[out of the box] Evaluation report on the use of Delonghi EC860M flagship help espresso machine

For professional baristas, please follow the coffee workshop (Wechat official account cafe_style)

With the popularity of coffee culture, more and more people will choose to make a cup of coffee at home. Although there are many ways to brew coffee at home, you still have to use different equipment to brew coffee according to the way you choose. However, for those who like to drink espresso, it seems that only by using the espresso machine can we make espresso, the important soul of espresso.

In terms of the current domestic espresso machine market, it can probably be classified into two forms: fully automatic and semi-automatic, which can be subdivided according to the boiler carried (single boiler or double boiler). Of course, the price of the coffee machine will vary according to its function and structure. This time, the editor wants to open the box to introduce the flagship Dilanchi EC860M espresso machine from Italy. Those who are interested in this semi-automatic espresso machine can refer to the introduction of this article.

Dilange EC860M flagship help type espresso machine unpack

Directly printed on the outer box of the coffee machine is a picture of Dilange EC860M's flagship help espresso machine, and the appearance of the whole coffee machine can be seen at a glance from the box.

On the other side of the box, it records the basic related accessories of this coffee machine, which can be regarded as a very helpful reference when choosing a coffee machine. At least from these accessories and functions, we can roughly judge whether this coffee machine meets the needs.

After opening the box, the first thing you see is the power cord of the coffee maker and the box containing the relevant gadgets (the contents of the box will be described later).

After taking away the box, you can see the fuselage of the coffee machine tightly wrapped in the protective layer of Polaron. What we should pay special attention to here is that when you want to take out the coffee machine, it is suggested that you can put the box upside down first, and then take the coffee machine out in a way parallel to the ground. Because the fit between the Polaron and the box is quite close, if it is taken out directly in a vertical way, it is very likely that the coffee opportunity will be broken because of improper force or failure to take it well, and the loss will outweigh the gain.

There are the following items in the box with other gadgets: product instructions, milk pot accessories, single coffee filter, double coffee filter, Yi Li bag coffee filter, coffee spoon (which also has the function of filling coffee powder), removable hot water outlet, detergent and soft water filter.

The flagship Dilanchi EC860M espresso machine is made of full-body metal, operates in a semi-automatic way, and is equipped with a double boiler system (steam hot water and coffee hot water boiler separate). The size of the coffee machine is 27 wide, 31 high, 31 deep (in centimeters), voltage 110V-60Hz, power 1100W, weight 6.8kg.

The drip tray of this coffee machine is designed to be detachable. Although it is occasionally necessary to pay attention to whether the tenon between the machine and the fuselage is fixed, it is quite convenient when cleaning. The small cup holder plate, which can be removed independently in the middle of the dripping plate, is designed as an adjustable function, which can reduce the height of the cup seat plate according to the height of the cup, but it can only hold a cup with a height of about 10 centimeters at most.

The state of the drip tray after disassembly is like the photo below, and the chassis is also equipped with a red buoy showing the water level, which can prevent the drip pan from overflowing.

Milk pot accessories (left) and detachable hot water outlet (right) are independent accessories, which can be combined with coffee body in different functions. If you want to foam yourself manually, you can choose to install a detachable hot water outlet; if you have no confidence in foam, you can choose to install milk pot accessories.

The material of the coffee spoon should feel like reinforced plastic, and the bottom also has the function of filling coffee powder, but you should be careful not to break it due to improper force. (I think it would be better to buy another stainless steel one myself.)

The coffee brewing filter handle is made of all-brass, and it actually feels pretty good because it has a certain weight (500 grams according to the official information). Coffee filters are divided into three types according to capacity, from left to right for easy bags (for Dilanche), for single and for double.

There are also differences in the height of coffee filters with three different capacities.

The actual weight measured by the coffee brewing filter handle is 503 grams, which is very close to the official figure.

The water tank built into the fuselage has a capacity of 1 liter (although the capacity is small, but it is actually quite enough for household use). The water tank is a separable design, and a red water level display buoy is set up inside it, so that you can observe the state of the water in the tank at any time.

The control panel of the Dilange EC860M flagship espresso machine is shown in the photo below, with a total of six buttons and corresponding light signals. From top to bottom, there are start / standby buttons, single espresso buttons and double espresso buttons on the left. From top to bottom on the right are hot water / steam buttons, hot milk / cappuccino buttons and hot milk / latte buttons.

The English trademark nameplate of Delonghi in the center of the coffee machine looks textured.

The right side of the coffee machine is provided with a button to warm the coffee cup.

The coffee cup warm cup panel is set at the top of the fuselage, and the panel is presented in gray, which matches well with the stainless steel all-metal fuselage.

After pressing the button to warm the coffee cup, the highest temperature measured after about a minute is 52.4 degrees Celsius.

On the outside of the coffee flow outlet, there is also a hint of the direction of tightening and loosening the coffee brewing filter handle.

The internal structure of the coffee flow exit is shown in the photo below. because of the relationship that has been used, you can see that coffee grounds have been left in the internal gap. Every time you use the coffee machine and stop brewing coffee, you must remember to clean the coffee grounds hidden in the crevice, so as not to indirectly shorten the life of the coffee maker!

