DeLonghi EC140B Espresso and Cappuccino Maker Review

I owned the maker for a while.It's far better than many of the Krups and other models typically for sale at department stores.If you want an espresso, you'll need a pump machine.Many cheap machines will say "steam driven" or otherwise have "steam" in the title:what this means is that they lack a pump and merely use steam pressure to get now overly superheated water to flow through the fine espresso grinds.(By the way, "espresso" is, for all intents and purposes, a grind, not a roast.It is a very fine powdery grind, just shy of Turkish grind.)This results in charred burnt espresso, with little or no crema.

This DeLonghi, by contrast, does a fine little job of pumping.In addition, it uses a small stainless steel boiler -- not a superheated "thermoblock" [which means the water is run over a heating coil, not heated within a boiler].

That said, the only way to get an espresso, meaning a coffee drink in which properly heated water is compressed through a powdery grind of freshly roasted beans, and thus producing a chemical reaction which releases a frothy caramel colored liquid (called "crema"), is by using a very good grinder to produce a very fine, even grind.This machine, when coupled with a Gaggia MDF or Rancilio Rocky, or at the most economical, an Innova Lux or Solis Maestro Plus, and beans roasted within two weeks prior, can produce good espresso.

As to cappuccino, the machine does a fine job for the price in steaming milk.In order to do this, though, you must "temperature surf" the thermostat.What this means is that you steam while the boiler is heating.It's simple:start steaming your milk and you'll find that the steam power will run out in about 15 seconds.At that time the light for the boiler will come on, indicating the boiler is engaged.Instead of closing the steam valve and waiting for the light to go off, just close the steam valve for a few seconds, and then open it again, as you continue steaming the milk with the light still on (and hence the boiler still heating).This will give adequate steaming power.

I don't believe you can really get a better espresso or cappuccino maker for under $150.If you want to go for a huge step up, consider buying a Gaggia Carreza.It's worth the extra money.

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Product Description:
Delonghi Espresso/Cappuccino Maker with patented "sempre crema" filter holder. Used with ground espresso, this unique filter mixes air into the brewing process to produce a perfect crema. Distinguished by its caramel color, the crema is the seesnce of authentic espresso.

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