My old Ultima Pro was used - actually open box/like new from eBay for half price. Was missing some minor components which I bought from Capresso, still saved like $70 overall. You beat me though :)
Hi Tom, just got this machine from a friend leaving the country. I’m in Burundi and can’t buy the part you recommended for this for a while. I took apart the pressurized basket set up and found that you can remove the “pressurizing” parts, but keep the screen inside the seal (if that makes sense). BUT I can’t grind/buy espresso fine coffee (the Cuisinart grinder I was given really can’t make grind fine enough), so should I even attempt to pull a shot? I’m scared to hurt the machine as well. Is there a way to improve the coffee without buying the better components?
Excellent video. Maybe you should consider doing a series of these. Thrift shop for espresso machines and make small modifications. I realy enjoy consuming content like this. Well done! Cheers! ☕
Thanks Tom - really useful. I got my Icona from a friend for £15 + an Amazon gift card. I second the tip of removing and cleaning the shower head. I found coffee grinds stuck in there. Afterwards, LOL, coffee taste was much improved!
Tom, At first I thought you had it wrong by saying ‘distilled water’ when you descale. But then later you use Brita filtered water for making espresso. Then I realised, yes you made a very trivial but important sense. That Distilled Water is great idea for descaling. I’ll do that next time. Thank you.
Thank you for this! I’m currently using an old Krups Novo machine, with great success. I think part of the deal is this: older “15 bar” machines will no longer be pushing 15 bar to the brew head. Depending on the age and prior use of the unit, it might actually be getting close to an ideal 9 bar at the brew head. So as long as you get the right temperature at brew time, there’s no reason you should be getting bad espresso from these machines. And if you’re just starting out, you can then focus your $$$ on the grinder. Which can also be had for low $$$ and high impact (units such as the Urbanic 070s come to mind).
Hey, thanks for your feedback! Actually, the Ulka pumps may be rated at 15 bar, but I have measured them to max out at 12 bar on the Gaggia Classic Pro, or 11 bar on the Dedica, when using a portafilter manometer. These pressures however are just the maximum possible. When doing an espresso extraction, the pressure is caused by the puck resisting the pump, and is therefore less. Oh, and the Urbanic 070 is a nice economical choice! I reviewed the 080, and I liked it. Cheers!
I have same machine at home. It`s make good espresso. Not a single problem many years of use. I probably will change it for lelit anita. Because delongi is not for many types of coffes. 9 bar is high or verry high for espreso (check james hoffman). Can`t change temperature. If you use light coffe - high temperature, for darker - low temperature. Even brew temperature - you don`t know how is. And so on... but you can`t buy something good as this for less then 200 euro (new).
Thank you! I have an Icona and had no idea about the pressurised vs non-pressurised baskets and what a difference they make. I have a spare so maybe I'll do a modification on one. 😁
I found an even older DeLonghi Caffè Treviso machine for £5 in a UK charity (thrift) shop, which has the same internals as this but a conventional basket. I descaled it as shown and it also makes a pretty good espresso.and steamed milk. I found a Krups burr grinder as well so I can make decent espresso every morning from beans. Coffee shop Americano is around £3 in the UK now, so I made my money back in the first week!
I have one of those. I bought it recently new in beige. It's beautiful. Automatic ones usually give milk to watered-down coffee. It is better to heat the coffee and milk separately.🤝
Thanks for making this great video Tom. I bought a dedica, not as cheap as your Delonghi but it’s a kinda low budget machine right and I’m loving it. Makes great espresso and it fits perfectly with my minimalistic way of life.
Cool video! Last week, I found an EC685 for $15 in the local thrift store. Works well, so $15 well spent! I ordered a bottomless portafilter, non-pressurized basket and a tamper. The only thing is that my Cuisinart grinder cannot grind fine enough for a decent espresso. I'm on a budget so I'll go with pre-ground coffee (suggestions welcome!) until I can find a reasonably priced grinder.
Amazing deal, Efe! You might be able to mod that Cuisinart grinder...I am not sure. But which market are you in? Maybe I could suggest an economical grinder. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I'm in the US. I already modded the Cuisinart but it's very inconsistent. OK for drip coffee but leaves a lot of fines and coarse grounds at the same time. I'll keep looking around and maybe I'll find an even better deal lol
@@efeyamacyarbas8658 Ok, thanks for letting me know, Efe! If you are in the USA, you could try the Smart Grinder Pro for around $200: amzn.to/3wzROwJ Or a hand grinder 1Zpresso JX for around $130: amzn.to/3AMgFPd
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Mr. Tom. I also got a second-hand icona for a good price and I'm following your tips for cleaning and changing the baskets, the original owner lost the original basket.
Thank you! Already noticeably better after all your suggestions. What other mods can you do with this machine? I'd like to upgrade the steam wand and can the pump be upgraded?
That is a super deal and still it makes great espresso compared with many other machines that you can buy cheap. I would like to see if you can show in future video if sage portafilter and basket are swapable with delonghi dedica. As always you are the best Tom 👍
Hey Rezart, I read somewhere that they are compatible, but I tried the Bambino's basket in the Dedica, and if I remember right it got stuck somehow. They are quite similar, but not quite compatible it seems. Remind me in September, and I will take a closer look. 😉
By the way you should check out the lidl new espresso machine its a copy of delonghi dedica, here in finland it cost 99e idk in germany but looks very similar.
