De’Longhi Dedica Espresso Machine with Manual Milk Frother, 15-Bar Pump & Adjustable Tray - Home Barista Coffee Maker for Espresso, Latte, Cappuccino & Iced Coffee - Italian Stainless Steel Design
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Description
• A SIP OF ITALIAN DESIGN: At only 6inch wide, the uniquely designed Dedica is our slimmest espresso machine yet, effortlessly adding a touch of minimalist chic to your kitchen with its elegant dimensions. Its sleek, compact design is complemented by an easy-to-use control panel with illuminated buttons. • HIGH PERFORMANCE THERMOBLOCK: 15-bar professional pressure assures quality results every time, and adjustable controls allow you to make modifications for your personal taste preferences. • MILK FROTHER: A manual frother with powerful steam to create a rich, creamy froth for evenly textured drinks – just the way you like them. • BREW LIKE A PRO: authentic barista experience at home, you can control the whole process from tamping your ground coffee to the final quantity; you can brew up to 5in high into cups or mugs • EASY TO CLEAN: Removable water tank and drip tray make for easy cleanup, and the parts are dishwasher safe.
Details
General
- Brand Name
- De'Longhi
- Model Name
- EC680M
- Model Number
- EC680M
- Part Number
- EC 680 M
- Manufacturer
- DeLonghi America, Inc.
- Item Type Name
- Espresso
- Color
- Silver
- Style
- Espresso Machine
- Coffee Maker Type
- Espresso Machine
- Specific Uses For Product
- Espresso
- Recommended Uses For Product
- Making espresso-based drinks at home
- Operation Mode
- Manual
- Human Interface Input
- Dial
- Output Pressure
- 15 Bars
- Coffee Input Type
- ground, pod
- Smart Home Compatibility
- Not Smart Home Compatible
- Filter Type
- Reusable
- Number of Items
- 1
- Unit Count
- 1.0 Count
Dimensions
- Item Dimensions D x W x H
- 13"D x 5.9"W x 12"H
- Item Weight
- 9.3 Pounds
Capacity
- Capacity
- 1 Liters
Power
- Wattage
- 1450 watts
- Voltage
- 110 Volts
Materials & Care
- Material
- Stainless Steel
- Exterior Finish
- Stainless Steel
- Is the item dishwasher safe?
- Yes
Features
- Other Special Features of the Product
- Milk FrotherDrip Tray,Removable Tank,Twin Brewing Cycle
Accessories
- Included Components
- Measuring Scoop / Tamper, Total Hardness Test, Single coffee filter, Double coffee Filter, ESE Pod filter
Frequently asked questions
- Can this espresso machine use both ground coffee and pods?
- Yes, the coffee input type is ground and pod (ESE pods).
- What are the dimensions and weight of the machine?
- The dimensions are 13 inches deep, 5.9 inches wide, and 12 inches high, and it weighs 9.3 pounds.
- Is the milk frother manual or automatic?
- It has a manual milk frother with powerful steam to create a rich, creamy froth.
Customer reviews
All impressions are very positive. Tasty espresso, easy to use.
My first impression of this machine is wow. Years ago I had a small krups pump machine, which is long defunct. I mostly drink filter coffee {Peet's Sumatra k-cups} or cold brewed "ass kicking" blend. I drink an average of four-six cups per day. When I wanted an espresso drink (iced plain espresso or iced Americano), or a cappuccino if I was in that mood, I'd stop and have one made. Every now and then I'd look at replacing the dead Krups but there were no machines that had a decent feature set and a reasonable cost. Besides, I could just get a coffee when I wanted one. But these days, I'm not going out. I started craving espresso, and finally decided to replace my old machine. This machine had some real advantages. One was the advertised width. Counter space was at a premium, this machine is narrow. Secondly, it takes the ESE pods. My wife is never going to tamp and measure a portafilter, but she will use a pod. A side benefit is that my 12 year old grandson can make himself an espresso with the ESE pods. {I got some decaf pods.} This machine is easy enough to use that he was making himself lattes after a single demonstration, using a pitcher I had from my old machine. He is a smart kid. I'm biased. But the pods are easy to use. I set my grinder (Oxo) to fine and put in my guess as to how much "Ass Kicking" coffee to use. It made a fluffy coffee which easily fit into the portafilter using the following procedure. Fill the scoop and level it. Put the coffee into the portafilter and lightly compress it. Repeat. Then put your thumbs onto the plate of the tamper and compress. I can easily grip enough to get a good tamp without stressing the plastic tamper. I disagree with people who claim that you can't fit the coffee into the holder. This is exactly the same volume as my old machine. Anyway, I hit the two shot button and it produced an espresso with reasonable crema. After trying the regular holder and the ESE holder, it