Espresso Machine - espresso maker, delonghi

Click here for more information I love espresso, and this little baby makes a great cup. Here are a few points that might be useful for you to know:



Good points:

*It doesn't take up too much room on the counter and looks nice with it's silver metal accents.

*The water reservoir is a good size, you can make about 8-10 shots before you need to refill it, which is very easy to do, and there is a clear section behind the basket which shows the water level.

*Fast heat-up time (only about a minute), good frothing wand, no wait time between frothing and brewing (though you do have to wait a little between brewing and frothing).



Be warned:

*Frothing wand is only 3 1/4 inches from the counter top. Not a big deal, I just went and bought a frothing cup that is about that height.

*Distance from grounds basket to tray is only 2 1/2 inches, I usually use a small espresso cup.

*Built-in tamper sucks, buy a good metal one.

*You don't end up with a nice dry puck, the grounds basket is a watery soup after your espresso is made, so I dump it down the disposal.

*You will end up drinking more espresso than you mean to, it's that good!



Seriously, I chose this machine after a lot of online researching, and decided on this one based on its outstanding reviews and great price. What led me to it were the reviews of another DeLonghi, the EC140B, which is an older and less attractive model, but had reviews from people who had owned theirs for 6 and 10 years! I'm hoping that this one will have the same longevity.



-----> UPDATE: I've now had this machine for 8 months and it started running very slow. I'd been using only distilled water, so I knew it wasn't a calcification issue, so I looked into it and it turns out machines like this one (no backflushing) need to be cleaned every month or so to remove built up grounds that work their way inside the machine. So I ran some cleaner through it and all this nasty brownish liquid came out, and now it runs great again! So remember people, take good care of your things and they will take good care of you. A lesson I am still learning...

- and to answer a question commented on this review, my tamper is 2 inches in diameter.

First, a couple of disclaimers:

1. This is the first pump-driven espresso machine that we have owned.



2. We generally drink cafe Americano, which is an espresso with a little added hot water (or cold water with an iced Americano). We make an occasional cappuccino and have thus used the steam wand, but not extensively.



After doing a cost/benefit analysis in regards to our current cafe Americano habit (~10 per week), we realized that there would be some justification to buying a home unit. We first considered the Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker, but reviewers consistently lamented the unit's tendency to clog the filter, necessitating time-consuming cleaning. Also, not being completely sure that we would actually use the espresso maker, we balked at the $250 price tag.



We also considered moving up to one of the superautomatico machines that grind, tamp, brew and dispose of the grinds, but we worried about the reliability of technology that had only recently hit the consumer-grade appliances. After reading zillions of reviews, we realized that every mid-priced machine had some glaring flaw and, in the end, we decided to buy an inexpensive pump-driven unit and wait for the technology to catch up before investing a huge chunk of change in an espresso machine. Moving our investigation to low-end espresso makers, we were impressed by the reviews of the DeLonghi EC155 and purchased it from Amazon.



I put off writing a review in order to make sure that the DeLonghi was going to last until we had at least broken even on it. We received it in mid-July and since then it has produced about 200 double shots flawlessly. By my reckoning, that's about $400 worth of Americanos at the local cafe. Even considering the price of the coffee, we have more than broken even. So, here's our pros and cons:



PROs

- Price--we paid $91.28.

- Crema Production--this unit consistently produces a thick layer of delicious crema.

- Powerful Stream Wand--Easily froths milk.

- Mechanicals--After six months of nearly daily use this mighty-mite works as well as it did the day it arrived.

- Easy Cleanup--Filter cleans easily.



CONs

- Ergonomics--As other reviewers have noted, there could be a little more room between the area where the cup sits and the output nozzle. Also the steam wand could be longer.

- Features--No cup warmer. Not a big deal to us, especially considering the price of the EC155, but it will put off some buyers.



SOME THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED

- Using a coffee especially made for espresso, such as Lavazza, produces a much better espresso. Lavazza has the added benefit of allowing you to go for hours without blinking.

- Preheating the unit for 15 minutes and warming the cups in the microwave improves the results and experience. - Espresso Maker - Delonghi - Espresso - Latte - Cappuccino - Expresso
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Espresso Machine - espresso maker, delonghi

Expresso Machine - espresso maker, delonghi

Click here for more information Despairing of ever finding decent espresso in the Midwest, I finally broke down and decided to get a home espresso machine. I had worked as a barrista, and had sipped espresso in Italy, so I had some idea of how it should taste.



