ECP3630

I'm a little confused. Do non-thermoblocks take that long to heat up for a home espresso pull? I only have a Delonghi 3630 but even my time to hit boil temps (gauged by the built in LED, not measuring it independently) is <2 mins.

Go to Facebook Marketplace and try to buy a DeLonghi ECP (ideally a 3630), a DeLonghi Stilosa, or a DeLonghi Dedica for about 50 dollars. Be patient and you will find one and don't be afraid to offer that price if they're listed higher. Then, use your savings to buy a Starseeker E55 from AliExpress, or continue grinding at your store but buy yourself an unpressurized basket and a bottomless portafilter as well as a WDT tool. Plenty of budget options for those.

Oh it absolutely can. Definitely look at the advanced mode video by Tom's Coffee Corner and in the future even try to wand swap to a Rancilio when time and money permits. Any model ECP but the 3630 is the best. All metal exterior.

The Delonghi stilosa and ECP line are great for the cost. I have the ECP3630. You're likely to find a used one in good condition for cheap, just be sure to clean and descale thoroughly. You can also look at casabrews, Amazon has one on sale for $100 USD new.

I have the Delonghi ECP3630 and I'm happy with it. The Stilosa is a bit cheaper and also decent.

Ignore the haters =) You can get good espresso out of cheaper machines. Look into the Delonghi ECP3630 or the Delonghi Stilosa. Both can be had for around $120. The ECP3630 is probably a bit "better" and is on sale at BestBuy: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/delonghi-manual-espresso-machine-stainless-steel/4372109.p?skuId=4372109 Even better, look at that link and check if a best buy near you has an open box unit available... I literally just now picked one up for $45. Hell yeah. Some notes: -These Delonghi units are great for the price because they use actual boilers instead of cheap thermoblocks, which is amazing at this price point. -The porta filters that these come with are pressurized. This means they don't technically make "real" espresso and your shots won't have real crema. But it also means that they are very easy to use and you can make "espresso" (in the sense that it is a very concentrated shot of coffee) out of even stale supermarket coffee. This may be perfectly acceptable for you. But, this matters a lot for those who want real espresso, particularly if you plan to drink straight espresso shots. The neat thing is, you can buy a compatible aftermarket portafilter and aftermarket espresso basket and use them to make legit espresso on these machines. They are perfectly capable. Heres an example, https://youtube.com/shorts/56uKb2yKHek?si=zN7EC5FGEXgTUt5u Best of luck, hope this helps 😁

For a budget of $250, the De'Longhi ECP3630 or the Breville Bambino are both reliable and userfriendly options, and checking local classifieds or thrift stores for lightly used machines can help you maximize your budget.

De’longhi ecp 3630 , was gifted to me 3-4 yrs ago, used 5x a week. Consistent espresso, easy to clean. I even gifted one last year and they love it

That's exactly what I did. ECP3630, the stainless steel one. Got a nice bottomless portafilter with matching tamp and WDT, all rosewood handles. With my Encore ESP, I make some damn good shots.

Some things I've learned in my journey: 1. You'll probably make mistakes in purchases, even with tons of research. You'll probably realize months into it that you didn't need to spend what you thought you needed to spend. But the more educated you get, the better chance you get of not wasting too much. 2. Don't just research products, learn everything you can about the process of pulling shots before making a purchase. If you're more informed about which process is more attractive to you after knowing all the pros and cons, you'll have a better chance of buying something that complements your lifestyle. Binge James Hoffmann, Lance Hedrick, Morgan Eckroth, and Tom's Coffee Corner, all on YouTube. They all go over every aspect of coffee, including technique and gear. And don't be in a rush to buy the equipment. 3. For me, a simple, cheap, non-automatic machine (De'Longhi ECP3630) works exceptionally well, and is like 90% of the way as satisfying as my local amazing third wave shop. Definitely better than most second wave cafes. 4. Espressos, by nature, are quick. Even with prep, it's just a couple minutes. I don't make a ton of milk drinks, which I would consider extra time. So, if you didn't get an automatic machine, pulling a shot itself is quick and easy (especially when using a scale), and milk drinks are for slow, lazy mornings. 5. At the risk of not knowing much about the super auto machines, I suspect the fewer features there are, the easier it is to dial in a shot. But I might be wrong on that.