Upgrading from nespresso to this đ„č I have been wanting an espresso maker for sooo long!! What are some basics/must haves I should now purchase?? Any espresso bean recommendations?
by abossmom
24 Comments
Fooshoa
A grinder.
Extension-Long4483
You need a grinder. Baratza Encore ESP (must be ESP for espresso, not the regular encore) or DF54 are the most popular entry level grinders. Someone will tell you to get a hand grinder because theyâre cheaper but it seems like a pain in the ass to hand grind. If cost is really a limiting factor then get the hand grinder.
You could use preground coffee but youâll need to use a pressurized basket and it wonât be as good.
Highbrow68
Congrats on your first espresso machine! Just as a heads up, you may get some negative comments in this sub about the machine, but honestly if youâve never tried making espresso before, this is a good machine to get you started to know if itâs something you even like doing
For the time being, you can get pre-ground espresso grounds from the supermarket, my favorite brand when I had that machine was Lavazza. You currently have whatâs called a âpressurized portafilterâ, a portafilter is the basket thing with a handle thing that you fill with grounds. Your basket (the thing inside the portafilter that you can remove) is solid metal with a single hole in the bottom, and thatâs what lets the pressure build up. Once you get the hang of pulling a shot manually, the next ideal upgrade is getting a good grinder (make sure it uses burrs, NOT BLADE) as well as a bottomless portafilter with an unpressurized basket so that you can grind finer and get smoother extraction. Here, the coffee grounds being finely ground is what causes the water flow restriction.
Since your machine is a manual pull (you need to turn the knob to start espresso, and turn it off to stop the shot), it will be important to dial in timing so that you use anywhere between 18-20 grams of espresso, and get 2x that amount of espresso at the end, and hopefully that will take 20-30 seconds.
Also, use the double shot portafilter basket. The numbers Iâve used, and info youâll most commonly see since itâs easier to pull a good shot, will be for double shot
Frosty_Two_2948
Ear plugs. I had this as my starter and it served its purpose but itâs very loud.
Charming_Papaya8132
If you have not bought the machine on the picture, and If you like the convenience of the one button push solution, I would recommend a bean-to-cup. I had a manual espressomachine for some years, and I, and in particular my wife, became fed up with all the coffee on the kitchen counter. I bought a simple DeLonghi Magnifica S ECAM21.117. Bean to cup, and Im pleased with the freshly ground coffee beans.
Darksept
I have nearly the same machine paired with a Kingrinder K6 and a bottomless 51mm portafilter+basket from Amazon.Â
If you don’t want to get a espresso capable grinder yet. You can still use this machine with pre ground espresso fine beans from the store, in the pressurized basket it’s comes with.Â
If you wanna up your game after that, get a good grinder (Kingrinder K6 if you wanna workout your forearms, encore esp or DF54 if not, lol) and get a bottomless portafilter to go with that.Â
You’ll have to be more precise after that. Weigh your beans before grinding (usually 16-18g depending on the density) and weigh the espresso as it goes into the cup. Making sure to stop the flow at the right weight. For this you’ll need a small digital scale.Â
I recommend watching a few YouTube videos by people like James Hoffman and Lance Hendrick on the basics.Â
throwaway1964972
This was my first machine, and it was a great starting point! Time to invest in a grinder.
REDBOSS27
Congrats, that’s an excellent starter machine with stainless steel full group head and boiler. Check this out for upgrades and [Workflow with DF54 Grinder](https://youtu.be/FULy5CcIR3I?si=xGhY_aXlnUo4r1st). Enjoy!
threedeeman
I started with this machine and it really punches above its weight. Like others have mentioned, some key upgrades to consider are: a good tamper, a burr grinder, and a bottomless portafilter.
I upgraded to the Bambino Plus, and honestly, this machine is just as capable as the Bambino, which gets so much recommendation here. I donât make milk drinks, so the auto-frothing on the Bambino is nice when I occasionally use it.
If you start with a pressurized portafilter, it makes the process easier. After that, itâs really how deep you want to go down the espresso rabbit hole.
