Not sure how good this is but for around $100 can't really complain as it is cheaper than the Kmart espresso Machine. I have the dedica and with some minor upgrades it pulls a decent shot.
I had this for the aesthetic factor… it does not make good coffee
I was gifted one and use it at work.
Pros
Cheap, quick start-up, basic to use, with a LOT of patience I learned to make a good coffee (I use fresh beans and a Breville Smart Grinder, small footprint, light, mine won’t die, has pressurised baskets which I replaced.
Cons
98% plastic, rattles like crazy (genuinely sounds like nuclear jackhammer, but I hold the top and it’s significantly reduced), coffees are not consistent, foam is hard to get almost decent, not worth repairing if it gets issues.
It’s ok for ~$100 if you keep in line your expectations. They are usually more than this on FB Marketplace. My dad keeps one in his caravan for its size and weight. I can easily make a better coffee than my DeLonghi Dedica, which is junk.
Buying for the caravan as well.
I leave off the drip tray cover too and just use paper towel. You can then use taller mugs and there is much less sound and vibration.
Is this better then DeLonghi EC685? (I guess no).
I would not expect it to be.
It looks like an older design, so it does not have the more modern thermocoil, programmable temperature, programmable shot buttons or pre-infusion found in the Dedica.
On the plus side it appears to use a (small) boiler (likely only with thermostat control), so it may have some natural thermal stability from the boiler capacity compared with a dedica which has a thermocoil (a type of thermoblock pass-thru heater).
Both dedica and this one seem to use the awful panarello steam wand which does not create good texture.
Pressurised baskets can be replaced with unpressurised for better results with fresh beans and a grinder with reliable output.
Teardown
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Icona+Delonghi+ECO+Disassembly/…
Here's a review from 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoNhHEMEcPg
edit:
After seeing it had a boiler I am beginning to wonder if this could be modded like a gaggiuino…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxPNQRCxQZc
Was going to impulse it… but reviews don’t look promising