and calcium.
All in all this machine is cheap, and incredibly high quality. It fits perfectly on a counter top, makes little to no mess, is easy to clean and most importantly delivers excellent quality froth and espresso. I'm completely impressed with this little guy and it's a wonderful starter machine.
Customer Review: Bang for your Budget
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the EC155 on clearance at a big box retailer. I will preface this by saying I am not, by any stretch, a coffee expert, but have friends that did all the research for me. I like the iced lattes from Sbux, and I thought I had my habit under control until I added up what I was spending for what is, essentially, a shot of coffee and milk. Uh oh. Then my friend came to visit with her espresso maker, and I was pleasantly surprised that the coffee she made didn't have that slightly burnt taste like Sbux did. The search began. Per my coffee loving friends, I needed a few things.
1. Pump driven
2. Stainless boiler
3. Nice crema
4. Preferably Italian. Not sure if this is true or not, but my friend said all the coffee freaks suggested Italian because they make "the best ones". I have no reason to know otherwise. :-D
This machine seemed to fit the bill, and the budget. I read every online review out there, and they seemed to be mostly positive. Negative reviews seemed to be either from folks wanting a more professional machine, reading the manual problems, or defective from the box machine. When I saw it marked down at Big Box, I jumped.
I will say the manual left a little to be desired, it's obvious that the author isn't familiar with American idiom, but hey, it's Italian, right? Pictures are pretty good, and after studying it for a while I figured out most of it. Now, it says to run a shot through with no grounds 5 times first, and I did. Didn't notice any chemical flavor after doing this on my first pull. The tamper is, as many people have pointed out, a joke. I will be purchasing my own one shortly. There isn't a lot of distance from the bottom of the portafilter ( I think that's what it's called) and the tray. This being my first couple of pulls, I solved that problem by taking out the tray on the bottom and plunking in a regular double shot glass under the stream. You could also get a mug under there by that method. Easy peasy. Going forward I'm going to invest in some one oz. shot glasses, but if you are really not wanting to buy anything other than the machine you could very easily just keep doing it that way. I did notice that with the large filter, I couldn't get all of 2 scoops in, but I think that just means I need to refine my tamping technique. I can't address how well the foaming wand foams, as I almost always drink iced. I can say however, that I'm really not getting why people say the wand is too close to the counter, just for fun I put a 32 oz Pyrex measuring cup there (just in case I ever needed to know) and it looked like it fit fine, plenty of clearance and room to move the wand about.
This machine seems easy, again I have no comparison other than a regular cheapo drip machine, but after reading the directions I was up and pulling a shot in 15 minutes. My very first pull, I got a nice dark shot with crema. Mmmmm...
Something I haven't seen mentioned is the cool hooky thing that you flip to hold the basket while you bang out the puck. This being my first machine, I was excited by this. Your mileage may vary. Also, the manual does say to warm it up for 15 minutes OR you can wait until the OK light comes on and run a shot with just hot water and it's ready to go. It's stainless and black, and up top there's a nice little (stress the little, demitasse cup sized) area to warm your cups.
In conclusion, this seems to be a nicely priced budget machine for your one or two coffee drinker family, for someone wanting to break their dependence on the drive through. It's a small machine footprint wise, so perfect for a small kitchen. I don't think it's really meant for crowds, if you entertain a lot, or, say, want to use it in an office setting where lots of people need espresso, I might look for a bigger machine. It does just what I wanted it to do, I can make my morning iced latte without getting in the car and driving to the coffee store. Hopefully it will last, I will update my review as needed. Right now, though, it seems to me that the EC155 is a nice entry level machine in the pump machine category. Based on some other reviews, I'd say read the manual carefully, clean the machine regularly, and keep an eye out as it works and you should be fine.
Update 5/27/10: As I've refined my technique I like the machine even better. I'm now getting the requisite 14 oz into the basket. I bought a metal tamper and tested myself standing on a scale for the "proper" (per espressoguy) tamp. Another review addressed that there's water in the filter when you run a "warming" cycle. Yep. The manual says this machine has a crema enhancing filter, so I'm pretty sure that's why. Either way it's fine - coffee is good and no leaking. Still haven't tried the frothing wand. I have my coffee ground at the first espresso setting at the store, and (again per espressoguy) I am getting the "correct" timing of pulling a 2 oz in the "proper" 15-22 seconds. I found a couple of videos on You Tube of this machine in action, just search EC155 on there and you'll find them. Still a thumbs up, its already paid for itself!
Update 11/30/2010
Still loving my little bargain workhorse. I have now had the opportunity to use the steam wand, worked fine, I kept in mind the reviews here and made sure to be very gentle re threading it after washing and have had no problems. It is exceptionally loud though. Not a problem for me, but if you used daily I could see how that could be annoying. As far as the height of the wand, I looked at one of those coffee sets at Sbux that came with the "correct" metal pitcher for foaming, and looking at that I can see how you might have a clearance problem. That said, though, I just used a Pyrex cup and no issues. Another solution could be to scoot the unit to the edge of the counter. It isn't heavy so that could solve it. Going on almost a year now, going strong! Still a winner for sure.
Customer Review: Pleasantly surprised!
Summary: 5 Stars
First, a little about why this machine is perfect for someone like me. I live with my coffee-hating boyfriend, meaning that I will be the only one using the machine. I typically drink a 12 oz latte once or twice a day. If you have a large family or frequently entertain, you may want a machine that can more readily steam large quantities of milk and pull several shots within in a short period of time.
I used to work in a coffee shop and became up close and personal with a professional machine that probably cost the company upwards of ten grand. Before now, I never even considered having a home espresso machine because I had assumed that a quality machine would be far out of my price range. Seeing that this (under $100) model was the best selling espresso machine on Amazon with great reviews, I was skeptical, but very interested.
