Is The De’Longhi ECP3420 Worth It And What Kind Of Espresso Machine Is It?

If you’re looking for a good manually operated espresso machine, even a great De’Longhi manual espresso machine, but aren’t sure which one you should choose, you should definitely consider the De’Longhi ECP3420 espresso machine.

Credit: De’Longhi

This De’Longhi machine is one of the best manual espresso machines on the market. Especially if you’re searching for an affordable machine. The De’Longhi ECP3420 espresso machine is a great stepping stone to the world of coffee brewing machines.

If you’re in a hurry and want to see buying options now on Amazon, you can see the ECP3420 here with the latest price and extended warranty options (recommended).

New Kitchen Life is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Also, use the table of contents below to skip to any specific part of this review or just read through all of it.

Quick Summary of the De’Longhi ECP3420 Coffee Maker Review

The De’Longhi ECP3420 is known as a machine that introduces you to the world of espresso machines. This De’Longhi Pump espresso machine brews whatever you prefer – single or double espresso, latte, and even other specialty beverages.

It’s a semi-automatic espresso machine that features an advanced manual frother to brew coffees with rich, creamy foam.

Pros

A Compact Design:

The De’Longhi ECP3420 features a 9.5 by 7.2 by 11.9 inches design that looks modern and fits perfectly on your kitchen countertop

3-in-1 Filter Holder

Select double shots or even more espresso shots with the 3-in-1 filter holder.

You can keep the filters that aren’t in use in the filter baskets as well.

Panarello Steam Wand

Credit: De’Longhi

With the steam wand, you can create self-steamed foam and milk through steam pressure and create lattes and special beverages!

Cons

The espresso machine has no built-in grinder.

Second, the steam time is less than that of the other machines on the market and you may not be able to get the milk as frothed as you’d like.

Finally, some reviews mentioned that the machine is hard to keep clean.

Full & In-Depth Review of the Espresso Machine

Let’s take an in-depth look at this espresso machine to discover its key features and what makes it stand out.

Credit: De’Longhi

Key Features

The De’Longhi ECP3420 is a semi-automatic machine with a stainless steel build.

As a semi-automatic machine, it will have to be paired with a separate grinder. It involves some manual operations.

For one, you will pull and stop the espresso shot yourself and allow your own creativity to shine through in the coffee brewing process.

The one thing you definitely have to be careful about is the use of fresh coffee grounds and beans for your coffee.

Dimensions and Stainless Steel Material

This espresso machine is a merger of black plastic and stainless steel – the boiler, portafilter, and the group head are all made of steel.

The machine is also lightweight – around 11 pounds – and can be tucked away in one corner of your kitchen without taking up much space.

Boiler

While this machine is one of the affordable machines, it makes no compromise on the quality of your experience.

The boiler is the largest in this machine class, allowing you to use double shots without any waiting time ruining your experience.

Water Tank

The water reservoir for this espresso machine is a removable water tank of 37 ounces.

While this may not be a large capacity, it allows you enough coffee before you have to go for a refill considering that the standard cup size is 5-8 ounces.

The machine also has a water heating element and a temperature regulator to ensure the water temperature is right as you want it.

Adjustable Drip Tray

The adjustable drip tray is one of the winners of this coffee maker. It allows two fittings to accommodate two cup sizes by removing and adjusting the bottom tray to accommodate taller cups.

Usually, moving the shot to a different cup size is frustrating, but this machine’s ability to fit larger cups directly under is a win for the De’Longhi ECP3420.

What We Love

Price

The price, the value you get for the money you spend is what makes you truly fall in love with the Delonghi ECP3420.

You’re able to get a beautiful cup of coffee with the cappuccino system, a manual frother as well as the pressurized portafilter – that is something hardly any machine would give at this price point.

Advanced Cappuccino System

The rapid cappuccino system, coupled with the Panarello wand allows you to form a rich, creamy foam for a good coffee.

Moreover, you’re able to reheat the machine quickly between drinks to reduce the waiting time as much as possible.

The advanced cappuccino system is what makes it great for the price, without the need of learning all of the barista techniques.

Pump Espresso Machine

The self-priming pump on this espresso machine ensures that you don’t have to worry about water loss and steam pressure.

This also means you need to take good care of your machine and ensure you never run it on an empty tank. The water tank indicator will notify when it needs a refill!

3 in 1 Pressurized Portafilter

Your machine comes equipped with 3 filters: the single espresso filter, the double espresso filter, and an Easy Serving Espresso (ESE) pod filter as well.

For those who prefer coffee pods as opposed to ground coffee, they can use the ESE filter.

Moreover, the filters are pressurized to aid the brewing process and reduce the technicality needed to brew a good cup of coffee.

Finally, the filter baskets at the back of the machine, next to the water tank, make great filter storage.

Buying Guide

So you know all the features of the De’Longhi ECP3420 now but you’re still confused whether this is the machine for you?

Let’s discuss who should purchase the machine and why.

Who Should Buy the De’Longhi ECP3420

You are the perfect target consumer for the De’Longhi ECP3420 if:

You Enjoy The Creative Process

Many coffee enthusiasts feel that the automated machines are super restrictive in their processes as it hinders you from exploring and brewing the coffee yourself.

This machine requires you to have a more hands-on brewing approach in the entire process, which means you have more creative control over your shots and thus, your espresso.

You Want To Learn About Espresso Machines

If you truly want to learn about espresso machines, you need to get your hands on this and experiment! A semi-automatic and inexpensive pump machine is the perfect way to learn as it forces you to research as you would want that perfect coffee.

You’re On A Budget

A coffee enthusiast on a budget? There can be nothing more painful than that!

But you don’t have to feel sad anymore because this machine truly offers you a wide range of features at a very good price point if money is the most important consideration for you.

Final Verdict

If you’re looking for a machine that will brew you a perfect cup of coffee of perfect quality, you don’t need to look further.

You might need a little training and experimentation to get started, but you will surely look cool while doing it!

See the De’Longhi ECP3420 on Amazon here including the latest price and extended warranty options (recommended).

New Kitchen Life is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the De’Longhi ECP3420 worth it?

If you’re looking for an espresso machine that would help you produce good quality espresso shots, you’re in luck – this machine is the best in its class and offers the most features at this price point.

However, if you’re someone who does not like to put in effort or creativity into the brewing process, then perhaps you should save up more for a fully-automatic espresso machine.

How do I froth milk?

Using a traditional milk frother can be tricky, but it isn’t all that difficult.

Firstly, ensure that the milk is fresh. Then, dip the frother into the milk and rotate the steam valve.

Ensure that you do not heat the milk above 160 F. Once you are satisfied with your froth, allow steam to flush through the frother. Later, ensure to clean the nozzles well.

How do I descale a De’Longhi ECP3420?

If you’re being served with weak coffee, you know it’s time for descaling.

You can either use white vinegar, citric acid (in lemon), or a descaling product for this.

First, you should make a solution with whatever product you selected and fill the solution in your water reservoir.

Run the solution through your steam rope and turn the machine off after closing the steam knot. After the solution has run through all the small and large pipes in your machine for around 20 minutes, clean all the pieces thoroughly.

Afterward, run the steam from your water tank and close your coffee machine again for 20 minutes.

Last, remove the remaining water from the steam rope and ensure that none of the solution residues remains in any of the pipes.