Delonghi Stilosa EC260 REVIEW: In Basic and Advanced Mode.

The Delonghi Stilosa ranks with the ECP 3420 as one of the best selling espresso machines on Amazon. Is that because of the low price, or because of the quality drink it can provide, or both? In this video, we take an in depth look at the Delonghi Stilosa EC260, in both basic and advanced mode.
-- Products used/recommended in this video --
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► Delonghi Stilosa:

Impactful Accessories, starting with the most important:

► Double Basket by IMS (H26):

► Bottomless Portafilter, for diagnosing shots:

► Calibrated Tamper, to compact coffee puck:

► Timed Espresso Scale, to measure shots:

► Dosing ring:

Last but not least, a capable grinder is necessary. Here are some suggestions:

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:40 Delonghi Stilosa Review
2:29 Basic Mode
4:47 Advanced Mode

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#TomsCoffeeCorner #Espresso #homebarista 8715 switch

[TomsCoffeeCorner]

Thank you for watching, comments welcome! Product links in the description above 👆🏻

[hangman]

Just bought one this year. A year later and this review and tutorial is better than any other one I have found. Thanks!

[Boxboxbox]

I purchased my De’Longhi Stilosa thanks to this great review by Tom. Thank you for doing reviews on affordable espresso items for us who don’t have the budget to spend thousands of dollars. ❤

[DarthChainsaw]

Excellent video! I just got one of these machines and know nothing about making espresso.
This answered pretty much all of my questions. First cup turned out way better than i expected. I'll be using this daily. Thank you!

[freyabernardd]

This video has been very helpful, you articulate yourself extremely well. It allows your description of the machine to be clear and easy to understand. You also have a very kind energy and passion for what you create which shines throughout this video. Thankyou very much!!

[mrjjohnson]

Tom, New subscriber here! You won me over when you said go buy the inexpensive k2 grinder for 80 bucks, set it at 6.5 .. and BAM!! First shot to come out was on point!!! Thank you.. you’re keeping it real.. we dont need expensive equipment to make a very good espresso! Great Channel!

[SunriseLAW]

This may be a good tip for a future related video. I wanted to try the 'advance mode' with my Stilosa but I didn't want to pay out for the open-bottom portafilter (PF). It is super-easy to convert the pressurized PF to open-bottom. Each of the baskets provided with the machine can be easily taken apart (and put back together). Use your fingers to unscrew the black plastic 'nut'. Remove the screen and gasket. Pull off the little plastic part that is between the screen and the bottom of the basket. Now you have just the metal screen. Put the gasket on it, put it back into the PF and .... VIOLA, an open PF I tried it and it WORKED. My opinion: I got a better TASTE with the open PF, but the pressurized basket delivered a better crema. My feeling is that the open PF will be my choice, once I 'dial in' the correct grind and puck-pressure to get more crema. :):) Yeah, I feel I am slowly being pulled in the Bambino direction. :):):)

[Booth_]

I’ve had this machine for 6 months now. I have a 51mm bottomless portafilter for this machine. It can hold 20 grams of ground espresso beans and I can a great extraction for this machine. If you’re an entry level espresso machine user 100 percent would recommend this machine. Amazon has 51mm portafilters that fit this machine very very well.

[andrey]

ecp3420 and ec230bk are exactly the same internally. ec230bk already comes with a non-pressurised basket and an 'advanced' steam wand - no need for modification. I own an ec230bk myself. I flush the water untill the green light turns off, wait about 21-29 seconds and start the pump, while the green light is still off. The water gets heated during the process thus compensating for the incoming cold water from the tank. The light turns green somewhere in the middle of the shot. This way the puck doesn't get overheated in the beginning and is properly extracted in the middle and no need to install PID. Great review as always, cheers from Russia.

[alexandermashkin]

I purchased stilosa 230 as a backup for my 685.. Price - 50 euro) lBut it absolutely knocked down my 685 in espresso brewing. With my kingrinder k2 and a bottomless portafilter it performs quite equally to professional mashienes. Espresso is balanced and sweet. Highly, Highly recommend it!

[brianbackovich]

Just wanted to say thanks! You transformed my little machine and I'm so excited! The grinder purchase was big for me but totally worth it if I ever upgrade to a higher end machine. HOWEVER . The little delonghi is doing great!

[emmy]

THANK YOU! I'm new to coffee brewing and just got one of these for Christmas. Was a bit overwhelmed to say the least! I'm gonna be keeping it all basic for now, but the advanced stuff looks great.

[romandanilov]

Thank you for reviewing these more affordable machines. It is good to know that you can get a decent espresso without spending a huge amount.

[A]

Tom I love your videos… you are so authentic and feel like I’m listening an old friend… keep doing your great work!

[mallow]

Tom after you fixed my Delonghi machine it's rocking now!! Milk foam is way better than before and just loving it!! And i never knew about the 2:1 ratio either!! Going to do that in the AM!! Thanks again Tom!! you're channel rocks!!

[tiagofpribeiro]

Hi, i’m running this setup for over a year now and the machine is holding strong despite the low price. Got myself a doublespouted portafilter beside the botomless one so i can split the shots and the only concern is the cleareance the double spout takes to use taller cups, but just remove the drip tray and away we go. About the steam wand it’s a bit of a learning curve but because it’s bot that powerfull you can correct yourself along the way, and i am able to pour some latte art

[Doublertbs]

Thanks, just got one of these and so much easier to watch a video then read instructions....

[charlescoats]

Great to watch you first thing in the morning while enjoying my Espresso budy! Loved the video! Make it a great day!

[JJsiN]

I got this for Christmas this year! I’ll never have to go to Starbucks again! 😂

[PintoSixty]

I own a Stilosa and discovered not too long after owning it that the temperatures for the espresso, boiler and milk are highly inconsistent. I have to play games with the machine in order to get the temps right. For instance, after the boiler warming light is lit, I have to run about 10 seconds of water until that light goes off. Then, I have to turn the machine to the off position, then back on to the warming position and wait for the green light again. Then, I have to run about 2 seconds of water thru, then insert the portafilter with the coffee, then create the espresso shot. Hopefully, it'll be in the warmed cup at around 160 degrees F. The milk frothing isn't as bad a problem with heat, but the wand wants to spit water throughout the entire frothing process, which adds about 3-4 tablespoons of water into the milk. That much dilution definitely affects the taste. However, if I run the wand for about 2 minutes and wait to see that there's just a little bit of spitting happening, the milk turns out much better, even though you can hear occasional spits. I have taken the temp of the water before I discovered this odd technique, and I was only getting 145 degrees F from the boiler to the warmed cup. Please note that I always use a warmed cup, I always clear the frothing nozzle and boiler after each use. And I have decalcified the unit several times over the past year that I've owned it. Nothing seems to help. I've sent three emails to Delonghi support about these problems, but have never received a reply. So ... Tom ... I wish this video had included a temperature check. If you had done this, I think you would have seen the problems this machine has.