My sister wanted to get me something I'd really enjoy for my recent 21st birthday and after much deliberation I decided I wanted a coffee machine as coffee is one of my first loves. We spent a good long time shopping around for the best one on my birthday budget and it didn't take long to realise that I'd need the machine as well as all the accessories - espresso cups, cappucino cups, jug for frothing & the coffee itself. As a result I settled for the budget DeLonghi EC152 and all those things in my 'present' as it is by some way the cheapest quality espresso maker at the moment.

My personal preference was always for an espresso maker rather than a pod system as I can go anywhere to buy any coffee and it will work well, and I'm not stuck with one brand or one set of prices. So I was destined, really, for this model and am pleased that is the case. It is an intuitive machine for a first-timer and is easy to set up and operate, if a little loud & shaky on the first use as it rinses out the system.

When making coffee, the process is remarkably easy and fast, in fact I'm not convinced it is any slower than making instant coffee with hot water from a kettle. It really is remarkably quick, and all that's needed is a twist of the central knob to one position until the OK light switches on (~30s), then a further twist to another position before the coffee begins to dispense a couple of seconds later. To froth milk, the knob is turned the other way to another position where the water is warmed, and then a second knob on top of the machine is turned once the OK light is on for the frother to start frothing. This also takes no time at all.

The parts are also very easy to clean and a little clip thing on the coffee filter & handle makes it easy to knock out used coffee without also losing the filter in your rubbish bin.

Overall, I am really enjoying going and sourcing high-quality ground coffee, and brewing it at home properly with my now-favourite kitchen gizmo, and can't recommend this machine highly enough to anyone who is fed up of tasteless instant coffee and wants to try something better. It really is an inexpensive but significant step up from Gold Blend.