Rancilio Silvia. 35 dollars. Savers didn't know what they had 😄older model but all it took was a descale, some cleaning and a new gasket and she's good as new.
Hi Tom, nice video. I have been using this machine for 6 months now also bought as used! Very enjoyable. I am planning on making a video if I can find time. Do you know the size/volume of the boiler? I can’t find any information online. By usage, I think it might be around 80-90ml but I really would like to know the real number. Thanks 👋 Note: use only steam wand to descale. There is a shower head in the brew head and if the boiler is full, limestone can be trapped there… even if so, you can always open it up and brush off. Note2: you don’t need distilled water since you have acid in it. Just use brita. Maybe you can be more specific with the ratio of solution because it matters a lot for the descaling performance. You can buy pure lactic acid to save on consumer solutions. 👋
Hi there! If I had to guess, I would say probably 150-250ml. I know that is a little vague, but I do not know myself. I will keep the steam wand in mind for descaling! 👍 Cheers, Tom
@@TomsCoffeeCorner hey Tom, thanks for reply. After your comment, I wondered and opened it up. 2cm deep with a radius 4, so it is 100ml in gross volume. Then there is a heating element inside so I believe it will hold approximately 80ml of water😀 take care
any advice how to diagnose one that trips the breakers once the green light comes on? ta muchly. I d hate to have to toss it. Actually after seeing this vid, I d love to mod my portafilter too. Thanks
I am trying since 3 days pulling our shots with a non a pressurised filter. First of all if I dont grind extremly fine, I get 50ml in 15 seconds for 18 grams of coffe. And If I grind anything below 50 clicks on my K6 kingrinder to get the right flow, I get a muddy shot... Tried with 18 grams worth of beans Got down to 26 clicks on my grinder, so very low, to be able to have the 1:2 ratio after 25 secs, but then I was literally feeling like eating my coffe. At 25 click the machine chokes up. What am I doing wrong ? Tried like 20 espresso, with various routines, and as of now they all tasted too muddy as compared to using the pressurised filter.
Which one is better this or DeLonghi Dedica Style EC 685? I'm looking for buying one new and my style at home is retro, but i like both and don't know which one is better.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi Tom thanks for reply I've actually used manual machines similar to the Icona before so wondering what produces the best quality espresso and milk out of the two. Thanks 🥰
Great video. I am new to making espresso and just picked up this same machine and hand grinder. Can you remember which setting you used to grind the beans? I can't seem to get it quite right and water is pooling on top of my puck.
Hi Tom what machine is better this Icona (which is still available brand new in New Zealand) or the Dedica Pump Espresso EC885. Thanks so much love your videos.
Thank you Tom. What is better between the Delonghi Stilosa EC230 and the Dedica? (the Stilosa EC260 is not available over here only the EC230). @@TomsCoffeeCorner
Thanks for good video Tom. I'm considering about this Icona or ECP3 series, how do you think about? my ECP31.21's steam tap(valve) was break down so I'm looking for a second hand machine. (your ECP31.21 disassembly video helped me also :D)
Another great video and another possible first machine 😅😂. Can get this machine right around the corner for 30 bucks. Not being used intensively. Dedica is still an option to. Which do you prefer besides the looks?
I like the Dedica better than this, honestly. My favorite of the small Delonghis though is the ECP 3420. But anyway, for $30, this isn't bad. Just be sure to get a proper portafilter and basket. Cheers!
I have this machine. Instead of sawing my current portafilter can I just buy a bottomless portafilter to use with it? If so how do I work out what size is needed please? Thanks!
That was so helpful, I just bought a DeLonghi Micalite E COM 311R which looks exactly the same as yours but is in red. I am not very happy as even the larger of the 2 filters looks shallow @. 2.25 cm and makes really weak expresso. Please could you tell me how deep your manual filter is, perhaps that's all I need to fix my expresso strength? I can't wait to saw off the bottom of my dispenser to see if I can get nice frothy crema like yours!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thank you SO MUCH Tom, super helpful!😉(Hangs head in shame, my weak coffee was because I was so impatient, I forgot to wait for the green light to come on, but I really can't wait to replace the pressurized filter and buy a proper grinder - tempted by the Baratza Encore ESP, the Baratza Sette or the 1Zpresso X-Pro S Manual Coffee Grinder, any experience with these?) Of course, liked subscribed and commented!
Hello Tom! Thank you very much for this video, I've finally will make the most out of my 5-year old Icona Vintage ECO311. I just wanted to ask a quick question; I have checked the links you have provided but I am confused with the bottomless portafilter size, is it 51mm or 58mm? When I measure my default portafilter it looks closer to 58mm but I think the value should be consistent for the same model :) I would really appreciate if you could point me in the right direction and thank you again!
You got extremely lucky. For darker roasted beans, there's no grind size that matches with this machine. Even when the shot it's being pulled too fast, there's dripping alongside the edges of the grouphead, suggesting a pressure too high to be handled by the machine, but too low to get a >20sec shot.
Hi, have you solved this issue? I have been buying regular Lavazza ground coffee from the grocery store and it works just fine, however I wanted to try using speciality coffee so I bought some and they grinded it for me as they deemed appropriate. First at 1.1 grind size, which didn't work as it was too fine so I went back and they switched it with a new one at 2 which also didn't work for the same reason. I feel bad speaking to them again about a third pack, any advice?
