De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B Espresso Machine - Review 🏆

The De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B is a premium automatic espresso machine that produces exceptional café-quality espresso and milk drinks at home. This fully-automatic machine comes with a built-in burr grinder and milk frother, allowing you to prepare delicious cappuccinos, lattes, and more with the push of a button.

With advanced technology like dual stainless steel boilers and a ThermoBlock heating system, the ECAM44.660.B provides rapid heat-up times and maintains optimal brewing temperatures. The intuitive interface features preset drink options and customizable settings so you can easily dial in your ideal espresso or milk-based drink. This machine makes it simple for beginners to brew like a barista but also gives experienced users precise control over the process.

Overall, the De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B aims to deliver exceptional espresso and milk beverages conveniently in your home kitchen. Keep reading this review for an in-depth look at the performance, features, and ease of use of this fully-automatic espresso maker.

Design and Build Quality

The De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B espresso machine features a sleek and modern design with stainless steel and black plastic accents. It has a solid build quality thanks to its mostly metal construction.

The machine measures 17.5 x 8.8 x 13.4 inches and weighs 20.3 pounds, so it has a substantial footprint but is still compact enough for most kitchen counters. The exterior utilizes brushed stainless steel panels on the front, sides, and top with black accents. There are also black plastic panels on the back and bottom.

It comes in two color options - either all black or black with stainless steel panels. The LED display on the front has an intuitive and easy-to-read interface. Overall, the design is stylish and the build quality makes it feel like a premium appliance.

The De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B has a compact yet sturdy build. The metal parts lend a sense of durability, while the plastic elements keep the weight manageable. The mix of stainless steel and black gives it an elegant, contemporary look. The LED screen provides clear information at a glance. In terms of design and construction, this model delivers the quality you'd expect from De'Longhi's higher-end espresso makers.

If you're looking for a more affordable espresso machine from De'Longhi with excellent build quality, check out the De'Longhi Stilosa EC260.BK. This 15 bar pump espresso maker has a streamlined design with mostly plastic housing but still feels solidly built. It's compact, lightweight, and easy to operate. The Stilosa EC260.BK can produce good espresso and milk froth at a budget-friendly price point.

Features and Settings

The ECAM44.660.B has a wide range of features and customization options to help you brew your perfect espresso.

• The one touch operation allows you to easily select your desired drink like espresso, americano or cappuccino with just a button push. No need to adjust settings each time.

• There are 13 adjustable grind settings to fine tune the grind for optimal espresso extraction. Simply turn the dial to the left for finer grinds and to the right for coarser grinds.

• For milk frothing, there are two auto-frothing modes to choose from. The cappuccino system froths milk for cappuccinos and lattes, while the lattecrema system produces denser, creamier milk froth for flat whites. You can also manually froth milk using the steam wand.

• The machine allows you to adjust the brewing temperature between three preset levels - low, medium and maximum temperature. Higher temperatures help extract more flavor from darker roasts.

The ECAM44.660.B espresso machine from De'Longhi allows you to brew cafe-quality espresso drinks at home. With its intuitive interface and array of customization options, you can dial in the perfect shot of espresso for your taste preferences. The integrated burr grinder with 13 adjustable settings gives you precision and control over the grind size, which is essential for balancing flavor and body in the extraction. The manual frothing wand provides the ability to texture milk to your liking for making cappuccinos and lattes. For those looking for automation, the dual auto-frothing systems for cappuccinos and denser latte foam take the guesswork out of milk texturing. Whether you prefer the hands-on approach or want the convenience of automated brewing and frothing, the ECAM44.660.B has the features and functionality to satisfy. This model represents an excellent value for those seeking quality espresso and milk beverages with high end customization in a home espresso machine. If you're looking for a more affordable pared down model, the De'Longhi EC260BK provides excellent espresso and cappuccino making capabilities in a compact footprint at a budget-friendly price point.

Brewing Performance

The ECAM44.660.B brews rich, flavorful espresso with excellent crema. The 15-bar pump provides optimal pressure for extracting the coffee oils and aromas. You can adjust the strength and volume settings to customize your shot. The default setting produces a 1.35oz espresso, but you can increase it up to a 5oz lungo if desired.

The thermoblock heating system maintains a consistent brewing temperature, which is critical for flavor extraction. The water reaches the ideal 195°F during the brew process. Many users mention the espresso tastes like it was prepared by a barista and has a smooth, bold flavor without any bitterness.

The crema produced is thick and persistent, with a rich hazelnut color. Having a thick layer of crema is an indicator of proper extraction and freshness. The crema contains many flavor compounds only present when the coffee is freshly brewed. Overall, the brewing performance delivers cafe-quality espresso with excellent crema every time.

