Article summary
Coffee lovers who are interested in buying a coffee machine for the first time will have a blast with the De’Longhi EC115 coffee maker. This is a great entry-level machine because of many things, and it’s been highly demanded in the past few years.
This coffee maker is very easy to operate, not hard to maintain, and makes decent coffee. It has some nice features and it is a very compact coffee machine. On top of that, it is also very affordable, so you’ll enter the realm of coffee makers without the machine ripping off your wallet. With all this said, let us introduce you to the EC115 by De’Longhi.
Key features:
- Works with ground coffee and pods
- Panarello milk frother
- Steam dial
- Two thermostats
- Advanced Cappuccino System
- Three-in-one filter holder
- Stainless steel boiler
- 15 bar pump pressure
- Tamper
- Passive cup warmer
- 35oz water tank
Pros
Great for beginners
Easy to use
Easy to clean
Very affordable
Cons
You can’t use taller cups on this machine
Froth can be watery at times
Small and simple to use
The De’Longhi EC115 coffee maker was designed to be simple and easy to use which makes it appealing for many beginners. Even though the machine is made of plastic, it still resembles the stainless steel Dedica EC680M. Like the EC680M, the EC155 is very small in size and a great coffee maker for a crowded kitchen counter. It also has a nice look, the chassis being all black with the exception of the control panel which is gray.
Almost all of the controls and elements of the machine are accessible from its front side. This includes the control dial, the stainless steel drip tray, the portafilter holder, the coffee tamper, and the Panarello milk frother. The steam dial is, however, located on the top of the machine. Furthermore, to access the water filter, you’ll need to open the top at the back of the machine.
Nice features
We already mentioned the features of the De’Longhi EC115 while talking about the design of this entry-level machine.
This machine has a simple control dial. The dial turns the machine on or off, and it commands it to steam milk or brew coffee. With the help of this dial, you can also get hot water running through the milk frother when you need to clean it or heat up your cup before the machine pours the espresso in it.
This machine was designed to brew one or two shots of espresso per brewing cycle. To brew your coffee, put some ground coffee or an easy-serve espresso pod in one of the pressurized filter baskets, tamp it with the fixated tamper on the machine, and attach the portafilter to the portafilter holder. Then, set the control dial to the brew function and wait for your coffee to get extracted.
The De’Longhi EC115 has two thermostats that allow you to steam or froth your milk while the machine brews your coffee. This is great, because you can make your coffee faster and have it taste better as well. The Panarello milk frother will froth your milk very well most of the time, but you might experience a watery froth sometimes. However, this doesn’t happen often, and, well, this is an entry-level machine after all, so it deserves some forgiveness (if you are a ‘good froth person’ before everything else, we invite you to check the De’Longhi ECAM22110Sb).
You won’t be able to use taller cups on the De’Longhi EC115 coffee maker since the spout system is not adjustable. However, the machine has a passive cup warmer, so you’ll be able to heat up your cups before making your coffee.
Coffee taste
The coffee that you’ll get from the De’Longhi EC115 will taste pretty good. You might have to deal with the foam being not thick enough at times, but for the most part, this machine will not let you down. The consistency of the espressi is nice, and the pressurized filter baskets make sure you never get soupy coffee.
Now, this coffee maker will not let you make customizations to your coffee drinks. The flexibility in creation of the drinks goes down to you deciding how much coffee and milk you want in your drink. However, the machine will do well in all that it can do, so you can expect nice coffee flavor and good aroma.
FAQ about the product
I just recently bought the machine and tried to clean it by rinsing it, as the user’s manual suggests. However, the water doesn’t get out of the tubes. What could be the problem?
This is probably happening because your water tank is not sitting in place correctly. Remove the tank and put it back in a few times and see if there are bubbles forming when you put it back in. After you’ve carefully done this for a couple of times, try rinsing your machine again and see what happens.
Why do I keep getting bitter lattes? Sometimes my coffee tastes burnt too.
What kind of coffee are you using? Are you using an espresso coffee or some other kind of coffee? You should use espresso coffee on this machine. Also, mind the coffee brands since some taste more bitter than others.
Regularly cleaning your machine also makes a big difference when it comes to the taste of the coffee. You should descale the brewing system from time to time with a descaling tablet. Also, you should rinse the system before and after the machine makes coffee for you. Furthermore, clean your filter basket well and clean the steaming nozzle occasionally as well.
My De’Longhi EC155 shakes when I make coffee on it. Is this normal or should I be worried?
This machine is not a high-end machine, so, yes, it does vibrate while making coffee. You could try putting a paper towel underneath your cup so your cup doesn’t slide. Also, you can try placing the machine on a folded kitchen towel to make it quieter.
What are some alternatives to the De’Longhi EC115?
