The De'Longhi Dedica series, with its flagship products Delonghi Dedica 685 and Delonghi Dedica 885, has become a hidden gem in the espresso scene in recent years. The Dedica range shows us: to make a good espresso, you don't necessarily have to spend the equivalent of a small car, but can already dive into the espresso world for around 150 euros.
However, it's not quite that simple "out of the box." To get the best out of the machine and your coffee, we recommend some tricks and enhancements for the machine. In this blog, we'll walk you through step by step and explain how to best operate your machine. You can also check out our video collection for the Dedica 685/885 series.
Grinder
Unfortunately, you can't do it without further investment. You definitely need a coffee grinder that grinds espresso-fine. This can sometimes cost as much as the Dedica itself. However, the grinder is essential for two reasons:
- 1. Ground coffee powder loses much of its aroma within minutes. If you buy pre-ground coffee at the supermarket, you'll only taste a few percent of the original aroma.
- 2. With the grinder, you determine how fast water flows through the coffee grounds. If water flows too quickly through coarsely ground coffee, the espresso is under-extracted and often too sour. With too fine a grind, water flows too slowly through the coffee grounds and dissolves too many bitter compounds. The coffee is over-extracted and bitter. You find the right "sweet spot" by setting the grind size correctly. This only works with freshly ground coffee!
The good news is that you can find good espresso-capable hand grinders for relatively little money. In our hand grinder guide, we've compiled what to look for.
The Portafilter
The Dedica comes with so-called "fake baskets." These baskets are designed for pre-ground coffee. Water is forced through an extremely small hole so that even with old coffee grounds you get a kind of "crema" on your espresso.
To brew a real espresso, you need to replace the basket or the entire portafilter with a real, high-quality basket. In our shop you'll find a portafilter with double spout or also a bottomless portafilter. With both variants you can brew real espresso by adjusting the flow rate of the coffee via the grind size of your coffee grinder. A game changer!
The Right Water
Did you know that even water plays a crucial role in brewing your espresso? To protect your machine from scale buildup and extract as many flavor compounds from the coffee as possible, your water should have a total hardness of 3 - 6 °dH (German hardness). This value can be achieved with filters or with purchased supermarket water. If you want to know more, read the blog on coffee water.
The Right Coffee
Of course, it also depends on the coffee you choose. For beginners, we recommend our Organic Apas coffee, a true all-rounder. Coffee beans from a local roastery also work great. What's important is that you know whether your coffee is dark or light roasted and whether it's 100% Arabica or has Robusta content. This information is important for setting the temperature on your Dedica.
Setting the Brewing Temperature on Delonghi Dedica 685 and 885
The Dedica machines offer the option to set the brewing temperature. You have the choice between three levels:
- 1. Level: 90° - 91° C
- 2. Level: 92° - 93° C
- 3. Level: 95° - 97° C
In our tests, we measured all temperature levels accurately and recommend the 2nd temperature level for most medium and dark roasts. Some very dark roasts taste a bit better with the 1st temperature level, but the third temperature level is hardly usable for any coffee.
Setting the temperature is very simple. With the machine turned on, hold down the steam button for a few seconds. Now the dispensing buttons flash rhythmically. Then press the button for single espresso dispensing. Now the three buttons flash in sequence. This flashing symbolizes your temperature level. If you want temperature level 1, press the single espresso button. You get temperature level 2 by pressing the double espresso button and level 3 by pressing the steam button. After a few seconds, the machine confirms with a flash that the new temperature has been saved.
Preparation
Now we finally get down to business. All preparations are complete and we're brewing espresso.
The Dedica is a so-called thermoblock machine. It heats up very quickly and reaches operating temperature within a few minutes. However, during this short time, the portafilter is far from operating temperature but ice cold. That's why you should do an empty shot without coffee grounds before your first espresso. The hot water warms your portafilter through and you're ready to go.
Now you prepare your coffee. The baskets from our shop hold about 16 grams of coffee grounds. Make sure not to overload the basket, as the coffee could burn on the shower screen. After dispensing, there should be no impression of the screw visible in the coffee puck.
Once the ground coffee is in the portafilter, compress it first by tapping the portafilter on the table or with a "karate chop" with your hand. The coffee settles and all air pockets are closed. If you skip this step, water under brew pressure may find the least resistance. It then doesn't flow evenly through the coffee grounds but flows faster in one spot. The espresso will taste sour and unbalanced, despite the correct grind size.
Now start the pre-infusion twice. By clicking the dispensing button again, you stop it. In our temperature tests, we found that this small hack gives you a particularly stable temperature curve around 92° C during your espresso extraction.
The Dedica machines have programmable volumetrics. So by holding down the dispensing button, you can set how much water your shot uses. This allows you to set your brew recipe. We recommend a brew ratio of 1 to 2 or 1 to 2.5. Your 16 grams of coffee grounds should produce 32-40 ml of espresso in the cup. Place a scale under the cup and release the button at about 32 grams during the shot. This programs your volumetrics and the brew recipe will be correct for subsequent shots. Since the Dedica has no expansion valve, the machine drips a bit after you release the button. You should keep this in mind and release the button a bit "too early" when setting it.
The machine has an "auto-off" function to save power. This can also be adjusted. It's set to 9 minutes from the factory. If you want to change it, press the steam button again for a long time. When all lights flash rhythmically, press the steam button one more time. Now the three buttons flash in sequence again, giving you three setting options. The single shot button sets "auto-off" to 9 minutes, the double shot button to 30 minutes, and the steam button to 3 hours.
Affordable Perfect Espresso?
Admittedly, if you decide on the Dedica as a beginner, you'll have to dig a bit deeper into your pocket. At minimum, you'll need a grinder and a high-quality, real basket to truly immerse yourself in the espresso world.
Thanks to our community and our test rounds, we're constantly gathering more knowledge about the finer points of the Dedica series. Even if you have to go the extra mile, with this knowledge, nothing stands in the way of affordable, perfect espresso. Follow our tips and you'll be amazed at how high quality your espresso can taste at home!
Tuning Tips and Useful Accessories for Your Dedica
Here you'll find a selection of accessories and useful additions for your Dedica 685 or 885: Delonghi Dedica Accessories.
