De’Longhi Dedica Espresso Machine Review
One of the most compact espresso machines by De’Longhi on the market
Available in black, silver and red
This is a versatile machine that suits every kitchen.
It is important to note that the De’Longhi espresso machine doesn’t include a built-in bean grinder so you may wonder, why is it included in our top reviews?
Well, we have included this machine in our top reviews because it is an ideal, compact machine for people on a budget. It slots into almost any kitchen space. Plus, you are free to buy any coffee grinder of your choice (and they can be relatively cheap), or if you already have a bean grinder then that’s a bonus!
Overview of the espresso machine by De’Longhi
The size of this machine is one of its top-quality assets. Why? Well it can fit practically anywhere.
You don’t necessarily need a big coffee machine to get good coffee, because the Dedica delivers quality results at an affordable price. It is available in three different colours, making it even easier to suit your kitchen.
This De’Longhi espresso machine is ideal for coffee lovers that have a smaller kitchen, students who live in shared accommodation, or those of you who don’t fancy having a large machine taking up too much space.
Pros
- This is one of the slimmest coffee machines on the market. It is suitable for every kitchen.
- Adjustable milk frother, so you can make barista-style drinks.
- Adjustable drip tray to fit both tall and short mugs.
- Range of colours to suit every kitchen.
Cons
- Doesn’t include a coffee grinder. But you can buy the matching De’Longhi grinder (or one of your choice). Or you can use ESE pods.
- It is possible to overheat the machine when using for prolonged periods of time. If this happens, you must wait until it has readjusted before using again (which can take several seconds).
Read on to get more information and find out how this machine works. You will also find out the potential cost of running this machine, and if it should be the new addition to your household.
Breakdown of the Dedica and its functions
The De’Longhi Dedica espresso machine, offers flexibility and ease over your daily coffee making. It is a practical machine that allows you to make single and double espressos (and you can make two drinks at a time).
You can also use the steam wand for heating up milk to top off your coffees and make cappuccino or lattes.
This machine doesn’t include a built-in grinder like others. However, this gives you the option to buy a coffee grinder of your choice. You could get a small grinder that can be stored away and taken out when needed. Or there is the professional Dedica grinder that matches this machine.
If you don’t want an external De’Longhi bean-to-cup grinder, you can use E.S.E (Easy Serving Espresso) pods for added simplicity.
To give you more of a virtual demonstration of this machine, below we have labelled each key feature of the machine and described what they do:
A. At the top of this machine, there are 3 buttons: one cup, two cups and a steam button. These buttons have multiple uses and are required to carry out the initial set-up of the machine (the instruction manual can guide you through that process step-by-step).
The buttons will light up as necessary to show when the machine is in operation and which functions are ready to use. The lights will also flash accordingly to demonstrate which functions are already in use (machine heating up etc.) A breakdown of these settings, and explanation of the lights, can be found in the user manual.
B. The dial (on the right-hand side of this machine) dispense either hot water or steam, depending on what you require. You can use the hot water function to heat up cups before making your coffee, or for making a quick tea/americano. The steam function can heat up and create frothy milk for cappuccinos and other coffees of your choice.
C. This is where the group handle goes for coffee extraction. One of the great things about this machine is that, even though it is compact, it is still capable of creating two espressos.
D. This is the steam wand for the machine which allows the user to heat up and add texture to milk to create a range of different coffee shop drinks.
You may notice that this steam wand is wider than the ones seen on traditional coffee house machines. It doesn’t give you as much control over the milk as a professional steamer would. But this feature is what aids you in creating consistently good foam for your drinks.
E. This is the drip tray. Place your cup/mug here, and any coffee spillages will go into the drip tray to avoid mess and make cleaning easier. The drip tray can be adjusted to two heights to suit both tall and small mugs. The maximum cup height is 12cm.
How much is it going to cost to buy and then maintain this machine?
Coffee preference and taste should be taken into consideration when buying a coffee machine. Will you buy premium coffee beans? Do you use a specific type of milk? These details can affect how much you spend monthly, to keep the machine running.
The initial price of this machine is around £180-£229 (at the time of writing).
The positive of this machine not having a built-in coffee grinder is that it means you can choose to buy one that suits your needs and budget. This De’Longhi espresso machine has a matching professional grinder which has a range of settings that you can adjust to suit your preference.
However, there are many other grinders out there that also work well and vary in size, performance and price.
So, what have we learnt?
This review has taught us that the De’Longhi Dedica espresso coffee machine would make a great addition (and easily fit) to any kitchen. It is compact, affordable and offers a range of features that allow you to tailor it to your preferences.
It is a quality machine that offers the functions needed to make standard coffee shop drinks.
If you are someone who would like more freedom over what you can do with your coffees in terms of latte art and creating a range of specialised espresso drinks, then this may not be the machine for you. A bean-to-cup machine may be more suited to your needs.
However, if you are looking for an espresso machine that is slim, attractive and can create a decent cup of coffee, then click here for the price.