is clear that the ESE pods are a compromise. This is a noisy machine in operation. The pump is noisy. The water heating device works great, but it is noisy, since it is basically a long tube that will cavitate. And, of course, steaming the milk is inherently noisy. The pump could be quieter. But it is no noisier than the steaming process. What I did notice was that the machine needs about three times the static width in actual use. The handle has to swing left to attach the filter to the machine, and your hand adds to the space needed. Extra space is needed on the right to use the steaming wand, and to clean the steaming wand, and to hit the power button. It is still a very narrow easy to use machine. The amount of force needed to attach and detach the coffee filter holder requires that you hold the machine in place. But this is a coffee maker, and the real question is, "How is the coffee?" There are so many things that go into that question...do you have a decent grinder? Are you using a good coffee? Is it roasted the way you like it? Finally, there are all different levels of equipment. My equipment is inexpensive, but not the cheapest. I have a style of coffee that I like, typically an Indonesian that does not have that bitter bite which is exhibited by typical central American washed coffee. My understanding is that the espresso brewing style was developed to allow the use of less expensive robusta beans. The fast temperature controlled extraction, combined with the dark roast tends to not extract bitter notes and to hide bad tastes. Applying the same method to higher quality beans should produce an exceptionally smooth brew. I decided to make a six shot iced espresso, three double pulls. I saw a decent amount of crema, and I was really happy with the iced espresso. I thought it tasted better than a drink that I would have bought at a place like Starbucks. I credit this to two things. One is that my coffee is better, and the other is that the brewer doesn't overextract. Good coffee, and a good brewing process will result in a good beverage. I used a coffee that I know I like and I got a beverage that I really liked. The brewer could have screwed up the coffee, but it didn't. This is the source of my wow! I had bought some ESE pods as well. The resulting beverage was not bad, but it was not as good as the stuff I made from the coffee that was more to my taste. Finally, I remember the coffee produced by my old Krups machine. The coffee produced by this machine is better. On to the other important aspect of these machines, their ability to steam milk. I have a 24 ounce steaming pitcher that I used to use, and the wand was barely long enough. I felt like I didn't have much control over the process. I think a 12 ounce pitcher might work better. (It does, or I can steam right into a duplo cap mug.) What I got was a good result for a latte, and perhaps less acceptable for a cappuccino. The thermometer I used reported a fast rise in temperature after the temperature went over 100F, while it took quite a while to get from refrigerator temperature to warm. The foam had many large bubbles mixed with the small ones. (Technique, in doing better.) The machine is really fast. It reports brewing temperature in seconds. I never felt like I was waiting for the machine. It reports steaming temperature almost as fast. All in all, I am really happy with this machine. I can't speak to the durability of the machine, but I hope that it will continue to produce beverages of this quality for a long time. And I am happy to be able to get an espresso at home again. After a month, I found that I had to descale the machine. A light comes on to let you know that the machine has decided it needs to be descaled. The process takes a while. You rinse the reservoir and add the solution, then fill it with water. Then you put it in descale mode and it runs the solution through the machine, slowly. You let most of the solution come out through the steaming wand, but you are supposed to turn off the wand and run some of the solution through the filter outlet (with the filter off). When the reservoir is almost empty, the machine stops, you dump the bowls, rinse the reservoir, fill it with tap water, and start the machine again. It runs the rinse water through much faster then the descale, again stopping when the water is almost gone. You can make coffee immediately. This procedure is long, but completely automatic, and need not be watched full time if you have a large enough bowl. You just need to toggle the steam outlet off and on every few minutes. The machine will still make coffee when it is in descaling needed mode. I was favorably impressed. I have descaled machines that were more automated and didn't work as well. I continue to like this machine.
