Five Ways To Make Better Espresso On A Cheap Machine (Under $100)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ค. 2024
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00:00 Hello there
01:19 Machine Breakdown
05:28 Additional Tools
06:34 Basket Choice
10:00 Double Tamping
13:30 Coin Test
16:02 Steam Wand Change
Just a heads up that I’ve gleaned from some of the comments here! When you remove the panarello attachment on the steam wand and use it, it may be beneficial to zip-tie or ensure the rubber tip is secure with an alternative method. I haven’t personally experienced the tip coming loose while steaming but it seems like a not uncommon occurrence so use caution.
Just happened to me last week. The tip blew off like a bottle rocket. Right into the milk, which was fun to clean up.
I have that exact DeLonghi, btw.
Not sure if others have already mentioned this, but there are third-party metal steam wand tip attachments you can find that don’t require any modifications to the machine. They fit on the same way the original outer portion does with a firm push and twist. There are single and three hole varieties. I tried both and got better results with the single hole version on my De’longhi Magnifica. Then you don’t have you worry about the inner tip flying off, which did happen to me once!
Finally a positive take on these cheaper options instead of the constant shit talking and critique that only makes people feel disdain towards the coffee and espresso world. Not everyone is interested in spending thousands of $ just to make a cup of coffee, but a lot of us want to make the best with what we've got. I appreciate this.
Right, everyone has to start somewhere. I started on a 2-3 hundred dollar delonghi to learn on 4 years ago then upgraded to a breville barista express last week now that I feel confident enough that it wasn't a waste of money. I think its smarter to start cheap then upgrade later if you plan to stick with it.
As I've gone further down the espresso rabbit hole myself, I find I less suggest equipment improvement and provide techniques to improve their drinks.
If you like this sort of perspective, check out Tom's Coffee Corner--his whole channel is about doing espresso economically. I've stuck it out with my Delonghi ECP because of him, and have been very happy with it!
Right you are. We can’t afford those high end espresso machine at home so this video brings hope to me with my delonghi dedica!!
Im scared to ask from which channel you came from because that sounds awfully bad, like REALLY bad.
This is a day of “That being saids” and “Without further ados”
These machines lack “bells and or whistles” 😜
Morgandrinkscoffee Drinking Game
Notably!
That being said, your ados are always appreciated!
And there shall be no other way to operate.
AAAAHHH that's my machine! I already upgraded my tamper, abandoned the single shot basket, and bought a 0.1g accuracy scale. I cracked up when you took the cover off the steam wand because that had been my instinct but then I got insecure and only did it that way once. going back to it asap now!!
Same here. I also bought a naked portafilter with a basket. (and even a WDT thingy).. Oh and a small funnel to put the coffee in with less spillage. Since I bought the machine second hand I think the add-ons have cost me more than the machine itself :-0
Careful! I tried it before without the cover on the steam wand and the pressure blows out the rubber piece every time for me.
I have this machine, just zip ties the ribber part and it stays on
My daughter (who is a barista) kept taking the wand cover off and I kept putting it back. She finally fussed me about it and threatened to throw it away😅 I finally told her to just toss it
I genuinely believe that coffee and espresso should be accessible to everyone. Fantastic video, Morgan!
As an owner of a (gift) De'Longhi EC155, I've struggled for ages trying to get decent milk foam from it. It never occurred to me that the tip was holding me back. Going to have to try this next morning!
Same here! I'll have to try it out!!!
Put a twist tie on that rubber nozzle. You'll thank me later.
Thanks for covering on these budget options! You're probably helping a lot of people reusing their machines properly instead of pressuring them thinking they should buy a >$1000 machine.
I have one like that Delonghi that I thrifted for like $10. I spent like $30 on a new portafilter but otherwise left the same. So excited for this
I love this! I firmly believe that coffee should be accessible, and so many folk (myself included) don't have the money to spend on really high end machines. Love that instead of judging, you just show how to make the best of what you have! Thank you! I actually have the DeLonghi machine, so I'll definitely be trying these tips out tomorrow morning 😊❤
As a person with only a cheap espresso maker, i would like to thank you for making this video. If you could, please make a video on cheap grinders for espresso. I have been looking for a cheap grinder, after having used pre ground coffee for almost a year
I've been using the Oxo conical grinder with pretty good results. At $100, I don't think you can do better for cheaper.