Iâve been enjoying Lavazza (medium roast) lately. I find them much more consistent than other grocery store options like Counter Culture. You can also get specialty beans, but for my taste they are too expensive. Fresh beans from a local shop have always been good. I use the grocery store beans for convenience.
I never realized how disgusting the dark roast are until I made espresso. I always preferred strong coffee, but strong and dark are not the same. It seems obvious now, but for my taste a medium is the best.
The grinder made the most noticeable difference. I now have a DF54 flat burr and started with a Smart Grinder Pro. The DF54 is far superior for espresso, but the SGP works great for pour over. With the DF54 it is essential to use the supplied brush and keep the chute clear. Iâm considering a Baratza Encore ESP, just to try it. After the grinder and once youâre dialed in (which tends to vary from bean to bean), improvements are incremental.
Going bottomless improved my shots, though the stock setup does an adequate job, especially if you donât have a proper grinder yet.
Other helpful accessories are a tamp mat and knock box.
LelouchL88
shower screen & and a dual or three hole aluminum wand
alfred0t0rnad0
This thing for $100 seems like a steal. Youâll get a lot of good info in this group but nothing beats YouTube tutorials. Just search your machine and âfor beginnersâ and youâll be up and rolling in no time.
Algoth_Niska
1. Get a grinder (make sure its made for espresso). Pre ground coffee with pressurized basket will get you started just fine if you are on a budget. Fresh coffee beans and self grind makes best and tastiest end result. 2. Get a proper tamper (i presume this comes with plastic one, you donât need nothing special but that is just flimsy and prone to break) 3. Once you feel you get the hang of makin it, change from pressurized basket and portafilter to bottomless portafilter with suitable basket. It is totally fine to go with the prezzurised as long as you feel like it. Or never change if you are happy. But i recommend trying bottomless. 4. Get a rag because first ones with bottomless portafilter are going to be messy. 5. Lots of youtube tutorials
The mistakes i have learned from:
1. Dont do pregroud coffee on bottomless portafilter 2. You canât tamp too hard. Just do it firmly. 3. Grinding too fine with prezzurised basket will end up with no coffee at all coming through.
Have fun! It will take some time to get the hang of it but it is worth it.
EDIT: forgot to mention scale. Get one of those. It is quite crucial to get good espresso consistently!
NeverBrokeABone
Eureka.
Appropriate_Ice_7507
UmmâŠI would return this and get a used one on FV marketplace. Lots of them under $50. I came across one for free but was too lazy to drive plus I have 3 espresso machines and one is a GCP.
jbamdigity19
Worst. Machine. Ever. I had 2 go faulty in a 8 month span. Delonghi has the hands down worst customer service. Whatever you do if you have an issue donât even look at the machine wrong or it will void the warranty. The lower model stillosa is a much better product. I found a used breville bambino for 200 that also came with a grinder and itâs a night and day difference on performance and consistency
I had one of these that lasted 5 years daily use, pulling shots for several people some days. After 5 Years, the main seal on it seemed to have corroded and water would leak when it was heating up. It still works but struggles to heat up and you lose a lot of water. Ive tried to fix it with solder and jb weld with no luck. I bought another one which ive had for about a year now. About a $150 machine brand new. Its good enough for my caffeine addiction. I love cafe pilon with some caramel sauce and powdered creamer in a double shot đ
asahmed7
The ecp is a great machine to get into espresso with.
You can modify them too and get even more out of them.
If you get an unpressurized basket and a bottomless portafilter and a grinder that goes finer than drip coffee you have a great setup.
If you like milk drinks you can upgrade the steam wand also.
Amazon has so many cheap options that work for tamper. Porta filter and baskets.
RtheSumofAge
I have the 3620, which I think is the one shown. I too upgraded from Nespresso. I have used it for years for my morning latte. I purchased a decent metal tamper and milk frothing pitcher. Now the aging ECP leaks after turnoff, so either I replace the boiler to portafilter gasket or upgrade to another machine (any recommendations?). I have used the unpressurized basket from the Nespresso in the portafilter that comes with the ECP.
bum_stabber
Put it in the ole spank bank
cineblast
I have this machine and a kingrinder k6. Puck screen, scale, wdt, ims basket. Easy upgrades while keeping to âbang for your buckâ. Looking to add a pressure gauge and a dimmer.
