Delonghi Coffee Maker EC270

The Delonghi Coffee Maker EC270 is a high-end espresso machine that allows you to make professional-quality coffee at home. Launched in 2017, this machine features a sleek and modern design, with a durable stainless steel body that is easy to clean and maintain. The estimated price of the Delonghi Coffee Maker EC270 is around $300, making it a mid-range espresso machine that offers excellent value for money.

Detailed Specifications

The Delonghi EC270 has several key features that make it an excellent choice for coffee lovers. These include a 15-bar professional pressure system, a 44-ounce water tank, a dual heating system, and a stainless steel boiler. The machine also has a patented dual-function filter holder that allows you to make both single and double shots of espresso. Additionally, the EC270 features a manual milk frother, which allows you to create rich and creamy frothed milk for cappuccinos and lattes.

Features

Detailed Description of Coffee Maker 

The Delonghi EC270 is designed to make it easy to make professional-quality coffee at home. The machine features a simple and intuitive control panel, with buttons for single and double shots of espresso, as well as a steam button for frothing milk. The EC270 also features a built-in coffee grinder, which allows you to grind your own beans for maximum freshness and flavor. The machine has a quick heat-up time, and the dual heating system ensures that you can make coffee and froth milk at the same time without any loss of performance.

How to prepare espresso coffee

Filling the water tank
To remove the water tank lift the lid and simply pull upwards and fill the tank at the sink. Do not exceed the MAX level on the water tank.  The tank may also be filled without removing it, simply by pouring water into it directly from a jug. Replace the tank by connecting the valve at the bottom of the tank with the hole in the base on the machine.
WARNING: it is completely normal for there to be water in the compartment under the tank; as a result, this compartment should be dried using a clean sponge.
Note: Do not operate the appliance without water in the tank and always remember to fill the tank when the level drops to a couple of centimeters from the bottom.
Preheating the coffee machine
To ensure your espresso coffee is dispensed at the right temperature it is essential that the coffee unit is preheated.

1. Press the ON/OFF button (the button lights up) 
2. Attach the empty filter holder (without coffee) to the machine by positioning it under the boiler outlet with the handle towards the left . Push upwards and at the same time turn the handle as far right as possible. It does not matter if the handle is not centrally aligned with the machine, as long as the filter holder is firmly attached to the appliance.
3. Position a cup under the filter holder.  Use the same cup that the coffee will be served in, so that it may be preheated. Wait until the “coffee ready" light on the Coffee Button comes on , then immediately press the Coffee Button.  Allow the water to run until the “coffee ready" indicator light goes out, then stop the water by pressing the Coffee Button again.
4. Empty the cup, wait until the “coffee ready" pilot light comes on again and repeat the whole operation one more time. (It is normal for a small and harmless puff of steam to be given off when removing the filter holder).

How to prepare espresso coffee 

1. After carrying out the preheating of the machine as described in the preceding section, in order to make just one cup of espresso coffee, insert the 1-cup filter (the smaller of the two provided) into the filter holder (Fig. 7) and fill it with one level measuring spoon of ground coffee about 7 grams. If you wish to prepare two cups of espresso coffee, use the 2-cup filter (the larger of the two provided) and fill it with two less-than-level measuring spoons of ground coffee (about 6+6 grams).
   IMPORTANT: for correct operation, before adding the ground coffee to the filter holder, make sure the filter is free from ground coffee from the previous infusion. 
2. Distribute the ground coffee evenly and press it quite firmly with the coffee tamper
   NOTE: Pressing the coffee is very important in order to prepare a good coffee. However, if you press too hard, coffee will come out slowly and crema will be of a dark color. If you press too light, coffee will come out too fast and crema will be a very light color.

3. Remove any excess coffee from the rim of the filter holder. Attach the filter holder to the machine by positioning the handle to the left of the boiler outlet, then pushing upwards and turning the handle to the right (as in preheating the machine 

   

4. Place the cup or cups (cups can be preheated by rinsing under hot water or heating on the cup warmer plate for 15-20 minutes on the removable drip tray . Ensure that the cup or cups line up with the dispensing holes on the filter holder. Press the on/off button 
5. Wait until the “coffee ready” light on the Coffee Button comes on  then press the Coffee Button. Once the required quantity of coffee has been obtained (we recommend about 30–40ml for an espresso), interrupt delivery by pressing the same button again.
6. To detach the filter holder, turn the handle from right to left. To avoid any splashing, do not detach the filter holder while the machine is dispensing coffee.
7. To remove the used coffee lock the filter with the built-in lever and let the coffee fall out by knocking the over turned filter holder
8. To turn the coffee machine off, press the ON/OFF button

