DELONGHI EC702 REVIEW: PERFECT BEGINNER ESPRESSO MACHINE?

In this review, I’ll explain what makes the Delonghi EC702 espresso and cappuccino machine ideal for espresso newbies.

Finding the right espresso machine is challenging if you’re new to the world of espresso. They come in so many styles and prices, and you almost need to learn a new language to break down what each has to offer.

I’d like to spare you that effort with this straightforward review of the Delonghi EC702 espresso and cappuccino maker, one of the most popular entry-level espresso machines on the market. I’ll avoid the buzzwords and give you my unembellished experience with this machine to help you decide if it’s the one to kickstart your home espresso journey.

The Full Delonghi EC702 Review

The De’Longhi EC702 15 Bar Pump Espresso Maker is a good option for the budding espresso aficionado. It does an impressive job balancing user-friendliness, price, and quality – a trifecta that is particularly difficult to manage in this segment.

I overall enjoyed my experience with this machine. While any budget espresso maker is going to have some negative reviews, I thought the EC702 delivered more pros and cons.

How We Rated It

• Brewing Capacity
• Coffee Flavor
• Ease of Use
• Build Quality
• Value for Money

3.6

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What You Need To Know About The Brewing System

The EC702 is a semi-automatic espresso machine. This means that you are in control of preparing the portafilter (grinding, adding the right amount of coffee, and tamping) and starting and stopping shots. This is not a “set it and forget it” machine by any means.

The machine does two things for you. It generates the high pressure needed for extraction using a 15-bar pump and heats the water. These features differentiate it from a manual machine.

Brew Temperature

I was immediately impressed to find the EC702 uses a small stainless steel boiler rather than the thermoblocks common to the vast majority of inexpensive espresso machines. A boiler delivers a more stable brew temperature than a thermoblock, and as we all know, that consistency is crucial for the best espresso. Using a thermocouple, I measured the water leaving the EC702 group 198 ℉, right in the ideal range for espresso extraction (1).

This machine has two separate thermostats to ensure both processes occur at the ideal temperature, which is another surprise upgrade at this price.

The downside to a boiler is that it takes a little longer to heat up, but as I said, this one is small, so it’s not a major hardship. I’d give it at least 5 minutes to stabilize. It is self-priming, so you don’t need to do anything to ready the boiler beyond turning it on.

3-in-1 Portafilter

Almost all Delonghi espresso machines have tiny 51 mm portafilters. For comparison, the commercial espresso standard is 58 mm, and Breville machines use 54 mm. There is nothing inherently wrong with 51 mm, but I do find it limits the amount of ground coffee I can pack in to about 15 grams – just barely enough for a full-flavored double espresso shot.

The De’Longhi EC702 comes with three interchangeable filter baskets for the portafilter: one for single shots of espresso, one for double shots, and one for ESE pods. They are all pressurized (double-wall), which is a good option for novice baristas. 

A pressurized portafilter means you can still pull a good shot even if you haven’t mastered puck prep or you don’t own a fancy espresso grinder and need to use pre-ground coffee. However, it prevents you from pulling a perfect shot. 

As your skills and equipment progress, I’d definitely recommend picking up a non-pressurized basket for this machine on Amazon. I’ve done that for mine, and it really makes a world of difference for less than $15.

The Milk Frother

The milk frothing system is another aspect of this machine that, like the pressurized baskets, is designed for espresso beginners. It uses an attachment on the end of the wand that helps inject air into the milk along with steam. This makes it easy to produce a lovely, airy milk froth without any experience. The trade-off is that it limits your fine control over milk texture. 

I found it difficult to create the creamy microfoam required for a traditional latte and nearly impossible to achieve the silky milk needed to pour detailed latte art. This machine is first and foremost for cappuccino and espresso lovers (2).

That said, I appreciate the control knob that lets you ease on and off the steam pressure. A lot of machines in this price range simply have a binary On/Off. When cranked all the way on, the steam pressure was impressively powerful – another advantage of a boiler over a thermoblock, in my experience. It only took me about 30 seconds to froth 6 ounces of milk.

Remember to purge your steam wand before and after every use to remove any milk that may be trapped inside. This regular TLC will help the steam wand perform consistently over time and avoid any off flavors or food-safe issues.

Alternative Milks

A nice advantage of a manual frother compared to an automatic system is it gives you the flexibility to create a nice froth with any type of milk, including the currently trendy plant-based milks. You can easily adjust the steam time and pressure as well as the angle and depth of the wand. I had no problem crafting almond and oat milk drinks with this machine.

Using The Delonghi EC702

Even though this isn’t a fully automatic espresso machine, the EC702 is still very easy to use. There are three buttons on the front for Power, Brewing, and Steaming, plus the steam control knob on the side.

Once your portafilter is packed full of tamped coffee grounds, simply slot it in the machine with an espresso cup below. Press the Brewing button to start the shot. It should take about 25 seconds for a 2-ounce double shot. Press the button again to stop the shot.

To turn your espresso into a cappuccino, press the button for Steaming and wait for the light to indicate that the boiler has come to the correct temperature. Meanwhile, add your milk of choice to a milk pitcher. When the boiler is ready, insert the steam wand into the milk and turn the knob to start steaming. Continue until the milk is about 150 ℉ and has the airy texture you want.

