The DeLonghi EC155 is a greater starter espresso machine for a wonderfully low price!
The DeLonghi EC155 will allow you to make a delicious cappuccino or espresso from the comfort of your own home.
Featuring dual thermostats for controlling water and steam pressure and a 15-bar pump, the EC155 will deliver a fresh, hot, cup of coffee without you doing barely anything at all.
Italian designed and engineered, you also get to take advantage of a 1 year warranty from this 1000-watt machine.
What will you like about this DeLonghi espresso machine?
- This unit will look good in your kitchen. As you can see from the picture above, it is quite a distinguished machine with the silver accents and black finish.
- Decent sized water reservoir with handy water level indicator which is clearly visible upon opening the lid (see the video below).
- Fast start up time, the DeLonghi EC155 will be heated and ready to go in about 1 minute.
- Ability to consistently produce a thick layer of crema for your enjoyment.
- Easy to froth milk with the powerful steam wand.
- Easy to clean and maintain.
Ready to buy? Click here for the lowest price online!
DeLonghi EC155 review
Perhaps one of the main selling points of the EC155 is the fact that it is pump driven. This is opposed to more typical steam-driven units that you can purchase for very cheap in your general sort of department stores.
The advantages of a pump driven machine are that it will be able to produce pressure that is in the vicinity of 5 times greater than pressure that is generated by steam alone.
This has the flow on effect of being better able to extract flavor from the espresso (resulting in better flavor of course and the sought after crema).
Unfortunately, pump driven espresso machines aren’t the cheapest. The good news is that the DeLonghi version mentioned in this review is perhaps one of the cheapest and easiest ways to experience cafe quality espresso in your own kitchen and start to recoup some of the cost of those frequent coffee shop trips.
The convenience of E.S.E.
E.S.E stands for easy serve espresso and is a similar concept to the now extremely popular K-Cup coffee maker that utilizes pre-ground, pre-packaged coffee that is inserted straight into the associated coffee machine for immediate extraction.
The DeLonghi EC155 is actually one of the few espresso machines to offer this feature and it is something that a lot of the higher priced machines do not offer either.
Using espresso pods to make your espresso is so convenient and there is little to no mess either. The only downside is that they tend to be more expensive than buying coffee in bulk.
What price you put on convenience and ease of use is really up to you, but it is something to keep in mind!
Ergonomics and weaker points
As far as handling and ease of use go, several people commented that the steam wand could be a little longer and that there isn’t much room between the top of the cup and the output nozzle, but I guess that really depends on the size of your cup.
The lack of a heated cup warmer may also discourage some people from seriously considering the EC155, but in most cases a quick zap in the microwave will improve the situation remarkably.
What are others saying about the DeLonghi EC155?
The overwhelming consensus is excellent, with close to 500 four and five star reviews on Amazon. There is lots and lots of information in the review section about how to deal with the aforementioned shortcomings of this machine – most notably the closeness of the nozzle to the top of the cup, the lack of a cup warmer and proper tamper.
One example of such a review was from Joseph Jenkins of Tampa, FL:
I was skeptical that a low- (or medium-low)priced machine could work well, but it turns out that it works brilliantly. Some previous reviewers have noted a few areas of concern (all very minor), and I will offer my solutions to them:
1. The spout doesn’t allow for anything taller than an espresso cup or very short coffee cup: Not a big deal for me (our cups are short and wide and hold all the espresso you could handle and still hope to get to sleep that night), but if you want to use a standard-sized mug, simply pick up the perforated steel plate that the cups sit on and place your mug into the well below. If there’s liquid in the well, just wipe off the cup when you pick it back up…
2. No cup warmer: Two solutions here. I use the “quick” warm-up method stated in the manual by running two cups of water through the machine before inserting the grounds, and the hot water easily heats up the cup. Otherwise, if you let it warm up for the traditional 15-30 minutes, sit the cups on the steel area on top of the machine, which serves as its cup warmer, just like it says in the manual…..
….Anyway, even at full price (which I didn’t pay), this machine will pay for itself after 25-30 cups of $4 fill-in-the-blank-coffee-shop cappuccino/latte/whatever, counting consumables.
Conclusion
Overall, the DeLonghi EC155 espresso machine is a fantastic unit that delivers outstanding espresso for a bargain basement price.
Of course, the benefits don’t end there. You also get the added versatility of the option of using pods instead of grounds and by all accounts, the EC155 is reliable if looked after properly and thoughtfully.
For all of the minor negative points which seem insignificant (and easily fixed or dealt with) when compared to the wealth of positive points, it is nevertheless the #1 selling espresso machine on Amazon. That has to count for something!
Filed under: DeLonghi Coffee Machines
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Leave a Reply