DeLonghi EC270 15BarPump Espresso Machine Black and Stainless
by admin on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 | 15 Comments
| Brand: | DeLonghi | ||
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DeLonghi EC270 Espresso Maker is a 15 bar pump-driven machine containing a stainless steel boiler and a 35-ounce/1-liter removal water tank with a convenient water level indicator. This espresso maker has a patented dual-function filter holder and patented adjustable cappuccino system frother, both perfect for making the ideal cappuccino, latte or any other frothy milk drink. This machine also includes a removal drip tray and two separate thermostats. The self-priming operation enables the barista to make a favorite beverage quickly and easily with no annoying start-up preparation. more info
Insane Leaks!!!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
We had high hopes for this machine, and it was well reviewed and very reasonably priced. The first time we filled the water reservoir a few minutes later we were stepping in water (oh, it leaks.) We cleaned up, filled it up again, and this time carefully ensured it was seated properly. Then we waited. Yep, it leaked again.
After a couple of additional attempts (push it firmly in, gently rest it in place) I decided to turn on the machine…maybe running a cycle or two would fix things. As it warmed up, water started leaking out of the steam nozzle! (first time it was ever used) followed by leaking from the water reservoir.
The manual says nothing about troubleshooting leaks. I think we got a dud, and I’m very disappointed.
Delonghi EC270 Espresso Machine.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Have used this machine for a week now, and am hooked on its operation. It’s a solid, quality unit and is easy to use. It’s warm up time is in minutes and you’re ready to make espresso. The milk frother is excellent; it makes a very creamy froth in little time. Can’t see any negatives at all on this machine. Is it wrong to love your coffee maker?
So far so good
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Have had it for about a month now and I’m very happy with my purchase. Machine is very quiet, well made and solid, and is ready to go a minute or two after turning it on.
It also does the milk foaming very easily and I can create a full jug of froth with no problem. I haven’t use the pods yet, just the Illy ground coffee I bought off Amazon a while ago. It makes excellent expresso and cappucinos.
It’s really easy to make good restaurant-quality cappucinos and expressos in the comfort of your home with this machine. I’m enjoying the machine and my wife now agrees even though she wasn’t that sure we needed one when I bought it.
One thing I would recommend is a Krups XS5012 12-Ounce Stainless-Steel Milk Frothing Pitcher, you really should use one to get a decent froth.
Awesome Machine, love the steam frothing
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This machine is nicely heavy and strong, normally with every pump espresso machine you have to wait like 5 minutes or more to let it warm up, well this one is ready in seconds, the pump is not noisy at all, the steamer works very nice mixing perfectly the milk with the steam without making boiling the milk before you get a firm foam and that is a good advantage because you can froth directly into your cup instead of using frothing pitcher (less clean to do), the water reservoir can be remove to fill it or it has a lid too, and it comes with two kinds of filters one to use with ground coffee for 2 cups, and another one that can be use with ground coffee for 1 cup or with E.S.E pods( which although they are bit expensive, once you use them you love them cause they are super practical) and at last but not least the fact that this has stainless-steel boiler is a plus since all the small espressos use aluminum which is not that healthy. In general it is very easy to use and to clean machine.
Great machine,, one problem
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great machine,, easy to use. Took 10 minutes to set up and make first cup.
I only have one complaint,, it is so hard to turn the filter holder and lock it in place. Had several espresso machines and never had one so difficult to turn. Afraid it will break. Also,, a small high piercing sound.. not sure what that is about.
Jo Morris
[...]
Excellent cup of Espresso!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I haven’t tasted a cup of espresso like this since I came from Italy on a 3 month vacation. You have the choice to make your cup shorter (stretto) or Long (lungo), the difference being the shorter cup is more flavorful and concentrated like the ones in the Espresso bars in Italy. I’m sure some of the $1000+ dollar machines can make a better cup, but the margin for better is very small. The brew on this machine is very creamy and rich. Unfortunately, in this country you have a hard time finding a good barista that can make the espresso as it should be (in my opinion, stretto). I believe I got my money’s worth already and Ive only had this machine 2 months. I hope it lasts, as it is not commercial quality, but if it lasts a year with the amount I use it, I will buy another one. One piece of advice, try to find a good quality espresso, I used to use lavatsa, but I found a local Italian coffee roaster that blows it away.
I love this machine
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the greatest machine ever. This is the second espresso machine that I have owned. The instructions are so easy to use and understand. It works great and you can have a perfect, hot cappucino in just a matter of seconds. It is the first time ever that I understand how to use the frother, and I end up with perfect and hot frothed milk. I love this machine. When I use it, I feel like I am in heaven. Great choice!!!!
Good machine, some issues and more issues
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I hate to rain on the positive review parade – but this machine isn’t worth 5 stars (maybe 4, depending on the price you get it for). I’d like to note that I’m not a coffee snob – I use milk and some form of sweeter in every coffee I make. I’ve been making my own mochas at home for about 2 years now and just purchased this machine to replace my Breville Ikon – great machine, but the seals on it were shot from not always using purified water and it was cheaper to buy a new machine than to get mine fixed. The DeLonghi isn’t a Breville (doesn’t have the price tag either) but it does make a good cup of mocha!
