If you're like me then you'll love a nice cup of coffee, maybe two or three in fact, especially first thing in the morning, and you probably have a preferred brand of instant coffee, mine is Nescafe if you're interested.
I have been drinking my favourite brand for years now, sometimes trying other brands but always coming back to my old faithful due to the fact that I really do love the taste.
But when I was given an espresso at a friends house a while back I was astounded by how delicious this home made beverage actually tastes. So I asked my friend how on earth she had made such a tasty drink which would have put a star bucks to shame.
When I asked her how she'd come to make this delicious tasting espresso, knowing that it certainly wasn't from pouring a packet of powder into a cup and quickly stirring it until your wrist hurts, she proudly exhibited a stylish little black number which was sitting in the corner of her kitchen.
This stylish little black number she was showing me was in fact the Delonghi EC152 Pump Espresso Coffee Machine and it wasn't too long before I had one sat in my kitchen so I could enjoy a perfect coffee every time.
I have now been using the said machine for a while now and feel it is about time I tell you all about it.


Firstly though, the boring bits...

** SPECS...

* 15 Bar pump pressure
* 1100 watts
* Traditional milk frother
* Professional filter holder and tamper
* Removeable 1 Litre water tank
* Removable drip tray
* Built to accommodate full-size cappuccino or 2 espresso cups
* Size is approximately 240mm long, 190mm wide and 290mm high,
* 8KG in weight


And now for...

** MY OPINION...

As I said, I love a nice cup of coffee and this remarkable little device quenches my desire for such a thing.
It claims to make the perfect espresso, cappuccinos and café lattes and it certainly does exactly what it claims, or if you just want a strong tasting black coffee then it will do that too.
Not only does it make a coffee/cappuccino/espresso to be proud of it even looks the part, with it's nice looking jet black colouring and silver panels, so it will not look out of place in most modern kitchens.
The filter system, which is easy to remove and replace, is lightweight and the handle is quite comfortable so that when you have to bang the used ground coffee out of the filter you won't lose your grip.

As for the size, well, it's quite petite, for what it is capable of, so even if you've only got a small kitchen, but still want that perfect espresso, this is certainly worth looking at.

It comes with a filter holder and a built in tamper which helps to make that perfect product every time.
With the water tank filled up you can make two good sized Espresso or cappuccinos at a time, with switching to steam a simple matter of a quick adjustment of a small knob.
The manual milk frothing arm, which is situated on the side, swings out and gives your coffee a blast of steam, milk or air to create perfection each time, but do be aware that the metal arm does get very hot and I wouldn't recommend touching it once it is in use, but if you have to use a thick cloth or the like as it will scold bare flesh.
It can be a bit noisy when in action but this is not for long and is tolerable, and due to the fact that it quietens down as the process goes on it is won't put you off using it.

The 15 bar pump pressure gives this machine enough power to create that perfect cappuccinos and espressos every time. And as it takes less than a minute for the water to reach the correct temperature there's no hanging about for you morning coffee, or what ever time of day it is.
Using it is as easy as turning a dial until a green light shows, then turn a bit more to get the coffee to start coming out. Or turning it the other way to make the milk froth. It couldn't be easier could it, although it does come with some simple instructions to aid in your quest for that perfect cappuccino.

I like the ease of cleaning, especially how simple it is to remove everything that needs to be cleaned so there's very little need to be forcing your sponges into nooks and crannies. For example, the drip tray lifts right out so it can be emptied and wiped over, and the same goes for the filter, once you've knocked all the coffee beans out of it, which can make a bit of a thud depending on what you hit.

The only things I found that I felt were worth mentioning towards the negative sides are that the milk frothing arm is a bit of a pain due to the fact that it is a little short, making fitting a larger cups under a bit of a struggle, but a bit of juggling, and a bit of kitchen rearranging, I managed to solve this problem.
And I do tend to be going through a lot of ground coffee using it as it takes two big scoops, but you can only put one scoop in at a time, which leads to your third or fourth friend you're making a coffee for to wait a while before they get it.

So, if you're a coffee addict, like I am, and no amount of counselling will make you want to change, then it is well worth taking a look at this little beauty as it will fix that addiction in a minute.
It sells for around the £70.00 mark, which is quite good value for money considering the cost of some of the others on the market.

Would I buy one...? Yes, well I did didn't I, and I'm certainly glad I did.
As for the coffee beans themselves, well this is trial and error until you find your perfect choice for your pallet, I've tried several types, including shops own brands, the choice is all yours.