Tom. Thanks! I got a used one on 2nd hand local market but the quantity of water that I can see dropping on the bottomless AND the quantity of water that comes out without it seems really less than yours. I already cleaned it and tried different sizes of grinder. Any ideas? Should I send it to a place to check it as maybe something is broken inside?
Hi, what a terrific video! I also have this Iconia. I cut of the part of the portafilter to make it bottomless as well, but when I use it that way I get a hissing sound, a lot of steam and it seems like the water is being pushed through. Used the original pressure basket as well as an after market (be it a very cheap one) non-pressure basket. Any idea what might cause this?
Well, your grind could be too fine, causing the pressure to reach up to the 13 bar of the OPV. That pressure gets stuck at the grouphead if the grind is too fine.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner That's what I thought as well. But tried it with a more course grind and the same result. After that I tried without anything in the basket but the same result (a lot of steam out of the group head)
Hey! Love your videos!! Do you happen to know if a Rancilio steam wand can be fitted on such a model? I still have the ECO310 model and would like to upgrade the steam wand. I'm not sure if it can fit on this, since the fixture for the steam wand on here seems to be slightly different from the Dedica model. Thank you!
Hello Tom's Coffee Corner. Brilliant video. I watched also video about pressure valve and its "merits". Got this machine sitting around and wasnt really happy about the crema so going yo check this out as i am keen on thise upgrades. Could you please help me sizing the basket? From links I'm getting conflicting results of what size the basket is on this machine. I am measuring lever fitment hole at 56mm. Links say 51mm or 60mm. Please help. Also searching for lever sizing, i found nothing. It may be useful for others to know science behind that too if you did video on this topic.
Hello and thank you for your comment! It isn’t in 551 mm. I have some baskets listed in the description as suggestions. This two tab portafilter for example should also fit. amzn.to/3AxoHfr Thanks! Tom
Hi Tom , my name is Octavian, I bought this machine in 3rd of december 2020, I use it at a second residence where i go in weekend, I maybe used it 100 times but I don t think so , My macine is not heating up any more. After about one hour start being almost hot but not enough on the upper plate The middle led do not goes on to let me know is ready, Any ideea ? Thanks..
There is a big difference, because the Icona is a boiler machine, and totally manual, while the Dedica is a thermoblock, and has nice comfort features. I like the Dedica over the Icona for sure.
It looks this and 3240 might have different boiler numbers, wonder what differs, whether size or wattage or structure. Does it produce same temperature profile as 3240?
Hi, we have the same machine but every time it gets hot the whole home electricity gets a short cut and cuts it, we opened it and there is nothing wrong with the cables , what can be the issue?? Thank you!
Hi Tom, with how many grams did you fill this basket, aprox I got the same basket and the tamper but got no scale so I will try it by the eye method for now :) Tnx
Hmm. Looks like a Dedica rip off with a crappier portafilter and steam wand, for about the same price. I would really recommend going with the name brand.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner But It has a pressure gauge, that seems important indicator for grind size. We aim 9 bars. With other machines, you can't know live pressure info. I don't care that much how the portafilter looks as both Dedica and this need a non-pressurized basket.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I think a manometer is a great way to indicate If you did the right procedure on coffee. Without It, you have only the coffee result to indicate that. That's how I see It. So, a manometer I personally consider quite important on a machine.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Does it mean i wouldn't need to cut out the bottom if i put in a naked basket? I didn't quite understand the spring you mentioned and if you did anything to keep it in place
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thanks Tom 😊. I should have said I’m running normal filter baskets (not pressurised). Would you still suggest leaving it to puck prep?
Where do you find them that cheap? eBay? I just had a look on this machine in a store, It's a beauty. But It cost 140€ there. Do you think It has more stable brewing temperature than the Dedica due to boiler?
Hey Tom! Thanks for the video, was once very broke and into tinkering so I went thrifting and got one of these for 25 euros! Performed quite decent and still in use today, tho it does need a certain workflow. Couple of upgrades later (bottomless portafilter, nonpressure basket etc.) I was looking online to get some mods in: better steam wand in there, PID and manometer. Wondering if you are familiar with these mods and if so you could point me in the right direction?
Hi there! Well, a PID should be possible, since it has a boiler to attach the temp probes to, and a lot of space to work with. Maybe try reddit? People post a lot of technical stuff there. Good luck! Tom
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi Tom, may I ask you? You wrote, that you don´t like it (Delonghi Icona Vintage). Can you please give more specific reasons for this opinion of yours? The thing is that I would like to buy an ECP 35.31 (based on your video), however it is currently unavailable in ourt country. It could probably be stocked in about a month. However, I just discovered the Icona Vintage, which is available. I saw a video of someone taking it apart, and most of the body is apparently made of stainless steel, which I like. The design is also quite interesting (that's not what I'm after though, the priority is quality coffee in advanced mode as you state in your videos). The plastic part of the portafilter isn't very nice, but on the other hand the simple finish makes it bottomless. But on the other hand again not having a portafilter with a bottom would probably not be ok. I still discovered the lower ECP33.21 series. This one doesn't have that middle part behind the portafilter stainless but plastic. It is available now and cheaper than ECP35.31, but I don't know if it is also poorer in some functional thing. In any case, I want to thank you for your videos. Along with James Hoffmann's videos, the information from you is very valuable to me as a non-coffee consumer to date. A lot of new knowledge and experience, made me rethink my recent purchase of an automatic coffee maker and go the manual coffee maker route. Thank you.