I have been working on my Hamilton Beach for over 5 years. For almost 4 years I used it as it came from factory, But until a few months ago I decided to make some adjustments...
I bought two precision baskets, a proper tamper, a WDT tool, dosing ring and finally I cut the filter holder so that it was bottomless. It really changes the experience a lot. The steam wand does its job well when you know how to use it. And don't forget to clean the machine, unless you want a bad taste in your coffee
I want to underscore the point about cleaning. In fact, I would make this the first tip. The pressurized basket especially has a lot of places that old coffee can build up, so learning how to take it apart and clean it makes a gigantic difference.
I've had a delonghi 3420 for 7 years now. Over the years, I've done several modifications starting with portafilter and holder. I now use a naked portafilter and have done away with the plastic attachment for the frothing wand. My machine has created many cups of tasty espressos. 😊
I've had this exact DeLonghi (used) sitting for almost two years now because I was overwhelmed by all the possible mods, gadgets, and reading about how it wasn't worth it to use a cheap machine. I think you may have just convinced me to pull it out and give it a try! I feel so much more confident that I can make it work now. Thank you, Morgan!!
Thank you so much for making this video. My son bought a cheap espresso maker and the coffee tasted so bad. We tried to make espresso but clearly we had no clue what we were doing. Your step by step instructions were very helpful.
okay, that last tip might be a game changer for me... i had my espresso pretty much down to where i liked it on such a machine, but the milk was the biggest issue
Panarello wands can be great if you’re looking for consistently frothy milk without much effort but for literally anything else, they’re a nightmare imo
You should strap the rubber part down with a zip tie because when it gets got enough it will just shoot off!
@@2MuchSwag4Funzies thanks for the warning lol
Same day as Lance Hedrick. I'm happy that you guys are trying to open up espresso at lower price points.
They popped up right next to each other in my feed! Off to watch Lance's take next ...
This was fun! We've had the DeLonghi for a few years now. My wife asked what you said about it and I said "Morgan said it is terrible and we need to buy a $5,000 one!" :|
Best of luck!
it’s so reassuring to know about the steam wand thing, I really thought I just sucked at it!! thank you sm for this no judgement and welcoming vid ❤
You did a perfect job making this video, i still remember when i bought my first espresso machine with no brand on it, and tune it by reading different articles and watching tutorials to make a decent cup of espresso !
Thanks 👍🏻👍🏻🤘🏻
I have an Oster Perfect Brew and I'm constantly strugling with consistency. Sometimes I get a great espresso, and the next one channels, even though I didn't change anything. I miss having the café espresso machine so I could tase a few more espressos before making my coffee. But I guess it's part of the process, one must kind of embrace inconsistency in cheap machines.. it's fun. Great video, definetly taking notes ♥
A cheap 'upgrade' that really helped me with these is a puck screen. Helped me a lot with non-pressurized basked, reduced a lot of channeling and stops the group head becoming such a mess after each shot.
3pm is when I start drinking coffee xD
Respect
You said it Morgan. I’ve been waiting for you to do a video on grinders
this channel has saved my hope in making good coffee for myself.
I have the machine you used, the exact model. I never thought to use a clean coin or take the panarello off. Even though it's just after four in the afternoon, I'm going to give these tips a try! 🎉 I'm sure I'll get more use out of my little machine that could!
I have the exact Delonghi. I also immediately tossed the single shot basket lol this was a great video for me!
This is the video i needed today!!! I recently found myself with a free, used, and pretty old delonghi espresso machine and when I looked up the model (EC140B) I found very little to go off of when figuring out technique. It appears to be the precursor to the stilosa, so it’s a similar build with some small differences. Same pressurized portafilter though!
I already took care of a few problems by ordering a real tamp and a non-pressurized basket. However I will absolutely be trying that coin test when I get home from work!
EDIT: the steam want on my machine is beyond help i’m afraid. one of the previous owners may have gotten ground coffee inside the water line and i managed to get it cleaned and descaled, EXCEPT the water coming from the steam wand is still…. slightly brown. yep.
Oh nooo, I’m so sorry to hear about the steam wand. That’s highly unfortunate.
@@morgandrinkscoffee I know. :( just been making do with my microwave and a hand frother lol 😆
Meanwhile, James Hoffmann is sipping million dollar espresso out of solid gold shot glasses today. 😂
Gotta cover the full range
I used the same machine and replaced the filter and tamper plus a screen helped a ton.
