DeLonghi EC155 15 Bar Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, Black

This machine must be judged for what it is and for whom it's designed: it is an inexpensive, entry-level espresso/cappuccino maker made for beginners. If you want to control water temperature and pressure, and if you care about how long ago your beans were roasted and how the husk was removed, this is not your new machine. If you are like me--someone who enjoys the taste of cappuccino and likes making it for yourself and your spouse--then this machine is a darling. In my estimation, with this machine, and as a beginner, I make better cappuccino than any that I've had at an American coffee chain (that is not a grand claim if you include Starbucks, which in my estimation makes truly awful coffee), and on par with what I can get at my favorite mid-range restaurant. My wife and daughter agree, at least to my face. To see how to use it and some good (if somewhat goofy) explanations, see the "Crew Review: DeLonghi EC155" YouTube video. I have now owned the machine for four months or so, and this is what I have learned:1. Keep the machine clean.2. Before steaming your milk, run some steam through the steam arm to drive out the water that has condensed. If you do not, you will dilute your milk with water.3. Contrary to other reviewers, I have found that the built-in tamper works just fine, since with this kind of machine you do not need to tamp with much pressure (see the video).4. Twice I have ground my coffee too finely and the machine has "over-extracted" (I believe that is the correct term): the water spends too much time in contact with the grounds and the espresso drips out slowly, it is black with very little crema, and it tastes extremely strong and bitter. Both times I thought something was wrong with the machine, but it worked well when I changed how I ground. With my new burr grinder I find that I have to grind one or two notches coarser than the finest grind.5. I make my espresso with Eight O'Clock Bean, whole bean, Colombian roast coffee, and I find it to be delicious. I have tried more expensive beans and others that are especially roasted for making espresso and cannot really tell the difference. If I were not adding the frothed milk, I probably could.6. If you wish to use a tall mug or cup, you will need to remove the drip tray, which is easily done.7. The steam arm is a bit low as well, but it works just fine if you have a low pitcher. Amazon sells one.8. It may very well be that after some time will will begin desiring a more expensive and versatile machine as my taste begins to become more discerning. That will take some research, because DeLonghi makes more expensive machines than this one, but I have watched some YouTube videos about them, and as far as I can tell, they cost more because they are larger. Otherwise they operate nearly identically to the EC 155: they can brew one single or double shot at a time, and they brew in the same way, so I anticipate that the coffee would taste no differently.9. I have nothing negative to say (that could change the longer I own the machine); I believe that many who have reviewed the machine negatively have not researched how to make espresso with this kind of machine and they have not followed directions (it is also possible that DeLonghi ships some lemons). Many who give the machine some cons are probably rating it in a classification in which it does not belong.I give the machine the highest recommendation, considering what you get for the money.Addendum 4/28/2013, five months after purchase. I still rate this machine with five stars. I add the following tips:1. Allow the machine to heat for the full 15 minutes stated in the instructions. The green light will come on after just a minute or so, but the machine will produce much better steam when it is fully heated. I presume this also has an effect on the flavor of the coffee.2. From some Youtube videos I have learned that high-end cappuccino makers produce what people call "dry" steam. This one does not. To get the steam as dry as possible, before frothing the milk I run the steam for awhile into a plastic cup, which I sometimes cover with a cloth, until the steam arm stops sputtering.3. Different coffees behave differently in the machine. I noted earlier that I do not grind on the finest setting. That was because I was trying out a new coffee. I don't know what it is about that particular coffee, but I could not grind it as fine as I can others.4. Skim milk froths just fine, but whole milk tastes much better. I have also learned that frothed milk should have the consistency of wet paint. To achieve this, I immerse the steam head about 1/4 inch into the milk and try to hold the milk pitcher at the same level as the volume of the milk increases, without allowing the plastic head to become completely immersed in the milk. It's possible to treble the volume of the milk, but you'll get better consistency if you double it or a little more. What you don't want is foam: large bubbles that you can make out with the naked eye. If you get them, swirl the milk around some and tap the pitcher on the counter top until they subside. You want milk with the same, thick consistency throughout5. Froth the milk before you make the espresso. If it needs swirling, I swirl the milk while the espresso is brewing. If you allow the milk to sit, it will begin to separate with milk-consistency milk on the bottom and foam on the top.6. I "pull" a double shot for about 20 seconds (I have yet to use the single shot filter that comes with the machine). A little more and the espresso is too weak to my taste, a little less and it's too strong.7. The time you need for a good shot will also depend on the type of coffee you're using, how finely you grind it, and how firmly you tamp it. So you'll spend some time figuring out which variables you'll play with to get the coffee you like.8. I'm about to purchase a coffee tamper that fits the filter. I believe it requires a 53 millimeter tamper. The tamper on the machine continues to work just fine, and I believe because of how the machine brews it does not require 30 pounds of pressure as some machines do.