My first impression of this machine is wow. Years ago I had a small krups pump machine, which is long defunct. I mostly drink filter coffee {Peet's Sumatra k-cups} or cold brewed "ass kicking" blend. I drink an average of four-six cups per day. When I wanted an espresso drink (iced plain espresso or iced Americano), or a cappuccino if I was in that mood, I'd stop and have one made. Every now and then I'd look at replacing the dead Krups but there were no machines that had a decent feature set and a reasonable cost. Besides, I could just get a coffee when I wanted one. But these days, I'm not going out. I started craving espresso, and finally decided to replace my old machine. This machine had some real advantages. One was the advertised width. Counter space was at a premium, this machine is narrow. Secondly, it takes the ESE pods. My wife is never going to tamp and measure a portafilter, but she will use a pod. A side benefit is that my 12 year old grandson can make himself an espresso with the ESE pods. {I got some decaf pods.} This machine is easy enough to use that he was making himself lattes after a single demonstration, using a pitcher I had from my old machine. He is a smart kid. I'm biased. But the pods are easy to use. I set my grinder (Oxo) to fine and put in my guess as to how much "Ass Kicking" coffee to use. It made a fluffy coffee which easily fit into the portafilter using the following procedure. Fill the scoop and level it. Put the coffee into the portafilter and lightly compress it. Repeat. Then put your thumbs onto the plate of the tamper and compress. I can easily grip enough to get a good tamp without stressing the plastic tamper. I disagree with people who claim that you can't fit the coffee into the holder. This is exactly the same volume as my old machine. Anyway, I hit the two shot button and it produced an espresso with reasonable crema. After trying the regular holder and the ESE holder, it is clear that the ESE pods are a compromise. This is a noisy machine in operation. The pump is noisy. The water heating device works great, but it is noisy, since it is basically a long tube that will cavitate. And, of course, steaming the milk is inherently noisy. The pump could be quieter. But it is no noisier than the steaming process. What I did notice was that the machine needs about three times the static width in actual use. The handle has to swing left to attach the filter to the machine, and your hand adds to the space needed. Extra space is needed on the right to use the steaming wand, and to clean the steaming wand, and to hit the power button. It is still a very narrow easy to use machine. The amount of force needed to attach and detach the coffee filter holder requires that you hold the machine in place. But this is a coffee maker, and the real question is, "How is the coffee?" There are so many things that go into that question...do you have a decent grinder? Are you using a good coffee? Is it roasted the way you like it? Finally, there are all different levels of equipment. My equipment is inexpensive, but not the cheapest. I have a style of coffee that I like, typically an Indonesian that does not have that bitter bite which is exhibited by typical central American washed coffee. My understanding is that the espresso brewing style was developed to allow the use of less expensive robusta beans. The fast temperature controlled extraction, combined with the dark roast tends to not extract bitter notes and to hide bad tastes. Applying the same method to higher quality beans should produce an exceptionally smooth brew. I decided to make a six shot iced espresso, three double pulls. I saw a decent amount of crema, and I was really happy with the iced espresso. I thought it tasted better than a drink that I would have bought at a place like Starbucks. I credit this to two things. One is that my coffee is better, and the other is that the brewer doesn't overextract. Good coffee, and a good brewing process will result in a good beverage. I used a coffee that I know I like and I got a beverage that I really liked. The brewer could have screwed up the coffee, but it didn't. This is the source of my wow! I had bought some ESE pods as well. The resulting beverage was not bad, but it was not as good as the stuff I made from the coffee that was more to my taste. Finally, I remember the coffee produced by my old Krups machine. The coffee produced by this machine is better. On to the other important aspect of these machines, their ability to steam milk. I have a 24 ounce steaming pitcher that I used to use, and the wand was barely long enough. I felt like I didn't have much control over the process. I think a 12 ounce pitcher might work better. (It does, or I can steam right into a duplo cap mug.) What I got was a good result for a latte, and perhaps less acceptable for a cappuccino. The thermometer I used reported a fast rise in temperature after the temperature went over 100F, while it took quite a while to get from refrigerator temperature to warm. The foam had many large bubbles mixed with the small ones. (Technique, in doing better.) The machine is really fast. It reports brewing temperature in seconds. I never felt like I was waiting for the machine. It reports steaming temperature almost as fast. All in all, I am really happy with this machine. I can't speak to the durability of the machine, but I hope that it will continue to produce beverages of this quality for a long time. And I am happy to be able to get an espresso at home again. After a month, I found that I had to descale the machine. A light comes on to let you know that the machine has decided it needs to be descaled. The process takes a while. You rinse the reservoir and add the solution, then fill it with water. Then you put it in descale mode and it runs the solution through the machine, slowly. You let most of the solution come out through the steaming wand, but you are supposed to turn off the wand and run some of the solution through the filter outlet (with the filter off). When the reservoir is almost empty, the machine stops, you dump the bowls, rinse the reservoir, fill it with tap water, and start the machine again. It runs the rinse water through much faster then the descale, again stopping when the water is almost gone. You can make coffee immediately. This procedure is long, but completely automatic, and need not be watched full time if you have a large enough bowl. You just need to toggle the steam outlet off and on every few minutes. The machine will still make coffee when it is in descaling needed mode. I was favorably impressed. I have descaled machines that were more automated and didn't work as well. I continue to like this machine.
