DeLonghi EC155 Espresso Maker | Good Espresso, Not So Easy

DeLonghi EC155 Espresso Maker | My first Espresso maker

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DeLonghi EC155 Esp...

	DeLonghi EC155 Espresso Maker Delonghi Delonghi average customer review:based on 145 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Good Espresso, Not So Easy

Maybe I'm stupid, but the Easy in "ESE" turned out to be anything but. The EC155 makes great espresso, once you figure out how to place the pod into the machine correctly. Simply laying the pod on top of the filter holder and twisting the holder into the machine did not do it. The instructions state "place the pod in the center most position possible". International picture instructions are no more helpful. It's great until you get to twisting which moves the pod out of position. More espresso ended up leaking out of the sides of the machine than in the cup (actually, it's water since it never permeated the coffee filter in the first place to create coffee). My solution was to just dump the coffee out of the pod straight into the filter and go that route. You need to tamp and that affects the apperance of the crema. The tamp extension is solid plastic and feels sturdy. All in all a decent machine for the price, but the pod layout needs some work. I was using illy pods, perhaps other manufacturers will work better.

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My first Espresso maker

I never made esspresso before the purchase of this machine. The machine works great. I had Starbucks ground espresso roast beans (bold). I have also tried Starbucks Espresso Pods. The pods were easy to use and clean up, but I was not bowled over by the taste. Somewhat matalic. The ground coffee was superior. The tamping device came off but it works better for me that way. I love the machine.

Works as expected - Fine.

This espresso maker works just as I expected: Perfectly fine. It's simple and intuitive. It works fine for pulling 1-2 shots at a time. The reheat cycle is about a minute, so if you're making more, by the time you clean out the spent grounds and reload, the machine is ready for you. After making 1-2 shots, the machine needs about 2 minutes to get the steamer ready. The steamer works well. Complaints about the wand height and length are apparently from people who insist on using whatever milk pot they have rather than one that fits. Not having one, I've been using my Pyrex 1-cup measuring cup which works well. I froth 1/3 cup milk which becomes a full (overflowing) cup of steamed milk and some foam. End result? Tasty espresso with good cream, and lattes or cappuccino with little fuss. I'm quite happy with this under $100 machine. It's perfect for 1-2 people who don't drink tons of espresso. It's also pretty quiet and cleans up easily. Daily use for about a month.

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Blatant engineering problem with plastic steam nozzle

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.

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