How to prepare coffee using pods 

1. Preheat the machine as described in the ‘Preheating the Coffee Machine’ section, attaching the coffee filter holder with 1 cup or pod filter to the unit. This procedure ensures that the coffee is delivered at a hotter temperature and that the seal of the holder is more effective.
   Note: Use pods that conform to the ESE standard: this will be indicated on the packaging by the symbol 
   The ESE standard is a system accepted by the leading coffee pod manufacturers, and allows espresso coffee to be prepared simply and without any mess.  
2. Place the small filter (1 cup or pods) in the filter holder, making sure the projection is correctly inserted in the slot 
3. Insert a pod, centring it as far as possible on the filter. Always follow the instructions on the pod pack to position the pod on the filter correctly. 
4. Attach the filter holder onto the machine, moving from left to right
5. Proceed as in points 4, 5 and 6 of the previous section (how to prepare espresso coffee using the filter holder for ground coffee).

Important: should the coffee holder for pods be used after one for ground coffee, it’s necessary to clear the ground coffee remaining in the boiler outlet. This cleaning operation is necessary in order to avoid water leakages.

How to make cappuccino

1. Prepare espresso coffee, using cups that are large enough for cappuccinos.
2. Press the steam button
3. Open the steam tap for a few seconds to eliminate all water from the circuit. Close the tap.
4. Wait for the steam indicator light on the steam button to come on. The steam indicator light indicates that the boiler has reached the ideal temperature for steam production.
5. In the meantime, fill a container with about 100 ml of milk for each cappuccino to be prepared. Ideally, use a small stainless steel jug. The milk must be at refrigerator temperature (not hot!). In choosing the size of the container, bear in mind that the milk increases in volume by 2 or 3 times. NB: YOU ARE RECOMMENDED TO USE SEMI-SKIMMED MILK AT REFRIGERATOR TEMPERATURE.
6. Place the container with the milk under the cappuccino maker. Dip the cappuccino maker into the milk taking care not to immerse the raised line on the cappuccino maker. Turn the steam knob anticlockwise. Steam is given off by the cappuccino maker, giving the milk a creamy frothy appearance. To obtain a creamier froth, dip the cappuccino maker into the milk and rotate the container with slow movements from the bottom upwards.
7. When the required temperature is reached, interrupt steam delivery by rotating the steam knob clockwise. Then press the steam button
8. Pour the frothed milk into the cups containing the espresso coffee. Your cappuccino is now ready. If desired, add sugar and sprinkle a little powdered chocolate or cinnamon on top of the froth.

N.B.: to make coffee again after frothing milk, you must wait until the appliance has cooled down. If it is too hot ( and lights on together), the coffee will be burnt. To cool, place a container under the boiler outlet, press the coffee button , and run off the water until the "steam ready" light goes off.  Stop the flow of water by pressing the button again.  You are recommended to deliver steam for a maximum of 60 seconds and never to froth milk more than three times consecutively.
IMPORTANT: To ensure hygiene, you are recommended to follow this procedure each time you make cappuccino to avoid milk stagnating in the milk circuit. Leave to cool slightly before cleaning.

1. Discharge a little steam for a few seconds by rotating the steam knob. This empties any milk left inside the steam tube.
2. With one hand, hold the cappuccino tube firmly and with the other unscrew the cappuccino maker itself by rotating clockwise and extracting downwards 
3. Remove the nozzle from the steam tube by pulling it downwards. Note: Metal of steam pipe may be hot!!!
4. Wash the cappuccino maker and steam nozzle thoroughly with warm water.
5. Make sure the two holes indicated by the arrows in are not blocked. If necessary, clean with a pin.
6. Replace the steam nozzle by inserting it onto the steam tube and rotating firmly towards the top of the tube.
7. Replace the cappuccino maker by inserting it and rotating it anti-clockwise.

Producing hot water

1.    Turn the appliance on by pressing the ON/OFF button (the light on the button comes on) Wait until the “coffee ready“indicator light on the coffee button comes on
2.    Place a container under the cappuccino maker. 
3.    Press the coffee button and at the same time open the steam knob. Hot water is delivered from the cappuccino maker.
4.    To interrupt the flow of hot water, close the steam knob by rotating clockwise and press the coffee button again.