My 2 issues with this machine are:
1) Although it is heavy in weight, that weight is fairly top heavy making it very difficult to turn the filter holder into the head. I’m used to placing and turning – maybe the model I got is tighter than most, but I honestly turned the whole machine and ended up awkwardly putting a strangle hold on it to get the filter into place properly.
2) The steam wand is exclusively a frothing wand. With my Breville I could CHOOSE to use the frothing attachment or use a more barista style approach – we like milky coffee and could care less for foam so we did without it. With this machine 8ozs of milk turns into 16 oz of milk and foam in about 60 seconds. I tried to remove the frothing attachment (without double checking the instructions first) and the steam wand came apart in my milk (great for easy cleaning, obviously not meant to be used without the attachment that holds it together). With the amount of foam it creates and the relatively short wand it has to be held and monitored while the milk is heating and it will only heat enough milk for one drink at a time, unless you enjoy cleaning milk from your counters.
All in all the coffee was good, it is just going to take some getting used to (and maybe some 3M strips to attach it to my counter top). For the price, the function of the machine is excellent and it looks good too.
UPDATE:
I’ve had this machine for 2 months now and it has started leaking like CRAZY!! I only use highly filtered water in it so this shouldn’t be a problem. I’m going to attempt to contact customer service but based on previous reviews I’m not highly optimistic.
Good Machine for Beginners
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The DeLonghi EC270 is my first espresso machine. I was looking into home espresso machines and really couldn’t afford the price of many mid-high level machines, but this one looked like it would do great.
The first thing I noticed, as I was unpacking the machine, was it’s weight – not incredibly light, though not very heavy. And most of that weight is top-heavy, so you’ll need to have an extremely firm grip on it when connecting the portafilter.
Next, and something purely aesthetic, the stainless steel areas are not brushed. They have a polished, mirror-like finish. So I guess that is good if you like watching yourself make espresso.
I didn’t use the machine right away. I waited until I had distilled water and some nicely ground coffee. *Note*-You do not have to use distilled water, but I would recommend it over other types of water because it is completely free of impurities and will prolong the life of your machine. Also, be sure to never operate the machine with less than two inches of water in the reservoir so as not to ruin the pump.
The included scoop/tamper is handy, since the scoop lets you know exactly how much coffee to use. Though the tamper is very flimsy, so you’ll need to buy a different tamper – 53mm! Tamping the coffee is essential and it can take some practice to perfect the task. I’m pretty sure I haven’t gotten it down correctly, yet.
I haven’t seen any machines with a heavy duty portafilter is this price range, this machine included. A brass portafilter would be nice, although it is not essential to make espresso.
The machine heats up fairly quick, gets pretty hot, and will stay surprisingly warm long after you’re done and have unplugged the cord. Though the cup warming feature only works if you turn it on about 15-20 min prior to using it. I prefer to just run a blank shot or two to warm the cup (the manual recommends running 1-2 blank shots prior to pulling an espresso shot so as to create espresso at the right temp). So far my espresso has only come out very bitter with very little crema. I’m not convinced it is the machine at fault here. I may need to try different coffee, tamping method, brew time, etc.
The steaming feature is the only drawback for me with this machine. I have used it several times, and it takes me a good 3 tries, nearly a minute each, to get about 6oz of milk steamed. The end result only has about 25% froth. I carefully followed the manufacturer’s instructions (which state to not steam more than 3 consecutive times), and have also tried holding the steam wand at various depths into the milk. I’ve tried skim milk as well as 2%. I may call customer service about maybe replacing the machine if this issue does not improve. I thought the machine just might not be capable of doing a good steam job, but I see some other reviewers do not have the same problem.
I do wish that the manual was a bit more helpful. Although it is easy to read and comprehend and it shows you how to properly use the machine, I just felt like it was missing something. Maybe some capuccino and latte recipes, recommendations on what types of coffee to use. I definitely would like to have seen instructions on how to properly tamp.
All in all I’m pretty happy with the DeLonghi EC270. It seems to be of good quality and it performs almost as good as advertised. While it is no Rancilio Silvia, I think it is a great espresso machine for beginners and it is there to serve you as you develop your barista skills.
Great When It Doesn’t Leak!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Bought this as a Christmas gift for my wife, and she loved it! But, two days after using it, we started noticing that the water tank on it was leaking all over the counter. Some other reviews on this unit talked about the leaks, but I wanted to give this a try anyways. Unfortunately, this unit is on it’s way back to Amazon to exchange it for a different Expresso Machine – hopefully one that doesn’t leak. I suggest staying away form this particular model until DeLonghi can fix the leaking issues.
Leaking on 3rd Use-Very Disappointed!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
We received this Espresso maker as an early Christmas gift. My husband and I were so delighted the first time using the unit. It was so easy to use! AND extremely fast in making a cup of espresso. The espresso was fantastic in taste and the steam arm made perfectly frothed milk in a matter of seconds. We were very impressed and were looking forward to many more enjoyable cups of espresso. The 3rd time we used the machine we found that it was leaking water everywhere. The piece that controls the water flow between the water reservoir and the tank is defective. We are very disappointed that we have to return this and look for something different.
