De'Longhi Stilosa Manual Espresso Machine, Compact Coffee Maker, 15 Bar Pump Pressure, Manual Milk Frother Steam Wand for Authentic Single & Double Espresso, Lattes & Cappuccinos, Tamper Included

Very impressed by this machine. I had a hand-me-down $250 espresso machine that wasn’t cutting anymore and needed a replacement. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the price difference, but wow! I like this one even more than my last! The steamer is very efficient and heats the milk fast. Plus is not as loud as my $250 machine which is a huge plus. I think the only reason there’s such a big price difference between this one and my last espresso machine is because my old one was stainless steel and this one is plastic. This one is faster, easier to use, smaller, and makes great coffee. Win win win win!

If you are interested in learning about espresso but don’t want to shell out hundreds at this point then this machine is perfect.Check out Lance Hendrick’s YouTube video about this machine to understand why it is a good buy.Here are things I’ve learned for making great espresso with this machine:I. Do not use the pressurized portafilter that comes with the machine as is. You have two options: (1) remove the pressurization component (again see Hendrick’s video) and also pull out (with pliers) the black plastic funnel component leaving just the basket and filter screen inside the portafilter. See photo. (2) buy a regular 51mm non-pressurized portafilter to use instead. See photo. The only problem with (2) is that the fit might not be perfect and so you might get some leakage. That was my experience. Doing (2) for a while (leaks and all) was helpful to learn what good extraction should look like. You get down and watch how the espresso comes out. It should come out even and creamy. It should taste good. You experiment with grinds, beans, volume, tamping pressure till it gets there. Once I had things dialed in, I went back to (1) to avoid the occasional leakage. If you do (2) and there’s no leakage then you’re all set. (If you use the portafilter as-is out of the box you will get weak pseudo-espresso with fake crema from the pressurization.)II. Get a better tamper. The plastic one that comes with the machine is awkward and feels like it can break. You can see the one I use on the pic. It wasn’t expensive but it’s good quality. Good tamping is crucial to develop the right puck pressure with the coffee itself.III. Use freshly roasted coffee that is freshly ground for espresso. Freshness has been the biggest factor in getting tasty espresso. I bought a burr grinder on Amazon that was also pretty cheap but does espresso-fine grind. It’s worked well (although I recognize it may not have the longest lifespan, we’ll see). The key has been buying freshly roasted coffee. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, just fresh. So if your Trader Joe’s moves its whole bean coffee quickly, you might be better off buying that than the bag of beans that’s been sitting around for a month at the fancy coffee shop. The difference is huge.IV. Keep things clean. After I pull a shot I take off the portafilter and run water through to flush out the residue from the machine head and wipe it with a sponge. Maybe once a month an unscrew the filter from the machine head and rinse it out. I knock out the espresso puck and rinse the portafilter thoroughly. The water should come out looking like an even shower, no lines or unevenness. It makes a difference for the espresso. Keeping things clean helps in getting good consistency.I don’t use the steam wand, so can’t comment on that.After dialing things in I am getting tasty espresso that is as good as most coffee shops or restaurants nearby. Of course if I want to treat myself I can go to one of the more exceptional coffee shops, but now I have a benchmark to know whether they are doing anything special.

This is a review of De'Longhi Stilosa Espresso MachineBottom line up front: Good beginner espresso machine at the sale price of $85. If you are willing to dip your toe in the espresso making waters at home and you have the time and patience, buy it. If you want a quick, hassle-free cup of joe, look elsewhere (I’m thinking drip, pour over, Nespresso, etc.).Amazon shipping: Amazon shipped it in its original box with a shipping label slapped on it. This arrived on the front porch, so beware. De’Longhi’s packaging was good. The machine was packaged in a pasteboard inside the box making it recyclable (no styrofoam).The good: It does what it says. I have not previously made any espresso drinks. I have about two weeks of experience and it makes espresso. Follow the directions (more on direction in “the bad”), use espresso coffee and you’ll get an acceptable shot of espresso (see learning section). The milk frother works after some practice. This machine is manual. You start the flow of water and then you stop the flow of water. You switch to steam and use the switch on the side to froth your milk. This is good because you are in control.The bad: Well it requires some education on how to make espresso and what exactly a shot of espresso is and a cappuccino recipe.The directions are kind of IKEA-ish with pictures and a sparse number of words. The machine is manual and you have to learn to use it and pay attention as you use it. I am apparently a messy barista. I find it necessary (maybe I”m obsessive compulsive) to thoroughly clean the machine every time I use it. This is a bit more intense than the directions that say to clean out the portafilter and clean the frother each use with thorough cleaning being every 200 or so shots. Overall, a Nespresso machine would be much easier.What I did: I’ve had this machine for about two weeks and have used it for about 10 mornings. The first morning my lovely wife dumped her cappuccino out and went for the keurig. I had some issues this day using the frother and ended up with very watered down steamed milk. The second morning I used the Cappuccino cups (2.9 ounces, kitchenables available here on amazon). Packed the double shot portafilter and made two nice, small cappuccinos. Then on the third day, I moved to a larger cup. I made my wife a decaf cappuccino in an 8 ounce mug using a double shot (2 ounces) of espresso, steamed milk and froth to fill the mug. Again, this was dumped out. I made myself a lungo using the double shot portafilter and filled a 12 ounce mug about half way. Mine was tasty and I drink my coffee black, in general. About the third day I was getting the cappuccino thing down. Double shot of espresso, equal amount of steamed milk (by volume) and equal amount of froth (1 part espresso, 1 part steamed milk, 1 part froth). This amounted to about two-thirds of the 8 ounce mug. What kind of coffee did I use? I bought a bag of the Gevalia Espresso Dark Roast and a can of Illy ground coffee espresso Classico Decaf Roast.Learning: It seems that a shot of espresso is one ounce and a double shot is two ounces. I got this information from Google search. You need to keep this in mind as you are making your espresso as this is how the two portafilters are sized. I also used google to find the cappuccino recipe and saw some other espresso recipes (americano, latte, flat white, lungo). Also I still need to experiment with different coffee brands. I have no intention of going all out to grind my own and weigh the beans.