De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
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List Price: Our Price: $58.90 You Save: $81.10 (58%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
Customer Review: Reluctantly sending it back
Summary: 2 Stars
I really wanted to like this machine, I thought DeLonghi had given us an affordable pump-drive cappuccino maker. And it just isn't quite.
(n.b. I'm trying to get customer images up. If the technical difficulty goes away please refer to my customer images for visual reference.)
Things to like:
1. Pump drive! So much better than steam pressure machines. It works pretty well too.
2. The espresso comes out very good (though in small amounts, see below). All 3 proper layers are discernable, crema is especially satisfactory.
3. The removable tank is very handy. And large.
4. Price is right, I don't think there's a more affordable machine with such quality performance "guts".
These pluses are solid reasons to own this machine.
Why I am returning it:
1. The holder for espresso grounds is WAY too small. There are two of them and the bigger one is less than half the size of any standard equipment. Unless you only ever plan to pull 2oz at a time the espresso will come out weak. I usually pull 2-3 shots minimum and can't be bothered to pull, empty, and tamp for every 2 oz I want.
2. The frother is so low to the counter that even a small frothing pitcher won't fit under it. Boo.
3. The wand is so shallow that I cannot properly froth any decent amount of milk since the wand only goes down into the very top of the milk. Also boo. I can't make milk stretch with this gizmo and it's one of the reasons I picked this machine.
4. The only thing that fits under the espresso spout is a shot glass or espresso cup. 2 inches of clearance offers no flexibility for pulling into a mug or small pitcher. I could have lived with this if 1-3 were not already problems.
All of these issues, which I consider design flaws, could easily be corrected in a product redesign. The internal works are fine. A taller machine with a longer wand would fix all my problems. As is it takes too long to get coffee I don't want and there's always a clean-up mess.
I started with a super-cheap steam drive machine and upgraded to this one expecting an affordable way to take my coffee production to the next level. This machine should be great and instead it's just frustrating.
If you're only looking for a small shot in some modest foam and don't mind some hassle this is a fine machine. I regrettably will be looking for something else.
Customer Review: Exceeded expectations
Summary: 5 Stars
Because this was to be my first espresso machine and hence a learning experience, I was looking for an inexpensive starter machine that would take up minimum counter space and still produce espresso better than what I was getting at Starbucks, which has deteriorated over the years. Based on other reviewer's comments, the EC155 seemed to fit the bill. I am happy to report that it exceeded my expectations by far. It makes espresso as good as any I have ever had, i.e., in three-star restaurants, and far superior to Starbucks espresso. I used to buy a triple espresso at Starbucks on my way to work. Since buying this machine, I haven't been back. I make four shots for myself and put it in a thermos before leaving for work. This takes me, with clean up, about ten minutes--far less time than parking and waiting in line at Starbucks. I figure that based on the price of a triple espresso at Starbucks $2.36) and what it costs to make a triple espresso with this machine, about 15 cents a shot for the coffee beans (I use French Roast), this machine should pay for itself in less than three months.
Unlike others, I am not bothered by the noise this machine makes, which is slight in my opinion. In fact, I find it rather comforting.
I heeded the advice of other reviewers and bought a frothing pitcher and a tamper, the Krups pitcher and the RSVP tamper recommended by Amazon. I am quite happy with them. However, I am not so happy that I didn't check before one-click ordering them. The machine, the pitcher, and tamper all came from different companies and I was charged a separate shipping charge for each. This nearly doubled the price of the tamper. I have used the frother only once and found that it worked fine, enabling me to whip up in short order a couple of cappuccinos for my wife and myself one Sunday morning to go with our brunch.
On the advice of other reviewers, I also upgraded from a Krups blade grinder to a Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder, Black and am very happy I did. So is my wife, who likes to make herself a pot of French press coffee in the morning. It allows her to get, without guessing, the perfect grind for French press, coarse, and me, for espresso. I find that the finest setting on the grinder's Fine range works best for me. The Extra Fine settings don't seem to produce as rich a crema.
Customer Review: I'm in love.
Summary: 5 Stars
I researched like crazy before ordering this machine. In fact, I bought and tried two other machines first, the Keurig and another espresso machine I got at Target. The Keurig makes weak coffee and I didn't like the fact that you're using and then having to toss away plastic every time you make a cup of coffee. The other machine had an espresso handle that fit poorly and jammed in the machine.
The happy ending: I now feel like Cinderella. This little machine--which I bought on Amazon for $79--and comes with a $20 mail in rebate--fits like a glove. (Glass slippers are for fools. I'm into comfort.) It's fast, relatively quiet, beautiful to to look at, and makes a fabulous cup of espresso every time. It's got a lovely crema, too. And the tamper is attached to the unit, so you don't ever have to hunt for it. You just fill one of the espresso holders (it comes with two, a one cup and a 2 cup), and then hold it under the tamper which is conveniently located exactly where you'd want it. Then you screw in the holder and hit PLAY. That's it. That's all there is to it.
