Sam's Club has for their
Members: De'Longhi 15-Bar Espresso & Cappuccino Machine for
$69.98.
Shipping is free for Plus Members, otherwise, shipping costs will vary by location.
Note: Prices may vary in club and online.
Thanks to Deal Hunter
niki4h for finding this deal.
About this Item:- 15-bar professional pressure
- Brew authentic barista quality beverages
- Manual frother mixes steam and milk
- 3-in-1 filter holder included
- Accommodates taller cups
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Manual cappuccino system
- Adjustable brewing time
- Removable water tank and drip tray
- 37 fluid oz water tank capacity
- Accepts single, double and ESE pods
- Sleek space-saving design
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Here is what I purchased for this model:
Bottomless portafilter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09W5QY...in_ti
Portafilter Funnel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJJYZ...le_11
Espresso tamper/distributor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TNV...n_tit
Would buy at this price again in a heartbeat as models that are above this one really only get better in the 400$+ range
BUT!
It won't do this out of the box. Here's why, and what to do about it.
The portafilter it comes with is pressurized. This means water flow is limited by the pinhole in the basket, not the grounds. With a pressurized filter, you can use just about any coffee, even pre-ground. You don't have to worry about tamping to the correct pressure. You can even use ESE pods, and it will still brew a cup of espresso-like substance.
If you want real espresso, you buy the bottomless portafilter and other items rahulabon linked on the first page. (I would add a 51mm screen and a needle distributor to the list.) Then you can potentially brew an excellent cup...but it's a lot harder. You'll also need a good hand burr grinder (look for "6-core stainless burr" or "7-core stainless burr", don't get the cheap ceramic ones) or an electric burr grinder to have even a prayer of successfully going bottomless.
This is because, with a bottomless portafilter, the coffee grounds themselves provide the back pressure, not the portafilter. If you grind too coarsely or don't tamp hard enough, the water will flush through too quickly and your shot will be watery and gross. If you grind too finely or tamp too hard, the water can't get through at all. Even worse, the correct grind size depends on the specific coffee, and you'll waste a shot or two every time you switch beans. But, once you get it right, you can pull a cafe-quality shot at home.
Here are the two tricks:
1. Either let the machine warm up for >20 minutes before pulling, or run a long shot of water through the basket, before filling the basket with ground coffee and pulling your shot. This will heat up the brew group. Otherwise the water is at the right temperature, but the cold brew group and basket will cool the water down before it hits the grounds ,and your shot will be weak and bitter.
2. Never buy coffee at the supermarket or from Amazon. It will be too old to produce good crema. You want coffee beans that have been roasted within the last few days, so you'll probably need to buy them directly from a roaster. Crema starts to fall off a few days after roasting, is noticeably diminished after 2-3 weeks, and is mostly gone after two months.
Don't let the snobs who paid $800+ for their machines tell you that you're not on their level. It's more work, but you can absolutely match that standard with this machine...if you go bottomless and keep the above in mind.
Happy brewing!
35 Comments
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Sounds to me like much more expensive option for the small convenience factor
Honestly I just use Illy pre ground cans. I do have a nice breville grinder but use that for my daily drip and having to swap beans and clear out is too much effort for me. Definitely could pregrind espresso for a week or so, but time is money, money is power, power is pizza
Edit to add: You can buy the espresso bricks from Aldi/Walmart for under $5 to test out how everything works. When/if you change brands you'll want to make sure to do a little testing as some grind finer than others so need to adjust as needed.
Here is what I purchased for this model:
Bottomless portafilter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09W5QY...in_ti
Portafilter Funnel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJJYZ...le_11
Espresso tamper/distributor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TNV...n_tit
Would buy at this price again in a heartbeat as models that are above this one really only get better in the 400$+ range
What do you mean about the steam wand cover? I read this a few days ago, but still don't understand what you meant by this part.
Also, why the bottomless portafilter? I think mine works fine.
I have one of these and enjoy it.
+1 on a funnel!
I got a little pin thing and a separate tamper. Cool to know there's a 2-in-1.
I'd also suggest a little coffee mat and knockbox, over time.
What do you mean about the steam wand cover? I read this a few days ago, but still don't understand what you meant by this part.
Also, why the bottomless portafilter? I think mine works fine.
