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: Great value, fine machine, a few quirks.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had my ec155 for about 4 months now, and I am quite pleased with it. I make around 5-6 shots of espresso per day, and have so far had no hassles, aside from routine maintenance (descaling, addressed below).
A few pointers, though, that address some of the negative comments:
1) The ground coffee holder is a bit (maybe 30%) smaller than on a normal espresso machine. If you pack it full, it holds about 10 grams of coffee (scoop and a half using the included coffee scoop). This is somewhere between a single and double shot (whereas most machines have a double shot basket). So, you should expect to get about 1 or 1.5 ounces of coffee from that. If you keep running more water through the grounds after that, the resultant beverage gets progressively more bitter. This has to do with what stuff in the coffee dissolves into the hot water fastest (the bitter stuff is slow to dissolve, so the later parts of the shot are more bitter 'cuz it's mostly bitter stuff left in the grinds).
2) The space under the portafilter (brew head) is a bit small, but you are making a 1-ounce beverage. The space is adequate for a shot glass or espresso cup, which are the correct size for your beverage.
3) The machine is not silent, but also not very loud. However, after a few months of use, it gets a bit louder, and the water comes out slower. This is because your machine needs descaling. As you use it, minerals from the water get deposited in the tubing in the machine, restricting flow through them. To descale my machine (which I do every 4-6 weeks), I run a weak vinegar solution through it (maybe 1/2 cup of white vinegar in 1 liter of water). Then, keep running clean water through the machine until you can't taste any vinegar (around 3 liters...).
4) The built-in tamper is useless, but you don't really need a tamper. This machine has a pressurized portafilter, which means that the filter basket itself restricts flow until the pressure reaches 9 bars (unlike a normal machine where the coffee grinds provide the resistance). This means that, even if you don't tamp (smush the coffee into the portafilter), it will still get extracted at the right pressure. I still tamp lightly, 'cuz it makes the clean-up after the shot a bit easier (you get a solid puck of coffee in the filter that you can knock out, as compare to a watery soup, if you don't tamp).
Summary: this is a great value, perfectly fine home espresso machine. If you are expecting to make big cups full of coffee, this is the wrong machine: get a drip coffee maker or french press. Or, make an americano: make your shot or two of espresso, then add enough hot water to fill the cup. If you take care of this machine, it will keep making good espresso for a long time.
Also, make sure to use a blended-for-espresso coffee in this machine. There are differences between the coffee you use for espresso vs. drip coffee. I find that the pre-ground lavazza products (available on amazon, like the "lavazza espresso bar", or "inblu", or "dek") are pretty good, and reasonably inexpensive: you can get 2 lbs (4 half-pound bricks or cans of ground coffee) for around $20. For me, the 2 lbs is about a 1-month supply at 4 shots per day.
Customer Review: Blatant engineering problem with plastic steam nozzle
Summary: 3 Stars
To begin with, I'm happy with this machine. I bought this model after carefully reading lots of online reviews. I will not repeat the good things that I agree with in other reviews. It makes great coffee and the steamer doubles the milk in no time at all. It makes a GREAT frothy latte that is much frothier than my local coffee houses make. For the price and quality of coffee, this is worth the purchase. There are a few problems, however, that I've not read in other reviews that I think are of note and there are two easy fixes for problems mentioned in other reviews.
Steam wand problem- Here's one of the problems I've not read about, and it's a big one. After using the steam wand with milk you are supposed to unscrew the plastic piece and wash it. Makes sense right? Well, the threads on the inside of the plastic piece are plastic, not metal. That is a BIG problem. After washing it for the first time I cross threaded it even though I was being careful. It's easy to do because the wand's threads are metal and a lot sturdier than the plastic piece. DeLonghi should invest a few cents and countersink metal threads into the plastic piece. This one inexpensive piece is definitely the weak link in this machine. Be very careful!
Temperature of coffee- Be careful that you heat this machine up for a minimum of 15 minutes before making coffee. I heated it up for 25 and the coffee was still not as hot as I'd like it. If you're making latte, get the milk super hot if you like your coffee hot. Definitely invest in a thermometer.
Time frames- This machine will not work if you want to make coffee for a crowd. After using the steam wand you need to re-heat the machine before making more expresso. From the get go, waiting 15 minutes before using the machine is also kind of annoying. If you are making coffee for several people, be sure you get a larger pitcher and steam your milk all at once.
