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: Very satisfied
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been extremely pleased with this espresso machine. I am not an expert; this is the first espresso machine I have used and after a month and a half I am still learning. But overall I have been very happy with the results from this machine.
For the first month or so I used Starbucks pods exclusively, and they're great. You do have to be careful not to squish them into the portafilter basket, and also not to turn the handle too sharply, or the espresso will be dark and will extract too slowly. But other than that, pods are very easy to use and much cleaner and quicker than grounds.
In the last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with grinding & tamping. So far I really prefer the pod experience because grinding & tamping gives me such inconsistent results. HOWEVER, I do not blame the machine for this; I'm sure it is user error! But a difference of only a few seconds of grind time is all it takes to over- or under-grind your beans and ruin your extraction. There is also a very small margin of error as far as how much grounds to put into the portafilter basket, because too little grounds doesn't work (causes a soupy mixture and overextraction) and too much grounds causes underextraction and a mess. Because of this, I can only fill the basket enough to get about 1.5 ounces of espresso, which for me is not quite enough (I like about 2 ounces). For these reasons I really prefer to use pods. I have yet to try anything but Starbucks pods, but am hoping to purchase some from PodMerchant.com soon.
The other reviewers have been pretty thorough in their explanations of some of the shortfalls of this machine, such as the short steamer wand. I purchased a small steaming pitcher so that the wand would reach into the milk. If you fill any pitcher or container more than a quarter or third of the way with milk, it will expand enough to overflow, so finding the right pitcher size and milk quantity is important. For me this design flaw has been the only negative aspect of the machine. Everything else is great! It is particularly easy to clean thanks to the removable drip tray.
I highly recommend this product!!!
Customer Review: Lovely espresso!
Summary: 5 Stars
Got this as a Christmas present, and I was a little worried that an affordable machine could get the job done. I was completely wrong.
This machine starts up quickly, has enough pressure to make delicious espresso, and cleans up quickly. I saw some negative reviews, which listed that there wasn't a lot of space under the coffee holder. Ummm...the is an espresso machine! Have you ever seen a barista put a big coffee mug under the spouts? No! You use shot glasses or espresso cups, then dump into a larger cup if you need a big one. Reviews also complained that the frother is too low. It is a bit low, but you just need to use a frothing pitcher that's the right size. Measure before you order. For a proper size drink, it will be plenty. For a giant one, you may need to froth twice.
As some people mentioned, the built in tamper sucks. I got the RSVP tamper and it works like a charm. In the morning, I flip the switch, let it heat up while I measure and tamp and get my cup out, turn to brew, and in about a minute total I've got a lovely, crema-topped shot waiting for me. For cleanup, flip the switch on the handle up to hold the filter in, dump into your compost bucket, trash, or sink, give the basket and filter a quick rinse, and your done.
The only negative I have so far is that since it's lightweight, it rattles a bit when dispensing. I have non-slip pad under the machine (as I do my cutting board), and I'll probably get some little rubber stickers so that my cups don't move when using. But this is a pretty minor annoyance.
For the price and the convenience, this machine can't be beat. It actually makes espresso like you would get out of a machine costing 3-4x as much, and is nice and compact on the counter.
Don't hesitate, just get one and you'll be putting your drip machine away before you know it. Now, when I have a jonesing for coffee in the afternoon, I don't worry about the hassle of brewing a small pot, I just pop a scoop in this machine and get a lovely pick-me-up in no time.
Try it out, you won't be disappointed!
Customer Review: A few additional thoughts
Summary: 5 Stars
I won't repeat what all the other reviews say. While not perfect, this little espresso maker is an amazing value. Unless you are prepared to spend more than $400, I don't think you will find a better option. With that said, a few (hopefully) helpful tips:
The biggest variable is the grind of the beans. I highly recommend you buy some Lavazza pre-ground espresso coffee. That way, you can learn how to pull a great shot. Then when you try a different brand, your local coffee house blend or you grind your own beans, you will not blame the machine when you have trouble. Trust me, start with at least a lb of Lavazza (both the inBlu and the decaf are excellent) and you will be very satisfied with this machine. Yes, you will get better aroma and perhaps better flavor from freshly ground beans, but walk before you run. You will find the Lavazza to be very good and you will KNOW that if there are problems, it is due to your technique.
