De'Longhi ECP3120 15 Bar Espresso Machine with Advanced Cappuccino System, 9.6 x 7.2 x 11.9 inches, Black/Stainless Steel

**** UPDATE AFTER 4 YEARS OF USE**** Well it's May 2020 now, and I purchased this machine back in 2016. It has now been through 2 apartment moves, and STILL works like a dream... but recently it developed an inconsistent leak. I've woken up twice now to it having leaked on the countertop overnight. Not too much, and it hasn't done it every night. But still enough to be worried I'll someday have to replace it. For $100 or so dollars though, and especially after being used almost every single day for 4 years, this machine has STILL been one of the best and most reliable things I have ever purchased in my life. I still have to get my coffee beans ground at 1 notch more corse than espresso, however I've had a trusty coffee/spice grinder that gets a perfect grind every time (and its also cheap and over 8 years old). I'm pretty sure my last move (across 3 states) was the reason it has now started to leak, and I'm sad that I will one day have to part with it... but I'm writing this review because I truly just can't recommend this product enough. I have not been paid or given anything to write this or any reviews, I just want the amazon world to know it's a great machine for the price. Happy coffee making, espresso drinkers out there! ______________________________________________________________ I never write reviews for anything I purchase on Amazon (yet I read reviews for everything I purchase), and I'm so glad I chose this machine when looking for a new espresso maker. Personally, I am really hands on with my coffee in the mornings. I am not a "push a button and go" kinda girl, so if you are looking for that, maybe look elsewhere? This machine can be a bit finicky at times. It's so easy to use, and relatively mess free. It is a bit loud, but that doesn't bother me. It works like a breeze, and produces consistently great pours with beautiful crema markings. The milk frother works wonderfully with any type of milk (I only use almond or coconut milk). Being a barista years back I learned some milks are really hard to get a nice velvety foam, and this machine does just that with almond milk! It's not latte art quality, but juuuuust close enough that it could be. Here's my advice after owning this machine for a few months now... 1. Start off with some Illy ground espresso in the can (like a previous reviewer had mentioned) so that you can have good tasting espresso while you get used to how your machine works. Tamp your espresso lightly!! Don't cram it in there or it will ruin the flow! 2. Once you get used to how the Illy grounds work with your machine, then you can move on to local coffee shop beans. The reason being that the coffee grounds have more oils in them and are ground a bit more fine so it doesn't come out in a flow, but more of a drip. I typically put my cup right where the drip comes out, and it flows evenly for a perfect crema. Ask your barista for their particular choice in espresso beans when you go to your local roaster. I prefer Peet's Coffee or Philz Coffee's Aromatic Arabic, but make sure you ask them to grind 1 step more coarse then the typical espresso grind to make it a little easier on yourself.. 3. Always wipe your machine after use. I know I can be busy at times and forget to take out the tamp and empty the used espresso out, but try to always wipe the milk frother after use, and wipe down your machine. It comes apart easily so you can really get in there. At least 3 days I do a full rinse of the machine. I know I should do it after every single use, but I have had no problems thus far. 4. Last but not least, make sure you get a ***small*** milk pitcher and tamp (I bought mine from the seller New Star Foodservice since it was priced right and well made). I know you get a 2 in 1 scoop and tamp with this machine, but look for something slightly heavy and stainless steel.

Updated review 1/10/25 The pump won't pump. We tried descaling but still it won't work. We did leave for a long trip, and the machine was not in use for about 30 days.... could that be the reason? Very disappointed because we really liked the machin, so now I must deduct a couple stars. Even though this was not an expensive machine, I still thought I would get more than a year's use from it.... We did not want to get an expensive espresso machine that we thought might have features we would not need, such as the water filteration, since we have a system for our water already. We didn't need a machine with a coffee grinder since we have a good electric burr coffee grinder. So we settled for this De'Longhi Bar Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, 15", Stainless Steel, on sale for $111.00. Now that we have used the machine, I will tell you what is great about it.... 1. It is a simple machine, easy to use, not complicated. 2. There is no involved cleaning regiment required. 3. It is quick and easy to do 2 delicious coffees quickly in the morning. 4. This machine produces beautiful crema on our espresso shot. The things I wish this machine came with, but for the price, we can work around it... 1. I am not real happy with the frother wand. I now know those that come with 3 holes and on a ball joint are most desireable . 2. This one would have been one of the best, but it is 6 x higher in price, it is the Breville Barista Express Impress, Stainless Steel at $699.00. It does have the better frother wand, the automatic tamper on the side of the machine, and grinder grinds right into the portafilter. But after it is all said and done, we are pretty happy with the results we get from this machine, where we really enjoy each cup of coffee, whether it be an espresso, a long coffee, or a cappuccino. But to tell you the truth, the coffee is so good only because of whom I share it with. <3