Being relatively poor, I wanted a machine that would deliver a decent espresso, at a decent price. Though I was willing to consider a system with proprietary coffee pods (K-cups, Tassimo, etc), it would have to be cheap enough that I wouldn't mind shelling out the extra bucks for the coffee itself. And I also wanted to make sure that it was pump-driven, not steam-driven.



After checking reviews and looking around, I finally settled on the DeLonghi BAR32. It's a pump-driven maker, not steam driven, so it's not scorching the grounds as it brews. And it comes with a single and a double espresso filter.



The DeLonghi uses either ground espresso, or E.S.E. espresso pods. The E.S.E. pods are not proprietary - any company can make them. The DeLonghi comes with a package of 18 Illy pods (retail - $12). The pods are convenient, but still expensive.



I've had the espresso maker for several days, and I'm happy with it so far. With the pods, it pulls a good single espresso with a satisfactory crema. Sugar floats on top of the crema for about 2-3 seconds, and it has a nice golden color. The espresso tastes very smooth.



Pulling a good single espresso, either with the pods or loose coffee, is pretty easy. Use the pods as a good judge of how tightly to pack the grounds in the filter. Use a level, loosely packed scoop of coffee for a single shot.



Pulling a good double, on the other hand, still eludes me. The best I've come up with is to use 2 scoops, 3/4 full and loosely packed, and pressed looser than for a single. Even then, it still dribbles out slowly, with a less-than-satisfactory (though present) crema.



The steam wand works very well. I've made several excellent cappuccinos and lattes with it. It's a little cramped to use, so I pull mine to the edge of the counter so that I can get a good mug under it. I steam straight into the mug of milk, and then add the espresso. Make sure to blow some steam through it to clear out condensation before putting it in your milk. Start with the steam wand nearly submerged in the milk, and then slowly pull it out (lower the mug) until you hear a gentle "sipping" sound. That means that it's frothing. If you see noticeable bubbles on top of the milk, that means you've pulled it out too far - dip it back in slowly and you should be able to whip the bubbles into froth. Once the froth is just below the level you want it, submerge the wand back into the milk to finish heating it. Listen again - once the milk starts to sound "hollow," it's nearly hot enough. Let it go for a few more seconds, then shut off the steam, and remove the mug. The wand will drip a bit, so put it over the drip tray or an empty mug.



Making espresso is fairly easy. Turn the machine to "Heat" to start heating the water and priming the pump. Make sure the filter holder is screwed into the machine. Once the "Hot" light comes on, run an espresso cycle without coffee into the cup you'll use - pulling espresso into a cold cup will ruin the flavor. Fill the cup half-way with hot water, and turn the machine back to "Heat." Empty and quickly dry the espresso cup. Put the E.S.E. pod or ground espresso into the filter (tamp down the loose espresso) and twist it into the machine. Turn the machine on, and wait until you've got your cup of espresso. A single espresso should be 30-40ml, or 1-1.5oz. I used a measuring cup to see what that looked like in my demitasse cups.



Looking back over what I've written, I suppose I do make it look a little complicated. And it is a little bit more complicated that popping the K-cup into the machine, and hitting "Go." But it really is pretty easy, and less than 5 minutes pass between "You know, I could go for a cappuccino," and "Man, that's a tasty cappuccino."



Pros:

- Inexpensive

- Good pressure

- Easy to make a good single shot of espresso

- Uses pods or loose grounds

- 2 dials + 0 buttons = easy to use

- Outstanding steam wand

- 32oz water reservoir lets you make 3 or 4 cappuccinos, or 6 to 8 espressos, without refilling

- Built-in tamper means one less part to lose

- Pre-heat cycle helps make good espresso



Cons:

- Hard to make a good double espresso (might just be me)

- Steam wand leaks slightly (usually at the start of a brewing cycle - I just keep mine over the drip tray)





In the end, the machine makes a good espresso, especially for the price, but remember that you're not going to be running a coffee shop with it. I definitely recommend it for anybody who wants to make their own espresso, but wants to do it for under $200.

- Espresso Maker - Delonghi - Cappuccino - Espresso - Latte - Expresso
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Expresso Machine - espresso maker, delonghi