DeLonghi Eletta ECAM44660 Review: A Love “Letta” to Your Taste Buds!

Last updated on July 5th, 2023 by Jules Winnfield

delonghi eletta ecam44660 review

As your coffee drinking habits evolve, you may discover that you will want a certain type of machine to meet your needs.

If you’re like me and drinking a bold, full bodied espresso with crema in the morning plus a milk based latte in the afternoon all with the touch of a button is how you roll, then a bean to cup machine is probably the machine type you want.  

DeLonghi Eletta ECAM44660
Overall
8.9/10
8.9/10
  • Performance - 9.3/10
    9.3/10
  • Ease of Use/Maintenance - 9.1/10
    9.1/10
  • Build & Quality - 8.6/10
    8.6/10
  • Design & Features - 8.9/10
    8.9/10
  • User Satisfaction - 8.8/10
    8.8/10

Final Verdict

The DeLonghi Eletta is a super automatic bean to cup espresso machine. Not only does it deliver on a one button easy to use and maintenance experience but it also comes with customizations like strength, grind, volume, temperature and milk foam for the perfect shot.   But the Eletta really stands out from its Dinamica and Magnifica cousins, with its extra-large bean hopper and convenient programmable autostart shots.   The downside is the Eletta is super pricey. And requires a bit of a learning curve and maintenance. But if you got the extra cash and espresso made with fresh beans with milk on autopilot is your jam, the Eletta will win your heart over fairly easily. 

De'Longhi Eletta, Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, Cappuccino and Espresso Maker, ECAM 44.660.B, 2 liters, Black

And the DeLonghi Eletta is one such machine that can fit the bill for your taste buds. 

But is it right for you? 

In this quick straight to the gist DeLonghi Eletta ECAM44660 review, we answer the question and give our overall rating to help you decide.

De'Longhi Eletta ECAM44660
Let the Eletta take over your mornings with its 15 bars, built in grinder, strength, temp settings, and automatic frother for the best lattes and cappuccinos.

Last update on 2024-03-13


DeLonghi Eletta Review and Rating

Build/Quality (8.6/10)

What is it made of? Plastic exterior with a sleek futuristic look and design. 
How durable is it? DeLonghi machines in general are very durable and built well. A few complaints of the Eletta breaking down earlier than expected, but that could just be sample size. 
If you keep up with maintenance, you’re looking at 5-10+ years of service. 

Performance (9.3/10)

What brew modes does it have? Espresso, Long Americano, Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato, Hot Milk, CaffeLatte, Flat White 
Makes twin shots to share with a friend. 
Pressure? 15 bars 
Strength control? Yes, the Eletta calls it taste settings and there are 5: 
Extra mild taste 
Mild taste 
Standard taste 
Strong taste 
Extra strong taste 
Temperature control? Yes, 4 settings from low to maximum. 
How fast does it brew one cup or batch? Heat up time? Fast heat up;
Makes a beverage in less than a few minutes 
How many cups does it make? Any espresso beverage can be made into 5 different volumes – 4 presets and 1 custom:
Short: 1.35 oz. (40 ml) 
Standard: 2.03 oz. (60 ml) 
Long: 3.04 oz. (90 ml) 
Extra Long: 4.06 oz. (120 ml) 
My Coffee: 0.68-6.09 oz. (20-180 ml)  
Steam wand for frothing? No, but comes with the LatteCrema system, which is basically a milk jug that steams and froths your milk separately from the machine and dispenses automatically into your espresso.  
Something very similar to the Nespresso Lattissima machines;  
Detachable so you can store your milk in fridge for next time. 
Self-cleans with an auto clean function.
Skimmed milk seems to get the best results.
How quiet is it? Quieter than you would expect. 
But ultimately makes the standard noise you would expect from a grinder. 
How is the taste and flavor?  Unanimously, everyone agrees the Eletta ECAM44660 brews delicious lattes, cappuccinos and long coffees that may taste even better than the coffee shop.
If you like it bold and strong you got it. If you like it mellow and nuanced it can do that too.
Plus it will save all your customizations for easy fast brewing next time.  
Be sure to run 4-5 cups of coffee through the machine the first time you use it so you get the best taste. 

