Review on DeLonghi EC5 Steam Driven Espresso Coffee by Juan Wilson

Love this little machine! I bought the first one in 2004 after reading excellent reviews about the quality of the "creams". We have been using this machine every day for 5 years and look forward to it every morning. I'm an Americano lover and found a way to get the strongest, smoothest flavor out of this machine by making a double shot, then adding half an inch of boiling water, then heavy cream. Delicious! Here in Seattle, I use local coffee beans at home from Lighthouse Roasters or Longbeach Roasters. The freshness of this high-quality coffee makes our homemade espresso taste just as good as in a coffee shop. The second machine I just bought today is for the office where I spent way too much money to run to the corner for coffee in the afternoon. Since I bought our first car 5 years ago, the price has dropped by half (I paid $65 for the first one). I hope the car's popularity has allowed DeLonghi to lower the price rather than the quality. Note: I have never used a frothing wand with this machine and have heard that the steam/milk froth output is low. Depending on the coffee quality, the steam pressure produces the most aromatic shots in the first 2 cycles. Let the machine sit for about 10 minutes before starting another steam cycle. For us at home, that's the time it takes us to drink our first cup, so the timing is perfect.