I have already done a lot of these things plus more mods. One point I would add (just for the steam wand tip) is to make sure to use a zip tie to keep the rubber nozzle on the base of that steam wand. If you don't zip tie it, the rubber nozzle will fly off at some point while you are steaming. This usually hits your steamed milk with a decent level of pressure and steamed milk goes everywhere.... I know, because it happened to me several times.... until I Zip Tied.
This was great!! I’m excited to try the steam wand trick you showed, I would have never thought to remove the cover outside of just cleaning.
Another tip for steaming milk is to cool it first, basically just put the milk & pitcher inside a freezer while you make the coffee. Reducing the milk's temperature give you more time to find the best angle & depth for the wand and to whisk the milk after (as these machines boil at lower pressure than more expensive ones)
Just don't freeze the milk or you might be making an affogato instead
HOLY SMOKES I knew it wasn't just me with the steam wand! I've had a De'Longhi EC155 since Christmas 2022 and I've been recently trying to start learning how to do latte art. After a year and a half of using the machine and studying as much advice on milk frothing that I could, I was very frustrated that I could never get my steam wand to work how other wands seem to work, even those on other lower end machines. Every once in a while I could get a vortex going and I always treasure that beautiful, silky milk and lamented that I couldn't get it more often.
I figured it was a combination of the less-powerful steam wand and the fact that I don't like being wasteful and usually only steam barely more than I need (I like 1:2 cappuccinos, so I usually only work with ~120ml of milk). It never occurred to me that the tip was what was holding me back! I will definitely be trying without the panerello on it tomorrow and hopefully the silky milk of my dreams will become reality!
The way I paused, went over to my DeLonghi and wrestled the tip off, then stood there staring in disbelief that it was that easy this entire time. And yes, zip tie that thing- mine popped off in the milk two or three times.
I think Morgan just gave us permission when we need our espresso to hit people away with the portafilter.
I can neither confirm nor deny that
Thank you dear lady for your help
I have that same machine and after some trial and error I've been able to pull good espressos, mostly abandoning the idea of making milk based drink until today!!! I'm really grateful for this video, finally I'll be able to enjoy something that doesn't resemble a cappuccino 😆
Used to try these, not up to quality with better machines, but they are much better than pod coffee which is why I see this is preferable for a lot of people.
I've had the Stilosa for almost 3 years. I use it with a Capresso Infinity grinder and the combo has met my needs. I just want to make milk drinks to avoid paying $7 at Starbucks. I'm under no delusion that I'm pulling an artisan shot. I bought a decent tamp, scale, and a milk pitcher when I got the machine. I've looked at the Gaggia Evolution, but I'm not sure I would get any better results.
I appreciate this so much! And love how you explain everything so clearly. I’ve been considering getting an espresso machine but spending hundreds on something I will mostly use for myself a few times a week seems a bit much. So this really shed some positive light on maybe getting a cheaper machine to begin with!
I have just been using the single shot. I be taking these tips on board!
i own a delonghi stillosa~ a step down version of what you presented~ and this tips i will take it to heart for my next set of brew~
This is so helpful, thank you! ☕️
Thanks for the tips
Extremely grateful for this video, thanks a lot 🤩🤩
As someone with a small apartment and limited funds, I thank you for this video ❤
Thank you for sharing I have that very one and now I know what am doing wrong ❤
this is such a useful video! thank you!
This was an enjoyable episode
That’s a beautiful Vandola you have on the shelf!
Thank you! I feel very lucky to have it and have a video about Costa Rican brewers planned in the next few weeks
I have a machine similar to this - the Delonghi Dedica - and you can buy metal ‘covers’ for the rubber steam wand! It was cheap, easy to put on, fits perfectly, and has never come off. With that and swapping the pressurised portafilter out for a cheap bottomless portafilter, I have so much more control over my brew and milk and don’t feel any need to upgrade my machine any time soon!
Love these videos so much
Cheap can be tasty too
Indeed!
I`m cheap and I`m super tasty, mostly because of all the salt 😏
It really is mainly the grinder where the price can make a difference... But also there you can get by when being happy on using used stuff. ^^
Nice Job! Articulate explanations… and yes thank you for the lack of snobbery..subscribed!
I love the way this set looks more alive each time
I LOVE THESE
Thank you, thank you
I can verify that Alma has a lot of great roasts.