@@chrastitko Hi there! The Icona is similar to the ECP series in regards to the boiler and brew group, but the portafilter is terrible, and the drip tray rattles terribly. You can choose anything in the ECP series, whether the 35.31, 33.21, etc, and they will be a good choice. The differences between these models is just how much of the housing is plastic vs. metal. Just please wait for the ECP, because it is much nicer to use than the Icona, for the aforementioned reasons. Cheers! Tom
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi, Tom, thank you for your reply. Icona is out of the game. It's now a tie between 35.31 and 33.21. The 35.31 is a bit of a question as to how much it will cost as prices keep going up insanely. Last time it was from 137Eur upwards. The 33.21 is currently available in our local e-shop at 109Eur, which seems like a good price. I noticed one more detail that differentiates it from the 35.31. Apart from that middle cover, the panarello steaming nozzle is also different. The 35.31 has that ring on it for switching hot milk/cappuccino. The 33.21 just has the simple version. I know you recommend dropping it off and steaming with just the inside of the nozzle. However, on our Delonghi ESAM3200 machine (the nozzle is a bit different here, I think it's the same as on the Delonghi Icona Vintage) I learned to steam quite well with the original nozzle set up. It's a bit of a hack, first I steam normally with the nozzle slightly submerged to get the max amount of air into the milk, and then I plug the little hole that's at the top of the nozzle where it draws the air from with my finger and submerge it a bit deeper and it nicely chops the bubbles down to absolutely tiny ones. The problem with the ESAM is that you can't tilt the steaming nozzle at an angle, so it's quite a challenge to make even a little bit of a swirl. So it occurred to me that a switchable panarello could perhaps be used in such a way that it would first rush air into the milk with the ring open, and then switch it to "hot milk" and soften the bubbles, since I assume all that switch does is close off the air supply from the top. But having no experience, I don't know if you could make a milk swirl with that. Can you please advise? Which one to opt for? Thank you
@@chrastitko That's true. The 35.31 has a longer rubber nozzle, which is better than the short one of the 33.21. Maybe you can just wait for the 35.21?
Hello everyone! Who else of you have found a sweet deal on a used espresso machine? Write into the comments below!
Ariete Vintage…
My old Ultima Pro was used - actually open box/like new from eBay for half price. Was missing some minor components which I bought from Capresso, still saved like $70 overall. You beat me though :)
Believe it or not. This machine is still found as "new" in my country sold for around $120
Bought mine for £20 on Facebook 😊.
Hi Tom, just got this machine from a friend leaving the country. I’m in Burundi and can’t buy the part you recommended for this for a while.
I took apart the pressurized basket set up and found that you can remove the “pressurizing” parts, but keep the screen inside the seal (if that makes sense). BUT I can’t grind/buy espresso fine coffee (the Cuisinart grinder I was given really can’t make grind fine enough), so should I even attempt to pull a shot? I’m scared to hurt the machine as well. Is there a way to improve the coffee without buying the better components?
Excellent video. Maybe you should consider doing a series of these. Thrift shop for espresso machines and make small modifications. I realy enjoy consuming content like this. Well done! Cheers! ☕
That would be cool! Just need to get my hands on a few more. 😉
Thanks Tom - really useful. I got my Icona from a friend for £15 + an Amazon gift card. I second the tip of removing and cleaning the shower head. I found coffee grinds stuck in there. Afterwards, LOL, coffee taste was much improved!
Just bought one from my local thrift for $45NZD. I am a total coffee machine newbie so this was very helpful
Glad it was helpful! Have fun!
Thanks you are awesome, u make a great videos of coffee machine like delonghi , I can use these machines in office , house and got a good results
Tom,
At first I thought you had it wrong by saying ‘distilled water’ when you descale.
But then later you use Brita filtered water for making espresso.
Then I realised, yes you made a very trivial but important sense. That Distilled Water is great idea for descaling.
I’ll do that next time.
Thank you.
Haha yes, distilled water is completely devoid of minerals, so great for descaling, and it is also cheap! Cheers!
Thank you for this! I’m currently using an old Krups Novo machine, with great success. I think part of the deal is this: older “15 bar” machines will no longer be pushing 15 bar to the brew head. Depending on the age and prior use of the unit, it might actually be getting close to an ideal 9 bar at the brew head. So as long as you get the right temperature at brew time, there’s no reason you should be getting bad espresso from these machines. And if you’re just starting out, you can then focus your $$$ on the grinder. Which can also be had for low $$$ and high impact (units such as the Urbanic 070s come to mind).
Hey, thanks for your feedback! Actually, the Ulka pumps may be rated at 15 bar, but I have measured them to max out at 12 bar on the Gaggia Classic Pro, or 11 bar on the Dedica, when using a portafilter manometer. These pressures however are just the maximum possible. When doing an espresso extraction, the pressure is caused by the puck resisting the pump, and is therefore less.
Oh, and the Urbanic 070 is a nice economical choice! I reviewed the 080, and I liked it. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I got my 070s at discount on amaz0n for $170 (plus $38 shipping), and modified it to stepless. It’s a great grinder.