Steam wand height fix- The steam wand is said to be too close to the counter. I've really not had problems with this. It easily works with a 12 ounce pitcher. For a large pitcher it's simple enough to raise the expresso machine off the counter by placing it on something else. Not a perfect solution, but an easy solution nonetheless. As mentioned above, if you are making expresso for your friends, you will need a large pitcher to steam your milk all at once, so have something handy to elevate the machine.
Clearance for coffee cup- I've not found this to be a big problem. My fancy coffee cups that came with my dinnerware fit just fine without removing the grate. I've got to bend them slightly, but since I don't completely fill them up, this is not a big deal at all. By the way, it is NOT a problem to remove the metal grate to fit a larger cup. It lifts right up easily. You will not be able to fit a standard size mug no matter what, but demitasse cups fit fine and fine china cups also will fit.
Even though I'd buy this machine again, I'm only giving it three stars because of the blatant engineering problem with the plastic steam nozzle that gets a high amount of usage. For a machine that seems to be built very sturdily, this mistake is inexcusable.
Customer Review: Very capable, simple espresso maker
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, I have owned the machine for just 2 days and cannot say much about durability, company support etc. But since I have read a couple of other reviews (mostly on Amazon's site, but not only here), I want to clarify on some points that seem fuzzy after reading those reviews, but look pretty obvious when you own the device.
First, the first impressions. It does seem well built, although mainly of plastic. But the plastic is good quality. As for the "plasticky" smell mentioned in some reviews, I can feel none and I have rather good sense of smell. The tank, for example, is made of solid polythene (that is, poly-ethylene), which is standard for all food and medical applications and just does not have any smell. It is one of the least reactive plastic materials. In fact, even strong acids can be kept inside polythene. One thing, I had washed the parts mentioned in the manual before making the first coffee and primed the unit, making several shots of coffee, letting some steam out etc. This is usually quite important as any kitchen utensil that has not been primed can smell of factory dust or residue.
Second, the quality of espresso this unit makes. I have owned quite a few espresso makers and have drunk coffee all over Europe. This one certainly makes a quality espresso. Obviously, there are different preferences, but I can assure that the espresso this unit makes compares very well with the espresso you can buy in Italy in the cafes with professional espresso machines. It is not a "killer" espresso (that is, not as strong as some), it is medium-strength, with proper crema and flavour. Actually, in Italy the normal size of espresso is about 60 mililitres (about 2 fl.oz.). I prefer to make a 100-150 ml shot and this seems to be just about the right size for this machine. If you wish to make the kind of coffee Italians scornfully call "cafe Americano", this might not be the perfect coffee maker, as there is not enough space to put a bigger cup under the nozzle.
Third, the temperature. Some reviews mention that this unit needs 15 to even 45 minutes to heat. Well, this is mentioned in the manual, but in practice this does not seem to matter. If you just make a single shot (Italian size) in the morning, the coffee will be perfectly hot just after about 2 minutes pre-heating. I understand that some people expect their coffee to be "piping hot", but a piping hot coffee is something of a contradiction in itself. If your coffee is really piping hot, then you either burn your mouth or have to wait till it cools down a little, losing the precious aroma in the meantime.
By the way, if you make espresso the traditional Italian way (an espresso maker that looks like an inverted hourglass that you put on your stove, which I believe, is called a "stovetop espresso"), it does not come piping hot. And, incidentally, the strongest espresso I have been able to make was not with an electrical unit, but with such an Italian-style utensil (made by Bialetti).
To sum up, this seems to be a very reasonably priced and well-performing espresso machine. It makes quality espresso of medium strength and seems reasonably well-built.