It works well and makes some great espresso. Had a little trouble deciding just how much coffee I wanted to use with the grind I make. I have some experience frothing milk without the little shield that goes around the frother, to make it froth no matter how poorly your frothing skills are However, after the first time I removed the inner tip of for cleaning, I couldn't get it to stay in place when I went to use it in the traditional manner without the outer sheath. It would shoot off into my milk pitcher. So I leave the sheath in place now although I can't make as dry of a foam with the sheath. It's still quite good and very usable. The one drawback this machine has is that It doesn't automatically turn off after a one or two shot pour. You have to manually turn it from the steam/coffee position to the "on" position when you want to stop delivering the coffee, and then it runs a little afterward and often continues to drip. So I time it. With the grind I use for a "normale" I use 14-grams of coffee and as soon as it starts dripping, I'll run it for 20-seconds and then turn it off. As soon as the stream turns into a drip, I'll pull it away and let the drops fall to the drip tray. That yields a double shot known as a "normale". The drip tray holds a lot and has this little red float that will poke through the top of the tray when it's getting full, so you see it and empty it before it overflows. I empty it every time I use it myself. I like this machine a lot. You can get better ones of course, but most of those start around $400 to $500 and go up over $5,000.

I’ve been using this De’Longhi espresso machine for over 3 years and 6 months, and it has been one of the best coffee purchases I’ve made. It still brews rich, flavorful espresso with a beautiful crema, and the steam wand continues to make smooth milk foam for cappuccinos and lattes. The machine has been easy to maintain, and with regular cleaning it has remained reliable despite frequent use. I also appreciate its compact size, which fits nicely on my coffee station without taking up too much counter space. After years of ownership, I can confidently say this machine has exceeded my expectations in both performance and durability. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a dependable home espresso machine.

This espresso machine failed 100%; it didn't work even once. It did not have enough pressure to express the coffee through the filter head. I have had 3 different espresso machines and this was my third DeLonghi; they last about a year, but I had reconciled myself to this and purchased yet another DeLonghi. I am very familiar with espresso machines and how to troubleshoot the problems. I tried both the single walled and the double walled filters, but it would not express coffee. I tried the filter head without any coffee and water poured through, so that proved the water was heating and was being directed though the filter head, but once coffee grinds were placed in the filter, the machine could not produce enough pressure to express coffee. Amazon refuses to accept a return on this item "for health reasons," which is insane as they offer this item as a reduced price as a "used/previously owned" item. If they have used/previously owned machines, obviously they have accepted returns before, but the just won't take mine back and give me a refund. This is the last straw for me with Amazon....never again. I'll pay more to buy from a reputable site. I also reached out to the DeLonghi company to see if they could help, but they made their requirements for their assistance so complex that I gave up. I gave them complete and accurate information about the machine and the problem, but they insisted that I have to make a video, create a YouTube Account, upload the video to YouTube, etc. etc. I am not that technically competent, which I told them, but they will not back down. So this latest DeLonghi is going into the trash. I finally found a really great machine at the Seattle Coffee Gear company, a Philips Expresso Machine. I ordered it on Monday, 6/16 and had it by Wednesday, 6/18. It's perfect and produces an Americano better that my DeLonghis ever made.