About once a week, I run a couple shots worth through with the portafilter removed. While that is going, I disassemble the portafilter insert and clean it out. I then reassemble it, put it in place on the machine and run a couple more shots through. What starts as brown water in the beginning is running clear by the end. I may need to eventually run cleaner though it, but this reduces the need and I don't have to worry whether the cleaner is completely removed from the system (plus it is free).
I was originally going to get the ESE Pods. I am glad I did not. A 1 oz shot? That just isn't enough for me. I always have at least a double and will often do two doubles in a row (I should note that I mostly drink decaf espresso).
One last thought. Why do you need a special frothing pitcher? A stainless steel pitcher makes great sense in a commercial setting, but a coffee cup works just fine when you are making drinks for yourself and/or your friends. Save the money and spend it on coffee. Do however buy a metal Tamp. As mentioned elsewhere, the plastic disk thingy on this machine will not work well.
Customer Review: Awesome pump driven machine for the $$
Summary: 5 Stars
I was always skeptical of expensive espresso machines and wondered why anyone would pay hundreds of dollars for an expensive machine. It turns out that the more expensive and quality machines are "pump-driven" rather than the typical "steam driven" found at your local Wally World and such. A pump driven machine will hit pressures 4-5 times greater than that of a steam driven machine and gets much better extraction from the espresso grinds (better flavor) and are the only machines capable of generating the "chrema" foam at the top of the espresso.
The DelLonghi EC155 is an excellent budget machine found for under $100 that is pump driven. I was happy with my old steam driven Delonghi, but once I received this I realized that I didn't even know what I was missing. This espresso is as good or better than anything you'll get in a nice Italian restaurant or at your local Charbucks. The chrema that this thing produced is flat out great (you'll get a nice 1/4 layer of tasty emulsified foam). The convenience of pulling a single shot is great too, and you really only need the machine to warm up a few minutes before you pull a shot.
The best feature about this machine in my humble opinion is that it is E.S.E certified (easy serve espresso). This means that you can pick up the ESE certified pods from Charbucks or a good online pod retailer and not have to go to the trouble of grinding and tamping. This is a HUGE feature that even some more expensive machines do not have and is what eventually sold me on this unit. Having grown accustomed to the convenience of pod coffee, it was only natural to look for the same thing in my espresso machine. Do note that coffee (senseo style) pods will not work in here as those are much larger than the ESE certified pod. Try a nice blend from Baronet or another find espresso brand and you won't be sorry.
I highly recommend this machine. In short, it has fantastic features for the money, makes awesome espresso chrema, and it ESE certified for pod use. You will definitely not do any better than this machine for under $100.
Customer Review: Great Little Machine
Summary: 4 Stars
I really like DeLonghi EC155 espresso maker. I have had it for 5 months and have made 1 to 3 double shot espressos a day. It produces a nice shot with crema. I have a couple comments to make regarding my experience with the machine. Some indicate that the puck is soupy. I found out that if you do not fill the filters the puck is soupy, a full filter lightly tamped then it firms up. Note also that I said light tamp, the instruction manual states that you should use a light tamp so I imagine that is what the machine was designed for. There is a preheat time as discussed in the reviews. I start the machine than go onto my other morning events so the warm up time is a non-issue for me. Clean-up is rather quick. I have a burr grinder that I use. I am not a purist in that I grind enough for week rather than fresh every morning. I played with the grind and found a grind I like. I settled on a grind slightly under a drip ground as it is not the smallest setting but 1/4 of the way up the scale. Incidentally on occasion I have used a drip grind and it still produces an acceptable cup though I do like the slightly smaller grind a little better. The built in tamp is kind of a awkward plus coffee grinds stick to it. Might want to consider purchasing a tamp. I find it is better to turn the steam on prior to putting the wand into the milk to allow water to escape that has settled in the line, after all when steam cools it reverts back so there will be water in the line after use. I admit I must be easily amused because I find it fascinating that the milk doubles in size as the froth is formed. The space under the wand and the filter are shallow so I did purchase height proportioned accessories. I do hand wash/wipe and rinse all of the items after each use. I tend to periodically run a water/vinegar mixture through my hot pots, coffee makers, etc on occasion to clean them. Remember to run clean water through after cleaning unless you want your espresso to have a vinegar flavor. This is my first experience with a home duty espresso machine and I am happy with my experience to date.