I have same machine at home. It`s make good espresso. Not a single problem many years of use. I probably will change it for lelit anita. Because delongi is not for many types of coffes. 9 bar is high or verry high for espreso (check james hoffman). Can`t change temperature. If you use light coffe - high temperature, for darker - low temperature. Even brew temperature - you don`t know how is. And so on... but you can`t buy something good as this for less then 200 euro (new).
Thank you! I have an Icona and had no idea about the pressurised vs non-pressurised baskets and what a difference they make. I have a spare so maybe I'll do a modification on one. 😁
I found an even older DeLonghi Caffè Treviso machine for £5 in a UK charity (thrift) shop, which has the same internals as this but a conventional basket. I descaled it as shown and it also makes a pretty good espresso.and steamed milk. I found a Krups burr grinder as well so I can make decent espresso every morning from beans. Coffee shop Americano is around £3 in the UK now, so I made my money back in the first week!
Awesome Mark, that's what I like to hear! It is fun breathing new life into these machines, and saving money to boot!
I have one of those. I bought it recently new in beige. It's beautiful. Automatic ones usually give milk to watered-down coffee. It is better to heat the coffee and milk separately.🤝
Thanks for making this great video Tom. I bought a dedica, not as cheap as your Delonghi but it’s a kinda low budget machine right and I’m loving it. Makes great espresso and it fits perfectly with my minimalistic way of life.
Great to hear! I prefer the Dedica over the Icona, but for €10, I couldn't pass this up!
A very nice looking machine. Really like the premium-look of it.
Cool video! Last week, I found an EC685 for $15 in the local thrift store. Works well, so $15 well spent! I ordered a bottomless portafilter, non-pressurized basket and a tamper. The only thing is that my Cuisinart grinder cannot grind fine enough for a decent espresso. I'm on a budget so I'll go with pre-ground coffee (suggestions welcome!) until I can find a reasonably priced grinder.
Amazing deal, Efe! You might be able to mod that Cuisinart grinder...I am not sure. But which market are you in? Maybe I could suggest an economical grinder.
Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I'm in the US. I already modded the Cuisinart but it's very inconsistent. OK for drip coffee but leaves a lot of fines and coarse grounds at the same time. I'll keep looking around and maybe I'll find an even better deal lol
@@efeyamacyarbas8658 Ok, thanks for letting me know, Efe! If you are in the USA, you could try the Smart Grinder Pro for around $200: amzn.to/3wzROwJ
Or a hand grinder 1Zpresso JX for around $130: amzn.to/3AMgFPd
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thanks for the suggestions! The holiday season is upon us, maybe I'll find a good deal 😅
Capresso infinity has been the absolute best for grinding!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Mr. Tom. I also got a second-hand icona for a good price and I'm following your tips for cleaning and changing the baskets, the original owner lost the original basket.
Thank you! Already noticeably better after all your suggestions. What other mods can you do with this machine? I'd like to upgrade the steam wand and can the pump be upgraded?
That is a super deal and still it makes great espresso compared with many other machines that you can buy cheap.
I would like to see if you can show in future video if sage portafilter and basket are swapable with delonghi dedica. As always you are the best Tom 👍
Hey Rezart, I read somewhere that they are compatible, but I tried the Bambino's basket in the Dedica, and if I remember right it got stuck somehow. They are quite similar, but not quite compatible it seems. Remind me in September, and I will take a closer look. 😉
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thanks Tom, next video you post i will bother again 😄
By the way you should check out the lidl new espresso machine its a copy of delonghi dedica, here in finland it cost 99e idk in germany but looks very similar.
@@rezartavdyli oh nice! I will have to keep my eyes out for it!
Thank u so much. I like the retro style of this machine
Glad you like it! Me too!
Rancilio Silvia. 35 dollars. Savers didn't know what they had 😄older model but all it took was a descale, some cleaning and a new gasket and she's good as new.
Oh my gosh, that's awesome!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner she's gonna get a big upgrade - i'm putting the Gaggiuino in.
@@MCDreng Oh sick! You should make a video about it.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I've already thought about it - "Turning a THRIFT STORE espresso machine into a BEAST espresso machine" or so
Hi Tom, nice video. I have been using this machine for 6 months now also bought as used! Very enjoyable. I am planning on making a video if I can find time. Do you know the size/volume of the boiler? I can’t find any information online. By usage, I think it might be around 80-90ml but I really would like to know the real number.
Thanks 👋
Note: use only steam wand to descale. There is a shower head in the brew head and if the boiler is full, limestone can be trapped there… even if so, you can always open it up and brush off.
Note2: you don’t need distilled water since you have acid in it. Just use brita. Maybe you can be more specific with the ratio of solution because it matters a lot for the descaling performance. You can buy pure lactic acid to save on consumer solutions. 👋
Hi there! If I had to guess, I would say probably 150-250ml. I know that is a little vague, but I do not know myself.
I will keep the steam wand in mind for descaling! 👍 Cheers, Tom
@@TomsCoffeeCorner hey Tom, thanks for reply. After your comment, I wondered and opened it up. 2cm deep with a radius 4, so it is 100ml in gross volume. Then there is a heating element inside so I believe it will hold approximately 80ml of water😀 take care
This machine can actually pull a decent coffee when using a bottomless portafilter and upgraded steam nozzle...and grinding your own beans.
Another great review, thank you!
You betcha!
any advice how to diagnose one that trips the breakers once the green light comes on? ta muchly. I d hate to have to toss it. Actually after seeing this vid, I d love to mod my portafilter too. Thanks
Thank you!