Low quality
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The water tank was leaking big time right out of the box. Overnight it was completely empty. I thought this machine was made in Italy, but I was wrong. China ‘quality’ made.
Returned.
Be aware of the warrantee!! THINK BEFORE YOU BUY IT. (Updated)
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Be careful if you purchase this product from Delonghi company. I got this machine in October but I had a hard time from water leaking. The customer service told me that I have bring this machine to the local service center to get it check up or fix. But almost 2 weeks pass, the service center still not even check it yet as I just called 20 mins ago. I called the customer service regarding this issue. They told me that I have to wait for the local to get it fix or I can send this machine to their service center then I will have to pay shipping by myself. BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WARRANTY. THINK IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT, IF YOU GOT THE PROBLEM THEN MOST LIKELY YOU WILL HAVE ISSUE TO DEAL WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE OR PAY EXTRA MONEY TO SHIP THAT BACK TO COMPANY.
The second one got instant leaking and company sent me the second replacement. So I am on my third one now but I have not open it yet. Hope this one will work and I will not have to deal with them any more. I have been told that I WILL NOT GET ANY REFUND REGARDLESS.
Hints and Tips For Excellent Espresso, Capuccino & Latte
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had this espresso machine for a month and a half now. I am really surprised just how much I use it. (Gets me out of bed in the morning – not an easy task – the coffee is *that* good).
The machine is easy to use: you need to run two lots of heated water through the espresso filter part to heat it up (takes 3-4 minutes, including wait time for the light on top to tell you that it has reheated between runs). Then you can pop in the pod or a tamped espresso filter and make your coffee. I use Starbucks Cafe Verona beans (ground really fine with a Braun burr grinder) or ESE pods if I can’t be bothered to grind the next few days’ supply: Lavazza Espresso Pods Gran Crema, 150-Count, .25-Ounce Pods. Both make excellent coffee (Cafe Verona has a high percentage of espresso roast, but is slightly smoother).
The milk steamer/frother works perfectly for me. For the reviewer who said they could only get froth out of this, you need to hold the milk jug closer underneath the wand and at an angle so that the steamer is near the bottom of the jug. If you just put the tip of the steamer wand in the milk, you get froth. If you immerse the wand so that the steamer is close to the bottom of the jug, it steams the milk with very little froth. Then you can move the jug down as the milk is heated, to add a little froth by steaming the top 1/4 inch at the end. I’d really recommend the Krups XS5020 20-Ounce Stainless-Steel Milk Frothing Pitcher as this is *just* the right size to steam milk for 1-2 large (16oz) lattes and has a great handle that keeps fingers away from the heated stainless steel. I would also recommend the Rattleware 5-Ounce Brew Pitcher, which is just the right size to fit under the espresso spouts. I make a long shot of espresso which fills the pitcher from a double-shot amount of espresso (or two single-shot pods). This is the advantage of using a machine that does not have an automatic cutoff for the water-flow: you can make your coffee how you like it (the standard double-shot is only 2oz – I make nearer 4oz, which still has a real kick that you don’t find in filtered coffee, yet is not at all bitter).
The RSVP Terry’s Tamper is just the right size for this espresso filter and tamps the coffee much better than the (rather fragile) plastic tamper that comes with the machine. I have just about perfected the “press-and-turn” tamping technique to get the coffee tightly-compressed in the filter, using this tamper.
The only slight drawback with this machine is that you have to wait for the milk steamer to warm up, after you’ve made your espresso, as it only has a single heater. Most of the machines in this price range are like this – it is not a big deal. You press the steamer button and wait for it to light up (takes about 1-2 minutes, max). If you leave the coffee in a little brew jug under the spout, it is kept warm by the metal plate underneath, which was already heated by the initial warmup process. I have made espresso for 4 people with this machine in the same run and each came out beautifully. The water reservoir holds 35oz, which is enough for more coffee and steam than I am likely to need …
I have not had any problem with turning the filter holder unless I really overfilled the espresso filter basket – it can be quite tight if you get too ambitious with the amount of coffee you can pack in there. I agree with the reviewer who observed that the machine is not as heavy as it looks and you have to hold onto the top of the machine, as you insert the filter holder. But at least this makes it easy to carry.
Overall the machine is really easy to use and to clean. The espresso filter holder is nicely designed with a flip-up arm that allows you to knock the grounds out easily. I have made way more coffee with this machine than I expected, because it is so good and so easy. I thought that this would be a weekend indulgence and was afraid that I might not use it enough to justify the cost. In fact, I make espresso every morning and I don’t know how I lived without it for so long!
BUILT LIKE A TANK
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We have two diiferent Delonghi models and this one is very heavy and well built. My only minor complaint is you will need short cups to place under the espresso outlet. The wand should not be an issue with cup size. Got this on WOOT for $99.