Article summary
If you’re buying a coffee maker for the first time, you could kick it out with the De’Longhi ECP3630. This coffee machine makes decent coffee, and its features will make you dip your toes into the waters of the coffee makers.
The ECP3630 by De’Longhi is very compact, works well, and is very easy to use. Therefore, it can be a great entry-level machine to use. This coffee maker also comes at a great price, so you’ll save some money and get to drink good coffee every day.
Key features:
- Removable water tank with a capacity of 37 ounces
- Bottom of the tray can be removed for accommodation of cups from 3.5 to 5 inches tall
- Two thermostats
- Froths milk
- Three-in-one filter holder
- Rapid Cappuccino System
- Self-priming technology
- Cup warmer
- Stainless steel housing
Pros
Affordable
You can brew your coffee and froth milk at the same time
Works with ground coffee or ESE pods
Compact
Cons
The steam wand is a bit short
A great coffee maker for your household
The De’Longhi ECP363 is a coffee maker that could bring more joy for you as a coffee lover. This machine has a nice-looking housing that is somewhat similar to the one of the De’Longhi EC702. It might not be the best-looking coffee machine available on the market, but it still looks pretty nice.
However, one very important thing about the ECP3630 is that its design makes the machine very compact. This machine weighs only 9.8 pounds and measures 9.6 x 7.2 x 11.9 inches. Therefore, you can easily move the machine when you need to, and, since it’s relatively small in size, you can easily find a place for it in your house.
The De’Longhi ECP3630 is not that great for families who enjoy drinking a lot of coffee or frequently host guests. This is because the coffee maker has a water tank with a capacity of 37 ounces, which makes the machine suitable for smaller families. We suggest you check out the De’Longhi ESAM 3300 Magnifica if in need of an espresso machine with a larger reservoir.
Furthermore, the ECP3630 is able to keep an optimal temperature for a long time, and this feature allows you to prepare multiple coffees without having to wait for the machine to heat up. The coffee maker does this with the help of its Rapid Cappuccino System. The ECP3630 has two separate thermostats, which make sure that you can froth your milk and brew your coffee independently. This can help you get better coffee drinks since it optimizes both the frothing and the brewing temperature.
Another good feature that the ECP3630 offers you is the self-priming technology. This technology makes sure that the coffee maker can start working fast once turned on. Of course, that means that you can get your coffee in no time. Furthermore, the De’Longhi ECP3630 has a warming tray that acts as a cup warmer, so warming up your cups will be fast and easy.
How it brews the coffee
The De’Longhi ECP3630 comes with a set of filter baskets that you can use when brewing your coffee. There’s the single shot basket, the double shot one, and the filter basket for an easy-serve-espresso pod. Therefore, on the De’Longhi ECP3630 you can make one or two cups of coffee at the same time. Furthermore, coffee pods are a quicker and cleaner way to get a cup of coffee, which is great if you want to save on time or clean the filter baskets faster.
What you need to do to get this coffee maker to brew you some coffee is turn the dial on the front of the machine to ‘On.’ In the meanwhile, put one of the filter baskets in the portafilter, put ground coffee in the filter baskets, and then tamp the coffee with the tamper that comes with the machine. Some people dislike the sent tamper and decide to buy a metal tamper instead. You will have to figure out whether the tamper works for you on your own, but we deem it to be good enough.
As we already mentioned, you can also use an easy-serve-espresso pod to make your coffee. To do this, place the pod inside the special filter box for espresso pods. Then, place the basket inside the portafilter.
Once you’ve tamped your coffee or placed the easy-serve-espresso pod in the filter basket, you should wait for the ‘Ready’ light on the front of the machine to light up. When this happens, put the portafilter in the filter holder, and turn the dial to the little coffee icon to brew your coffee.
What about steaming and frothing the milk?
If you’re having a coffee drink with milk or milk foam, turn the middle dial to the steam icon on the left-hand side of the machine so that the machine can reach a proper steaming temperature. Then, get a container to steam or froth your milk in and pour some milk in it. Don’t forget to purge the steam wand by turning the steam dial on the right-hand side of the ECP3630. Then, place your container with the milk underneath the wand, turn the steam dial, and steam or froth your milk.
