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.

It depends on how easy/automatic you want the work flow. I have a Delonghi Ecp3630, $200 new but thrifted for $20, and it's fully manual. The Bambino Plus, $500, has automatic frothing and you can program brewing times. I started with a cheap hand grinder and then bought a Mokkom, ~$170, for home use. Eta: I did have to buy a portafilter and tamper, $40 & $20 respectively.

I bought my Delonghi ECP3630 used, but new it's $200, and my grinder is the Mokkom 64, $170.

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 😁

I second this I love my ride as well. Funny enough I also had your espresso machine before I purchased the ride. I host often and the ride can knock out 7-10 drinks with ease. For day to day I’m pulling 2-3 espressos for lattes and cortados with an early morning straight double. My only complaint is if you drink a lot you’re going to have to fill the water tank more. Other than that it’s a great machine and working from the Pro 600 platform it should last at least a decade giving it’s properly maintained.

Yes one thing I noticed immediately and even now at times. My espresso is hotter for far longer than with previous machine. Shot consistency is also better, I was pretty proficient with the Dilonghi and it served its purpose. However the ride is so much machine more than any of us home users need. The ability to control temp is a game changer, pre infusion can take shots to another level. My ride has built in flow control and I love that for the ability to tinker just a bit more.

I have it set with settings I like but it’s not enabled. Correct I don’t use the Pre Infusion settings. You can toggle it on/off by long pressing the far right button. When I want to use I I use that and when I don’t I use the lever if I’m wanting to pre infuse. It’s a great machine I love using it.

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