Cleaning And Maintenance

The De’Longhi EC702 is easy to keep clean provided you don’t neglect the daily maintenance that every espresso machine requires. 

Knock out the coffee puck, clean the filter basket, purge the steam wand, rinse the drip tray, and brew a “shot” without coffee to keep the brew group clean. These quick and easy maintenance measures will help your machine last longer and perform better.

DeLonghi recommends descaling every 200 coffees, and an indicator light alerts you when it’s time. If you use exclusively filtered water in this machine, I think you could easily push that to 400 drinks, but you’ll need the mental fortitude to ignore the alert light.

Does The EC702 Make Good Espresso?

This machine makes decent espresso. I won’t lie and tell you it can make anything close to what you can get a a good cafe. But look at it this way: a quality commercial espresso machine easily costs a hundred times more than the EC702, and the espresso from this machine definitely isn’t a hundred times worse.

As with any espresso machine, you can (and should) play with all the parameters at your disposal to maximize espresso quality and cater to your own taste. Grind size, coffee dose, and tamp pressure are all adjustable, and using filtered water will also give you a better cup.

The quality of espresso this machine can produce is inherently limited by the pressurized baskets, so if you really want to step up your game, I’d swap those for non-pressurized versions.

In my tests, I made the best coffee using…

• A medium-fine grind (finer than I use for my drip machine but not as fine as I’d go with a higher-end espresso machine).
• The highest dose I could pack into the portafilter (around 14 or 15 grams).
• Darker or espresso roast coffees.

Once properly dialed in, my most delicious espresso shots tasted sweet, smooth, and well-balanced – neither bitter nor overly acidic. However, they lacked the complex character, full body, and rich crema layer of espresso from a commercial machine. I wouldn’t be inclined to use this machine to brew my most expensive coffee beans.

Design And Build Quality

The Delonghi EC702 has an attractive finish clearly designed to mimic the brushed stainless of a premium machine, but it’s almost entirely plastic with just a few metal accents. This is true of most machines at this price point, so it’s hard to be overly critical.

Plastic aside, this feels like a reasonably good quality espresso machine. Delonghi has such a long history making coffee gear that even the lower-end products benefit from that expertise. The redeeming build quality feature is definitely the stainless steel boiler, which is an impressively high-end component in a cheap machine. 

What is the life expectancy of a Delonghi coffee machine?

In general, entry-level machines aren’t made to last, but that’s kind of the idea. They’re inexpensive entry points to espresso at home. I’d anticipate about three years of use from this model, and it comes with a 1-year warranty.

Key Specifications

The Delonghi EC702 is very compact, measuring 8.19” deep by 12” tall by 11.25” wide. It’s quite squat compared to most machines I’ve reviewed in this category, making it a good option if you have low cupboards. Even slotted under my upper cupboards, I still had plenty of room to take advantage of the top-surface cup warmer.

It has a removable 44-ounce water reservoir, which is a nice match to the machine’s capacity. Pulling a few shots a day, I found I only had to refill the water tank once or twice a week.

The Worst Feature

My least favorite design feature, by a wide margin, is the built-in plastic tamper. Plastic tampers are largely useless anyway, but the way this one is positioned under the machine makes it awkward to even attempt to tamp (3). Do yourself a favor and buy a metal tamper as soon as possible.

Is The EC702 Worth The Money?

I’d call the Delonghi EC702 espresso machine good but not fantastic value. At around $250, it occupies a fairly crowded segment of the market. 

But I’m not sure that the target audience of espresso beginners will necessarily appreciate those features. The flavor of the espresso, quality of steamed milk, and overall user experience aren’t noticeably better than the more basic thermoblock machines, especially for someone still developing their coffee palate.

This coffee maker doesn’t come with any accessories, which is another disappointment. If you want to make milk drinks, you’ll need to budget for a frothing pitcher. And I’d highly recommend adding a metal tamper to your shopping list.

Don’t Buy The Delonghi EC702 If…

• You want more user control: Aside from deciding if you want a single shot or a double, the EC702 doesn’t leave much under your control. If you want the opportunity to toy with variables like brew temperature or pre-infusion time, check out the Breville Infuser, my pick for the best espresso machine of the year. 

If you want to manage every aspect of the process, pick up a fully manual espresso machine like the Flair Classic. It comes with a significant learning curve, but once you master it, you can make cafe-quality espresso for less than the cost of the Delonghi (4).

• You prefer an automatic espresso machine: You’ll need to spend a bit more money for a machine that automates more of the process, but on a busy morning, you can’t put a price on efficiency. Check out the best-selling Breville Barista Express for an automatic machine with a built-in grinder. Or consider the newer Breville Bambino Plus, which skips the grinder but includes a truly impressive automatic steam wand.

• You want to make a proper latte: A real latte requires a real steam wand (and a little practice to use it properly). If you want to make proper silky microfoam and learn to pour latte art, I’d recommend the Delonghi Dedica Arte as the best Delonghi espresso machine for the job. Alternatively, the Gaggia Classic Pro is newly updated with a professional-style steam wand.

The Verdict

The DeLonghi EC702 is a great entry-level espresso maker with a durable build and a reasonable price point. While it lacks the flashy features of more expensive machines, it provides an excellent introduction to making espresso at home. Its semi-automatic operation teaches you the barista skills required to be an espresso aficionado, and with those skills in hand, you can produce some lovely sweet espresso shots and frothy cappuccinos.

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