I am trying since 3 days pulling our shots with a non a pressurised filter. First of all if I dont grind extremly fine, I get 50ml in 15 seconds for 18 grams of coffe. And If I grind anything below 50 clicks on my K6 kingrinder to get the right flow, I get a muddy shot... Tried with 18 grams worth of beans
Got down to 26 clicks on my grinder, so very low, to be able to have the 1:2 ratio after 25 secs, but then I was literally feeling like eating my coffe. At 25 click the machine chokes up.
What am I doing wrong ? Tried like 20 espresso, with various routines, and as of now they all tasted too muddy as compared to using the pressurised filter.
Rather than modifying the basket and portafilter, can you just buy one from aftermarket?
Yes you can. Have a look in the video description for some links to accessories.
Which one is better this or DeLonghi Dedica Style EC 685? I'm looking for buying one new and my style at home is retro, but i like both and don't know which one is better.
Great video, thank you, did you used that hand grinder for the non pressurized shot as well?
Yes, the hand grinder works well for both shots. Cheers!
What nachine would you recomend this or the Dedica EC885M. Thanks Tom
For sure, the EC885. Much more user friendly.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi Tom thanks for reply I've actually used manual machines similar to the Icona before so wondering what produces the best quality espresso and milk out of the two. Thanks 🥰
Great video. I am new to making espresso and just picked up this same machine and hand grinder. Can you remember which setting you used to grind the beans? I can't seem to get it quite right and water is pooling on top of my puck.
Well, a wet puck doesn't really mean something is wrong. I would adjust to get about a double wet yield to the dry powder, in 20-25 seconds.
Hi Tom what machine is better this Icona (which is still available brand new in New Zealand) or the Dedica Pump Espresso EC885. Thanks so much love your videos.
Definately the Dedica. This is my least favorite Delonghi so far, due to the ergonomics and looks.
Thank you Tom. What is better between the Delonghi Stilosa EC230 and the Dedica? (the Stilosa EC260 is not available over here only the EC230). @@TomsCoffeeCorner
Thanks for good video Tom. I'm considering about this Icona or ECP3 series, how do you think about? my ECP31.21's steam tap(valve) was break down so I'm looking for a second hand machine. (your ECP31.21 disassembly video helped me also :D)
Hello, Tom! Greetings from Romania!
Can you please tell me how much grams of coffee did you use in the un pressurized basket? Thank you
12-13 grams.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thank you
Another great video and another possible first machine 😅😂. Can get this machine right around the corner for 30 bucks. Not being used intensively. Dedica is still an option to. Which do you prefer besides the looks?
I like the Dedica better than this, honestly. My favorite of the small Delonghis though is the ECP 3420. But anyway, for $30, this isn't bad. Just be sure to get a proper portafilter and basket. Cheers!
I have this machine. Instead of sawing my current portafilter can I just buy a bottomless portafilter to use with it? If so how do I work out what size is needed please? Thanks!
Yes you can. 51mm. Try the IMS one. Cheers!
That was so helpful, I just bought a DeLonghi Micalite E COM 311R which looks exactly the same as yours but is in red. I am not very happy as even the larger of the 2 filters looks shallow @. 2.25 cm and makes really weak expresso. Please could you tell me how deep your manual filter is, perhaps that's all I need to fix my expresso strength? I can't wait to saw off the bottom of my dispenser to see if I can get nice frothy crema like yours!
Hi there! Please check the description, I have some proper accessories linked there. I use a 26mm deep IMS basket. Good luck!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thank you SO MUCH Tom, super helpful!😉(Hangs head in shame, my weak coffee was because I was so impatient, I forgot to wait for the green light to come on, but I really can't wait to replace the pressurized filter and buy a proper grinder - tempted by the Baratza Encore ESP, the Baratza Sette or the 1Zpresso X-Pro S Manual Coffee Grinder, any experience with these?) Of course, liked subscribed and commented!
The outpart of the milk steamer wand was missing!
Oh crap!
Great video!
Cheers from London England 👍😎🏴🇬🇧
Thank you! Cheers! Greetings from Germany! 🇩🇪
Hello Tom! Thank you very much for this video, I've finally will make the most out of my 5-year old Icona Vintage ECO311. I just wanted to ask a quick question; I have checked the links you have provided but I am confused with the bottomless portafilter size, is it 51mm or 58mm? When I measure my default portafilter it looks closer to 58mm but I think the value should be consistent for the same model :) I would really appreciate if you could point me in the right direction and thank you again!
Hi! It's 51mm, which is the inner diameter of the basket.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thank you very much for taking the time to reply and inform! 🎉
You got extremely lucky. For darker roasted beans, there's no grind size that matches with this machine. Even when the shot it's being pulled too fast, there's dripping alongside the edges of the grouphead, suggesting a pressure too high to be handled by the machine, but too low to get a >20sec shot.
Lol, yes so far it's my least favorite machine from Delonghi.
Hi, have you solved this issue? I have been buying regular Lavazza ground coffee from the grocery store and it works just fine, however I wanted to try using speciality coffee so I bought some and they grinded it for me as they deemed appropriate. First at 1.1 grind size, which didn't work as it was too fine so I went back and they switched it with a new one at 2 which also didn't work for the same reason. I feel bad speaking to them again about a third pack, any advice?