Ease of Use/Maintenance (9.1/10)

How big is it? At 14.2 in. wide, 18.4 in. long, and 10.2 in. high, the Eletta is on par with other automatic machines and won’t take up too much countertop space.
How heavy? Portable? 24.2 lb., so it’s pretty heavy and not easily moved.  
LCD display or push buttons or both? Comes with easy to press touch buttons with an LCD screen  
How easy is it to use? The coolest part about the DeLonghi Eletta is its automated one button operation.  
Simply pour in your water, your coffee beans, select a grind setting, press the start button, select a beverage type, and optionally select a dose strength, long shot or not, and temperature, then hit the start button and your brew is on its way. 
For lattes, and cappuccinos, fill your milk jug, attach to machine, set your froth setting and hit button for the beverage you want. 
From bean to cup to froth, the whole thing is a joy to operate and watch.  
Maintenance reminders? Yes, over 16 different reminders including, Fill tank, Empty grounds container, and Descaling.  
How easy is it to clean? Cleanup is what you would expect, not difficult but involved: 
Simply clean out the drip tray, condensate tray, ground waste container, water tank. Wipe down coffee spouts, control panel. 
Less frequently, the infuser, coffee grounds container, and internal circuit need to be cleaned. 
The LatteCrema milk jug has a self-cleaning feature: Simple turn the froth dial to clean setting. Then put your milk jug away and wipe down the nozzle. 
Descaling is simple too, just follow the machine instructions. 
YouTube video

Design/Features (8.9/10)

Does it use pods or ground coffee or both? Coffee beans, either whole or pre ground – No wasteful pods! 
I hear Lavazza is pretty popular 
Heating mechanism Dual thermoblock 
Built in grinder? Conical steel burr grinder with 7 settings. 
Bean hopper capacity of 14 oz. 
Programmable autostart? Yes! Can be set to brew automatically any time of day. 
Also has programmable custom settings.  
Auto shut off, energy saving mode? Yes, can be set to auto turn off between 15 min and 3 hours of non-use. 
Any other notable tech features? Built in statistics function – so you can see how many coffees you made and other maintenance tasks.  
Removable water reservoir? How big? Yes, 67.6 oz (about 2 L). 
Come with accessories? Yes, a few things including a pre ground coffee measurer, cleaning brush and hot waterspout;  
Plus a water softening filter, and descaling solution. 
Can it dispense hot water? Yes, comes with hot water nozzle for making teas, hot chocolate, oatmeal, etc.  
Drip tray removable to accommodate larger mugs? Yes. Also coffee spouts height is adjustable to get up to 5.6 in. mugs in place. 
Any other unique features? Water hardness settings – helps customize when you should descale based on your water hardness 
Water softening filter – for the best tasting coffee 
Come in different colors? White, or Black 
Pricing Retails at $1699.95 

User Satisfaction (8.8/10)

Warranty? 1 year 
Specific customer feedback, good AND bad  Most people love the DeLonghi Eletta for its one button café quality drinks, customizable options and style. 
People don’t have too many issues other than it can use a lot of water for its regular cleaning and maintenance. 

Pros and Cons

When it comes to Italian made DeLonghi machines, you can pretty much expect high quality and performance as a baseline feature. But the DeLonghi Eletta sets itself apart in the following ways: 

Things I like 

  • Let’s you control your grind profile, strength, temperature, volume, and froth settings. 
  • Built in grinder for fresh coffee each brew; but can use preground coffee too 
  • Dual thermblocks so you can brew and froth at the same time 
  • LatteCrema milk system 
    • Turns any DeLonghi machine into a super automatic machine that kicks off automated milky espresso beverages 
    • Plus its incredibly easy to use and clean and maintain 
  • Larger bean hopper than usual 
  • Coffee grind container and drip tray are pretty large which means less emptying 
  • Programmable autostart 
    • Most automatic espresso machines don’t have this, so it’s exciting the Eletta will let you program when you want your espresso any time of the day! 
    • Probably wouldn’t work with milk-based beverages since the milk would have to be out in the morning, but basic espressos should work. 
  • Customizable settings can be saved for quick reference later 
  • Statistics function 
    • Great for pulling data that proves how addicted you are to coffee! 