I ordered the machine along with a 12-ounce steaming pitcher, thermometer, tamper, and espresso shot glasses. The first latte that I prepared took me about ten minutes from the time I turned the machine on to the cleanup. This includes grinding the beans while waiting it to warm up, pulling the shot, and finally steaming the milk. I used Starbucks espresso beans and plain soy milk. It was delicious! I was very pleased.
As far as some of the complaints people have had:
1. "The steam wand is too close to the counter": If you have to use a pitcher larger than 12 ounces, either find a wide and shallow pitcher or do what I did -- buy a counter top space-saving shelf and sit the machine on top of it. Problem solved!
2. "The steam wand has plastic threads": This is true, and certainly cause for concern if you take the steam wand tip off frequently. However, it would be very hard to strip the threads by screwing it on the wrong way. If you have it lined up correctly, it screws back on with great ease. If you feel any resistance, you're doing it wrong.
3. "The steam wand spurts out hot water": It does. Before I put the wand into the pitcher of milk, I just let it sputter for a second. Even if I didn't, the amount of water is so small that it certainly wouldn't cause the finished drink to become watered down.
4. "The machine produces fake crema": I must admit that I'm no coffee snob, but having worked at a cafe, I know what things should taste like. I have no idea how crema could be "fake" but I'll just say that the result tastes as it should.
5. "The machine's performance degrades after about a year of use": Obviously, I can't confirm nor deny this as I've only had the machine for a week, but after doing some rough calculations, this is how cost effective the machine is:
One year of a 12-ounce Starbucks latte 4 days a week: $800
One year of 12-ounce homemade latte 4 days a week: $325
Even if you add the cost of having to replace this machine once a year, you've still saved almost 50%!
I conclude that this thing works great for the price tag, more than pays for itself and is cost effective. Not to mention all of those paper cups you won't be wasting!
UPDATE: 8 MONTHS OF USE
My machine is still kicking after eight months. It does take slightly longer to warm up than when I first got it, but the warm up time has remained constant for the past seven months. I've been using nothing but distilled water in it, using it daily and cleaning it about once a month. I've found that grinding the espresso really fine yields a much stronger shot, which is what I want. The shot takes longer to pull when you do this, especially when packed very tightly. I'm still very happy with my purchase and at this point, I believe that it has paid for itself. Especially now that I no longer go to Starbucks (except to buy beans)!
Customer Review: Great machine for the price
Summary: 4 Stars
UPDATE:
After 4 months, this machine went Tango Uniform. Replacement from Delonghi took nearly 2 months, we traded up for a EC702. Pump just went, worked fine then all of the sudden, it didn't.
Original:
I bought this machine about 5 days ago and am pleasantly surprised with its ease of use so far. For $100, you really can't go wrong, after about a month this thing will have paid for itself. I am addicted to vanilla cappuccino, and at $4.35 a piece at Starbucks (more if I get my preferred decaf), I tend to not get them but once or twice a week. My wife loves the mocha lattes at Panera Bread also. Anyway, after some careful research, I settled on 3 machines, the Capresso Ultima, Capresso 303.1, and the Delonghi EC155. At $300, I found it hard to justify the Ultima when I am trying to save a few bucks each week, it would take a year of cappuccinos to justify that amount. While the 303.1 looked appealing and is half the price, it was steam driven and many sites (even Capresso's) admits pump is better. Ok, so I bought the EC155 for $100 and picked up some Illy pods. At first I didn't want to attempt the loose coffee until I mastered the pods. This machine is really easy to use, and clean up is very easy. After a few attempts, I feel comfortable making the espresso with the pods. I will probably keep some on hand, though, as they are very easy to make a quick cup. Some notes I have for anyone considering buying this machine:
- As almost everyone says, follow the directions. I failed to leave the filter in while heating and it makes a difference (it leaks)
- The pod holder works great, but don't expect to flip the filter holder and dump the pod, it's too shallow so just grab the pod tab and toss it that way (haven't tried loose yet will update when I do)
- Get a frothing pitcher, Krupps has a short one that works well, just note as others have that there isn't much room between the wand and the counter (I move mine to the edge to make it easier)
- There is no way to tell how long you should let this run, I haven't burned any yet but I am never quite sure if I let it run long enough.
- Directions say to wait 15 minutes then after 30 brew (?), confusing. I typically wait about 15 minutes and it is drinkably hot, haven't noticed it getting any hotter with longer wait times.
Is it as good as Starbucks/Green Beans/local coffee house? I think so, I am using the decaf Illy ESE pods (wife suffers from migraines and can't drink caffeine) and the flavor is good. I am not a picky espresso drinker though so connoisseurs may have a different opinion. I made my wife her first mocha latte last night and she said it was "very close" to the Panera flavor she's grown to love. So, all tolled I have spent about $125 on the machine, coffee, and syrups and after 5 cups I am still down a bit but about a month of enjoying them when I want should even out.
I plan to buy pre-ground roast this week and attempt to make it that way, I know the flavor is better when you grind your own but I don't want to have to spend $50 to grind beans, having a blade coffee grinder I never noticed much of a difference that way and I doubt I will this way either. I will update if I try the grinds (Looking at Cafe Bustelo Decaf) or any regular roasts (looking at Lavazza pods). Bottom line, I am happy (so far) with this purchase and look forward to many vanilla cappuccinos and mocha lattes.
UPDATE:
Bought some Illy decaf ground and Lavazza medium roast. I can definitely tell a difference, much more crema than the pods, plus you essentially double the volume of espresso you can brew. While the pods are easy and quick, if I have time I will use the grounds. I must add that the puck is dang near impossible to tap out of the filter, recommend scooping it out with something (being careful not to damage the filter).