Excellent Compact Espresso Machine
I have been using this machine for about nine months, and it has become an essential part of my day. My initial rating would have been four stars. As some reviewers have noted, there is a bit of a learning curve with this machine. This is a single boiler espresso machine, where the more expensive and larger machines would be double boiler machines. Do not expect the same "workflow" from this machine as you would from one of the larger machines. However, I've found that if you are willing to learn the machine's quirks, it produces a fine espresso, as would a more expensive and larger machine. That's why I give it five stars now that I've been using it for a while. In particular, contrary to shop practice, it's necessary to pull the espresso shot before steaming the milk. As a remedy, I bought some of the double walled glasses, which keeps the coffee fresh while the milk is steaming. I'm very happy with the quality of the coffee the Dedica makes. Almost all the beans I've used produce a good to excellent crema. You will want to purchase a knock box and better quality tamper than comes with the machine. Otherwise, everything is included. In my case, one of the filters was missing. I contacted De'Longhi and they rush delivered a replacement, hassle free. I've seen some reviewers complaining about customer service. My experience with De'Longhi customer service was overwhelmingly positive. The machine takes 45 seconds to prepare. The biggest complaint that I have about this machine is that it does not have a pressure gauge! I really don't know why it was left off because it wouldn't take up much room, even if it had to be placed on the side. I appreciate the sleek design of the machine, and it looks better than any other compact I've seen. But I don't see the reason for omitting this piece of essential equipment. When the machine starts, the lights blink until it is ready. If you are only pulling a shot, you won't have a problem. However, if you use some hot water from the steam valve to warm your glass or get the water for an Americano, nothing on the machine tells you to wait to let it build up pressure again. The still lights indicate that it is ready to pull the shot. Here's my workaround: after opening the water valve, power the machine off and then on again (the button needs to stay in off position for a few seconds--another quirk). Doing so will reactivate the blinking lights, which will go still when it has enough pressure to pull a shot. I only make coffee for myself, which works well for this machine. If you are making multiple drinks in a session beyond simple espresso shots or americanos, this machine is probably not for you. Anytime you use the steam function to froth milk, the machine will need to cool down before pulling another shot of espresso. This is accomplished by waiting a few minutes, or by opening the valve and allowing the excess steam to vent. Be sure to vent the valve before frothing milk as you would on any espresso machine. This machine replaced my other coffee maker. Americano is so much better than drip coffee, that it's all I want now. I enjoy the little ritual of tamping the coffee and puling the shot. It only takes a minute and is more environmentally friendly than individually packaged coffee. If you want prepackaged coffee, get a Keurig. Get or order some fresh espresso from a roaster near you and have them grind it for you. As a barista friend taught me, home coffee grinders will wear out grinding espresso, and aren't necessary because the freshness of coffee mostly comes from the proximity to the date it was roasted rather than the period between it being whole bean and ground. If you want to grind your own coffee, you probably need to upgrade to a machine that includes a grinder on top.