EspressoWorks 7 Pc All-In-One Espresso Machine & Cappuccino Maker
If the fact that the EC115 doesn’t come with a grinder is a deal-breaker for you, you could check out the EspressoWorks 7 Pc All-In-One espresso machine and cappuccino maker. This machine comes with a grinder and its water tank is accessible from the side and has a greater capacity than the one on the EC115. Furthermore, its steam wand is detachable, which makes its cleaning easier.
You can also check our short review of the 10 Pc version of this machine on our list of best espresso machines under $300.
De’Longhi ECP3120 15 Bar Espresso Machine with Advanced Cappuccino System
Another coffee maker from De’Longhi which you might find to be a better alternative than the EC115 is the De’Longhi ECP3120 15 Bar espresso machine. This machine has an advanced cappuccino system, works with taller cups, looks very nice, and it’s very compact.
Conclusion
For an entry-level coffee maker, the De’Longhi EC115 looks good, has good features, and performs well. If you think that you’ve found what you were looking for with this coffee machine, you should consider buying it. However, if you don’t think that this is the coffee maker you’d need, you can check out the alternative coffee makers that we’ve mentioned in our review or the other coffee makers by De’Longhi on our site.
@morningcallcoffeestand Hi! What’s its basket size?
Hi, garlic lover!! We’re glad to have you on our site!! :)) ☕
The De’Longhi EC155 espresso and cappuccino maker works with two portafilter basket sizes — a single filter basket that can hold 0.2 ounces of coffee and a double basket with a capacity of 04 ounces. Furthermore, the portafilter of the EC155 is compatible with a 52mm tamper, but a 51mm tamper will also do if you already have it at home.
Have a great day and remember — one coffee a day keeps the coffee crave away!! :)) ☕
IS there any difference between the ec155 and the ec155m? Also, is the ec155m better or worse than the two other coffeemakers that you talk about?
Hello, lady!! Thanks for your comment!! :)) ☕
The De’Longhi EC155 and EC155M have some differences in their designs. For instance, the housing of the EC155M is smaller than the one of the EC155 and it’s also shaped differently. Then, there are obvious differences in the shape of the steam dial, the switch, the portafilter handle, and differences in the design of the drip tray and the cup warmer. As far as how the two machines work, both of them have a 15 Bar pump, heat up the water in stainless steel boilers, and make double or single shots of espresso to which you can later add milk froth made with the help of the steam wand on the machines. Therefore, we’d say that your choice on which model you prefer more would depend on the difference in dimensions and the overall design of these two machines, one of which designs might seem more ergonomic to you.
To answer your second question, we think that the EspressoWorks 7 Pc All-In-One and the De’Longhi ECP3120 are better machines than the De’Longhi EC155.
In the case of the ECP3120, the machine has some differences in its design that make it be more convenient. For example, it has a more convenient frother placed on the left side of the machine where it doesn’t block your view on the water level in the reservoir. The machine also has its steam dial on its left side where, unlike the dial on the EC155M, it doesn’t take up space on the cup warmer. Furthermore, the ECP3120 also has a classier design, so you’ll end up getting on the side of aesthetics by choosing it instead of the EC155M.
Things get even more interesting when it comes to the All-In-One espresso machine by EspressoWorks. This machine comes with a coffee grinder, a frothing cup, a spoon/tamper tool, two coffee cups, and it has a larger water tank than the one on the EC155M. Furthermore, the frother on the All-In-One espresso machine has a better design than the frother on the EC155M, and a better-designed frother will be easier to use when making cappuccinos.
We gave you our opinion on these espresso machines, but it is ultimately up to you to decide which one you like the most. After all, you might prefer the frother, drip tray, and the cup warmer on the EC155 or the EC155M. And even if you do, we think that you’ll still be a satisfied customer.
Hopefully, this answers your questions. In case you have something else that you want to ask, the Morning Call Coffee team is here to answer them for you. Take care and have a great day!! :)) ☕
mods needed for the one i got. 3.5 stars from me too
Hello, hello!! We hope your day is going well with a few coffee breaks worth waiting for!! :)) ☕
Thank you very much for your insight into the De’Longhi EC155 espresso machine and cappuccino maker. You can always check one of the machines that we’ve offered as alternatives to the EC155 and see if one of them might meet your needs.
We hope that we’ll see you in the comment section soon!! Take care!! :)) ☕
what is the tamper size
Hello!! :)) ☕
The size of the tamper you should use for the De’Longhi EC155 espresso machine and cappuccino maker is 52mm. There’s also a tamper that’s attached to the machine, so you don’t need to buy one unless you prefer using a different tamper.
Take care!! Enjoy your coffee recipe of today!! :)) ☕
This is my first time buying an espresso machine. Can you tell me how to steam milk?