Milk Frothing

The De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B espresso machine comes with a powerful steam wand that makes frothing milk easy. The steam wand has a 360 degree swivel that allows you to position it however you need for frothing milk in the included milk jug or your own pitcher.

The steam power is excellent - it only takes about 10-15 seconds of steam to transform cold milk into hot, creamy, microfoam. The consistency of the frothed milk is smooth and silky with a rich, velvety texture. The temperature reaches up to 140-150°F, which is ideal for making cappuccinos and lattes.

The steam wand produces thick, creamy froth with very small, even bubbles. The microfoam is extremely stable and lasts several minutes without separating, which gives you plenty of time to pour latte art if desired. The consistency and quality of the frothed milk rivals what you would get at high-end coffee shops.

Overall, the steam wand on this De'Longhi espresso machine is powerful, easy to use, and makes cafe-quality frothed milk for perfect drinks every time. The excellent steam power and flexible wand position ensure you can quickly froth any amount of milk to the right texture and temperature.

Ease of Use and Cleanup

The ECAM44.660.B has an intuitive control panel with a dial, buttons, and a display screen, allowing you to easily navigate the menu and program settings. The icons are self-explanatory, making it straightforward to select your coffee of choice.

Descaling is a necessary part of maintenance for espresso machines to remove mineral deposits. DeLonghi has made this process easy by including a descaling pipe that connects to the water reservoir. Simply fill the tank with descaling solution, insert the pipe, and run the cleaning cycle. The machine will guide you through the steps on the display.

Overall, the cleaning process is simple on this model. The drip tray, water tank, and used coffee container are removable and dishwasher safe. The infuser, brew group, and milk frother are also easy to rinse under running water. Regular cleaning will keep your machine in top working order.

Capacity and Settings Memory

The ECAM44.660.B has a fairly large 60oz removable water tank that makes it easy to keep filled without having to add water after every use. The 8.8oz bean hopper also provides adequate capacity for most home use between refills.

One handy feature is the ability to save customized espresso and milk settings for up to 6 different users. Each profile allows you to dial in preferences like espresso volume, milk temperature, and foam level. So everyone in the household can have their drinks tailored just how they like them at the touch of a button.

Noise Level

The ECAM44.660.B is quite quiet during normal operation. The grinder makes some noise when grinding beans, but it's not overly loud or disruptive. Brewing espresso is very quiet, with just a soft hum and some gurgling sounds as the water flows through.

The steam wand can get a bit noisy when frothing milk, but it's about average volume for a home espresso machine. You'll hear the milk swirling and sputtering as it's frothed. The noise is reasonable and won't disturb conversations.

Overall, the noise levels are lower than many affordable super automatic espresso machines. De'Longhi seems to have put some focus on keeping the ECAM44.660.B quieter for home use. The grinding and brewing won't wake up the household in the morning. For an appliance of this type, it has impressively low noise levels during day-to-day operation.

Accessories

The ECAM44.660.B comes with a few handy accessories to help you get the most out of your espresso.

It includes a plastic tamper to help you evenly tamp down the coffee grounds before brewing. While a metal tamper would be ideal, the included plastic one gets the job done.

You also get a descaling solution to help descale and clean the internal components every few months. Descaling helps remove mineral buildup and ensures your machine continues brewing optimally.

A couple of small cleaning brushes are also included. You can use these to scrub away coffee residue and oils from various parts of the machine like the portafilter and group head. The brushes make it easy to get into small crevices.

While the included accessories are fairly basic, they provide what you need to keep your espresso machine in good working order. The descaling solution and brushes are especially useful for maintenance and cleaning.

Pros and Cons

The De'Longhi ECAM44.660.B has several pros that make it a great choice for an automatic espresso machine:

• Excellent brewing performance - The machine brews espresso with excellent crema and balanced flavor at the ideal temperature. The burr grinder and brewing process produce consistently high quality shots.

• Easy to use interface - The machine has an intuitive display panel that makes it simple to select coffee drinks and customize settings like strength and volume. The buttons are clearly labeled.

• Convenient automatic cleaning and descaling - The machine can automatically clean itself and remind you when it needs descaling, taking the hassle out of maintenance.

• Drinks customization - You can customize the strength, length, temperature and more for espresso, coffee and milk drinks. The settings can be saved for different users.

• Fast heat up time - The thermoblock heating system brings water to temperature very quickly so you don't have to wait long for your coffee.

• Milk frothing wand - The auto frother steam wand makes it easy to froth milk for cappuccinos and lattes.

Some downsides to consider:

• Expensive - This is a premium model with a high price point, so it's a significant investment.

• Large footprint - The machine takes up a good amount of counter space. Measure to make sure you have room for it.

• Noisy - It's louder than some comparable models, especially while grinding beans. This could be disruptive early in the morning.

• Complex descaling - The descaling process requires multiple steps and solutions. Some find it tricky compared to other models.