🏆 2026 Best Bean-to-Cup Machine winner
Jura Z10
$4,199.00Live Amazon price · as of 09/11/2026 11:46 PM
Bean-to-Cup · Automatic milk
Check price on Amazon →The De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260) is a manual espresso machine listed at $149.95. De'Longhi's own listing states 15 bar pump pressure, a stainless steel boiler, a manual milk frother, and an ergonomic portafilter supplied with two filters for single or double espresso; De'Longhi's product page adds 1100 W and a 33.8 oz (1 L) water tank. That makes it a genuine pump machine rather than a steam-pressure device, which is the distinction that matters most under $200. It carries no score here because we have not evaluated it.
On this page
Documented, not scored
De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260)
- Model
- EC260 (EC260BK black and stainless)
- Listed price
- $149.95
- Pump
- 15 bar pump pressure
- Boiler
- Stainless steel
- Power
- 1100 W
- Tank
- 33.8 oz (1 L)
- Milk
- Manual frother wand
- Score
- Not published — scores are published for award winners
$149.95Live Amazon price · as of 09/11/2026 11:58 PM
Check price on Amazon →Specifications verified 2026-09-08 against the maker's own materials, listed in full at the foot of this page. This machine holds no 2026 CoffeeLab Award, so no score is published for it — why that is deliberate.
Why this page documents rather than scores
CoffeeLabAdvisor publishes a score only for CoffeeLab Award winners. That is an editorial choice, not a gap: the awards exist to name what is excellent, and a published number attached to everything else would turn a celebration into a league table. Machines we have not given an award are documented here instead — specifications from the maker's own materials, what those materials do not state, and honest context against machines that did win.
So this page carries no score, and none is pending. What it carries is checkable: every figure below is attributed, and where the maker publishes nothing we say so rather than filling the gap. Our editorial standards set out where the evidence stops.
Why this page exists at all, given what we say about machines under $200
Our best espresso machine under $200 guide says something unusual for its genre: our reviewed catalog contains no espresso machines under $200, and we would rather show an empty shortlist than invent one. That page also describes the tier as dominated by steam-driven and pump-limited devices. Both statements still stand.
This profile is not a reversal of that position; it is the evidence that sits behind it. The distinction the under-$200 page draws is between machines with a real pump and machines that force water with steam pressure from a sealed boiler. De'Longhi states 15 bar pump pressure and a stainless steel boiler for the Stilosa, which places it on the pump side of that line. Saying so is a factual correction to a lazy assumption about the price tier, and it is not the same as recommending the machine, which we are not in a position to do.
So read this page as: here is the cheapest machine we can document that is not a steam toy, here is exactly what its maker claims, and here is what nobody claims about it.
What De'Longhi's own materials state
| Specification | De'Longhi's stated figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | Listing title and product page |
| Boiler | Stainless steel, described as engineered for durability and consistent performance | Listing copy |
| Power | 1100 W | Product page and retailer specification sheets |
| Water tank | 33.8 oz (1 L) | Product page |
| Portafilter | Ergonomic, supplied with two filters for single or double espresso | Listing copy |
| Milk | Manual frother, for cappuccino, latte or flat white | Listing copy |
| Dimensions | 13.5 x 8.07 x 11.22 in | Retailer specification sheets |
| Listed price | $149.95 | Verified listing |
What is not stated anywhere we could verify, and therefore is not claimed here: whether the supplied filter baskets are pressurised or non-pressurised, the portafilter diameter, and any temperature-stability figure. The basket question is the consequential one at this price, because pressurised baskets create crema mechanically and change what grind and dose can achieve, and De'Longhi's copy for this model does not settle it. If that matters to you, ask before buying.
Note also what 15 bar means and does not mean. It is a pump rating, not the pressure at the coffee, and espresso is conventionally brewed at around 9 bar; a higher pump number is a specification, not a better shot. Our brewing methods guide sets out the 9-bar convention.