Tom. Thanks! I got a used one on 2nd hand local market but the quantity of water that I can see dropping on the bottomless AND the quantity of water that comes out without it seems really less than yours. I already cleaned it and tried different sizes of grinder. Any ideas? Should I send it to a place to check it as maybe something is broken inside?
Hi, what a terrific video! I also have this Iconia. I cut of the part of the portafilter to make it bottomless as well, but when I use it that way I get a hissing sound, a lot of steam and it seems like the water is being pushed through. Used the original pressure basket as well as an after market (be it a very cheap one) non-pressure basket. Any idea what might cause this?
Well, your grind could be too fine, causing the pressure to reach up to the 13 bar of the OPV. That pressure gets stuck at the grouphead if the grind is too fine.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner That's what I thought as well. But tried it with a more course grind and the same result. After that I tried without anything in the basket but the same result (a lot of steam out of the group head)
Hey! Love your videos!! Do you happen to know if a Rancilio steam wand can be fitted on such a model? I still have the ECO310 model and would like to upgrade the steam wand. I'm not sure if it can fit on this, since the fixture for the steam wand on here seems to be slightly different from the Dedica model. Thank you!
I think it ought to fit, but honestly I have not tried it. It will depend on how the current steam wand sits and rotates in its fitting.
Do you think a simple knife can cut this machine's portafilter bottom, is It soft plastic or hard plastic?
No, please don't try that. The knife could slip easily on the slippery plastic and cut you. You will need something like a hack saw. 👍🏻
Hello Tom's Coffee Corner.
Brilliant video. I watched also video about pressure valve and its "merits".
Got this machine sitting around and wasnt really happy about the crema so going yo check this out as i am keen on thise upgrades.
Could you please help me sizing the basket? From links I'm getting conflicting results of what size the basket is on this machine.
I am measuring lever fitment hole at 56mm. Links say 51mm or 60mm.
Please help.
Also searching for lever sizing, i found nothing. It may be useful for others to know science behind that too if you did video on this topic.
Hello and thank you for your comment! It isn’t in 551 mm. I have some baskets listed in the description as suggestions.
This two tab portafilter for example should also fit.
amzn.to/3AxoHfr
Thanks!
Tom
Hi Tom, love your videos, how do you compare this model with dedica 685. It’s currently is in same price range as dedica new.
I like the Dedica much better. This Icona has pretty bad ergonomics...
Thanks much appreciated @@TomsCoffeeCorner
Hi Tom , my name is Octavian, I bought this machine in 3rd of december 2020, I use it at a second residence where i go in weekend, I maybe used it 100 times but I don t think so , My macine is not heating up any more. After about one hour start being almost hot but not enough on the upper plate The middle led do not goes on to let me know is ready, Any ideea ? Thanks..
Hmm, maybe the heating element is burnt out?
Hi Tom! May i ask for your honest opinion if you feel any difference between this icona vintage vs dedica? Thank you!
There is a big difference, because the Icona is a boiler machine, and totally manual, while the Dedica is a thermoblock, and has nice comfort features. I like the Dedica over the Icona for sure.
Thanks for the video. What about a comparison between this machine and the Dedica?
Great suggestion! Perhaps I will do that soon. Cheers!
This has a boiler while the Dedica has a thermoblock so I’d assume the Icona is better
It looks this and 3240 might have different boiler numbers, wonder what differs, whether size or wattage or structure. Does it produce same temperature profile as 3240?
Sorry, have not done a temp profile on the Icona. I am guessing it will be similar however.
Hi, we have the same machine but every time it gets hot the whole home electricity gets a short cut and cuts it, we opened it and there is nothing wrong with the cables , what can be the issue?? Thank you!
I don't know, but there could be a short somewhere in the machine. I'd advise to not use it in that case.
Ciao.
Io uso le cialde. Potresti consigliarmi un filtro che possa fare una buona crema?
Grazie per il video.
I don't think you'll get crema with pads....but I will try some and see what happens.
@@TomsCoffeeCornergrazie mille.
Aspetto una tua notizia 🤗
Hi Tom, with how many grams did you fill this basket, aprox I got the same basket and the tamper but got no scale so I will try it by the eye method for now :) Tnx
16 grams
I really would like you to make a review of MPM MKW-08M machine!
Hmm. Looks like a Dedica rip off with a crappier portafilter and steam wand, for about the same price. I would really recommend going with the name brand.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner But It has a pressure gauge, that seems important indicator for grind size. We aim 9 bars. With other machines, you can't know live pressure info. I don't care that much how the portafilter looks as both Dedica and this need a non-pressurized basket.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Do I have a point?
@@jimis3167 It's nice to have a manometer, but not really a deal killer for me. You just have to choose what is important to you. 👍🏻
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I think a manometer is a great way to indicate If you did the right procedure on coffee. Without It, you have only the coffee result to indicate that. That's how I see It. So, a manometer I personally consider quite important on a machine.
Can you test its brew temperature and let me know the result?
Sure, I can do that. Could you write me again in one or two weeks? I’m not currently in my studio. Cheers!
I got quick question, is it ok to buy h24 couse h26 is out of stock, will I loose quality? Thank you for the answer
The H24 is just 2mm less in depth. I find that it works fine, too.
Thank you for the info, your Chanell helped me lot with coffee making@@TomsCoffeeCorner
Would the naked basket not fit the portafilter?
It fits, but the portafilter on the Icona does not have a spring to keep it in place. Not sure why they made that design decision...