My first one lasted just shy of 7 years.Will this make this a cup of espresso as good as a $600-$1000 espresso machine? Of course not! Will it make a great cup of espresso? Absolutely! Just make sure the grind is right. Too fine will burn it, too course it’ll lack flavor and won’t form a good creama. The previous machine used a blend of 2 grind sizes, this one works best using just one, which is nice…not sure why but it works.I grind my beans the night before, turn the machine on when I get up, let it warm up for about 10mins while I do other things, then make my mocha latte (or iced mocha when it’s hot).If making straight espresso let it heat up for 15mins or it won’t be quite hot enough. I’d probably get a better pull if I let it heat longer but I need my caffeine! The frothing tip is nice. I can even play with various decorative pours if I use it correctly. The foam is nice, thick and has a silky texture. Again, it will never match the foam from a $600+ machine but I don’t have the money or space for such a machine. I primarily use it to make mochas and lattes, but have used for Americao’s and espresso as well when I have guests that want something stronger, or if I do. The trick is buying a quality bean. I don’t like coffee from most places because they burn the beans to make them consistent every time. Coffee isn’t consistent! Flavor changes every harvest depending upon rainfall, temperature, small changes in soil and many other factors. I use beans from a local coffee shop that roast their beans to perfection every time. Each batch is slightly different, close but slightly different, as it should be. What comes out of my machine is very close to what comes from mine. Theirs is a touch better but most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.I use this at least once a day and find it to be consistent and long lasting. I this with a damaged piece (the rubber around the single shot cup was nicked). I just called the manufacturer and they sent a new one out the same day, received two days after calling. The customer was great and they even took all the machine info while I was on phone for the warranty registration. Much quicker and easier than exchanging the whole thing through Amazon.If you have the money & space to buy a professional machine then by all means skip this one and go the high end route. If you just want a machine to make a great cup of coffee then this one is perfect.Buying the frother cup is a good idea since it’s small enough to fit under the wand. I didn’t think that little cup would fit enough milk for me but it’s actually the perfect size. I use 4oz milk& have used 6oz for a friend who likes more milk in hers. It’s also good for heating milk when making hot cocoa. Larger frothing cups don’t work well due to how short the wand is. Some people say this is a bad thing but I find it convenient and space saving. I do think it should be included, but I guess some people have another one already and don’t need it. Another negative I’ve seen is how short it is. Since the machine is for espresso there really shouldn’t be a lot of space between the cup and spout, if there’s too much space too much air will get mixed in and the crema isn’t as smooth on the espresso. It does make it a little harder to clean when you want to collect lots of water, but removing the metal plate will give just enough space to fit a short coffee cup. The last big negative I’ve seen mentioned is the tamper…I must agree that this is a pain. Due to the way this machine works there is no need to put out pounds of pressure in the grounds but it still needs an even tamp that’s hard to do using the one on the machine. I have a tamper that I use instead, I just don’t push really hard like would be needed on a different type of machine.I gave this five stars, vs four, because even though there’s a couple things I’d change it’s still worth it for the price, longevity and customer service. My last one died after 7 years. It was the pump that stopped working. If I wanted to take the time it would be easy enough to replace and would have cost around $60. I decided to just get a new one since it only cost a little more to replace. I still have the old and will one day repair it and leave it at my mother-in-laws place so I can have my coffee while we visit since that’s a few times a year. I’ve taken it with me before, but it’d be easier to have the extra there.In 5-7yrs when this one gives out I’ll get another one. I thought about upgrading to the one that’s just a little more than this one, but I don’t think it would be all that much better. I love this thing and am so glad I bought it years ago. No matter what I’ll be sticking with brand until we get a larger house where a professional one can be installed! (Just dreaming!)