DeLonghi EC5 Steam-Driven 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, Black
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of DeLonghi EC5 Steam-Driven 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, Black
Customer Review: Good for the price
Summary: 3 Stars
So a little bit about my coffee habits to help you better assess my review and your needs:
1. I use to be a barista so I know good espresso.
2. I have a pump driven Delonghi at work that I love which is why I bought this brand again.
3. I don't steam milk because I make Americanos so I haven't tried to use the steamer. (Espresso with hot water, it's the freshes cup of coffee you can get!) So I can only assess the quality of espresso.
Pros of the Machine...PRICE it's about $40 with tax and shipping and it's a good deal for the price because:
1. It makes decent espresso. It doesn't have the quality of creme as with the DeLonghi BAR32 Retro 15-Bar Pump-Driven Espresso/Cappuccino Maker that I have at the office but it's decent for the price.
2. It's a nice looking machine and it isn't big and bulky. Doesn't take up lots of space.
3. The office Delonghi has lasted years so I assume Delonghi makes quality products.
Cons:
1. The quality of creme doesn't compare to the pump driven delonghi.
2. There is no shut off switch like the pump driven machine. So you have to turn the machine off then wait for machine to stop before removing the coffee.
3. You can't make more than one drink at a time. You have to add additional water between each cup whereas with the DeLonghi BAR32 15-Bar Pump-Driven machine it has a nice reservoir to hold water and we make several cups at a time!
Overall: The machine is great for the price but if you can opt to spend $100 or so get a pump driven machine with a reservoir and a shut off switch. If you're a budget then this machine is a good bang for your buck!
Customer Review: Great Machine for single user..
Summary: 4 Stars
The machine works great, and fast! The steam arm is a bit short, but move the machine to the edge of the counter allowing a deeper foaming container. Otherwise, you need to use a shorter cup to steam your milk; I use a hefty glass, probably a pint and a half, 1/3 full of COLD low fat milk, in a cold glass (lowfat gives much better foam than whole milk).
My roommate has an machine with no name on it that is a couple of years old. It works quite well too, but is configured slightly differently. Her machine has a dial selector, you either make coffee OR steam milk. This DeLonghi has a master on switch and a dial valve for the steam arm. When brewing capacity with this machine, you get 4 cups of espresso (with a nice creme top) and enough steam to do the milk for those 4 cups. when you get the hang of it, you will have made 2 GOOD double latte's just as the steam runs out.
We ran a test, brewing 2 Double Lattes on each machine. Both machines have the same max capacity of 4 espressos (or 2 doubles as in our test) We filled both machines with fresh, cold, filtered water and turned them on at the same time. On her machine, we selected the steam arm to begin with, switching over to the coffee side as soon as there was ample steam from the steam arm.
The DeLonghi was considerably faster in completing the task, mainly because you are steaming milk at the same time as your coffee is going. It's one oddity is that the main coffee dispenser is already set up with a double spout, the extra one that comes with the unit is really unnecessary.
Bottom line: For the price, you simply can not beat the DeLonghi EC5.
Customer Review: Great Espresso Maker --- Terrible Cappuccino Maker
Summary: 3 Stars
I was so excited when this package arrived! I love making Cappuccinos and it has been a long time since I have been able to. However, I am still NOT able to make Cappuccinos. The Espresso portion of the machine works okay, but the milk steamer/frother has never worked. I've tried EVERYTHING! At first I figured I just needed practice with the timing and everything, since you can only steam your milk while the espresso is brewing. At least that's what the instructions say. I have yet to even be able to warm my milk to a luke-warm temperature with this machine. It makes me sad!!! The steamer stick thing is very awkward, as well. I'm not sure why they made it so short and such limited movement. I am going to to keep trying with this machine, but have had it for a little over a month now with no success when making Cappuccinos. I've been reading reviews to see if anyone else has been having the same issues as me and I am finding almost everyone is. I also was looking for some pointers to try.
This machine works great as an Espresso Machine ONLY! It really should not advertise itself as a Cappuccino Maker too. I have always had success with DeLonghi products, which is why I was surprised that this machine doesn't work. I thought maybe I had just received a bad one, but after reading that even people who love the machine can't get the milk frother to work, I see that it is bad design on their part. Again, if you are looking for Espresso only... this is a good machine for that. But if you are a Cappuccino lover like myself, I suggest a different machine. It is very frustrating when things do work like they are supposed to!
Customer Review: Create Espresso Machine
Summary: 5 Stars
It is a great machine and in no time you will be a master Barista! It takes practice and it is an art. You must be able to multi-task, gets easier with practice. After some trials and errors, I have perfect results every time now!
First, buy some good espresso -> [...]
[...] Italian Roast has a velvety finish like silk.
Step 1: Buy a tamper, thermometer and double insulated glass mug.
Step 2: Make sure to grind your own beans. Experiment until you find the right setting that gets you the right amount of pressure to micro foam froth and steam the milk. The grind matters, use espresso grind, but not too fine. Mine is a grind of #8. (goes up to #15 on my grinder)
Step 3: Learn how to micro foam froth and steam milk whilst temp rises to 120-140F. (do this while espresso shot is pulled)
Step 4: Measure, tamp and pull your shot (takes a couple of minutes to pull) -> mix it right away within 10 seconds of being pulled. Turn off machine 10 seconds after shot is pulled. (I pull my double shots directly in to a double insulated glass mug that has 2 spoons of chocolate or caramel already in it ready for mixing)
Step 5: Pour your frothed steam milk in the mug using a spoon to block froth, mix the chocolate, milk and coffee and then spoon the micro foam froth on top to create an insulating barrier.
Step 6: Clean your machine (the froth will insulate your pull and keep the heat in)
Step 7: Drink slowly so you don't burn yourself and enjoy ;)
[...]
Customer Review: Not a Latte machine!
Summary: 1 Stars
This machine is TERRIBLE! I have owned it for 2 years and have taken it out about 4 times to try and see if I can successfully make a latte with it...NOPE! I always end up irate and shoving it back into the cupboard! I have owned other machines and know how to use one, but this machine is very poorly designed. If you want expresso and nothing more, then fine, but if you want lattes (requiring steamed, frothy milk), consider this:
There is no way to select between brewing and steaming--this means that you must either not completely brew a pot of expresso and try to quickly open the steam line (which takes forever to get going anyway) OR reload the water (after the safety design cap allows you to unscrew it) and open the steam line a bit to avoid having water go through the brewing basket. The pressure will not develop well that way.
Also, the steam port arm is in a terrible location, underneath the brew basket area. It requires you to tip the carafe with milk in it to get it underneath! Awful! And the arm doesnt move around much and is too short in my opinion to adequately steam the milk.
Seriously, do not bother purchasing this product--for even less money you can go with a different brand. Check for controls that allow selection between brewing modes AND a separate adjustable control on the steam line. Also, pick something with the steam line on the side sticking out...