Some people dislike the length of the steam wand on the De’Longhi ECP3630. We thought it had a nice length, and more importantly, we think it does froth milk decently.
Nice taste of the coffee
On the De’Longhi ECP3630, you can make espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte, and other drinks of your preference. This coffee maker is semi-automatic and lets you choose the amount of your milk and froth it the way you want it, so you do get some personalization of your drinks. Needless to say, you can also choose the coffee you prefer and enjoy in its taste.
The coffee drinks made by this machine are of good quality. If you want to taste coffee that tastes sort of like the coffee made by professional baristas, you could buy the De’Longhi ECP3630. However, don’t expect too much from this machine. The espresso will be not as creamy as the espresso made by a high-end coffee machine, and the milk foam might sometimes be watery. Nevertheless, you will get decent coffee with some of the characteristics of the coffee made in a good café.
Tip: Avoid grinding your coffee or using pre-ground coffee that is very finely ground. The filter baskets of the De’Longhi ECP3630 are pressurized, and using a grind that’s too fine can keep the water inside the filter basket, preventing it from flowing through the coffee.
FAQ about the De’Longhi ECP3630
Will I be able to get silky crema for latte with the De’Longhi ECP3630?
Yes, it is. We recommend you use the ‘Hot Milk’ option for this.
Why is it so hard to turn the portafilter in the filter holder from the side to the center?
You’re probably overfilling the coffee baskets with coffee. Try using less coffee next time.
Is the brewing system of the De’Longhi ECP3630 made of plastic?
No, the brewing pipes are made of metal.
Will I need to buy a coffee grinder with this machine as well?
The De’Longhi ECP3630 doesn’t have a built-in grinder. You can buy a manual grinder or an electric one like the Baratza Encore or the Capresso Infinity, or you can choose to use pre-ground coffee.
What are some alternatives to the De’Longhi ECP3630?
De’Longhi ECO310BK
If you dislike the De’Longhi ECP3630, you could do some research on the De’Longhi ECO310BK and see if it meets your needs. This coffee maker has a milk frother, uses separate boilers for the steam and the brewing water, and works with both ground coffee or coffee pods.
De’Longhi ECP3420
You might also prefer the De’Longhi ECP3420 instead of the ECP3630. The ECP3420 has a convenient filter storage, has double-wall filters for better crema, and is very affordable.
If you’re not convinced about these two alternative machines, you can check out our lists of best espresso machines under $500 and under $300 to find a good match.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the De’Longhi ECP3630 is a nice coffee maker to break the ice with. With this machine, you’ll get good-quality coffee that is easy to make, you’ll get convenience, and you’ll also save some money. If those are the things you’re looking for in a coffee machine, the ECP3630 could be the right coffee maker for you.
Scroll down to the bottom of the review. You don’t need the ECP3630, but one of the alternative Delonghi coffee makers. Those three stars are not for no reason, I am telling you! You need one of the alternatives (speaking from my own experience of buying things on Amazon with less than 4 stars. People know what they’re talking about, just sayyying).
Hello, Chase!! :)) ☕
We’re happy you like the alternatives we offered! We like them too. :))
Thank you for your comment!! Feel free to give us your insights and opinions on the products that we talk about here, on the Morning Call Coffee Stand website!!
Take care and don’t miss your daily cup of coffee!! :)) ☕
@moringcallcoffeestand zdravo your opinion is what on the brevile cafe roma … one alternative it should be
Zdravo, Venko!! Pozdrav!! :)) ☕
The Breville Cafe Roma is also a good alternative to the De’Longhi ECP3630 espresso machine. We love the plastic ring on the steam wand, it can be so handy and safe!! It’s also great that the machine lets you see the water level in its reservoir. However, the safety ‘fence’ around the cup warmer of the ECP3630 does make one think. :))
We hope we get to hear your thoughts on the Breville Cafe Roma as well!! Until then, take care and have a good day!! :)) ☕
Those are some good alternatives you’ve mentioned in your article, and I’m not even a fan of machines that work with portafilters.
