DeLonghi Icona Pump Espresso

Good value for the money - very noisy though! – After my extremely well loved but very budget Kambrook Cappuccino machine died, I was unable to find the same model. I settled on this machine due to the low price (just under $200.00 at Target). It is a fairly easy to operate machine and always creates a nice looking crema every time. It took some experimenting to get the strength I like… Read more

(strong!), and unlike the Kambrook, I found that NOT grinding too finely or packing coffee too densely actually resulted in a stronger brew.

One thing that took my back was the sheer noise of the thing as it gets up to pressure to extract a brew - it is very loud. However it does its job pretty quickly so its no big issue.

Parts that need cleaning can all be removed relatively easily and it requires a descale treatment every 200 cups - which is nothing unusual.

If you want a fairly decent coffee machine for $200 or less, you could do worse

EDIT: Just over two years after purchase the machine has died :( Still far cheaper than buying coffees and I will probably replace with the same item

Simple But Great – I have used one of these machines for nearly 3 years now and loved it (it failed just this week) and while it does have some idiosyncrasies, (the steam spout movement is a bit restricted), it has always made great coffee. But good tasting coffee is more about the blend you use and your technique than the machine. For starters, try putting about… Read more ·  1

1 tablespoon of Baily's Irish Cream in the cup first, (we actually use the Aldi O'Donnalls equivalent at half the price and their ground Columbia blend for a simple and non-bitter flavour). Not too much or the alcohol overpowers the sweet flavour of the brew. I also always make two cups together (for me and the missus) and fill the glasses to at least 60ml to get good flavour from the grind.

Another trick, I found that by putting the milk jug under the spout, then sliding our benchtop plastic spoon rest (ours is a cow) under it, it raises the jug to the right height to stop milk pouring over the top when fully frothed and I turn on the steam then leave it until the jug is a tad more than too hot to touch. If I stop when the jug just feels hot, then the final brew is only lukewarm (but is immediately scoffable).

Another secret it is to make sure the coffee handle and filter cup are washed after every session AND both the outer and inner steam spouts removed and washed also. This prevents dried grounds (in the filter) and dried milk (in the spout) from clogging. Occasionally I will also take the handle filter cup (the bit that holds the grounds) apart to clean it. It's too bad I can't remove the main boiler filter. Apart from being very awkward to get at, the screw seems welded in place, because this filter is now apparently blocked and the machine just squeezes water out through the various hose connections and all over the bench instead of out through the filter. I can still use the steam function though. Easy to use, easy to clean Main boiler filter can't be removed (stuck)

Good – Have owned the machine for about 18mths and use it daily. I'm hesitant to complain about anything because when you can spend thousands on a fully auto coffee machine, this one has been [censored word removed] good value given that it is an entry level product. We use the double shot for one coffee, using freshly ground beans and the coffees taste… Read more ·  2

excellent. If you're looking to buy this then note that you'll probably want a separate tamper because the inbuilt one is a pain to use. Our milk frother has been good, although I agree with others that it's inflexible and not well designed. My wife bought another ECO310 for her work and the pressure in that frother was not as good - so there are obviously inconsistencies between machines. Once you get used to the different parts it is easy to clean. Ours is starting to rattle a bit, but no leaks or other defects. Our grinder is much louder, so the noise isn't a concern. Overall, we've been very happy with it, although I concede that maybe we were lucky to strike a good one. Easy to use, clean, makes great coffee. Tamper and frother not user friendly

Good for coffee at home but a bit hit and miss – Okay for price, coffee is good very hit and miss, there is a chirping noise which is annoying and I've noticed the pressure is becoming less, please help with issues. Show details ·  1

Good machine for a small family – Perfect espresso machine for people who are coffee lover but with a limited budget, you can quickly make a cup of coffee within 5 mins in the morning and easy to clean it up afterward.

