The coffee from the pod machine doesn't taste good? At the office, all you get is stale brew from the refrigerator-sized coffee machine? The instant coffee at the office always gives me a stomachache. A proper espresso, now that would be something. Strong, powerful, and without being bitter or sour. Or a creamy cappuccino? Just like at my favorite café.
There are countless reasons why more and more people are searching for high-quality coffee. When it comes to espresso and cappuccino, most people encounter lever espresso machines and are immediately put off. They cost several thousand euros, and then you need an expensive grinder too. Maybe a new capsule machine would be better after all?
The De'Longhi Dedica range promises something different. For just 200 to 250 euros, you're supposed to be able to enjoy a delicious, genuine espresso. Those who read a bit in coffee communities will discover that Dedica machines are probably the most purchased entry-level machines. But have they earned their good reputation? Can you really buy a usable espresso machine for so little money? We're also enthusiastic about Dedica machines, and we'll tell you why!
Focus on the Dedica 685 and 885
There's a whole range of Dedica machines. In our article, we take a closer look at the current versions Dedica 685, for around 200 euros, and the Dedica 885 for around 240 euros.
Here are the differences between the two machines:
The Steam Wand
The Dedica 885 has some new features on board. The most noticeable upgrade is a new and truly usable steam wand on the Dedica 885. The cheaper Dedica 685 has a so-called Pannarello steam wand. With this technology, water steam is mixed with air in a stainless steel tube to froth the milk. For latte art-capable, fine-pored milk foam, you have to determine the air intake yourself during the steaming and rolling phase. This is almost impossible with a Pannarello steam wand. If you don't want to tinker with your machine and want a suitable steam wand right away, you should go for the Dedica 885.
If you have a Dedica with a Pannarello steam wand, check out our href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ae1Uda2br4&t=674s"videohref="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ae1Uda2br4&t=674s" with tuning tips, where we also replace the steam wand with a Rancilio Silvia steam wand.
Included Accessories
The 685 and 885 also differ in terms of accessories. With the cheaper 685 version, you only get a plastic coffee measuring spoon with tamping function, which is completely useless and can be thrown away immediately. In the accessories of the 885, on the other hand, you'll find a proper, high-quality tamper that closes flush with the portafilter. In addition, you also get a small, robust milk jug for frothing milk.
In summary, you can say that the price premium of the Dedica 885 is well justified, as you would have to pay considerably more for a proper tamper, a milk jug, and converting the Pannarello steam wand, and would even have to get your hands dirty.
What Makes the Delonghi Dedica Machines the Perfect Entry-Level Machine?
The Price
The price. As simple as that may sound, the price really makes the machine interesting. For approximately 200 euros, often considerably cheaper used, you get a good entry into the espresso world.
The Thermoblock
The Dedica machines are thermoblock machines. In these machines, water from the water tank runs through a heated block during espresso extraction, similar to an instant water heater. The water is heated and brought to the correct brewing temperature. This is much faster than espresso machines with a boiler, where the entire boiler first has to be brought up to operating temperature. That takes a good half hour.
It's different with thermoblock machines. The Dedica is ready to use after just 20 seconds. This is great for beginners who don't want to plan in advance when they'll make an espresso. Feel like an espresso? Switch it on and go.
Not least, thermoblock machines consume much less electricity. That's not bad either!
Built-in Volumetrics
To brew a perfect espresso, you need a good brewing recipe. We often recommend 1 to 2.5, so for example 18 grams of ground coffee in the portafilter becomes 45 milliliters of espresso in the cup.
With the Dedicas, you can easily adjust the water volume for single and double shots. You can place a scale under your cup and keep the shot button pressed until you reach the desired amount in the cup. The machine stores this value and you won't need a scale for future shots. This volumetric feature is extremely practical, ideal for beginners, and is not even built into many expensive machines.
Adjustable Brewing Temperature
Another special feature for an entry-level machine is the adjustable brewing temperature. Not only the often-advertised pressure of an espresso machine is decisive for taste, but also the correct brewing temperature.
The Dedicas offer three temperature levels to choose from. For most medium to dark roasts, we recommend level 2 at 92° – 93° C.
Not all machines offer the luxury of adjustable brewing temperature, especially not in the lower price segment.
As you can see, both the Dedica 685 and the Dedica 885 have some very useful features that are truly remarkable for this price range. This makes them, especially for their low price, really interesting entry-level machines.
But the whole truth also includes that the Dedicas don't open up the espresso world "out of the box." To do this, you'll need to make some upgrades, which we'll briefly explain to you below.
Upgrades for the Dedica Machines
New Baskets
The Dedica machines are supplied with so-called double-walled baskets. Instead of many holes, these have only a tiny hole through which the coffee is pressed with enormous pressure.
It's now common knowledge everywhere that crema on espresso is a sign of quality. The extreme pressure that the double-walled basket creates produces crema on almost any old or incorrectly ground coffee, no matter how terrible the espresso tastes. Even worse, a bit of old coffee always remains under the rubber ring in the double-walled basket. This is unhygienic and certainly doesn't contribute to a delicious drink.
Real espresso, as we understand it, is achieved through natural resistance created by the grind of the coffee grounds. For this, you absolutely need suitable single-walled baskets. In our shop, you can buy a portafilter with 2-hole spout or a bottomless portafilter. These come with high-quality baskets included. An absolutely necessary upgrade!
A Grinder
Ground coffee loses much of its aroma within just a few minutes. For this reason alone, it would make sense to buy coffee as beans and grind it fresh.
The second reason is: You determine through the grind size how fast the water runs through the coffee grounds. The coarser the powder, the faster the water flows through it and vice versa. Just think of fine and coarse sand in a sandbox. You generally hit the best taste, the so-called "sweet spot" of a coffee with an extraction time of 25–35 seconds. So you need to choose a coffee grinder that can grind espresso-fine and adjust it accordingly.
A good electric grinder can easily cost another 230 euros. Those who don't want to invest that much should buy a good hand grinder.
A Proper Tamper
If you bought the Dedica 685, you should replace the supplied coffee measuring spoon tamper (the word alone sounds awful) with a high-quality tamper. With the tamper, you compress the ground coffee and create an even surface for uniform extraction. For Dedica machines, 51 millimeter tampers fit, such as this one in our shop.
Further Upgrade Options for Your Dedica
In addition to the three important upgrades described above, there are also a few things that can be practical and helpful, but don't directly affect the quality of the espresso.
Since the drip tray of the Dedica is somewhat impractical, we recommend buying a drip grill or having it 3D-printed in our shop.
Since the footprint under the Dedica machines is pretty small and two cappuccino cups don't fit under it at the same time, there's another extension. You can have a platform extension printed or purchased. Although these two upgrades don't directly affect the taste, they still significantly improve the machine.
If you have a Dedica 685, you can upgrade the Pannarello steam wand without any technical know-how. First, you can simply pull off the outer metal tube and steam with the silicone hose. This works better than with the Pannarello tube. We recommend securing the silicone hose with cable ties so it doesn't slip. If that seems too makeshift to you, you can also simply pull the hose onto the inner tube and secure it with a hose clamp. You'll find detailed instructions in our video.
Conclusion
The Delonghi Dedica machines are truly unbeatable for their price. With the right upgrades – single-walled baskets, a suitable grinder, and a proper tamper – and some practice, you can prepare delicious espressos and milk drinks in barista quality at home.
Here you'll find an overview of accessory options for your Dedica in our shop.
We're curious what you think about your Dedica. Feel free to leave us a comment or send us an email.
See you soon and happy brewing!