Against the machines we have documented
The cheapest machine we have evaluated is the Breville Bambino at $300, which holds a 2026 Honorable Mention for Best Overall Espresso Machine. The Stilosa lists at half that, and the gap is not a rounding difference in quality but a difference in what the machine does for you.
| Machine | Price | Heating and control | Milk | 2026 award standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Longhi Stilosa (EC260) | $149.95 | Stainless boiler, 1100 W. No stated temperature control | Manual frother | None |
| Breville Bambino | $300 | ThermoJet with PID, per its review record | Manual wand | Honorable Mention, Best Overall Espresso Machine |
| Gaggia Classic Pro | $499 | Per its review record | Manual wand | None |
Neither the Stilosa nor any machine at its price includes a grinder, and pre-ground supermarket coffee will not make good espresso in any of them. Budget for a grinder that reaches espresso fineness before you budget for the machine; our espresso grinder guide covers the entry level, and the arithmetic frequently means a $150 machine is really a $350 purchase. That is the single most useful thing to know before buying at this price, and it is the reason our under-$200 shortlist is empty rather than full of cheap machines.
Who this machine appears to be designed for
Someone finding out whether they like making espresso before committing real money to it, and someone who accepts a manual frother and manual everything else. The stated feature set is deliberately small: a pump, a boiler, a portafilter with two baskets, a frother wand and a two-level cup holder. There is no grinder, no temperature display, no programmability and no assistance of any kind.
If that sounds like a limitation, it is also the honest shape of the price. What we would caution against is the assumption that a cheap machine plus a cheap grinder produces a cheap version of good espresso. It usually produces a frustrating version, and our De'Longhi hub and beginner guide both set out the ladder above this point.
Verified products for this page
Machines we have actually evaluated, for placement. The Stilosa is not among them and carries no score.
🏆 2026 Best Overall Espresso Machine winner
Breville Bambino Plus
$499.95Live Amazon price · as of 09/11/2026 11:46 PM
Semi-Automatic · Automatic milk
Check price on Amazon →
Frequently asked questions
Is the De'Longhi Stilosa a real espresso machine?
Yes, in the sense that matters at this price: De'Longhi states 15 bar pump pressure and a stainless steel boiler, so it forces water with a pump rather than with steam pressure from a sealed boiler. That is the distinction between a genuine entry-level espresso machine and the steam-driven devices common under $200.
How much is the De'Longhi Stilosa?
$149.95 as listed at the time we verified the specifications. Budget separately for a grinder that can reach espresso fineness, because no machine at this price includes one and pre-ground coffee will not make good espresso.
Does 15 bar mean better espresso?
No. Fifteen bar is a pump rating, not the pressure at the coffee bed, and espresso is conventionally brewed at around 9 bar. A higher pump number on a specification sheet does not indicate a better shot; it indicates the pump's maximum.
Does the De'Longhi Stilosa come with a grinder?
No. It ships with an ergonomic portafilter and two filters for single or double espresso, and nothing else that grinds. A separate burr grinder capable of espresso fineness is a required purchase, not an optional one.
Are the Stilosa's filter baskets pressurised?
De'Longhi's copy for this model does not say, and we do not claim either way. It matters, because pressurised baskets generate crema mechanically and change what grind and dose can do. Ask De'Longhi before buying if it decides your purchase.
Why does CoffeeLabAdvisor have no espresso machine under $200 in its reviews?
Because we have not completed an evaluation of one. Our under-$200 guide shows an empty shortlist rather than an invented one, and describes the tier as dominated by steam-driven and pump-limited devices. This profile documents the cheapest machine we can verify is on the pump side of that line.
What is the cheapest espresso machine CoffeeLabAdvisor recommends?
The cheapest machine carrying a score from us is the Breville Bambino at $300, which holds a 2026 Honorable Mention. Below that we publish profiles like this one, which document specifications without recommending, because we have not evaluated the machines.
Sources for this page: Stilosa specifications stated by De'Longhi (15 bar pump pressure, stainless steel boiler, manual milk frother, ergonomic portafilter with two filters, two-level cup holder, $149.95): De'Longhi's own copy on the verified Amazon listing B08C96BG9H (EC260BK) via the Creators API, read 2026-09-08 · Supporting figures (1100 W, 33.8 oz / 1 L tank, 13.5 x 8.07 x 11.22 in): De'Longhi's EC260BK product page and retailer specification sheets, read 2026-09-08 · The 9-bar espresso convention: our brewing methods guide and the sources cited there · The under-$200 position quoted in the second section: our own best espresso machine under $200 guide · Not stated by any source we could verify, and therefore not claimed: whether the supplied baskets are pressurised, the portafilter diameter, and any temperature-stability figure We have not lab-tested brewers; where a figure is a manufacturer's, the page names the manufacturer, and machine capabilities come from our own published review records.