Reviews Written by BL

Not Hot Enough ????

Pros: Great Machine for it's price range

Cons: Steamer Nozzle a bit too low

I noticed the other review that says it's not hot enough for him and just had to comment. Delonghi is an Italian company and as such, this machine produces espresso at the proper temperature. It's funny that you mention the words "Gulp it down" because that's exactly what they do in Italy.

Order an espresso , drink it in 2-4 sips and be on your way. On our most recent trip to Rome, Venice and Milan, I even pointed it out to friends.. "Watch how quick these guys drink their espresso". It's like a marathon!

Seriously though, 1 good tip that I like to use (I like my espresso, cappuccino and lattes pretty hot as well), is to steam your milk a bit higher than the 140 degrees that most do.

I know I may get yelled at for even suggesting such a thing but I often steam my milk just under the 170 degree mark (and no, it doesn't scald). It makes for a very hot cappuccino. (In fact, I have time to even clean up my Delonghi EC155 and it's still very hot when I'm finished.

I've had some older steam driven machines and some other pump driven machine under the $200 price point and I really agree with many others that this machine is excellent in that price range (and even higher). The crema is fantastic and the foaming wand works well even though it's mounted way to low on the machine. I simply put the EC155 on the edge of the sink so I have a lot more depth to work with with the frothing pitcher.

I've looked at a ton of reviews and I'm so glad I chose this machine. It's not a $2000 machine but it's great for home. ...