I have one of these and enjoy it.
+1 on a funnel!
I got a little pin thing and a separate tamper. Cool to know there's a 2-in-1.
I'd also suggest a little coffee mat and knockbox, over time.
There is a steamer wand cover (silver part of frother) that you take off to clean and get to the rubber nozzle underneath. Remove the silver cover and just use the rubber nozzle under it, the reason you have to zip tie it is that the cover spins to lock in place and keeps the rubber nozzle from shooting all over the place. When that is taken off the pressure from the steam will remove this and can cause hot magma water to go all over... including yourself!
the reason to do this is the wand cover introduces too much air and makes more foam than what most people would expect. if you're looking for a cappuccino froth then the cover is perfect, but for lattes you'd want less air introduced/less foam for the final product
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank IndigoKnob7008
BUT!
It won't do this out of the box. Here's why, and what to do about it.
The portafilter it comes with is pressurized. This means water flow is limited by the pinhole in the basket, not the grounds. With a pressurized filter, you can use just about any coffee, even pre-ground. You don't have to worry about tamping to the correct pressure. You can even use ESE pods, and it will still brew a cup of espresso-like substance.
If you want real espresso, you buy the bottomless portafilter and other items rahulabon linked on the first page. (I would add a 51mm screen and a needle distributor to the list.) Then you can potentially brew an excellent cup...but it's a lot harder. You'll also need a good hand burr grinder (look for "6-core stainless burr" or "7-core stainless burr", don't get the cheap ceramic ones) or an electric burr grinder to have even a prayer of successfully going bottomless.
This is because, with a bottomless portafilter, the coffee grounds themselves provide the back pressure, not the portafilter. If you grind too coarsely or don't tamp hard enough, the water will flush through too quickly and your shot will be watery and gross. If you grind too finely or tamp too hard, the water can't get through at all. Even worse, the correct grind size depends on the specific coffee, and you'll waste a shot or two every time you switch beans. But, once you get it right, you can pull a cafe-quality shot at home.
Here are the two tricks:
1. Either let the machine warm up for >20 minutes before pulling, or run a long shot of water through the basket, before filling the basket with ground coffee and pulling your shot. This will heat up the brew group. Otherwise the water is at the right temperature, but the cold brew group and basket will cool the water down before it hits the grounds ,and your shot will be weak and bitter.
2. Never buy coffee at the supermarket or from Amazon. It will be too old to produce good crema. You want coffee beans that have been roasted within the last few days, so you'll probably need to buy them directly from a roaster. Crema starts to fall off a few days after roasting, is noticeably diminished after 2-3 weeks, and is mostly gone after two months.
Don't let the snobs who paid $800+ for their machines tell you that you're not on their level. It's more work, but you can absolutely match that standard with this machine...if you go bottomless and keep the above in mind.
Happy brewing!
As a teacher I can say with confidence this will only get used to make hot water in a teacher lounge.
It is, however, the perfect machine for learning espresso, I think.
I wouldn't worry about pressures though, all pump espresso machines are engineered to make espresso and many have been on the market for 20 years or more. A lot of manufacturers play the high bar number game to try to convince people new to espresso their machine is powerful. It's all marketing. I think the actual issue is the pressurized portafilter basket, not the bar pressure.
So if unpressurized baskets are better, why do they sell machines with pressurized baskets? Simple, the grind variance is less important with pressurized baskets. You can buy pre-ground espresso and it will work fine. If the grind is a little too coarse it will make decent espresso, but if you want superior crema and taste, unpressurized is the way to go.
DeLonghi is a respectable brand, but this model is truly entry level. $70 sounds good, but if you want a better jump into the world of espresso, I recommend something a little better, like this Breville knock-off. It's $169 right now, which isn't bad at all for all you get. https://www.amazon.com/CASABREWS-...atf_d&th=1
If it's not in your budget, I get it, but if you can swing it you're probably going to have a much better experience. The "Casabrews" has programmable shot doses, adjustable PID temperature control, a much larger water tank, 58mm commercial style portafilter, both pressurized and unpressurized baskets, single and double wall baskets, a hot water button for making Americanos, and just a more modern design. I actually want this machine because I am very curious about it, but my Gaggia Classic refuses to quit so it probably won't happen.
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