There’s no timers, back-lit buttons, buzzers, alarms, clocks, presets, there's nothing auto about this and the price reflects that so if that's what you're looking for, don’t get your hopes up. You have to do everything yourself except for actually pushing the espresso through the filter.
#Delonghi espresso machine manual
One thing to keep in mind is that this is a manual machine, which was a selling point for me as I don't always like bells and whistles. The water reservoir is fairly small and needs to be refilled often (again this in contrast to my previous unit that was bigger, so not really a con per se, but just giving a heads up it’s small). It’s a nice-to-have as a last resort if you had nothing else, but really not for serious use. The little structure is accomodating pushing 15 BAR through a metal screen. There is quite a bit a vibration while it’s brewing, but not really a big deal. If you remove the stainless steel top from the drip pan you gain little over an extra inch of space, but it is still tight and easy to spill when trying to remove the cup filled with coffee. The clearance is barely tolerable for even an extra short coffee cup, which I had to find at a thrift store. Granted I know it’s an espresso machine, which of course they must be thinking one would only use espresso cups, however, it seems that some extra plastic could have been molded into the length of the unit for added maneuverability.
From the top of the drip pan to the bottom spout of the portafilter is only 2.5 inches. However, it’s there for those who think that’s cool.Ĭons: My biggest complaint with this espresso maker is the unnecessarily short space to put a coffee cup. There’s a cup warmer built into the maker, but not really a selling point for me. The portafilter has a conveniently built in basket holder for when you need to clean it out and hold it upside down. It comes with two different portafilter basket sizes: a shallow size for single shot and deeper size for double shot and a convenient cup holder under the lid for the one not in use. The coffee in this is so much smoother, clearer, less foamy, and no bitterness (I never thought to run a cleaner/de-scaler through the previous maker in all that time). Getting a new machine showed me just how dirty my old model must have been. Pros: Makes a great tasting espresso shot. I have to be realistic with myself that it is difficult and will take some adjustment to go from a higher-end model to a low-end average setup (for De’Longhi). I have not even had this maker for a month so these are my initial reactions. I decided to go with this model based on price, it had mostly good reviews, and because I mainly used the espresso side of my previous machine. So I decided to get another De'Longhi coffee machine. I only got rid of it because I was moving. Would instantly recommend that model again. Made a good pot of coffee and espresso shots. I had zero issues with it in all that time. I used a De'Longhi combination espresso maker/coffee pot for 6 years. That's why I say, "take what you want and discard the rest" The above machines weigh 20 & 23 lbs respectively So I have to carry this machine out of my kitchen. I don't have room for the Gaggia or the Breville. this machine will reward you with as good a cup of coffeeĪnd on a personal note. I know this because periodically I demonstrate it for friends. Scores between an 8 and 10 on anyone's scale That's it.Īnd absolutely follow the directions and timing to clean the machine.Įvery single cup for the past 2 & 1/2 years You don't need the metal drip tray) the plastic tray beneath, lifts out. (it will easily fit if you remove the drip tray SMALL IMMERSIBLE TEMPERATURE THERMOMETER ( I use it every time I"m frothing)Īny decent "hand " bean TAMPER. Take what you want and discard the rest.īeans for Cappuccino. The first 2 attempts I scored maybe a 5 out 10 points. That's why I had to lower my expectations.
When just a middle range consumer machine like a Gaggia Classic or a Breville 870XL The key approach was to lower my expectations.
I researched for over a month before I settled on this machine. If I want to catch anyone's attention at all, I better put some paragraphs together. One sentence reviews I don't even glance at.