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Does it mean i wouldn't need to cut out the bottom if i put in a naked basket? I didn't quite understand the spring you mentioned and if you did anything to keep it in place
can we fit non-pressurized basket in portafilter without cutting it?
Sure, it fits just fine.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thanks
Where can I buy this coffee grinder?
Here you go! geni.us/TimemoreNano
Hi Tom,
Do you know if the OPV in this is the same as the dedica? I have one of these and I am thinking of trying to get it down to 9bars.
I would guess it's the same. I would not suggest altering the OPV. You can reach 9 bars, depending on your puck prep. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thanks Tom 😊. I should have said I’m running normal filter baskets (not pressurised). Would you still suggest leaving it to puck prep?
Where do you find them that cheap? eBay? I just had a look on this machine in a store, It's a beauty. But It cost 140€ there. Do you think It has more stable brewing temperature than the Dedica due to boiler?
No, I don't think the temp will be as stable as the Dedica. But it does look kinda cool. I just look on the local used market for deals. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner So, not always the case that boiler has more stable temp than thermoblock? That's what I thought..
@@jimis3167 No, I don't think so. Maybe no really large boiler machines, but not on such little ones as this. Cheers!
my steam function stopped working suddenly, any tips???
Does the brew group still work? It might be the steam lever valve.
yh that works perfectly fine@@TomsCoffeeCorner
Hey Tom! Thanks for the video, was once very broke and into tinkering so I went thrifting and got one of these for 25 euros! Performed quite decent and still in use today, tho it does need a certain workflow.
Couple of upgrades later (bottomless portafilter, nonpressure basket etc.) I was looking online to get some mods in: better steam wand in there, PID and manometer. Wondering if you are familiar with these mods and if so you could point me in the right direction?
Hi there! Well, a PID should be possible, since it has a boiler to attach the temp probes to, and a lot of space to work with. Maybe try reddit? People post a lot of technical stuff there. Good luck! Tom
Is this a good machine ?
I don't like it that much. Go for an ECP 3420 instead.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi Tom,
may I ask you? You wrote, that you don´t like it (Delonghi Icona Vintage). Can you please give more specific reasons for this opinion of yours?
The thing is that I would like to buy an ECP 35.31 (based on your video), however it is currently unavailable in ourt country. It could probably be stocked in about a month.
However, I just discovered the Icona Vintage, which is available. I saw a video of someone taking it apart, and most of the body is apparently made of stainless steel, which I like. The design is also quite interesting (that's not what I'm after though, the priority is quality coffee in advanced mode as you state in your videos). The plastic part of the portafilter isn't very nice, but on the other hand the simple finish makes it bottomless. But on the other hand again not having a portafilter with a bottom would probably not be ok.
I still discovered the lower ECP33.21 series. This one doesn't have that middle part behind the portafilter stainless but plastic. It is available now and cheaper than ECP35.31, but I don't know if it is also poorer in some functional thing.
In any case, I want to thank you for your videos. Along with James Hoffmann's videos, the information from you is very valuable to me as a non-coffee consumer to date. A lot of new knowledge and experience, made me rethink my recent purchase of an automatic coffee maker and go the manual coffee maker route.
Thank you.
@@chrastitko Hi there! The Icona is similar to the ECP series in regards to the boiler and brew group, but the portafilter is terrible, and the drip tray rattles terribly. You can choose anything in the ECP series, whether the 35.31, 33.21, etc, and they will be a good choice. The differences between these models is just how much of the housing is plastic vs. metal. Just please wait for the ECP, because it is much nicer to use than the Icona, for the aforementioned reasons. Cheers! Tom
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi, Tom,
thank you for your reply. Icona is out of the game.
It's now a tie between 35.31 and 33.21.
The 35.31 is a bit of a question as to how much it will cost as prices keep going up insanely. Last time it was from 137Eur upwards.
The 33.21 is currently available in our local e-shop at 109Eur, which seems like a good price. I noticed one more detail that differentiates it from the 35.31. Apart from that middle cover, the panarello steaming nozzle is also different.
The 35.31 has that ring on it for switching hot milk/cappuccino. The 33.21 just has the simple version. I know you recommend dropping it off and steaming with just the inside of the nozzle. However, on our Delonghi ESAM3200 machine (the nozzle is a bit different here, I think it's the same as on the Delonghi Icona Vintage) I learned to steam quite well with the original nozzle set up. It's a bit of a hack, first I steam normally with the nozzle slightly submerged to get the max amount of air into the milk, and then I plug the little hole that's at the top of the nozzle where it draws the air from with my finger and submerge it a bit deeper and it nicely chops the bubbles down to absolutely tiny ones. The problem with the ESAM is that you can't tilt the steaming nozzle at an angle, so it's quite a challenge to make even a little bit of a swirl.
So it occurred to me that a switchable panarello could perhaps be used in such a way that it would first rush air into the milk with the ring open, and then switch it to "hot milk" and soften the bubbles, since I assume all that switch does is close off the air supply from the top.
But having no experience, I don't know if you could make a milk swirl with that.
Can you please advise? Which one to opt for?
Thank you
@@chrastitko That's true. The 35.31 has a longer rubber nozzle, which is better than the short one of the 33.21. Maybe you can just wait for the 35.21?
175 GBP for a 2006 Gaggia Classic
? Did you get one for that price?