Customer Reviews

DeLonghi EC460 Espresso Maker

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I work in a local coffee shop as a barista. And although this is not a professional machine, the espresso shots (using our Espresso beans of course) from this Delonghi EC460 Espresso Maker are every bit as good! Yes, yes, you need to let it warm up, I actually run an empty shot through to warm up my cup and get things going. I believe the instructions even say to do this! You can dispense hot water to make americanos . . . that's a big plus in my book. As far as the frother . . .it's darn good for a home machine! If you are new to frothing, make sure to use a stainless pitcher and get yourself a thermometer and with a little practice your lattes will be perfect!!
This is not a cheap plastic machine. I've been using it daily for 3 months, 2-4 shots depending on whether my hubby is home or not. Perfect crema every time!! This is a great machine that makes great espresso for a great price!! You won't be sorry and you'll thank yourself a "latte" for buying it!!

The title says it all. You can not beat this machine for the price its at. I've had other machines in the < $200 price range, and they don't compare. Its easy to use, its got a sexy design that compliments a contemporary kitchen, but most off all, it makes a great espresso. Each cup has a thick amount of crema that remains after you stir the espresso. The two boilers are great; the espresso never comes out burnt. Its easy to clean, as all the parts rinse clean, or can be taken apart fast and easy for a heavy duty clean.

A few things they don't tell you. It's mostly plastic, although it's referred to as Stainless Steal. However it's still pretty beefy. The drip tray and warming plate are both HEAVY DUTY chrome, as well as the frother. The portafilter is heavy duty (very sturdy) and you have your choice of two filter inserts (one for single espresso's and PODs and one for doubles). Because they are removable, its sometimes difficult to tamp the grinds into the trash with out the insert following. A little practice and you'll get it down. The warming tray doesn't really heat up to warm, and it takes a while. I suggest warming the cups with hot water from the machine. Lastly, the machine itself is pretty big. I expected it to be smaller. It's not a problem for me, but if you have a small kitchen, keep this in mind.

In the end, it's a really great machine. Its much better then the Saeco I had previously. It gets 5 stars from me when comparing it to other machines at this price point!

When researching espresso makers, I first ordered the Lello Ariete and prepared myself for the wait. I had looked at this DeLonghi before ordering the Lello, but was thrown off by the image on Amazon not showing the portafilter, thinking it would be some sort of push-button, auto-dispensing, generic espresso maker. After a week or two of dreaming of the Lello and continuing to pay $3-$5 for soy lattes at local coffee houses, I decided to get back on Amazon and take a look again. After finding other images online of this DeLonghi with a portafilter, I decided to place my order. I ordered this on Oct. 28 and received it with free shipping on Nov. 2.

It works like a dream, makes great espresso, and froths perfectly. Even my signficant other, who has worked in coffee shops for over 5 years and has a more discriminating taste, loves the espresso this DeLonghi machine makes.

A previous reviewer had mentioned that the espresso was coming out warm, not hot. At first, I agreed, but that is only because I was switching the machine on and making my espresso immediately. However, I have found that if I actually let the machine warm up for 5-10 minutes and follow the instructions for preheating, the espresso comes out very hot.

This is the 5th espresso maker I have owned. Delonghi have really outdone themselves this time. Solid easy-to-use machine, perfect crema every time. The water tank can be refilled while the boiler is still hot, so you can make an endless amount of espressos. The frother works GREAT! It can triple the amount of milk you start out with. HIGHLT RECOMMENDED!

Ok let me start by saying I am not a coffee snob, I am more of a coffee nut, I very much prefer a cup of my nice dark italian roast but if the neighbor offers me a cup of his foldgers I wont turn up my nose. And for a guy like me this machine is perfect!! I looked at the 500 dollar machines but just couldnt see spending that for something I see myself using 4-5 days out of the week so I setteled on this machine and I have not one regret.

I have had the machine about 3 weeks now, I admit I dont use it every day as I have thoses mornings where I am just running late and dont have time, but in that three weeks I have used it at least 5 days out of every week and it has been great. This thing is so easy to use right out of the box with the pods I was just amased, my old machine went down quite a while ago so I havent pulled a shot in a very long time and with this machine I was sipping a great one in minutes!

The one thing that did dissapoint me is the pods, I bought the machine thinking I would use them as they seemed so convient...and dont get me wrong, the illy dark roast pods make one of the best shots of espresso I have ever had, very quickly, but keep in mind they only make one shot at a time so for me who usually likes 3 or 4 shots in a cappucino they are a bit time consuming and I have found it better to just pack my own double shots. But besides that little thing this machine is perfect for a coffee nut like me, it does a great job no matter what im in the mood for, be it a straight shot, a cappucino, or the nice mocha latte every now and then this is a great machine for you, may not be good enough for a coffee snob...but just right for a coffee nut!