Hi, Martha!! We’re happy you reached out to us and we’ll gladly help you break the ice with your first espresso machine!! :)) ☕
Some espresso machines have steam wands, others have automatic milk carafes, and there are machines that have both a steam wand and a carafe. Then, some espresso machines can make espresso only and they won’t come to you with a frother, so you’ll need to buy a separate frother if you’re planning to buy an espresso machine like this.
How you steam the milk will depend on the kind of espresso machine you’ll get and you’ll need to read the user manual for your machine to understand how to froth the milk. There’s usually a steam dial or some kind of a button that starts the frothing operation, and, depending on the features of the machine, you might even be able to choose between different textures for your milk froth. Settings for different textures are sometimes available on espresso machines so that you can get the perfect milk foam for different milk-based coffee drinks like cappuccino, latte, or macchiato.
Since you’ve commented on an article about the De’Longhi EC155, we’ll explain to you in a step-by-step guide on how to froth milk on this espresso machine:
1. Take your stainless steel frothing cup and pour some milk in it. Don’t overfill the cup; pour in it the amount of milk that you’ll need based on your coffee drink recipe, but make sure you have a frothing cup that is big enough to hold that much milk.
2. Clean the steam wand by letting steam run through it. To do this, set the main switch of the machine into the ON position and wait for the green OK light to come on. Then, turn the switch into the STEAM position (first icon above the switch on your left). Once the green OK light goes green, take some empty heat-resistant container (a steel frothing cup or a coffee cup), place the steam wand inside it, and turn the steam dial which is on top of the machine into the OPEN position. This will enable some hot water and steam to flow through the steam wand of the machine. Wait for 2-3 seconds and turn the steam dial into the CLOSE position.
3. If the OK light is still green, put the frother inside the frothing cup. At this point, the frother should be just a bit under the surface of the milk. Then, turn the steam dial into the OPEN position and froth the milk.
If the OK light is not on yet, wait for it to go on before you start steaming the milk.
4. Once you notice that your milk is turning into froth, dip the frother deeper in the milk. You can move your frothing cup in circles while frothing to get more consistent milk froth.
5. Froth until your frothing container becomes too hot to hold with bare hands. To stop the steam coming out the steam wand, turn the steam dial to the CLOSE position. You can then place your frothing cup with milk foam on your counter and gently hit the bottom of the cup from the counter to get rid of bubbles… unless you really like bubbles in your foam. :))
6. When you’re done frothing, let some steam run through the steam wand to clean it the way we described earlier and then wipe it with a dry towel.
Be careful not to burn yourself when doing this, so don’t touch the steam wand with your bare hands. Move the wand to the left or to the right only with your fingers placed on the wand’s protective rubber.
Happy frothing!! Tell us how it went!! Take care!! :)) ☕
How does this one perform in comparison to the ecp3420?
ec155 vs ecp3420
Hello, Johny!! :)) ☕
Both the EC155 and the ECP3420 perform very well.
When it comes to espresso, both of the machines use a 15 Bar pressure pump to make the drink. Their frothers are manual and they can froth the milk into foam quickly. Finally, these machines rely on the Rapid Cappuccino System so that you can make more coffee shortly after you’ve already pulled a shot of espresso.
Thanks for your question!! We hope your coffee drink will be good… even if you have it tonight!! :)) ☕
what size should the tamper be for this delonghi?
Hello, Chris!! :)) ☕
There’s a tamper that’s attached on the machine, but in case you want to get another tamper you should look for a 53-mm one.
Take care and stay away from bad coffee!! :)) ☕
Those are some seriously good alternatives. I’d personally add the ec155m as another good alternative too. Have a good day and keep up up the good work.
@morningcallcoffeestand
Hey, Charles!! :)) ☕
Thanks for sharing your opinion with us!! We’re glad that you liked our alternative machines and we appreciate your compliment!! You have a good day as well… with some very flavorful coffee in your cup!! :)) ☕
QUICK QUESTION I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but no steam comes out of my De’Longhi EC155… Does anyone know what this might be due to? #morningcallcoffeestand
Hi there!! We’re sorry you’re experiencing a problem with your De’Longhi EC155.
For how long has this been happening? Can water pass through the steam wand? Also, did you try to descale your machine? We’ll need this information to be able to assist you furthermore.
In case steam can’t come out of the wand because the dial switch is in the CLOSE position, however, turn it to the OPEN position before you froth the milk. ☕
You can also call someone at a De’Longhi service or repair center close to where you live and ask them for help. Just go to the official site of De’Longhi, choose your country of residence, and search for the service locator tool. Here’s the link of the official website of De’Longhi:
https://www.delonghi.com/en-int
We hope to hear from you soon!! Our team is here for you if you decide to let us help you!! Take care and have a great day!! :))