I have been using this machine for about nine months, and it has become an essential part of my day. My initial rating would have been four stars. As some reviewers have noted, there is a bit of a learning curve with this machine. This is a single boiler espresso machine, where the more expensive and larger machines would be double boiler machines. Do not expect the same "workflow" from this machine as you would from one of the larger machines. However, I've found that if you are willing to learn the machine's quirks, it produces a fine espresso, as would a more expensive and larger machine. That's why I give it five stars now that I've been using it for a while. In particular, contrary to shop practice, it's necessary to pull the espresso shot before steaming the milk. As a remedy, I bought some of the double walled glasses, which keeps the coffee fresh while the milk is steaming. I'm very happy with the quality of the coffee the Dedica makes. Almost all the beans I've used produce a good to excellent crema. You will want to purchase a knock box and better quality tamper than comes with the machine. Otherwise, everything is included. In my case, one of the filters was missing. I contacted De'Longhi and they rush delivered a replacement, hassle free. I've seen some reviewers complaining about customer service. My experience with De'Longhi customer service was overwhelmingly positive. The machine takes 45 seconds to prepare. The biggest complaint that I have about this machine is that it does not have a pressure gauge! I really don't know why it was left off because it wouldn't take up much room, even if it had to be placed on the side. I appreciate the sleek design of the machine, and it looks better than any other compact I've seen. But I don't see the reason for omitting this piece of essential equipment. When the machine starts, the lights blink until it is ready. If you are only pulling a shot, you won't have a problem. However, if you use some hot water from the steam valve to warm your glass or get the water for an Americano, nothing on the machine tells you to wait to let it build up pressure again. The still lights indicate that it is ready to pull the shot. Here's my workaround: after opening the water valve, power the machine off and then on again (the button needs to stay in off position for a few seconds--another quirk). Doing so will reactivate the blinking lights, which will go still when it has enough pressure to pull a shot. I only make coffee for myself, which works well for this machine. If you are making multiple drinks in a session beyond simple espresso shots or americanos, this machine is probably not for you. Anytime you use the steam function to froth milk, the machine will need to cool down before pulling another shot of espresso. This is accomplished by waiting a few minutes, or by opening the valve and allowing the excess steam to vent. Be sure to vent the valve before frothing milk as you would on any espresso machine. This machine replaced my other coffee maker. Americano is so much better than drip coffee, that it's all I want now. I enjoy the little ritual of tamping the coffee and puling the shot. It only takes a minute and is more environmentally friendly than individually packaged coffee. If you want prepackaged coffee, get a Keurig. Get or order some fresh espresso from a roaster near you and have them grind it for you. As a barista friend taught me, home coffee grinders will wear out grinding espresso, and aren't necessary because the freshness of coffee mostly comes from the proximity to the date it was roasted rather than the period between it being whole bean and ground. If you want to grind your own coffee, you probably need to upgrade to a machine that includes a grinder on top.
Depending upon Price, either in the sweet spot or no-man’s land, best with a non-pressurized filter
1 year update" 13Dec2019 Descaled twice so far, easy process. Have had no problems with the machine solid construction and feel. Using a non-pressurized filter (see below) it makes an excellent cappuccino. Small footprint and looks nice and solid. Easy to use, clean and descale. Very happy and increasing to 5 stars from 4 starts 6 month Update 7July2019: Have not any reliability problems, descaled once so far and it was an easy process. I have upgraded to the ec685 steam wand and it performs much better than 680 wand- longer reach and more velvety foam. Grate machine when used with non-pressurized filter. Depending upon Price, either in the sweet spot or no-man’s land, best with a non-pressurized filter So what do I mean? There are essentially three options if you want your espresso in a minute (i.e. Thermoblock/Thermocoil)- in the low-to-mid $100’s is a Nespresso, in the $500 to $600 range is the Breville Barista Express or Infuser (darlings of the sub-$1000 category), in between is the Delonghi Dedica and Dedica Deluxe. A Nespresso is quick and easy but- requires a separate frother, has limited flexibility and very expensive capsules. Delonghi Dedica, can be almost as quick and easy when using the E.S.E pods (essentially a giant tea bag with coffee) at half the price of a nespresso capsule. You have the flexibility of using fresh ground coffee with the included pressurized filters and of course a built-in steam frother. Breville machines have the ability to pull professional shots with the included non-pressurized filters and include a pre-infusion stage (a pre-stage that infuses coffee grinds with low pressure hot water immediately before the extraction phase)- these are the 2 biggest features that enable a high quality espresso. There are also a few other features- thermocoil which is bit more robust than Dedica’s thermoblock and can improve heat consistency, a pressure gauge and PID (digital thermometer). How does the Dedica compare to the Brevilles? Well you can get a non-pressurized filter for $6, it’s not made by Delonghi but is the Mr. Coffee 4101 (or equivalent), and in addition even though Delonghi doesn’t advertise it, the Dedica also pre-infuses. If you have the Dedica this is what happens in the 5 second phase when the pump starts for a couple of seconds and then pauses for a few seconds before the pumps starts up again. Use of the non-pressurized filter is vital to improve the espresso significantly and generate a true crema. The Breville’s thermocoil is better but not vital, same with the pressure gauge which is cool but not vital. The PID is definitely a worthwhile feature. These three are worthwhile but at what cost. If you have to pay the $349 list price for the Dedica then the price difference for the Infuser is only $150, even less if you can find the Infuser discounted. At $150 or less, the added features of the Breville are worth the price. In addition, the $200 increase over a Nespresso might not make sense, thus the Dedica is in no-man’s land. If you can get a good discount on the Dedica to the point where it is more than $200 less than the Breville, then the added features of the Breville may not be justified. A discounted price for the Dedica is also a small enough difference compared to a Nespresso and may make more sense. Hence, a sizably discounted price put’s the Dedica in the sweet spot. The biggest problem with the Dedica is that the panarello frother wand can't make microfoam. The dedica Deluxe (EC685) has the added feature to vary the force of the steam pressure, this can enable you to make mircofoam.