24 Comments
A grinder.
You need a grinder. Baratza Encore ESP (must be ESP for espresso, not the regular encore) or DF54 are the most popular entry level grinders. Someone will tell you to get a hand grinder because theyâre cheaper but it seems like a pain in the ass to hand grind. If cost is really a limiting factor then get the hand grinder.
You could use preground coffee but youâll need to use a pressurized basket and it wonât be as good.
Congrats on your first espresso machine! Just as a heads up, you may get some negative comments in this sub about the machine, but honestly if youâve never tried making espresso before, this is a good machine to get you started to know if itâs something you even like doing
For the time being, you can get pre-ground espresso grounds from the supermarket, my favorite brand when I had that machine was Lavazza. You currently have whatâs called a âpressurized portafilterâ, a portafilter is the basket thing with a handle thing that you fill with grounds. Your basket (the thing inside the portafilter that you can remove) is solid metal with a single hole in the bottom, and thatâs what lets the pressure build up. Once you get the hang of pulling a shot manually, the next ideal upgrade is getting a good grinder (make sure it uses burrs, NOT BLADE) as well as a bottomless portafilter with an unpressurized basket so that you can grind finer and get smoother extraction. Here, the coffee grounds being finely ground is what causes the water flow restriction.
Since your machine is a manual pull (you need to turn the knob to start espresso, and turn it off to stop the shot), it will be important to dial in timing so that you use anywhere between 18-20 grams of espresso, and get 2x that amount of espresso at the end, and hopefully that will take 20-30 seconds.
Also, use the double shot portafilter basket. The numbers Iâve used, and info youâll most commonly see since itâs easier to pull a good shot, will be for double shot
Ear plugs. I had this as my starter and it served its purpose but itâs very loud.
If you have not bought the machine on the picture, and If you like the convenience of the one button push solution, I would recommend a bean-to-cup. I had a manual espressomachine for some years, and I, and in particular my wife, became fed up with all the coffee on the kitchen counter. I bought a simple DeLonghi Magnifica S ECAM21.117. Bean to cup, and Im pleased with the freshly ground coffee beans.
I have nearly the same machine paired with a Kingrinder K6 and a bottomless 51mm portafilter+basket from Amazon.Â
If you don’t want to get a espresso capable grinder yet. You can still use this machine with pre ground espresso fine beans from the store, in the pressurized basket it’s comes with.Â
If you wanna up your game after that, get a good grinder (Kingrinder K6 if you wanna workout your forearms, encore esp or DF54 if not, lol) and get a bottomless portafilter to go with that.Â
You’ll have to be more precise after that.Â
Weigh your beans before grinding (usually 16-18g depending on the density) and weigh the espresso as it goes into the cup. Making sure to stop the flow at the right weight. For this you’ll need a small digital scale.Â
I recommend watching a few YouTube videos by people like James Hoffman and Lance Hendrick on the basics.Â
This was my first machine, and it was a great starting point! Time to invest in a grinder.
Congrats, that’s an excellent starter machine with stainless steel full group head and boiler. Check this out for upgrades and [Workflow with DF54 Grinder](https://youtu.be/FULy5CcIR3I?si=xGhY_aXlnUo4r1st). Enjoy!
I started with this machine and it really punches above its weight. Like others have mentioned, some key upgrades to consider are: a good tamper, a burr grinder, and a bottomless portafilter.
I upgraded to the Bambino Plus, and honestly, this machine is just as capable as the Bambino, which gets so much recommendation here. I donât make milk drinks, so the auto-frothing on the Bambino is nice when I occasionally use it.
If you start with a pressurized portafilter, it makes the process easier. After that, itâs really how deep you want to go down the espresso rabbit hole.
Iâve been enjoying Lavazza (medium roast) lately. I find them much more consistent than other grocery store options like Counter Culture. You can also get specialty beans, but for my taste they are too expensive. Fresh beans from a local shop have always been good. I use the grocery store beans for convenience.