With coffee prices going up, I decided it was time to make them myself and definitely wanted a milk-steamer...and that without paying a ton of money. I did do some research and decided on this machine. It is amazing! It comes with 3 different filters for the coffee: one cup, two cups, and one for a pod. I use the 2 cups usually since I love my mugs and one is a little to little. There is also a plastic scoop with a 'stomper' on the other end, which works fine. The machine has a fairly long cord, which I was happy to see. The water container is easy to put in and remove (just a light push to make sure it's in) and holds enough water for more than a couple of cups. The front of the machine can fit either small expresso cups, or the platform can be removed to fit larger mugs. Even after the main platform is removed, the one below has a small, metal try to make cleaning up extra drips very easy. All of this is simple to clean and wipe through. The coffee wand slides into place and is snugly twisted to the right. It is tight and works well. To use, I turn the knob to on, wait for the green light to shine, and then turn to the coffee cup signal. When the light goes off, it's done...I turn it back to on, wait for the green light to shine again, and then, switch the knob to the milk steamer. The steamer wand can be turned to get the right angle for the milk steaming jug (which is not included). To steam, another little lever is twisted, which is right above the wand. It steams the milk nicely and leaves a lovely foam (my favorite part). To clean, the nozzle is twisted a 1/4 turn to the left and pulled off, The rubber nozzle below is easily popped off and rinsed out. The coffee cups out wonderfully, hot, and has a nice flavor (this, obviously, depends on your bean type, though). I use a slightly harsher grind than expresso, since I find this works better. Also, it's important not to push the grounds into place with force, but rather give them a light tap with the stomper. I think the key to having wonderful coffee is making sure to clean and rinse everything after every use, which doesn't take but a minute. My son loves it since he gets whatever coffee he desires in less that 3-4 mins (with milk, heat-up time, and clean-up). He claims it's the best purchase of a machine in the kitchen we've ever made.

To begin, I have no idea why Amazon asked me about the "blending power" of this espresso maker. I gave it a 5 anyway as I am very happy with the machine and did not want an odd question to hurt its reputation. It's very easy to operate and it looks great. It heats up quickly, it can pull one or two shots, and comes with three baskets - a single and a double pressurized basket, and then a pressurized basket for a pre-measured pod. It holds a lot of water, and the drip tray is a good size - not too big and not too small. The metal top of the drip tray is heavy chrome - very solid and well made. I only have one complaint - the filter basket on the portafilter fits in with a tension spring. The basket doesn't have slots or bumps or anything to hold the spring so it can pop out rather easily. This is only a concern when you are knocking out the puck after brewing. My previous machine had a lever that you could pull out to hold the filter basket in place when you knocked - I thought that was a better solution than these springs. Good thing I still have it... On the whole, I think this machine is a good-enough machine for a basic user. You can spend thousands more if you want, and have a much fancier machine that you can be very proud to show-off, but I have my doubts whether you can really tell the difference. But - it's your money.

This is the ideal espresso maker if you, like me, have no idea how to make espresso. A traditional espresso maker boils water to generate immense pressure which you then release carefully in response to the pressure, and it's super easy to create a total disaster with pressurized boiling water. This instead brings a small amount of water to a simmer then provides 15bar (15x normal atmospheric pressure) with a pump, meaning you can never end up with too much pressure or heat. You can still screw this up. If you grind too coarse, the water will rush right thru the coffee and barely brew anything. If you grind fine espresso size (should easily cake) and then tamp it down too hard, the fixed 15bar of this machine will fail to press the water thru, and you may even damage the pump. That's a major limitation of this product: some like it provide 20bar, and of course the traditional ones provide infinite pressure if you let the thing get out of control. You need to learn to grind, fill and tamp just the right amount to get an excellent shot of espresso. I recommend a metal espresso tamper to get that nice tamp (easily found here on Amazon). Overall if you just want espresso at home and have no idea what you're doing this is the one to buy.