I love you!!!! This video was so informative! 😂
This is sooooooo helpful 👌🏻😊
great vid!
If you already have one of these, you can definitely make good espresso on it (hint: best modification you can make is a dimmer on the pump for flow control). If you don’t already have a machine, there are very good starter machines for around $300 that include a digital thermometer and a pressure gauge.
You give a new meaning to late art... LOL 😊
idk how I missed this when it came out, but I'm here specifically for the spoon monologue referenced in the latest video...
As someone who's been making latte art off these for years, don't forget to zip tie the rubber tip! It will shoot off without it when it gets hot enough 😅
Only other tip is get a new portafilter with a naked basket (51mm for delonghi) so you really get nice shots and see where you're going wrong.
Thank you for this!! I love my cheap lil Mr coffee espresso machine but I like… KNOW that I can do more with him (that said if ur in the market for cheap but reliable coffee stuff i love Mr coffee!)
With the DeLonghi, I've had great results by pre-heating it, then pressurizing it to pull the shot. Then I just let it pressurize again and froth the milk. Leave the glass under the filter to catch the drips this forces out.
Thank you so much! Is a Lelit Espresso Machine you have in the background?
For manual water pumps and dialing in, do you track the grams of water when you turn off the pump or the weight after the last of the coffee drips through?
I'm looking into buying my first at home coffee grinder and I would love to hear your thoughts on grinders that work well for espresso!!
A new MDC video? Oh yeah!
Love your tutorials and tip videos
Now I understand why my milk is so frothy and latte art isn’t possible. Thanks for your last tip. It will change my coffee experience.
Another thing I realised, why my double shot coffee is much much better than single shot. In fact I kept that single shot basket aside.
Would you have any recommendations for a cheap grinder that does espresso grinds really well? I had a bodum one (not that great) but it broke. Btw love your videos✨✨✨
learning about the problems with these steamers is so reassuring, you have no idea. im NOT irredeemably bad at steaming milk! just moderately bad with a cheap steamer 😊
Perfect timing I just found a cheap espresso machine on the curb near my house 😅😅 and it works but not exactly anything fancy. But what can you expect from the machine your neighbour throws away
My very first espresso machine years ago was a Breville that I found by a dumpster and refurbished, trash can espresso machines can be so much fun!
Mine is also a breville, and actually works decently well straight off the curb
Cheap espresso machines mostly just take longer. I went with (at the time) $299 bambino and it's fast fast. 3 seconds and you are going. My prior one was like $50 and it took a few minutes to get going so I didn't use it much. It worked though. Eventually.
Don't feel bad for throwing out the single shot basket, Morgan. You're not using it and it's trash. By not throwing it out you're not avoiding creating waste, you're just keeping the waste in your house
Also if you have an extra sewing needle lying around that can make for a great diy wdt tool
Thank you for the lovely video Miss! 😊 Now, I know you didn't go into it, but I have since bought a bottomless portafilter for the exact same machine you were showing here. I will there was a way to jam more coffee in there so that more could be extracted, but although another video here showed a fellow putting 18 grams of finely ground coffee easily in his, if I try to put that much in mine, even really tamping it, it is SO full it won't fit on the machine!
I am grinding it really fine too with a Baratza Encore set at '8', which is pretty dang fine. I sure don't know how he gets that much in there. I'd LIKE to be able to extract more coffee for drinking in the morning, but I guess the amount of the 'shots' is pretty limited.
Any thoughts or suggestions sure would be very much appreciated, thank you!
I have a DeLonghi ECP and a Timemore C2, and my milk coffee (somewhere between cappuccino and latte in terms of proportions) is often better than I get in local cafes, to my taste. For black coffee, I use anything else, like a v60 or an aeropress.
Be careful with taking off the "metal" part of the steamer though, as the rubber one can pop off
ok silly question, I have a Delonghi Dedica Arte espresso machine that every time I select the double shot button and use the double shot portafilter it will only pressurize with no liquid coming out causing a mini explosion every time I remove the portafilter..... though I also have a bottomless portafilter that if I select this option... does not do this. I have tried to rule out everything I could think of, and I got nothing. Any advice?