I never realized how disgusting the dark roast are until I made espresso. I always preferred strong coffee, but strong and dark are not the same. It seems obvious now, but for my taste a medium is the best.
The grinder made the most noticeable difference. I now have a DF54 flat burr and started with a Smart Grinder Pro. The DF54 is far superior for espresso, but the SGP works great for pour over. With the DF54 it is essential to use the supplied brush and keep the chute clear. Iâm considering a Baratza Encore ESP, just to try it. After the grinder and once youâre dialed in (which tends to vary from bean to bean), improvements are incremental.
Going bottomless improved my shots, though the stock setup does an adequate job, especially if you donât have a proper grinder yet.
Other helpful accessories are a tamp mat and knock box.
shower screen & and a dual or three hole aluminum wand
This thing for $100 seems like a steal. Youâll get a lot of good info in this group but nothing beats YouTube tutorials. Just search your machine and âfor beginnersâ and youâll be up and rolling in no time.
1. Get a grinder (make sure its made for espresso). Pre ground coffee with pressurized basket will get you started just fine if you are on a budget. Fresh coffee beans and self grind makes best and tastiest end result.
2. Get a proper tamper (i presume this comes with plastic one, you donât need nothing special but that is just flimsy and prone to break)
3. Once you feel you get the hang of makin it, change from pressurized basket and portafilter to bottomless portafilter with suitable basket. It is totally fine to go with the prezzurised as long as you feel like it. Or never change if you are happy. But i recommend trying bottomless.
4. Get a rag because first ones with bottomless portafilter are going to be messy.
5. Lots of youtube tutorials
The mistakes i have learned from:
1. Dont do pregroud coffee on bottomless portafilter
2. You canât tamp too hard. Just do it firmly.
3. Grinding too fine with prezzurised basket will end up with no coffee at all coming through.
Have fun! It will take some time to get the hang of it but it is worth it.
EDIT: forgot to mention scale. Get one of those. It is quite crucial to get good espresso consistently!
Eureka.
UmmâŠI would return this and get a used one on FV marketplace. Lots of them under $50. I came across one for free but was too lazy to drive plus I have 3 espresso machines and one is a GCP.
Worst. Machine. Ever. I had 2 go faulty in a 8 month span. Delonghi has the hands down worst customer service. Whatever you do if you have an issue donât even look at the machine wrong or it will void the warranty. The lower model stillosa is a much better product. I found a used breville bambino for 200 that also came with a grinder and itâs a night and day difference on performance and consistency
Linux on your laptop
Check this small guide for inproving basic manual setups like the DeLonghi Stilosa or ECP series: https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/s/79Ue6eQPGn
Bought and returned in two days!
I had one of these that lasted 5 years daily use, pulling shots for several people some days. After 5
Years, the main seal on it seemed to have corroded and water would leak when it was heating up. It still works but struggles to heat up and you lose a lot of water. Ive tried to fix it with solder and jb weld with no luck. I bought another one which ive had for about a year now. About a $150 machine brand new. Its good enough for my caffeine addiction. I love cafe pilon with some caramel sauce and powdered creamer in a double shot đ
The ecp is a great machine to get into espresso with.
You can modify them too and get even more out of them.
Heres a video I made some time back.
https://youtu.be/jyO_M0EVGdg?si=4CZbBUBnsHe-J_U4
If you get an unpressurized basket and a bottomless portafilter and a grinder that goes finer than drip coffee you have a great setup.
If you like milk drinks you can upgrade the steam wand also.
Amazon has so many cheap options that work for tamper. Porta filter and baskets.
I have the 3620, which I think is the one shown. I too upgraded from Nespresso. I have used it for years for my morning latte. I purchased a decent metal tamper and milk frothing pitcher. Now the aging ECP leaks after turnoff, so either I replace the boiler to portafilter gasket or upgrade to another machine (any recommendations?). I have used the unpressurized basket from the Nespresso in the portafilter that comes with the ECP.
Put it in the ole spank bank
I have this machine and a kingrinder k6. Puck screen, scale, wdt, ims basket. Easy upgrades while keeping to âbang for your buckâ. Looking to add a pressure gauge and a dimmer.
this is where I startedâŠ