Looks great – It is a nice machine, love the red color, looks ok quality-wise. Have to be careful not to put too much coffee though: 2 full (provided) spoons of coffee and the handle leaks... I like that we can choose the exact amount of water we want, that it is not preset. Show details ·  1

Good coffee until started leaking – This coffee machine served us well for a while, but is a bit plasticky and has recently started leaking - water drips directly into the cup, instead of through the filter, ruining the coffee. Disappointing. Show details

Useless – Machine leaks water from inside machine spilling into cup and onto bench. Have to take the tray out to fit a small cup in. Made contact with Delonghi but they have not replied. Returned unit to store of purchase and swapped for a Breville. Much better choice. Show details

Lasted 2 months – Machine stopped making espresso are 2 months. Descaled machine but didn't make any difference. Just drips water out of boiler outlet. Good while it lasted. Will be taking back for surr Show details

It made good coffee but broke after 10 months – Was good while it lasted but I should have paid more for a better build. Started sitting water out of everywhere and I was scared it was going to electrocute me Show details

OK coffee machine – the coffee machine creates good pressure for home made coffee. it is easy to clean and easy to use. sufficient water tank. the down side is the tube is very easy to come off when making milk and that shocks you!!!! The worse is I lost the tube........ Show details

Not an ideal product if you really love coffee – It comes instantly trouble for making coffee, now it leaking the warter from the sides but stop working for the coffee outlet, and it looks not easy to maintain as I can not buy the asssories from any store Show details

Looks good but – I bought this machine for its looks and it does a good job as decoration in the kitchen, however, in terms of the overall use I found the steam-wand to be rather useless and I personally didn't love the coffee (potentially not enough pressure) I upgraded to a Breville BES 870 and I couldn't be happier.  Show details

tastes great, but bit of a leak – I've had this coffee machine for a week or two, used it maybe three times after the initial cleaning. every time i've used it the steamer leaks water onto the bench! not only during use, but also during warming and cooling period. other than that the coffee produced tasted great is very consistent  Show details

A beautiful disaster – I had been looking at this beautiful machine for sometime. It was red so it would fit in with my kitchen decor, It was DeLonghi and it was affordable, what more could I want?!? My son saw my love and want for this machine so he purchased it for my birthday. I was so happy to get it home and give it a try. The first things that I noticed was… Read more

that I had to take the drip tray out to fit any type of normal sized mug. That was not a problem for me and I was happy to do that.

The problems started when I tried to froth the milk. First it was slow and painful, then messy and bubbly and with any kind of pressure the nozzle blew off! This happened several times, leaving me and my bench in a milky mess. I did end up buying a separate milk frother, however really shouldn't of needed to if this machine did what it was meant to.

The plus side is that it does make great coffee, the crema is beautiful and perfect every time.

Wonderful Coffee Machine – I purchases this coffee machine based on the strong DeLonghi name, and couldn’t be happier. Fast, quality machine. I even sold one when a friend realised how simple it was to use. The separate milk frother means our children make hot chocolates with ease, perfect every time. I strongly recommend this little European styled coffee machine.  Show details

Not good design – Hi brought the coffee espresso at good guys the coffee espresso is only good for black coffe the milk frofing isn’t good designed the steam it dasnt heat up quick you have to wait long time between making coffee and do the milk I wouldn’t recommended for some one ho likes latte  Show details

Good looks and performance, unnecessary noise – This is a very attractive unit and performs somewhat better but the noise is stupid. The rigid plastic water reservoir rattles and vibrates loudly while the pump is operating. You can dampen it by putting your hand on the reservoir but that should not be necessary. The unit will be hot enough to make espresso less than a minute after you turn it… Read more

on but the top heater for cups takes a very long time to be effective and is largely symbolic. I would not leave the unit on so long to get the top hot because it would be too easy to forget and leave it on.

Decent value for money, pain to clean and makes a lot of noise – Overall, I am satisfied with the machine as I think it represents good value for money. The quality of the coffee is really a hit or miss by the machine. You have to very very careful of the ground coffee quantity. The temperature of the coffee is perfect. What I hate is the noise is creates...really really loud !  Show details

Nice Machine – It does a decent job of making espresso from ground coffee.Especially for the price, it is a pretty good value. Easy to use, not using too much space on the counter, it will give you a decent coffee. Nice milk frothing and after a few tests, the creama is just perfect .I have mine for many months without any problem. A little bit noisy but at this price, we can't complain.  Show details

Very good coffee – I purchased this coffee machine with a view to stopping using the Cafitaly pods I'm used to using. I've read so much about the landfill problems that pods create and I thought I would be proactive in helping the situation. This machine uses ground coffee or ESE coffee paper pods. Illy or Lavazza for instance use the ESE system. Overall I'm happy… Read more

with everything except I can't use a mug under the machine for my morning brew. To do this I have to take out the stainless steel stand to get the mug under. Otherwise, the Delonghi makes a great cup of coffee without the waste of the usual pod coffee system.