The hot water outlet / milk pot fitting connection is set on the right side of the coffee machine body (in the direction facing the body). The following photo shows the appearance of the detachable hot water outlet fitting. It is worth mentioning that after this accessory device is installed, it can support the function of beating milk foam manually.

The maximum extent to which this accessory can be offset outward is shown in the following photo.

The installation of the milk pot accessories looks like the photo below, and a stainless steel primary color cleaning button is also set on the milk pot accessories (red circle in the photo). The main function is to remove the hidden pipes inside the milk pot.

The maximum offset of the milk pot accessories is shown in the photo below.

Practical trial of Dilange EC860M flagship help espresso machine

The bean grinder I use this time is also Dilange's fully automatic bean grinder (KG89). The grinding plate of this bean grinder is equipped with parallel stainless steel grinding knife, which should be enough from the point of view of household coffee machine!

The coffee powder I use to brew espresso is like the picture below.

After filling the coffee powder to cover the coffee brewing filter handle (the extra part is smoothed by hand), you can directly use a filling spoon to squeeze the coffee powder until tight.

The state of coffee powder extrusion is as shown in the photo below. After the step of extruding coffee powder is completed, you can begin to brew coffee.

When the power of the coffee machine is turned on, it will take about 40 seconds to heat the machine. During the heating process, there will be three indicator lights flashing continuously (single espresso, double espresso, and hot water / steam button). When the indicator signal stops flashing, it means the engine is finished.

The operation mode of hot water / steam button is also very simple, when you press the button alone, the detachable hot water flow outlet will begin to flow hot water, and then press the same button to stop the water; when you press the button twice in a row, you will begin to spew steam, if you want to stop spewing steam, you can also press the button once to stop.

After embedding the coffee brewing filter handle into the coffee stream outlet and tightening it, you can press the corresponding coffee brewing button according to the amount of coffee powder filled. (the amount I brew is a single cup of espresso)

The finished single espresso is shown in the photo below, but because I use it as soon as I get out of the box, I haven't caught the right amount of powder and thickness, so the cream and flow rate still need some time to adjust-(editor's skill is not so strong, please forgive me)

After the coffee is brewed, the coffee powder in the coffee brewing and filtering handle is as shown in the photo below.

The editor also specially asked Yves of the Little Devil Film Group to help make a film about the actual operation of the coffee machine, so that everyone can directly understand the operation status of Dilanchi EC860M's flagship help espresso machine through the presentation of the film. At the same time, I would also like to mention that in the process of making espresso, I also pressed the steam button to test it, and found that steam could not operate in parallel at the same time. This is a pity for me (it would be nice if we could be together at the same time).

The cappuccino made directly from the milk pot accessories looks pretty good as in the photo below, the color layering of the whole cup of coffee looks pretty good. However, I personally think it is a pity that because of the relationship between milk and foam, two traces of coffee will be left on the surface of the coffee.

If you are concerned about the surface integrity of coffee, I think they will be bitter about these two obvious traces. But the convenience of brewing a cappuccino or latte can be easily brewed at the push of a button, which may be a good and bonus option for people who simply want to taste the coffee.

After using the milk pot accessories, as long as you press the milk pot cleaning button (the button must be pressed continuously), the internal plumbing cleaning will begin automatically. In the pipeline cleaning at the same time, the milk outlet will continue to flow out of hot water, but also with a little steam, so in the operation should be extra careful, so as not to be scalded by steam.

By the way, also close up the hot water outlet on the fuselage of the coffee machine (also connected to the milk pot accessories), all the hot water and steam needed will be provided from this interface, when the milk pot accessories are being cleaned, hot water will also be flushed out from here for cleaning.

After cleaning the pipeline, there will still be a little milk residue at the end of the connection of the milk kettle accessories, so it is necessary to clean it slightly with a clean wet rag or kitchen paper towels, so as not to accumulate milk dirt here and affect the fluency of the outlet of the pipeline.

Experience after using it.

For people like me who just want to feel the use of coffee brewing and filtering handles, the functions and equipment of this coffee machine are actually very sufficient (the ability to support automatic foam is also a great bonus). From the point of view of professional coffee players, this coffee machine may feel a bit like playing house wine, but for those who want to enter the espresso world at the beginning, I think this is a good choice. I'll provide you with a reference.

I think for some people who will want to buy a home coffee machine, they should have a certain degree of love for coffee, or have worked in a coffee shop before they want to have a home espresso machine at home. And because my partner and I have worked in a coffee shop, our fond memories of operating a semi-automatic espresso machine are still in a corner of our hearts, which is the main reason why I opened the box to share this coffee machine. If this semi-automatic Italian coffee machine still makes you feel inconvenient, then only a fully automatic coffee machine can meet your needs, but relatively speaking, the more expensive price is another point to consider.

Finally, I would like to say that no matter what kind of device is used to brew coffee, as long as you can brew a cup of coffee that makes you happy and really like it, that is the best cup of coffee.