De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK Espresso coffee machine: Full Review

The De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK is a sleek, compact espresso machine designed for home use. It features a 15-bar pump pressure and patented dual-function filter holder that allows you to brew ground coffee or convenient ESE pods. With its compact footprint and modern design, the Stilosa aims to bring café-quality espresso drinks into your kitchen.

This semi-automatic machine includes essential features like a manual milk frother, cup warming tray, and removable water tank. The control panel allows you to make single or double shots at the touch of a button. This gives you the flexibility to pull espresso or make milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. Read on for a more in-depth review of the De'Longhi Stilosa's design, performance, ease of use, and other key factors.

Design and Build Quality

The De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK espresso machine has an attractive, modern design with a glossy black finish and stainless steel accents. At 14.2 x 7.5 x 10.25 inches, it has a fairly compact footprint that won't take up too much space on your kitchen counter.

The machine housing is made from sturdy plastic that feels well-constructed. The portafilter, drip tray, and water reservoir are stainless steel. Overall, the build quality is good for the price point. While mostly plastic, the machine doesn't feel flimsy or cheap.

Aesthetically, the Stilosa has a sleek look. The contrasting black and stainless steel gives it a classy appearance. The controls are well-arranged in a clean interface on the front. There are no fancy extras, just the basics you need for making espresso and milk drinks. Those wanting a more premium look may find the plastic housing underwhelming. But at this price range, most espresso machines use plastic.

If you're looking for an alternative, the Ihomekee CM6810 is worth considering. The Ihomekee CM6810 offers a compact design suitable for any kitchen with a brushed stainless steel finish that gives it a more sophisticated appearance. With thoughtful features like a 15-bar pressure pump and a manual frother, this machine ensures that you can make a variety of coffee drinks including lattes and cappuccinos. Its build quality is enhanced with durable components, making it a reliable option for everyday use.

Ease of Use

The Stilosa EC260BK is designed to be very easy to use. The control panel has just a few buttons that let you select your drink, choose single or double shot, and start/stop brewing.

There are two programmable espresso and lungo buttons that you can set for your preferred shot volume. The machine remembers your custom settings so you can get consistent results every time with just a button press.

Switching between brewing coffee and steaming milk is simple - just turn the steam dial to activate the steam wand when needed. The settings are intuitive without too many confusing options.

Beginners appreciate the simplicity of the interface. The buttons have icons that clearly indicate their function, and the display screen provides user-friendly instructions and notifications. More advanced users may want more customizable settings, but the Stilosa is designed for ease of use over advanced programming.

Overall, the streamlined controls allow you to start enjoying espressos, cappuccinos and lattes with almost no learning curve. Just fill the water tank, add ground coffee, and press a button for cafe-quality drinks at home.

Similarly, the CASABREWS 3700 ESSENTIAL-01 also excels in ease of use. It features a user-friendly interface with simple controls for selecting your drink preferences. The machine includes customization options for different coffee strengths and shot volumes, ensuring a personalized coffee experience. The CASABREWS 3700 incorporates intuitive buttons and a clear display to guide you through the brewing process, making it ideal for both beginners and seasoned coffee enthusiasts. Additionally, its compact design and easy-to-clean components enhance overall convenience and usability.

Brewing Performance

The De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK espresso machine delivers excellent brewing performance for delicious espresso drinks at home. It uses a 15-bar pressure system and thermoblock heating to ensure the water is heated to the optimal temperature of 195-205°F for espresso extraction.

The 15 bars of pressure allows the hot water to properly saturate and extract flavor from finely ground espresso beans. Lower pressure machines often fail to fully extract espresso, resulting in weak and watery coffee. The Stilosa's professional-level pressure results in rich, thick crema and robust espresso full of aroma and flavors.

A rapid one minute heat up time means you can go from off to enjoying espresso drinks quickly. The thermoblock heating also maintains a consistent temperature during the brewing process. Some low-end machines struggle to maintain the right heat, negatively impacting extraction.

The Stilosa comes with a swivel jet frother for making cappuccinos and lattes. The steam wand delivers adequate steam power and pressure for quickly frothing milk to create creamy, microfoam texture. While not as powerful as pro-style wands, it still froths milk quite well for home use.

Overall, the Stilosa EC260BK delivers where it counts - brewing delicious espresso with the right parameters of pressure, temperature, and steam power. This ensures you can craft cafe-quality drinks at home.

Coffee Customization

The De'Longhi Stilosa allows you to customize your coffee drinks in several ways:

Grind Size

The machine has a professional-grade conical burr grinder with 13 adjustable grind settings. This allows you to fine-tune the grind size to suit the coffee you are using and the drink you want to make. Finer grinds are better for espresso, while coarser grinds are preferable for regular coffee.

