Leo July 23 − Aug 22 Alias: Alias: The Lion March 20 (20/03) daily leo horoscope: summary leo daily Star 7/10 There are few Leos who dont display dramatic tendencies at times and where convincing or persuading someone is concerned, you dont need to bring drama or exaggeration into discussions to make a point. You have respect and possibly admiration you need for your point to be accepted without question. Straight talking might be a dull option but its all thats needed now. Read more... summary leo tomorrow Star 10/10 A certain discussion or exchange you wish was moving closer within reach could be more of a mirage, moving further into the distance. You appear to want to see action having heard enough words. Be aware of how putting pressure on certain others is unlikely to bring
Merouane Mimou Maskri
Great Espresso, Great for Latte Art
Hello! I don't write many reviews, but I had to share how happy I am with this product! After a long search for a starter espresso machine for a small apartment, and being dissatisfied with the DeLonghi ECP155 and KRUPS XP344C51 (as they could not make the right microfoam for latte art), this one worked perfectly on the first try! The espresso tastes great, leaves a wonderful crema, easy to use and clean, I like that it came with a tamper, the steam wand is fast and makes great milk for latte art, and the handle is neat in that it has a way to keep the interchangeable cups in place without having to fiddle with a latch. I love espresso and latte, especially latte art, and this machine did it for me! Thank you :)
Maxine Robinson
Great first espresso machine, excellent price
I bought the ECP3630 a few months ago to save money on all the lattes/mochas I was buying at coffeehouses and I'm extremely happy with it, especially for the price (got it at $150.) The stainless steel body looks fantastic in the kitchen, the boiler heats up quickly, the steam wand is surprisingly powerful, the water tank lasts for several drinks, and it's very easy to clean. Because I only use it for latte/cappucino-type drinks (as opposed to straight espresso shots or less diluted drinks), and because this is the first espresso machine I've ever owned, I can't really comment in detail on the espresso shot taste or how it compares to other machines. A few things I've figured out to get optimal results: 1. The machine works best with coffee that is ground finer than drip, but coarser than true espresso. I've tried both Illy and Lavazza pre-ground espresso coffees and even though the Illy is finer (and almost twice as expensive), I get much better results with the Lavazza, which has a bit coarser grind. I store the can in the fridge and get great quality shots with nice crema for about two weeks. 2. Use an instant read thermometer when steaming your milk. Latte art is very possible with the stock steam wand, but your technique has to be nearly perfect. I use a 12 oz. pitcher and fill it a little less than half way. Inject air until the milk temperature reaches ~110°F, but just enough air so that the milk has increased ~50% in volume. If you inject more air than that, your milk will become super foamy and overflow, but if you don't inject enough air, the milk will be too thin. I turn off the wand once the thermometer reads 150°F, though the one I use delays the reading by a couple seconds so the milk is really between 155 and 160. Don't go higher than 160°F or you'll ruin the foam! 3. The cup warmer on the top of the machine looks nice, but doesn't really do much. Once the boiler is up to temperature, run some hot water into your cup and swirl it around for a few seconds - makes a big difference.
Lakeshia Davis
Great Espresso and Easy to Use
I love this machine, which makes great espresso and is easy to use. I've owned 3 machines and this is by far the best espresso maker. I upgraded from a previous De'Longhi to this more expensive model, and glad I did. You can pay more for a machine, but why? Pros: --Makes great coffee, with a nice espresso-colored froth on top every time --It's compact (12" H x 9.5" D x 8" W) and attractive --Simple controls --Removable water basket --Handy place to store the extra filter --Cup warmer built in on top --Able to handle a tall glass/cup if you need it Cons; --Set up took me a little longer than I expected. It wasn't delivering the starter water like it should have so I let the unit cool off and started over. Worked the 2nd time. --No automatic stop. You have to watch over it and shut the machine off or it will overflow your cup. I'm extremely happy with this. Even my sister-in-law who makes great Turkish coffee on the stove approved!
Reahannon Carr Toon
Great machine! Just check the reservoir.
I've had this machine for a month and so far it's been fantastic. I love lattes and mistos and having to go to Starbucks every morning just isn't something I want to do. So, armed with my espresso beans, my white mocha sauce and my Keurig, I've been able to make my favorite drinks from the comfort of my home! What I've found so far: PROS: - The froth, though not very dense, is great. It wand will froth 6 ounces of soy milk in less than 45 seconds. - The warming plate gets hot! - I turn the machine off when I'm done so warming it back up takes less than 30 seconds before the green light turns on - The water level is visible so you know when you need to add more without moving the machine CONS: - The warming plate gets hot! It's a little too hot in my opinion but I don't use it. - The water reservoir MUST be all the way down. When it arrives, it'll look like it's in place. It isn't. Gently push it down. TIPS: - Take the steam wand apart and rinse after each use. Don't try to rush it like Starbucks and just blow steam through it. There will be left over milk in the wand. It comes apart easily, wipe down the attached wand and purge it with steam for 1-3 seconds and then run the parts (2) under warm water. Set them on the drip try to dry and you're ready to go next time! (in picture) - More water seems to create better steam. I refill the reservoir when it's less than half full.