I have only two complaints about the unit. The steamer is a ridiculous thing. And the handle that holds the espresso is harder to screw in than it should be.
The Steamer: It's too short to really do anything. If you put enough milk in a frother (and it would have to be a tiny frother to fit under the nozzle), you won't have room to froth it. There just isn't enough volume for the space. But this isn't a big deal. I use the Bodum manual frother I already have and love.
I heat the milk in the microwave and while it's heating, I make my espresso. Then I use the plunger to froth the heated milk and by the time it's frothed, the espresso is just finishing. Perfect~
The Handle: I called the service department and was reassured that the handle would loosen up. You shouldn't have to break your wrist screwing it in. The woman was very nice and offered to send me a replacement without needing any information, receipts, or serial numbers. I was thrilled, until the replacement arrived and was just the little cup that fits in the handle, not the handle itself. But it was okay. By the time it arrived, I was fine with the level of screwage required. It's still a bit hard to get the handle to the 6:00 position, but it is loosening up. I'm happy.
Customer Review: GREAT MACHINE FOR PRICE!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
For you people out there looking for an expresso machine for a good price, the EC 155 is the expresso machine to get. I have been looking for an expresso machine for months now and I have been reading really good reviews on this one. So far i have had my machine for almost 2 months now. The expresso's turn out great!! I prefer strong coffee so i buy Starbucks expresso beans to make my expressos and they turn out great! I also have my own grinder to get the beans to a FINE grind.
PROS:
- Makes really good expressos and cappuccinos
- Easy to use
- Steamer is great! (Does take some times to get used to)
CONS:
-Can't really say there isn't anything bad with this machine however it does take some time making expresso's. I tend to make about 4 shots every time, taking me about 12-15 minutes to do so.
-Machine comes with a built in plastic tamper, does the job for me, however i will definitely buy a metal one asap and would recommend the same for you guys to do the same. Pressing down the coffee grounds as much as possible puts out a better expresso!! So get a metal tamper if you want to assure a good cup of expresso!
Like i said before, for the price, i think this is a great machine and probably wont be able to find anything better. For the past couple years i have been going to Starbucks about 4 to 5 times a week, spending about $60 to $80 a month!!! After getting this machine i have been buying my own supplies and saving tons of money in the long run. To make some pretty good drinks just like how they make at Starbucks, all you need is Coffee Beans($10-$13) i prefer Starbucks beans since they have such a big variety, Any type of Flavored Syrup which you can either buy at your local grocery store or even at Starbucks!( Such as, Caramel,Hazelnut,Vanilla....etc.($6-$7)) and as a added bonus if you want perhaps some caramel or fudge drizzle($2-$3) and some whip cream($2). You add all that up and thats about $20 to $24 however depending how much you drink or use, that should last you a month or even longer! Usually the beans and the caramel drizzle are the first to run out, the flavored syrup tends to last the longest. In general your saving lot of money making your drinks, and thats why i got the EC-155 and recommend this machine to anyone out their.
Customer Review: DeLonghi EC155 Espresso REVIEW
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this as a family Christmas gift - my wife and daughter like coffee and I like the steamed lattes (chocolate and chai). This is our first machine of this type, so I don't have another brand which to compare. There are some observations that I think pertinent to share:
1) The machine seems to be well constructed (medium weight and some stainless items adorn its finish).
2) It operates as designed and instructions are easy to follow for setup.
3) I wish the distance between the group handle head and the platform would accommodate a regular size coffee cup (I didn't buy any espresso cups, so am using a shot glass in the interim. The shot glass barely clears the espresso head).
4) The steam wand has a black plastic head on it which, in my humble opinion, makes it difficult to use for a couple of reasons - (a) a very small frothing pitcher has to be used in order to access the steam head properly [I have considered elevating the entire unit to gain better access to the steam wand] and (b) properly cleaning the steam wand requires removal of the black plastic head which is only threaded plastic, so one can imagine that the first thing to go will be the threads on the plastic [maybe DeLonghi should have made a more robust design - a brass threaded insert or 100% metal steam wand].
Overall, the machine is a good beginner unit and it helps me to form better opinions on the next one purchased.
UPDATE 12/31/09 - I have brewed espresso 1 time in the machine - frothed milk 8-10 times since opening on Christmas day. As I feared, the black plastic head's threads are becoming worn where a good seal is no longer possible. The DeLonghi manual states to remove the black plastic head for cleaning after use. So now, when using the steam wand, it leaks from the threads (top of the black plastic head). VERY POOR DESIGN!
UPDATE 1/3/10 - After scanning the internet for a solution to the plastic head dilemma. After reading a "few articles", I decided to purchase a few stainless steel acorn nuts (metric M6 x 1.0) and drill a 1/16" hole in the end. Surprisingly, this has "fixed" this machine - (1) you can clean it without removing the acorn nut, (2) no stripped threads, and (3) it allows more clearance under the steam wand to accommodate my frothing pitcher.