Hey, Christina!! Is coffee tasting good today? :)) ☕
We are happy that you liked the alternative machines that we suggested in the place of the De’Longhi ECP3630 and we respect your disfavor of machines that work with portafilters. :)) Luckily, we have many articles about automatic espresso machines and coffee makers on our site that you’re welcome to read anytime.
Thank you for commenting!! Enjoy your day!! :)) ☕
I have this machine, and I can tell you it’s okay. The coffee is hot, the steamed milk is hot as well, but the product is not creamy, like you said. Since I bought it, though, I am stuck with it, so that’s my major cons, hehe. :))
Hi, Maliyah!! It’s so nice to have you on our site!! :)) ☕
We very much appreciate you sharing the experience that you have with your De’Longhi ECP3630. Not only is the information that you’ve given is beneficial for the people that are thinking about buying the machine, but it also makes us a bit more cheerful because we now know that you’re happy with your De’Longhi. If you’re stuck, like you said, it sounds like you’re stuck with a machine that turned out to be a good deal after all. :))
Once again, thanks for sharing!! We hope your ECP3630 makes you many espressi worth remembering!! :)) ☕
Could you go in detail about how I should do the descaling of the De’Longhi ECP3630? Seems like a good machine, is it hard to clean it?
Hi, Theresa!! We like going into detail about things that our visitors care about!! :)) ☕
Please do the following things to descale the De’Longhi ECP3630:
1: Turn the ECP3630 on by turning the main dial to the ON position (electricity icon).
2: Take out the water tank of the machine, empty it, and pour 3.4 fl.oz. of the De’Longhi EcoDecalk descaler inside it. Then, fill the water tank and put it back inside the ECP3630.
3: Get a container that the machine can accommodate and put it on the drip tray. The container should be able to at least hold 50 ounces of water.
4: If the OK light on the ECP3630 gets green, turn the main dial of the machine to the COFFEE/HOT WATER position (the coffee and water droplets icon). The water with the descaler in it will then go through the brew system of the machine and exit through the boiler outlet.
5: Turn the steam dial on the ECP3630 to the OPEN position 10 seconds later so that the water can descale the steam wand. After 10 seconds, turn the steam dial back to the OFF position.
6: Wait for 15 minutes and then repeat the last four steps until there’s no more water in the water tank of the machine. You don’t have to wait for 15 minutes to pass between these sessions. This is where the descaling process ends.
7: When you’re done descaling the machine, you’ll need to also rinse it. To do this, just refill the water tank, wait for the OK light to go green, place the empty container for the water on the drip tray, turn the main dial to the COFFEE/HOT WATER position, and let the water exit through the boiler outlet. Then, wait for 10 seconds before you turn the steam dial to ON and let the water exit through the steam wand. Turn the steam dial to OFF after 10 seconds. Repeat this process until you’ve rinsed the brew system of the machine with two water tanks of water.
We hope this helps you to properly descale the De’Longhi ECP3630. If you think you’d benefit more from watching a video about descaling a De’Longhi espresso machine, here’s the link to the descaling tutorial on the De’Longhi North America YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUEwWNke0FA
Have a great day and take care!! :)) ☕
Ooooooooooh, I got one of these, good machine, comes with a good instruction manual, I’ve had it for a year now, very satisfied
Hey, Emma!! Thanks a lot for commenting on our site!! :)) ☕
We’re always thrilled to hear our visitors’ good experiences with their espresso machines and coffee makers!! Thanks for sharing and may your De’Longhi ECP3630 serve you many years to come!!
You’re welcome to comment on here anytime you want. Have a great day and enjoy your coffee recipe(s) of today!! :)) ☕
Hi! I just got one of these ans the portafilter is so tough to turn that I feel like I will break it. Is this usual? Will it get easier?
Thanks!