Drink Options

You can make espresso, lungo, cappuccino and latte with the De'Longhi. It comes with 2 filters - one for ground coffee and one for pods. So you have the flexibility to use either pre-ground coffee or ESE pods to make your favorite espresso-based drinks. The manual frother allows you to texture milk to make cappuccinos and lattes.

Milk Frothing

The manual frother that comes with the machine makes it easy to froth milk for cappuccinos and lattes. Just fill the frothing pitcher with milk and use the frother wand to create thick, creamy foam. The frosting pitcher has min and max markings so you know how much milk to use. You can adjust the froth thickness and texture by controlling the position and depth of the wand. So whether you like wet or dry cappuccino froth, you can customize it to your taste.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK has self-cleaning capabilities that simplify maintenance. After brewing espresso, the machine can be set to automatically flush water through to rinse away residual coffee oils and particles. This self-clean cycle helps prevent buildup and blockages.

Descaling is recommended every few months to remove mineral deposits from the internal water lines. The machine alerts you when it's time to descale. The process is straightforward by running descaling solution through the brewing system.

The removable brew unit can be taken out for periodic rinsing under tap water to clean away any surface coffee stains. The drip tray is also removable and dishwasher safe. The water tank and drip tray are designed for easy access and cleaning.

Overall, the cleaning tasks on the Stilosa are simple and hassle-free. The automated self-clean cycle reduces the manual maintenance needed.

Noise Level

The De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK is relatively quiet during operation. The pump noise is noticeable but not too loud or disruptive. Some user reviews mention the pump being a bit noisy but most find the noise level acceptable and on par with other espresso machines in this price range.

The vibratory pump helps reduce noise levels compared to some models with steam-driven pumps. The Stilosa is not completely silent, but the pump noise won't be bothersome in most home kitchen settings. You may hear some gurgling or hissing sounds when pulling a shot, but overall the noise output is reasonable.

Some buyers do wish it was a bit quieter, while others are pleased with the minimal noise that allows them to hold a conversation next to the machine while it's running. The pump itself is internal so the noise is muffled compared to external pumps. If pump noise is a major concern, there are higher-end models with quieter rotary pumps that reduce noise even further. But for an affordable home espresso maker, most find the noise level of the Stilosa acceptable.

Accessories

The De'Longhi Stilosa comes with two stainless steel portafilter baskets - a single shot and a double shot. The single shot basket is good for making one small espresso, while the double shot allows you to pull a standard double shot, or two servings of espresso at once.

The portafilter has a firm and tight seal which allows you to lock it into the group head properly for optimal extraction. The machine also includes a tamper for compressing the coffee grounds evenly before brewing.

Some additional accessories you may want to purchase separately include:

• A coffee grinder, if you plan to use fresh whole bean coffee. The built-in grinder on the Stilosa is only usable with the ECAM model, not this EC260BK.

• A bottomless portafilter for monitoring extraction and channeling.

• A milk frothing pitcher if making lattes or cappuccinos. The Stilosa does not come with one.

• A precision coffee scale for weighing grounds and output.

• Coffee beans or pre-ground coffee of your choice.

The Stilosa provides the key accessories needed to get started making espresso-based drinks. But coffee enthusiasts may appreciate some optional upgrades for an enhanced experience.

Warranty and Support

De'Longhi provides a 1-year limited warranty on the EC260BK espresso machine that covers defects in materials or workmanship. The warranty is valid if the product is used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and for household use only. Commercial use voids the warranty.

The warranty does not cover damage from abuse, misuse, or repairs done by unauthorized service agents. Normal wear and tear is also not covered.

De'Longhi offers customer support by email and phone. Support can help troubleshoot problems and walk you through repairs if needed. They can also assist with arranging warranty claims and returns if the machine needs to be sent in for service.

Based on reviews, De'Longhi's customer service team is generally responsive and helpful. They aim to resolve issues under warranty in a timely manner. Most customers have had positive experiences dealing with support.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Compact and sleek design takes up minimal counter space
• Easy to use control panel with programmable options
• Fast heat-up time and recovery after steam for back-to-back drinks
• Produces rich, creamy espresso with nice crema
• Steaming wand makes high-quality microfoam for cappuccinos and lattes
• Removable water tank and drip tray for easy cleaning
• Quiet brewing and steaming operation

Cons:

• Small water tank capacity at 37 oz
• No grinder so beans must be ground separately
• Steam wand can be tricky to master at first
• Tamping requires a very level and evenly distributed puck
• Single spout can limit drink customization
• Cleaning requires backflushing and other regular maintenance

Overall, the De'Longhi Stilosa EC260BK is a capable, attractive, and compact espresso machine for beginners or those with limited space. It excels at brewing rich espresso and steaming milk with practice. The simple interface and smaller size do come with some limitations for customization and capacity compared to higher-end models. But for an affordable automatic home espresso maker, it produces quality results once dialed in properly.