De'Longhi EC685.BK Dedica Black

Read the manual carefully before using the device. An espresso machine is a special case and that requires preparation. For example, you can't make coffee after frothing milk, but you shouldn't want to because it is a single boiler machine and your espresso will burn and not taste. If you want to be able to steam and make coffee at the same time, use a double boiler. The heat plate on top is not to heat your cups before brewing the coffee (it is best to put a cup of espresso water before that), but to keep your cups warm after brewing the coffee, before drinking it. I don't think people who complain about cold espresso here understand that you should preheat an espresso cup. The tamper is the only thing about the device that I don't find useful, because the content of the scoop is just too large and has an edge in the handle, so that coffee often remains in it. But those are details. In the beginning the coffee sometimes didn't flow through, but that was my own mistake: after each cup it is best to let a cup of water pass through the machine so that the head of the machine is clean again; Do not tamp the grind too closely in the filter and make sure that the filter is clean. Folks, espresso is a delicate thing and the filter grind is very fine. This means that a simple grain can already cause a blockage, so that the filter does not run through and you do not get coffee. Therefore, take good care of your device and clean it every day. I haven't had any problems with it since then. I read here that the filter would easily fall out of the holder: certainly not the case with me. Drink a fantastic double espresso every day for almost a year now and enjoy it to the fullest. Incidentally, I have not had to descale once (but I only use mineral water in it). Would have liked the milk frother to be 1 cm longer, that would make frothing a bit easier because I use a large milk jug (600 ml).

I was looking for a not too expensive, compact espresso machine for my small kitchen. This one looks great and works well. It's especially nice that it heats up so quickly. The steam wand also works very well, especially for the price.

Nice piston coffee! Easy to clean. A lot of control. Looks nice. Not so big. I was done with a non-cleanable Vollautomat.