Things I don’t like 

  • Very pricey 
  • Daily cleanup is simple but long term maintenance can be very involved; so you need to set aside time for this 
  • Learning curve should be expected to find the right grind and strength for your taste but won’t last long 

How Does it Compare? 

To get an idea of how serious business the Eletta is, we decided to compare it to a similar caliber super automatic espresso machine, such as the Gaggia Cadorna Prestige. 

DeLonghi Eletta vs Gaggia Cadorna Prestige

Gaggia Cadorna Prestige Super-Automatic Espresso Machine, Medium, 60.8 fl.oz. Anthracite

In terms of similarities both machines: 

  • Brew absolutely delicious, tasty espresso drinks that make going to the coffee shop null and void! 
  • Come with a built in burr grinder for fresh coffee daily 
  • Utilize a milk carafe system for automatic milk foam and froth with an automatic rinsing and cleaning system 
  • Will let you customize your settings (grind, strength, temp, volume) and save them for later 

But there are differences: 

  • The Gaggia Cadorna features a sophisticated full color TFT display with easy to navigate menus, which the Eletta doesn’t exactly have.
  • The Gaggia Cadorna comes with more (14) preprogramed recipes including the cortado and ristretto. The Eletta comes with 7. 
  • The Gaggia is a single boiler vs the Eletta’s double boiler.
  • The Gaggia has a smaller water tank (60 oz.) and bean hopper capacity (10.5 oz.) compared to the Eletta.
  • The Gaggia Cardona runs $400 cheaper to the Eletta.

Winner? 

  • If you want a bean to cup machine with lots of easy to choose pre-programmed recipes because maybe you don’t want to have to figure the machine out too much, and looking for an affordable deal but still quality, then the Gaggia Cardona is your machine of choice.  
  • But if you value speed, and maximum capacity to make your favorite coffee drinks, that can auto start for you in the morning, there really isn’t a better option than the Eletta. 

Final Verdict 

De'Longhi Eletta, Fully Automatic Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, Cappuccino and Espresso Maker, ECAM 44.660.B, 2 liters, Black

Dear taste buds you want to try the Eletta, you will be happy! 

That’s what the DeLonghi Eletta espresso machine is writing to your taste buds. Why? 

Because not only does this bean to cup automatic espresso machine deliver on a super easy to use and maintenance experience but it also comes with customizations like strength, grind, volume, temperature and milk foam for the perfect shot.

So at the touch of a button, you can get delicious creamy espresso coffees like none other.  

But the Eletta really stands out from its Dinamica and Magnifica cousins, with its extra-large bean hopper and programmable autostart shots. This means waking up to the fresh aroma of espresso in your kitchen every morning. 

The downside is the Eletta is super pricey and requires a bit of a learning curve and regular maintenance. But if you got the extra cash and espresso made with fresh beans with milk on autopilot is your jam, the Eletta will win your heart over fairly easily.

De'Longhi Eletta ECAM44660
Let the Eletta take over your mornings with its 15 bars, built in grinder, strength, temp settings, and automatic frother for the best lattes and cappuccinos.

Last update on 2024-03-13

For other high end Eleta machines there are others to consider:

But you may still consider the Dinamica and Magnifica machines if fully automatics that provide a hands-off bean to cup experience but still give you the delicious coffee house aroma and taste you can’t live without at a more affordable price is your thing.

For a more semi automatic feel that gives you a little more involvement in the brewing process, consider the La Specialista series.

If you want to keep things more basic, then check out the Dedica or ECP series. These machines are manual semi-automatics that are much simpler with no grinder built in.

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