Oh and one hint I found very helpfull...turn the machine on 5 or 10 minutes before you are going to use it (the longer the better) with your cups up on the warmer. I saw some people complaining that the espresso was only luke warm when it came out, I exprenced the same problem when I dont let it warm up and brew into a cold cup, but if you do let it warm up it will make you a nice piping hot espresso!

I also thought the Lello Ariete machine looked great, but since my old espresso machine was kaput, decided not to wait. Amazon delivered this machine the day after I ordered it and it's works great! Lots of thoughtful touches -- the removable reservoir, frothing wand that screws off for cleaning and a little red thing that pops up to tell you that you need to empty the basin.

Very sturdy machine - heavy grate and filter holder. Nothing like the cheapo machine I had before, and neither is the coffee. Making a cappucino is a bit time consuming and complex but once you get the system down, it's well worth it. And I'm sure it's the same as other genuine espresso makers.

My only complaint -- this is a big sucker! They don't give dimensions on Amazon or even the DeLonghi website, so here they are: 14.5 inches high and 10-11 inches in diameter (it's sort of round, but the reservoir sticks out a bit. It dwarfs our regular coffee maker.

Do you love Starbucks espresso drinks? Then this machine is not for you. You will be perfectly happy with a little Krups that will only set you back $40. Don't get me wrong. They are decent machines. My last machine was a little steam-powered Krups. It lasted well over 10 years. But it makes espresso that tastes like Starbucks espresso, slightly bitter and burnt. This machine is well worth the money to upgrade your espresso experience. It's like switching to your local independent coffee shop! (Here's a little plug for my favorites: Do you live in LA? You have to experience The Bishop, on Grand, between 8th and 9th. Best coffee I've had since I left the Napa Valley. If you are ever in Napa or St. Helena, you must visit the Napa Valley Roasting Company. Heck, if you are in San Francisco, it's still worth the trip. Compare these places to Starbucks, and you'll see what espresso is really supposed to taste like!)

A couple of minor complaints about this machine: I find the portafilter a little hard to set. My husband does it just fine, so it must take a little arm strength to tighten! I bet it will loosen up over the years anyway. Putting the grounds into the filter is a bit messy and sort of a finicky process. You have to make sure that there are no grounds left on the edge of the filter, and you have to just barely tamp them. Tamp them only enough to fit the recommended amount of grounds in the filter, otherwise your coffee will be bitter. My last complaint is that it doesn't make enough espresso at once. The largest filter only holds enough espresso for one person (well, the company says it's for two people, but my husband and I like our espresso drinks really strong). But the nice thing about a pump machine and the big resevoir is that making another double shot is really easy.

Use my complaints simply as a heads-up, but not a deterrent. This machine is really great, and it makes a good-tasting espresso. I love the big resevoir. The milk frother does a wonderful job. The instructions were very easy to understand.

I haven't tried the more expensive machines. If I had the money I would spend more, because I've heard that you just can't get the same functionality in a smaller, cheaper machine. But if you're pushing it at $150, like us, this machine is the way to go.

One last thing. You better have a burr grinder. You weren't thinking of making decent espresso with a blade grinder were you? Oh, and keep that carafe from your old machine if you have one. We like using an espresso carafe better than a short mug or shot glasses.

I shopped around a long time for machines in this price range. I wanted something small and stylish - but most importantly had to work well. The EC460 is a little larger than some other machines, but it is solid and makes a great espresso. The 1 ltr container can be refilled on the fly. Froth is plentiful, though wand only moves side to side (a problem of most espresso machines). In shot, you can't go wrong with this one. Solid, fast, reliable, stylish, and oh yeah...makes a great cuppa.

I had never made an espresso before. I loved Starbucks but I really don't need to pay their high prices any more and I really like my homemade stuff better now. I was concerned that it would be a bit more difficult and time consuming than it really is, but its really easy and kind of fun to make my own espresso and other drinks. I did a whole lot of research and this one just seemed to make sense for the price. Of course I bought one from another auction site and paid about half of what they are for sale up here. A hot espresso? Works great for me and I get a very hot steaming cup when I do the pre-heat. I do wish I could make bigger espressos all at once, but I don't think there are other machines like that out there. This machine is a little big, but it does fit in my small kitchen and has really become more used than my regular coffee maker or anything else in my kitchen. I highly recommend it and don't think I'll need to upgrade anytime soon. And yes, I do use a burr grinder and I might upgrade to one of those higher end grinders later, but for now my Mr. Coffee grinder seems to do a pretty good job with fairly consistent grind.

That's it, plain and simple. I do love this machine. It's been in my home six months now, has broken in well and makes as good as, or better, espresso than I can find in any shop in town. The crema is plentiful and so is the foam, and the taste of the coffee is ambrosia.

A couple of suggestions, though...when it arrives, throw out the coffee pods that ship with it (horrible!), and invest in a good coffee that you can grind and tamp, yourself. And...if you live in a hard water area as I do, use purified water in ANY machine that you purchase, to cut down on scale buildup and improve the taste of your java.