The Real Deal On DeLonghi Stilosa: A Budget Espresso Machine That Delivers

You don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a quality espresso at home. Meet the De’Longhi Stilosa, an entry-level brewer that punches above its weight. At first glance, it may seem like any other budget machine, but after spending some quality time with it, we can confirm that it offers more than meets the eye. Let’s dive in to find out why it’s a great choice for espresso beginners looking to save a few bucks without compromising on flavor.

The Stilosa (also known as De’Longhi EC260BK) is the most basic of De’Longhi’s espresso machines, but it’s the long-awaited successor to the popular EC155. As a fan of the EC155, we were excited to put the Stilosa through its paces and compare how it stacks up. Overall, we’re pleased. It’s simple to use while keeping the features we loved in the older model and adding a modern design, an improved steam wand, and a few other perks.

What sets the De’Longhi Stilosa apart is the same thing that made the EC155 our favorite entry-level espresso machine: its stainless steel boiler. This feature is exceedingly rare in machines at this price point, which are more often equipped with thermoblock heaters. The advantage of a boiler versus a thermoblock is better brew temperature stability and accuracy. Small fluctuations in water, group head, and steaming temperatures can cause varying extraction yields and flavor profiles. During our tests, the Stilosa consistently maintained an ideal brewing temperature within about a degree of 201°F, ensuring great espresso every time.

While the Stilosa heats in around 3 minutes, we recommend waiting at least 5 to 10 minutes for the best results. This allows plenty of time for the passive cup warmer up top to get warm as well. De’Longhi calls the Stilosa a manual espresso machine (pair it with a quality grinder), but in our opinion, it’s semi-automatic because it includes a 15 bar pump. While you aren’t manually pulling the shot with a lever, you are involved in every other stage of the process. We think this style is ideal for newbies because it offers user control while being simple to operate.

If you want to craft milk-based specialty drinks with the Stilosa, the process is straightforward but leaves room for improvement with practice.

If you want to craft milk-based specialty drinks with the Stilosa, the process is straightforward but leaves room for improvement with practice. Here’s our method:

1. Heat the milk pitcher to around 155°F (68°C). You can use a thermometer if you prefer, but after some practice, it’s easy to tell when to stop based on timing and feel. The exterior of the milk pitcher should be hot but not so hot that you can’t hold it comfortably. 2. Attach the steam wand and let it heat up for a minute or two. 3. Insert the steam tip into the milk pitcher, and adjust the steam flow to create microfoam. This will take some practice, but after a few tries, you’ll be able to produce silky smooth steamed milk perfect for lattes. 4. Pour the frothed milk into your coffee cup, and top with espresso.

The Stilosa’s Pannarello steam wand is an improvement over the swivel jet frother of the EC155, making it easier to create cafe-style lattes at home. It yields drier and more powerful steam, which makes it easier to create the silky microfoam needed for a latte.

The Stilosa also comes with pressurized filter baskets, which are ideal for espresso beginners because they take the pressure off your puck prep skills. Even if your grind, distribution, or tamp is a little off, you’ll still enjoy a tasty shot with a thick layer of crema.

While testing this machine, we found that using an ESE pod in the single-shot basket produced great results.

The Stilosa is compatible with ESE (easy-serve espresso) pods, making it even more convenient for those who prefer the ease of pods over grinding their own beans. While testing this machine, we found that using an ESE pod in the single-shot basket produced great results.

After all that, how does the espresso taste? It’s good coffee but doesn’t quite measure up to cafe quality. While testing this machine, we pulled a number of shots using varying skill levels to get a sense of its capabilities – always with the same medium-dark roast espresso beans. First, we tried using pre-ground coffee that we measured into the portafilter with the scoop and gently tamped. It wasn’t bad! That’s why the Stilosa is a great pick for beginners. It’s always going to make decent espresso. The shot was a little one-note, and the body was thinner than we like for espresso, but it was still bold and flavorful with a pronounced layer of crema. Next, we used freshly ground coffee that we distributed evenly and tamped with a tamper calibrated to deliver 30 pounds of pressure. The quality of espresso notably improved, with greater flavor complexity and more body. Finally, we swapped in a non-pressurized filter basket. It took a few attempts to dial in the grind, but once nailed it, the shots were noticeably sweeter and smoother, with a fuller body and denser crema layer.

In general, we made better tasting espresso using medium or darker roasts with this machine. We struggled to pull a light roast shot that didn’t taste weak or sour. De’Longhi pump espresso machines, including the Stilosa, typically use narrow 51-mm baskets. In our opinion, this limits their espresso quality, especially with lighter roast beans. Most commercial espresso machines have 58-mm baskets, and modern specialty cafes use 18 to 20 g of coffee for a double shot. The small espresso baskets of the Stilosa simply can’t accommodate that dose – we maxed out around 14 grams – so the flavor intensity drops off as shot volume increases. This caps the size of latte or Americano you’re capable of making to about 8 ounces, above which the coffee flavor is quite weak.

As one of the newer additions to DeLonghi’s manual machines line-up, we think the Stilosa has an attractive modern design. It’s housed in sleek black plastic with stainless steel elements. It’s