At the end of the day, the De’Longhi ECAM23.460 is a nice entry level unit. If you’re serious about coffee, however, you’ll eventually want one of De’Longhi’s larger, fancier models with all of the extra bells and whistles. If you’re looking for a small and compact espresso machine, then this is a good choice. It’s also a great idea for a gift for that family member who’s always obsessed with coffee. It makes a good cup of espresso, and it’s also incredibly durable and well-built. This particularly is very nice to see in a day and age where everything else seems to be built with cheap materials and designed to break in less than a year. That doesn’t mean it’s not as obvious as it might seem: you have to press the button for a very long time for it to do its job. When it comes to naming the drinks and buttons, on other hand, things get really adventurous because there’s no espresso on the menu here.

There are two automatic cleaning programs: rinsing and descaling. Rinsing just pours water through the machine to clear out any let over debris, while the de-calcification program prevents limescale build-up. After each use of the milk carafe, the machine prompts you to switch it to “clean” mode. This dispenses water through the milk nozzle into the drip tray to keep it clean and ready to use for next time. While cleaning after each use won’t be problem when making the occasional cup, if you make coffee for the whole family the continuous prompting can be annoying. This doesn’t bother me much because I have absolutely no problem with the pore size. The mouthfeel is excellent, and the ideal temperature translates into a very sweet, aromatic foam. Depending on the coffee beans, this can bring a fancy new component to the flavour. Cleaning — Standard Issue

Today we’re going to be reviewing the ECAM23.460 by De’Longhi. It’s a mid-level home espresso maker that’s loaded with cool features and is designed to have you making your own espresso right out of the box. DeLonghi can also pin another badge on itself for the quality of the espresso and milk foam. Again, I would have been surprised if that hadn’t been the case. The new ECAM series cuts a particularly fine figure in cup results at all price levels. If you’ve already read our review of the De’Longhi Eletta, then you’ll find that this product is very similar. It’s essentially the little brother of the larger, more powerful Eletta. It has most of the same functionality, but it’s a little bit smaller and is meant more for personal use than it is for family use.

As far as stainless steel grinders go, the ECAM 23.460’s version is neither particularly loud nor particularly quiet. The sound is just boringly normal — thought that’s certainly always a plus. For my fully automatic espresso machine review, I only had to turn the dial briefly and without force to achieve the finest grind. Espresso and Milk Foam — No Complaints Here Nothing’s worse than being late to work because you have to take an extra 10 minutes to make your double shot cappuccino. With the De’Longhi, you can make two shots at once which is a major time-saver when it comes to those mornings when you’re running late. It also means that you don’t have to go through the process of reloading and resetting the machine to make another shot. Make Coffee… Your Way Of course, you’ll need to do some experimentation to get your perfect settings. But once you’ve found the right combination and saved them for future use, great tasting espresso is always just a few button presses away. As with all bean-to-cup coffee machines, the conical grinder has several settings for coarseness (13 to be exact.) You can adjust this setting using a dial within the grinder. A downside is it uses a bit more water than I would have liked to rinse through when it first starts up and when it is turned off.Admittedly, quite often I find myself wanting to use ‘Everything’s Great, No Problems’ as a title for the cleaning section. To the manufacturer’s credit, I think this reflects just how much it cares about this important aspect, in general.

Note that you can make adjustments to the other options (changing the strength of the brew, adding milk, etc.), you just can’t save those changes, so you’ll have to reset them with each use. Adding frothed milk to a long coffee is simply a matter of pressing the “Cappuccino” button once to start, and another to stop. You get a nice frothy texture to the drink, and you can add as much as you want. I also find stronger devices at both ends of the brand spectrum. With no display and a manual milk foam system, the entry-level DeLonghi ECAM 22.110 has been the price-performance category test winner for years. It helps that the buttons are also clearly named. The DeLonghi components have no problem producing a consistent grind — even at the finest setting — and this has a significant impact on the espresso quality. On top of that, the hoses and components inside can effortlessly handle and transport this ultra-fine ground coffee.Are you relatively new to the world of specialty coffee drinks, and looking for a machine that not only bridges the gap between your former “brewed by the pot” world and this one?

To round out this section, Delonghi has included a cup warmer on top of the machine, which is great for making sure your coffee is still hot when you’re ready to drink it. There’s also the option for using pre-ground coffee and a setting for water hardness. Coffee Customisation A DeLonghi ECAM 23.460 kávéfőző hozzájárulhat a személyre szabott kávéélményhez, mivel lehetőséget nyújt a kávéaroma, az erősség és a hőmérséklet beállítására. A készülék vízrekesze magas kapacitású, így több csészével is egyszerre készíthet kávét. A beépített kávédaráló lehetővé teszi a friss kávébabok őrlését, ami javíthatja a kávé ízét és intenzitását. The dual coffee spigot adjusts up or down as needed, and can accommodate cups up to 6” in height, which is perfect. It's the standard you see on machines like this. It’s not a huge feature, but it is a nice finishing touch. There are also a number of espresso settings. These include choosing between lungo or espresso, coffee quantity (6-15 grams), water quantity, water temperature and 1 or 2 cups. Espresso Taste Like the Eletta ECAM44.660, the ECAM23.460 includes a milk carafe for cappuccino and other milky coffees. This is stored in your fridge, but is attached to the left hand side of the machine. There are three options for foam quantity and the height of the milk nozzle can be adjusted to prevent splashing.Too few options for some, more experienced users (those who have been enjoying specialty drinks for a number of years and/or who want more control). Hot Water Tap, Auto Shut-off, Thermostat, Water Tank, Water Filter, Frother, Programmable, Self-Cleaning, Removable Drip Tray, Timer, Adjustable Coffee Spouts, Energy Saving Mode, Removable Water Tank, Cup Warming Surface, Display Although you can also approximate a Cappuccino by tweaking the settings, you’re always forced to deal with the composition in detail. On the flip side, the DeLonghi ECAM 23.460 gives you maximum freedom and invites you to play around. The coffee grounds container, drip tray and the removable components of the milk frothing system should be treated in the same way and can be put in the dishwasher without further ado.