Customer Review: Still perfect after all these months . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
After carefully reading all the reviews of this product on Amazon, I bought the EC 155 five months ago. Besides the reviews themselves, I selected this product because it takes up minimal counter space and it is inexpensive. I was seeking to replace my 2Xday Starbucks latte runs, and I didn't want to make a huge investment in case home lattes turned out to be too much trouble to make or the taste didn't measure up to Starbucks. If the experiment was succesful, I fully expected to trade up. However, after using this machine 2 to 3 times a day for 5 months, I have grown to love it so much that if it breaks down I will get another one. It brews excellent espresso, the grounds pop out in perfect little hockey pucks and the steamer doubles the milk volume producing mounds of long lasting foam with micro-bubbles just like the commercial machines. Unanticipated advantages include being able to use organic milk from grass-fed cows and vary the types of espresso for variety. I also purchased through Amazon 1) the Krups 20 oz. foaming pitcher 2) a pair of Bodum Pavina 2-Ounce Double-Wall Thermo espresso shot glasses and 3) a ProAccurate Insta-Read NSF Beverage & Frothing Thermometer. I bought these based on a recommendation I read from another reviewer. The pitcher works really well, the thermometer is indispensable, but you could give the Bodum shot glasses a miss: a pin hole in the bottom lets water seep in, and after a few weeks the interior of the double walls appears dirty. The alternative is to carefull dry the glass after each use (i.e., no quick rinse/air dry.) I didn't make perfect latte on the first try although it was passable. I carefully read all the brewing tips (even the complaints) in the reviews, and after about a month I seemed to have gotten it down. I am now in month 5 and am quite happy.
Update # 1 - I got 18+ months of 2-3 times daily service from my first EC155, and then I killed it by running it dry by accident. No problem. I ordered a new one in July 2010 (6 mos. ago). About two weeks ago it started leaking all over the counter, and no coffee was coming out. I thought, uh-oh, I have a defective machine like all those other people who have written in about leaks. I got on the internet researching a replacement in roughly the same price range (<$200) and found they all have negative reviews for one reason or another, but mainly leaks. By sheer happenstance I stumbled on a website where someone advised that the filter assembly for the EC155 works best if the coffee is more coarsly ground and isn't tamped down too hard. By coarsely ground, he didn't mean a drip grind, just at the coarse range of the espresso spectrum. I think that over the month I had been grinding my coffee increasingly finer and tamping it down harder. Well, I am happy to report that my once again my EC155 is producing great espresso. As for the leak, it is still there, but it has abated significantly so that it more a dribble than a big puddle. I am sure that I blew something out by packing finely ground coffee so tightly that the water couldn't be forced through. When I get tired of the little leak, I will splurge on a new EC155.
Customer Review: It's ok, but ...
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm on my second one, soon to be third if Delonghi customer service honors its warranty.
With the first machine, it gave 10 months of service before it could hardly deliver a shot. I faithfully followed the cleaning regimen and unscrewed and cleaned the metal filter under the portafilter. I've used both commercial coffemaker cleaners and citric acid solutions. Towards the end, the machine was louder and leaked around the portafilter, the knob that controlled the steam was seized (which to me suggested calcification).
Delonghi sent me a second machine, which seemed to actually perform better than the first.
Exactly two weeks later.. disaster.. water was all over the counter top. (Seems the reservoir gasket was not well seated) I pulled out the water reservoir and there was water sitting all around the base. In order to drain some of it, I removed all the loose parts and inverted the machine. Two large shards of plastic fell out. The wall between the water reservoir and the pump/heater had cracked and now I can see the insides of the machine; not cool dude.
I called Delonghi customer service. They asked me to send photographs of the damage, which sent soon after the conversation ended. I called them the next day to see what action they are going to take. I was informed that they did recieve the photos in my email and this is was with their "Office" and that they would review the photos and contact me. No timelines, nothing.
I'm not one who likes to be without one's coffee so I will continue to risk using this machine until they contact me, but it's been a few days. I don't think it takes much to review some very clear photos.
If they send a replacement; good, I will use it. But I can say that the next machine I buy will need to be better constructed; no plastic tubes, plastic housing. Problem is what do you get? Seems they all have their issues.
Is it too much to ask for a machine that will give years of service and not have costs approaching a downpayment on a car? I'm not even looks for bells, would be happy with a fully manual machine.
Pros:
Good Crema and quite quickly.
Inexpensive
Cons:
Short height between portafilter and base...use short shot glasses. Cannot use to preheat the cups
Steam is barely adequate; takes a while for the steam to kick in. perhaps indicative of all machines in this price point.
Soap bubbles; not able to quite perfect microfoam and i've been trying for some time... the plastic aerator works againsts me in this regard.
To tamp or not to tamp. I actually find giving it a good tamp (35-40 lbs of pressure and twist on the end) results in a less flavorful cup that just a light tamp. The pressurized portafilter,while giving good crema, prevents getting a good distribution of water throughout the grounds when tamped too hard.
Wet pucks.
Low steam wand. Cannot easily get my 12 oz Rattleware pitcher under there unless I have the machine propped up.