De'Longhi15-Bar Pump Espresso Machine with Manual Milk Frother for Latte, Cappuccino, Black, ECP3420

**** 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.

I am a newbie to espresso so don't let me pretend like I know anything but the first cup I had from this machine, I was hooked and I will never go back. It is simple to use. I'm not even using "espresso roasted"coffee so I will probably upgrade my coffee game again when I start experimenting with that. Good quality local air roasted coffee taste and feels AMAZING from this machine. The milk frother is amazing. It makes such a perfect little cappuccino. My whole family loves it and my kids are drinking decaf cappuccinos during this cold January and loving it. I don't know why other machines are so much more expensive, but this little machine is wonderful and the price is awesome. I can't see myself wanting anything bigger or with more bells and whistles because this makes the perfect cup. If your on the fence, it's absolutely worth the money. The taste and the way is "feels" in your mouth. That first sip is heavenly.

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.