1 year update" 13Dec2019 Descaled twice so far, easy process. Have had no problems with the machine solid construction and feel. Using a non-pressurized filter (see below) it makes an excellent cappuccino. Small footprint and looks nice and solid. Easy to use, clean and descale. Very happy and increasing to 5 stars from 4 starts 6 month Update 7July2019: Have not any reliability problems, descaled once so far and it was an easy process. I have upgraded to the ec685 steam wand and it performs much better than 680 wand- longer reach and more velvety foam. Grate machine when used with non-pressurized filter. Depending upon Price, either in the sweet spot or no-man’s land, best with a non-pressurized filter So what do I mean? There are essentially three options if you want your espresso in a minute (i.e. Thermoblock/Thermocoil)- in the low-to-mid $100’s is a Nespresso, in the $500 to $600 range is the Breville Barista Express or Infuser (darlings of the sub-$1000 category), in between is the Delonghi Dedica and Dedica Deluxe. A Nespresso is quick and easy but- requires a separate frother, has limited flexibility and very expensive capsules. Delonghi Dedica, can be almost as quick and easy when using the E.S.E pods (essentially a giant tea bag with coffee) at half the price of a nespresso capsule. You have the flexibility of using fresh ground coffee with the included pressurized filters and of course a built-in steam frother. Breville machines have the ability to pull professional shots with the included non-pressurized filters and include a pre-infusion stage (a pre-stage that infuses coffee grinds with low pressure hot water immediately before the extraction phase)- these are the 2 biggest features that enable a high quality espresso. There are also a few other features- thermocoil which is bit more robust than Dedica’s thermoblock and can improve heat consistency, a pressure gauge and PID (digital thermometer). How does the Dedica compare to the Brevilles? Well you can get a non-pressurized filter for $6, it’s not made by Delonghi but is the Mr. Coffee 4101 (or equivalent), and in addition even though Delonghi doesn’t advertise it, the Dedica also pre-infuses. If you have the Dedica this is what happens in the 5 second phase when the pump starts for a couple of seconds and then pauses for a few seconds before the pumps starts up again. Use of the non-pressurized filter is vital to improve the espresso significantly and generate a true crema. The Breville’s thermocoil is better but not vital, same with the pressure gauge which is cool but not vital. The PID is definitely a worthwhile feature. These three are worthwhile but at what cost. If you have to pay the $349 list price for the Dedica then the price difference for the Infuser is only $150, even less if you can find the Infuser discounted. At $150 or less, the added features of the Breville are worth the price. In addition, the $200 increase over a Nespresso might not make sense, thus the Dedica is in no-man’s land. If you can get a good discount on the Dedica to the point where it is more than $200 less than the Breville, then the added features of the Breville may not be justified. A discounted price for the Dedica is also a small enough difference compared to a Nespresso and may make more sense. Hence, a sizably discounted price put’s the Dedica in the sweet spot. The biggest problem with the Dedica is that the panarello frother wand can't make microfoam. The dedica Deluxe (EC685) has the added feature to vary the force of the steam pressure, this can enable you to make mircofoam.
Perfect machine, gives you a great cappuccino every time!