Ben Fredj Sahar
That low end machine made a lot of very good espresso over the years and thought I would just ...
I had a Delonghi in our family for over 10 years similar to De'Longhi EC220CD 15-Bar Pump Driven Espresso Maker and when it finally died I figured I would just replace it in kind. That low end machine made a lot of very good espresso over the years and thought I would just replace it with the same model because it did so well. But when I finally decided to purchase another machine I stepped up to this one and was glad i did. So far the machine has performed fabulously. I teamed it up with an inexpensive Capresso conical burr grinder Capresso 560.04 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, Stainless Finish and I can't say enough about the quality of the coffee it delivers. Nice thick crema and tastes great. If you don't consider yourself a "Barista" and don't want to spend $500-$1000 on a system, but just want a good shot of espresso, I would highly recommend this machine.
Donna Emery
So far great!
I purchased the DeLonghi ECP3420 a month ago, and so far, I have been totally impressed with this machine and the coffee it produces. After having owned several Philips Senseo coffee makers for the last 8 years I was getting frustrated with ever increasing quality problems with every new Senseo machine I purchased. Add to that the fact that you are a hostage to the suppliers of Senseo pods who frequently increase their prices to almost double. After our last Senseo coffee maker broke, we went back to using a drip coffee maker. But I just didn't like the absence of the crema and the staleness after the first cup. That's when I started to research espresso machines as an alternative to the Senseo machine. Not because I prefer Espresso, but because the DeLonghi ECP3420 is a versatile machine that allows you to produce also Lattes and Cappuccinos. So far, I have only used it to make coffee with a generous amount of milk froth. The taste is out of this world, and I will never be satisfied with anything else. Oh, and did I mention, I'm no friend of the Keurig machines mainly because of the tremendous waste the K-cups produce. I also should mention that making a cup of coffee with the DeLonghi machine requires more time than with traditional coffee makers. But I don't mind the extra effort because the reward of great-tasting coffee compensates more than enough. I will assess this machine again a few months from now, and hopefully, it will still perform satisfactorily. Yes, I am aware of the significant numbers of negative reviews, and it made me hesitate investing in this DeLonghi machine.
Virginia LaFrieda Osonitsch
If you know what you're doing, you don't need an expensive machine and grinder
We owned a DeLonghi machine prior to this, which functioned great for 3 years until it burned down along with our house. It was a $100 machine and along with it we had a really nice Italian burr grinder that normally would have cost $800 or so, that I got a steal of a deal of eBay on. On top of that, we roast our own green organic coffee beans that I get from AromaCraft Coffee (sold here on Amazon). The previous machine made a great tasting espresso, but this machine is even better and really comes close to getting the same type of shots you'll get in a $1000 machine if you know what you're doing. I even use the plastic tamper that came with the machine, and a cheap blade grinder. It's really all in how you pack the portafilter. If you grind really fine, you can't pack it too tight. Too coursely, and you wont get a nice creamy shot. It's all about finding the balance between the grind and the tamping, as well as using high quality, freshly roasted beans. This machine will get you the rest of the way and you'll be drinking shots of espresso better than most coffee shops. I have to say that I'm not thrilled about the steamer. It doesn't seem to work as well as the previous one we had, and spits out a lot of water, but not really a big deal, since we mostly just take shots straight with a little bit of cream. Have had this for machine for 4 months now with no issues. Will update in the future!
Stella Manion
Thank you Italians for this quality machine
This is a great little home espresso machine such great quality for the price. So I read alot of the past post and disagree with some of them. It pulls great shoots. It warms up quickly and looks great on my counter. What i learned from my past experience is a great espresso grinder can make a cheeper espresso machine great but it dosnt not work the other way around so do not cheap out on a grinder. I have used these parameters and it seems to work perfect 14 grams of ground coffee and use your tamper the plastic tamper works good but I prefer a metal one but anyways I time my shoots 18 to 20 sec and it should produce 1 1/2 once liquor and 1/2 creme if not adjust you grinder finer or courser to achieve this and you will not be disappointed.
Francis Roy
MUCH better than the previous De'Longhi we had.
Bought this as a replacement for another De'Longhi that we loved. We decided on this one because the water tank is enclosed. Got it Monday night and did the obligatory running of water through to clear it out. No plastic smell at all with this one. Got up Tuesday morning and used the largest basket for my espresso (I like to do 4 shots of espresso with my cappuccino) and this delivered very strong espresso with a nice head of crema. I am thoroughly pleased at this point with our purchase. Easy to clean, easy to fill the tank. There is a "whistle" at the beginning of the process but that's much better than the rattle that the other De'Longhi had. I do let the machine warm up a good 15-20 minutes before I brew the espresso so when I do multiple iterations of brewing espresso it doesn't take long to reheat up between the cycles. We use this for 2 people in our house and so far, we love it!
Deana Williams
Great taste, easy to use. Here are my tips:
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 but 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.