Love it! – We love our Delonghi coffee machine. We make coffees every day and they are still delicious after years! Such a compact, sleek and tidy machine. This is the second one we've had in 10 years, and we love it. We don't even clean it as often as we probably should but it still cracks on. Highly recommend, great family machine with a long life span.  Show details

Beautiful fluffy coffee – This coffee maker is the best! Making us fast fluffy coffee which are as good as a cafe bought one. We bought this for its bright red colour and easy grip handle. Very simple to clean and take apart. We had issues reading the instruction manual as it didn't make much sense but there are loads of videos on the net. Love drinking a cuppa from our machine  Show details

Not Bad - Very Convenient – We use this several times a week and its best advantages are its convenience and reliability. To be honest, the local cafe makes a better coffee so don't expect miracles but it straddles the difference between a quality cafe coffee and a cup of instant. It heats up quickly and is very simple to use. The only service it needs is to fill up the water and empty the drip tray. Its a handy machine  Show details

Excellent Machine – Does beautiful espresso coffee with good crema. Easy to use, quick to heat. Easy to clean, doesn't have lots of waste water to get rid of. I use the double holder to get a strong coffee. Have black one, looks good in kitchen. The frother wand works quite well, although I still prefer a separate frother. After problems with other machines, love this one!  Show details

Don't bother. Disappointing PITA to use. Delivers a beyond dreadful espresso – Don't bother. Just don't Unit has an inane puck retention arrangement which will drive you nuts.Clearly intended to coerce you to buy pods for it instead. . You've been forewarned. Puck is undersized for the double shot. The heater & pump are simply under-powered for the job of making quality espresso. Loses temp and cycles too quickly… Read more

resulting in inadequate pressure. Needs 15 minutes to heat up or a couple of water shots through it first or the delivery pressure will be too low/short.

I wanted to like this unit, but instead just loath using it. I've had about 8 previous espresso machines over 25 years including Krups, Brevilles, Sunbeams, etc. This is incontestably the worst I've ever used,and makes an espresso I'd send back if it was served to me even in a McCafe. Even my Vittoria pod Espressotoria Capino for when I'm feelin' lazy tastes better by far. DeLonghi should be embarrassed.

Leaky hose! – From day one it has leaked. Now it leaks everywhere. The holding tank,the trim ring that holds the basket it leaks. It leaks from the bottom. UGH. When it gets hot the buttons do not work.  Show details

Bit Under Powered Still OK – I was given this by my family so I cant complain too much! It makes decent coffee and is easy to use but I always feel like if it had a bit more pressure it could get more from the beans. It looks good an is easy to clean but if I was replacing it, I would go for a more powerful model. Still its OK though  Show details

Good coffee machine on a budget – For a cheaper coffee machine this one is a good model. You do need to grind your coffee separately but considering the price, you would expect that. The attachment allows for single or double shots and the milk frother does a reasonable job. Coffee comes out tasting great. It’s easy to use and the tray is easy enough to clean. The base under the… Read more

tray is attached to the whole unit so can be a bit harder to clean out spillages, but it’s not impossible. You do need to remember to press the button to stop pouring when your cup is full enough as there is no option to autostop.

I love it , however – I use mugs and they don’t fit unless I remove the drip trays, then they still have to be small mugs. I love that I can use the used coffee grounds on my garden, you can’t with a capsule machine. I don’t like the milk frothed, I like to microwave my milk. very easy to clean ,I sometimes have a problem attaching the thingy that holds the coffee, it… Read more

can be a bit tricky or it might just be me ...in saying all this , I would still buy another one as it’s sooo much cheaper than a capsule machine and the coffee tastes a lot better.

Love my morning coffee – I absolutely love my Delonghi espresso maker and use it everyday. It never skips a beat and makes beautiful coffee. The milk frother is also awesome and easy to use to get the right thickness. The machine itself looks smart on the kitchen bench and is also easy to clean. Highly recommended.  Show details