Cleaning and maintenance

Before performing any cleaning or maintenance operations, turn the machine off, unplug it from the power socket, and allow it to cool down.
Cleaning the filter holder
About every 200 coffees,  or when the coffee comes out of the filter holder and filters in drips or not at all, clean the filter holder of ground coffee as follows

• Remove the filter with a crema enhancer
• Clean the inside of the filter holder. Never wash in a dishwasher.
• Remove the crema enhancer cup by unscrewing in the direction indicated by the arrow on the cap.
• Remove the crema enhancer from the container by pushing it from the cap end
• Remove the gasket
• Rinse all components and clean the metal filter thoroughly in hot water using a brush. Make sure the holes in the metal filter are not blocked. If necessary, clean with a pin 
• Replace the filter and gasket on the plastic disk. Make sure to insert the pin on the plastic disk into the hole in the gasket indicated by the arrow in
• Failure to clean as described above invalidates the guarantee.

Cleaning the boiler outlet
For about every 200 coffees, the espresso boiler outlet must be cleaned as follows

• Make sure the appliance is not hot and that it is unplugged from the mains;
• Using a screwdriver, unscrew the screw fixing the espresso boiler outlet
• Clean the boiler with a damp cloth 
• Clean the outlet thoroughly in hot water using a brush. Make sure the holes are not blocked. If necessary, clean with a pin
• Rinse under running water, rubbing all the time.
• Replace the espresso boiler outlet, making sure the gasket is correctly positioned.

Failure to clean as described above invalidates the guarantee.
Other cleaning operations

1. Do not use solvents or detergents when cleaning the coffee maker. Use a soft, damp cloth. 
2. Clean the filter holder cup, filters, drip tray and water tank regularly.
3. The drip tray has a red indicator which becomes visible when the tray needs emptying.
4. To empty, remove the cup grille, empty the water and clean the tray with a cloth.  Replace the drip tray, making sure the indicator is correctly positioned. 

Clean the tank, using a brush to reach the bottom. 
ATTENTION: during cleaning, never immerse the unit in water – it is an electrical appliance.

Descaling

It is advisable to clean the calcium from the machine every 200 cups of coffee. It is recommended that specific (store-bought) products for the descaling of espresso coffee machines be used. If such products are not available, it is possible to proceed as follows

1. Fill the tank with water using 1 litre of water;
2. Dissolve 2 spoonfuls (about 30 grams) of citric acid in the water (available from chemists);
3. Press the ON/OFF button (the light on the button comes on
4. and wait for the “coffee ready” indicator light to come on. Make sure the filter holder is not attached and position a container under the outlet.
5. Press the coffee switch and allow about 1/4 of the solution in the tank to flow out, rotating the steam knob every now and then to deliver a little solution. Then stop the flow by pressing the switch again and leave the solution to act for about five minutes. 
6. Repeat point 5 a further three times until the tank is completely empty. 
7. To eliminate residues of the solution and scale, rinse the tank well, fill it with clean water and replace in its housing. Press the coffee button and operate the appliance until the tank is completely empty.
8. Press the button again and repeat the last operation.

Repairs for malfunctioning caused by problems of calcium build-up are not covered by the guarantee if the descaling process described above is not carried out regularly.

Troubleshooting

If you're having trouble with your Delonghi Coffee Maker EC270, here are some common problems and solutions to help you get back on track. If the machine isn't brewing coffee, check to make sure that the water tank is full and that the machine is turned on. If the coffee isn't coming out strong enough, try using a finer grind or a smaller dose of coffee in the filter holder. If the machine is making strange noises or vibrating excessively, check to make sure that it's level and that there are no loose parts. Finally, if the milk frother isn't working properly, make sure that you're using the right setting and that the milk is at the right temperature.

Pros & Cons of Delonghi Coffee Maker 

• Pros

  • Professional-quality espresso maker with a sleek and modern design
  • Dual heating system for making coffee and frothing milk at the same time
  • Built-in coffee grinder for maximum freshness and flavor
  • Easy to use and clean, with a durable stainless steel body

• Cons

  • May be too expensive for some budgets
  • Can be a bit noisy when in use
  • Milk frother may take some practice to use properly

Customer Reviews of Delonghi Coffee Maker EC270

Customers who have purchased the Delonghi generally have positive things to say about it. Many reviewers praise the machine's professional-quality espresso, as well as its ease of use and cleaning. Some reviewers note that the machine can be a bit noisy, but most agree that the quality of the coffee is well worth it. Common complaints include issues with the milk frother and problems with the water tank leaking, but these issues appear to be relatively rare.