I used to be a barista and when I came back from Italy this year I decided I needed to splurge and get an espresso machine to make myself some cappuccinos! All the $100 dollar (or around there) machines I've used at friends' houses have always let me down, mostly because the steamer was incredibly lacking in power and/or not movable. This is why I decided to search high and low for a machine that looked good, had the power, had good reviews, and seemed like it would actually last longer than 6 months (this was the complaint for many other machines out there, but most reviews I read state that this machine has lasted awhile without losing power or falling apart. I've only had it for about 2 months so I can't speak to that yet). Pros: -Steamer is movable and has lots of power, comes apart for thorough cleaning -Suggestion: before steaming your milk, turn on the steamer and let it warm up (with cup underneath) because for the first few seconds it pours out some hot water, but it only takes about 10 seconds for the hot steam to begin, then you can start. -Small enough not to take up your whole counter top, great for someone like me who is already lacking in space! Also very good-looking. -Get some great espresso shots out of it without having to get anything perfect in the set-up. -I read a lot of people complaining about the tamp that comes with the product, however, I feel they are just snobs honestly because it really ISN'T THAT HARD to get a good tamp. You want the grounds to be firmly pressed down and uniform but you don't want to smash it down. Basically don't over think it. -I mostly make cappuccinos and I get a great, thick foam like I want, EVERY time. Of course it comes a bit easy to me since I've been trained in how to make one, however I believe a beginner could simply look up some YouTube videos and learn how to pretty quickly with some practice. Cons: -There is no "cup warmer," it's just a spot you could put cups if you wanted, barely gets warmer than room temperature. I don't think this is a big deal, however, and I just put hot water in my cup until I've prepared most of the stuff I need. Walah, warm cup. -I was confused while looking through the product book because there was a pic of a water filter, then I realized that it wasn't included and you are supposed to order it separately. This also isn't a big deal for me because I have a Brita filter in the fridge anyways, so I just fill up the back of the machine with water from that. Overall, I was really worried that this machine wasn't going to live up to my expectations since I'm used to a very expensive machine at the coffee shop I used to work at, but for a home model I really couldn't imagine needing anything more. If you are an Americano fan, the steam wand will also put out steaming hot water instead of steam. Lattes and mochas can easily be made. It gives you a superb cappuccino. Even if you just like shots of espresso, you get it all! Great looking machine, works great every time, basically a really great product if you take coffee seriously. :-)
I used to be a barista and when I came back from Italy this year I decided I needed to splurge and get an espresso machine to make myself some cappuccinos! All the $100 dollar (or around there) machines I've used at friends' houses have always let me down, mostly because the steamer was incredibly lacking in power and/or not movable. This is why I decided to search high and low for a machine that looked good, had the power, had good reviews, and seemed like it would actually last longer than 6 months (this was the complaint for many other machines out there, but most reviews I read state that this machine has lasted awhile without losing power or falling apart. I've only had it for about 2 months so I can't speak to that yet). Pros: -Steamer is movable and has lots of power, comes apart for thorough cleaning -Suggestion: before steaming your milk, turn on the steamer and let it warm up (with cup underneath) because for the first few seconds it pours out some hot water, but it only takes about 10 seconds for the hot steam to begin, then you can start. -Small enough not to take up your whole counter top, great for someone like me who is already lacking in space! Also very good-looking. -Get some great espresso shots out of it without having to get anything perfect in the set-up. -I read a lot of people complaining about the tamp that comes with the product, however, I feel they are just snobs honestly because it really ISN'T THAT HARD to get a good tamp. You want the grounds to be firmly pressed down and uniform but you don't want to smash it down. Basically don't over think it. -I mostly make cappuccinos and I get a great, thick foam like I want, EVERY time. Of course it comes a bit easy to me since I've been trained in how to make one, however I believe a beginner could simply look up some YouTube videos and learn how to pretty quickly with some practice. Cons: -There is no "cup warmer," it's just a spot you could put cups if you wanted, barely gets warmer than room temperature. I don't think this is a big deal, however, and I just put hot water in my cup until I've prepared most of the stuff I need. Walah, warm cup. -I was confused while looking through the product book because there was a pic of a water filter, then I realized that it wasn't included and you are supposed to order it separately. This also isn't a big deal for me because I have a Brita filter in the fridge anyways, so I just fill up the back of the machine with water from that. Overall, I was really worried that this machine wasn't going to live up to my expectations since I'm used to a very expensive machine at the coffee shop I used to work at, but for a home model I really couldn't imagine needing anything more. If you are an Americano fan, the steam wand will also put out steaming hot water instead of steam. Lattes and mochas can easily be made. It gives you a superb cappuccino. Even if you just like shots of espresso, you get it all! Great looking machine, works great every time, basically a really great product if you take coffee seriously. :-)
