A new espresso machine

I got a new espresso machine last year and have been using it a while so I'm finially getting around to reviewing it.

I bought a DeLonghi EC5 Steam-Driven 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, Black

My previous espresso maker was a Mr. Coffee ECM20-2 Steam Espresso Maker and it finially broke on me.

One of the things I have a habit of doing is forgetting to turn off the machine after use. That's just something I'm going to do (or not do). The Mr. Coffee machine gets hot if you leave it turned on, very hot. The on/off is a large knob and when it gets very hot something expands and it becomes very hard to turn. Hard enough so that I'd have to grab it with a pair of pliers and twist. Do that enough times and the knob breaks off.


It's actually the second one that broke on me so I decided to try something else this time.

With the DeLonghi I don't have that problem. I still forget to turn it off, but the switch is a simple little switch that doesn't get hot and seize up when it overheats. So when I notice that it's been on all day I just switch it off, no problem.

Also, the Mr. Coffee never made really quality coffee with creme (that tan foam on the top). The DeLonghi does make some creme -- giving a richer, higher quality cup of coffee.