Compramos esta máquina para la oficina hace tres semanas y estamos muy contentos con ella. El café que prepara no sale quemado en absoluto (me imagino por la correcta temperatura del agua), por lo que conserva muy bien el sabor particular de cada grano. La presión de la bomba es más que suficiente para el molido de espresso que nos gusta. La máquina se calienta muy rápidamente (menos de un minuto) hasta la temperatura de operación, y requiere muy poco tiempo entre un uso y el siguiente (algunos segundos; uno se tarda más vaciando y volviendo a llenar la canastilla). La salida de vapor funciona adecuadamente para espumar leche (sobre todo si se hace en un recipiente de buen tamaño). La máquina no ocupa mucho espacio y las partes metálicas (incluyendo la canastilla y el tubo de vapor) se sienten de buena calidad. La charola removible es muy útil pues permite colocar tazas altas. Es fácil de operar en general: las funciones son sencillas y claras, y el que el tanque sea removible hace fácil llenarlo. Hasta el momento no presenta señales de deterioro a pesar del uso semi-rudo que le hemos dado. Esperemos se mantenga así, tomando en cuenta que le daremos mantenimiento regular (una vez al mes) usando un descalcificador. Espero poder actualizar esta reseña en unos meses con comentarios positivos sobre su longevidad. Actualización (6 meses): Llevamos 6 meses usándola y sigue funcionando perfectamente, y eso que es de uso comunitario por lo que ha preparado varios cientos de tazas ya. Estamos muy satisfechos con ella. Algo que hemos aprendido es que hay que cuidar un poco el nivel de molido pues si queda demasiado fino a la bomba le cuesta algo de trabajo pasar el agua. Usando el nivel adecuado produce un espresso con una cantidad aceptable de crema y con muy buen sabor.

I am just intrigued by the fact that the cost has gone up by almost about 15k in a week since i bought it..... Since it an import from US .... Works on 110v therefore a step down converter from 220v to 110v and 1. 5 kv will be required.... As the machine is 1100W....The results quite gud as im only using 100% arabica coffee.....

good espresso machine my last one lasted 10 years

Estuve buscando entre muchas cafeteras y esta sin duda es una muy buena opción para disfrutar la experiencia de preparar un café. Tenía mis dudas porque es presurizada, es decir: aumenta la presión la capsula para aumentar la crema del café, y eso no le permite tener un molido muy fino. Déjame explicarte: Si usas un molino, como el de mi foto, no lo puedes moler en el tope de fino, debe ser en semi fino, porque como está presurizada, ya tiene presión extra (es decir lo que se logra al afinar el grano). La presión por definición física es: P = Fuerza/Área, por lo que si hay una buena presión (15 bar), PERO en una área muy muy pequeña(grano muy fino), la Fuerza tiende a 0 (¡MATEMÁTICAS HIJO!) y no lograrás que salga el agua, porque no hay suficiente fuerza, ósea, se tapará (y por eso hay gente que dice que no sacan nada). Si por el cambio, compras el grano ya molido, por ejemplo de los que venden en el super, ya no te preocupas, solo compra molido para espresso o fino. Esos molidos están diseñados para esta cafetera, porque suponen que no tienes una maquina industrial que sí puede sacar el espresso aunque el molido sea extra fino. Mi conclusión: la experiencia es buena para hacerte un café de buena calidad, saca todo el sabor del café, lo exprime, creeme que la intensidad depende ya del tipo de grano. Excelente hasta el día de hoy, si algo llega a salir mal, actualizaré, ya llevo casi un mes con ella y saco de 4 a 5 tazas al día sin problema. Si tienen dudas, esta es una buena opción por el precio, es elegante y no le pide nada a otras que pensé comprar más caras! Yo no compraría una Oster o una Hamilton en vez de esta, nada que ver, la precisión es lo más importante en el café y en el sabor, si no te importa el sabor ni el equilibrio del café, pues compra otra más barata, si eres más exigente empieza por una de estas para arriba.

Es una buena cafetera, pero hay que tener cuidado con el café que se usa en ella. Yo tengo un molino de café Breville con más de 30 posibilidades de molido, solo para expresso, por lo que la finura del grano no es un problema. Sin embargo, me he dado cuenta que ciertos cafés no son extraídos por la cafetera, es como si le faltase presión. He probado muchos tamaños de molido, pero lo único que resulta es cambiar el café. Me ha funcionado muy bien con los cafes de marca San Francisco Bay, por ejemplo, pero no con los cafés Punta del Cielo ni mucho menos con cafés artesanales.