Hi Morgan, I love listening to your videos. I’m totally glad as you may remember thank you so much for describing everything you do in your videos. This is sounds like a very interesting video and I’m looking forward to listening to it all the way through but wanted to write you now because I know usually when your videos first come out you read and respond to comments. Hope you have an awesome weekend Say hello to your husband and cats for me No
Hope you’re having a great day and thank you! I’ll most definitely give the cats lots of pets and Graham a hello from you :)
I have a delongi and it’s perfect for me. But you BLEW my mind about the steam wand. I gasped. I was wondering what I was doing wrong
The one on the left looks like a white label of the same model as the Philco 15 Bar, a very common machine in Brazil.
There are a ton of mods possible for it. Dimmer, PID, manometer...
It's like a poor home barista (me included) GCP.
Is there a specific scale you recommend?
i have a different delonghi model and took off the steam wand like you suggested and the rubber part popped off while I was steaming and sprayed milk everywhere! 😂 any suggestions on how to stop that happening other than replacing the panarello?
I have a similar DeLonghi machine and that metal cover for the steam wand is also a real pain to clean.
I have this machine I’m curious how much coffee do you put in the basket I try to do 14g idk if that’s right
Luckily caffeine doesn’t affect my sleep. I can have coffee right before bed 😂
I got a machine like that as a black friday special from Walmart. My machine specifically recommends using medium grind, and/or pre ground coffee in the machine vs a fine espresso grind. Thoughts?
have you every though about doing local coffee house tours? Oregon has a ton of unique places to see.
I own the delonghi .. and after many trial and error.. i follow the same things you mention.
however, i've been always curious.
Did you use extremely fine coffee? i usually grind it at around 2.5 (from 1 to 10, 10 being coarse), since i once tried very fine coffee and
it kinda got a slight burnt flavour.. also, if i double tap sometimes i get the slight burnt flavour, so now i just tap once and not that hard .
Right after starting the process of extracting the coffee, it takes about 6 seconds for the coffee to start coming out. Is that a good time or should i tap harder?
Thanks for your videos . Greetings from Mexico :)
I kind of like the thicc foam milk you get with the metal thing-a-ma-gig. I'm keeping mine on.
More power to you! They’re made to be easy and consistent
Delonghi's got another model of stilosa(230bk) with a proper basket as stock and single hole steam wand(non-panarello though a bit short). I use it stock and it's decent for espresso and latte art. This woud cut the hassle of modding the steam wand or compromising taste. Also for the De'Longhi, the picopresso(52mm) tamper is apparently a snug fit for the portafilter as compared to the plastic /proprietary tamper.this would eliminate the need for double tamping. But overall, you don't need to splurge too much on the machine for good coffee.
Good tips. I did not see the 230bk available in the US, but I may have missed it.
Do you have a link to these machines? (: Also, is cleaning a cheap espresso machine the same as cleaning a regular espresso machine?
I like to make this beverage known as the Unique Sunshine
For this you will need:
¼ cup of Soft and Juicy Mangoes (I prefer using an Indian variety of mango known as Alphonso)
¼ plus 1 tablespoon of Soy or Almond Milk
2.5 tsp of White Cane Sugar
Double Shot of Espresso or Instant coffee (in my case), You could also use ¼ cup of prepared Matcha instead of coffee and it tastes delicious
Start by mashing the mangoes and the sugar I prefer not to strain it as Alphonso is not very fibrous and then add a tablespoon of milk to make the mangoes mixture smoother.
Then to the bottom of the glass add the mango mixture and a couple of ice cubes.
Slowly pour the milk to give it distinctive layers and then top it off with the coffee or matcha and you have yourself the Unique Sunshine.
AKA - A Mango latte or Matcha Mango beverage.
OK….Something new!
You haven’t done a
Phen Vietnamese pour over as yet (I don’t believe) I do use the little filter papers… I think they’re good.
With a Phen you get a nice espresso shot or you can dilute.
Theres an electric Moka Pot. What I love is that I can see as soon as the coffee is ready exactly without it overheating. The top is see through and the bottom metal (typical Moka pot style sitting on a base).
Lift off electric base and pour when done.
In case your resin part of the wand comes off when you start steaming without panarello - you can easily keep it in place using cable tie around the connection point!
It's like easiest upgrade you can make :D
Thx? Helpful. That's my machine, the DeLonghi
Silly question for anyone who may be able to answer: Would it be possible to replaces that portafilter with a bottomless one, or is that pressurized portafilter doing too much work to switch out?