The De’Longhi Dedica pump espresso machine offers a traditional espresso and cappuccino experience in a sleek ultra compact design crafted with skill and passion. Save on precious counter space while still enjoying perfect espresso and cappuccino with the slim 6″ design. Never frothed milk before?Not to worry. De’Longhi’s patented Advanced Cappuccino System makes it easy to achieve the richest, thickest, longest lasting milk foam for a superior cappuccino or latte with little to no effort. Customize your perfect beverage with the unique flow stop feature, choosing between 1 or 2 shots of espresso, brewing the exact quantity to suit your preferences. The Dedica pump espresso machine delivers the ultimate in performance featuring an easy to use control panel with illuminated buttons, a 3-in-1 filter holder to accommodate single shots, double shots and easy serving espresso pods, and thermoblock technology, which heats up to the ideal brewing temperature in just 40 seconds, so you’re never far from an authentic espresso!
Steam Espresso Machines
De'Longhi Dedica EC680M, Espresso Machine, Coffee and Cappucino Maker with Milk Frother, Metal / Stainless, Compact Design 6 in Wide, Fit Mug Up to 5 in
$4.40
| Asin | B00KA8YC6A |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 13"D x 5.9"W x 12"H |
| Weight | 9.3 pounds |
| Manufacturer | DeLonghi America, Inc. |
N. J. Simicich –
My first impression of this machine is wow. Years ago I had a small krups pump machine, which is long defunct. I mostly drink filter coffee {Peet’s Sumatra k-cups} or cold brewed “ass kicking” blend. I drink an average of four-six cups per day. When I wanted an espresso drink (iced plain espresso or iced Americano), or a cappuccino if I was in that mood, I’d stop and have one made.
Every now and then I’d look at replacing the dead Krups but there were no machines that had a decent feature set and a reasonable cost. Besides, I could just get a coffee when I wanted one.
But these days, I’m not going out. I started craving espresso, and finally decided to replace my old machine.
This machine had some real advantages. One was the advertised width. Counter space was at a premium, this machine is narrow. Secondly, it takes the ESE pods. My wife is never going to tamp and measure a portafilter, but she will use a pod. A side benefit is that my 12 year old grandson can make himself an espresso with the ESE pods. {I got some decaf pods.}
This machine is easy enough to use that he was making himself lattes after a single demonstration, using a pitcher I had from my old machine. He is a smart kid. I’m biased. But the pods are easy to use.
I set my grinder (Oxo) to fine and put in my guess as to how much “Ass Kicking” coffee to use. It made a fluffy coffee which easily fit into the portafilter using the following procedure.
Fill the scoop and level it. Put the coffee into the portafilter and lightly compress it. Repeat. Then put your thumbs onto the plate of the tamper and compress. I can easily grip enough to get a good tamp without stressing the plastic tamper.
I disagree with people who claim that you can’t fit the coffee into the holder. This is exactly the same volume as my old machine.
Anyway, I hit the two shot button and it produced an espresso with reasonable crema. After trying the regular holder and the ESE holder, it is clear that the ESE pods are a compromise.
This is a noisy machine in operation. The pump is noisy. The water heating device works great, but it is noisy, since it is basically a long tube that will cavitate. And, of course, steaming the milk is inherently noisy.
The pump could be quieter. But it is no noisier than the steaming process.
What I did notice was that the machine needs about three times the static width in actual use. The handle has to swing left to attach the filter to the machine, and your hand adds to the space needed. Extra space is needed on the right to use the steaming wand, and to clean the steaming wand, and to hit the power button. It is still a very narrow easy to use machine.
The amount of force needed to attach and detach the coffee filter holder requires that you hold the machine in place.
But this is a coffee maker, and the real question is, “How is the coffee?”
There are so many things that go into that question…do you have a decent grinder? Are you using a good coffee? Is it roasted the way you like it?
Finally, there are all different levels of equipment. My equipment is inexpensive, but not the cheapest. I have a style of coffee that I like, typically an Indonesian that does not have that bitter bite which is exhibited by typical central American washed coffee.
My understanding is that the espresso brewing style was developed to allow the use of less expensive robusta beans. The fast temperature controlled extraction, combined with the dark roast tends to not extract bitter notes and to hide bad tastes.
Applying the same method to higher quality beans should produce an exceptionally smooth brew.
I decided to make a six shot iced espresso, three double pulls. I saw a decent amount of crema, and I was really happy with the iced espresso. I thought it tasted better than a drink that I would have bought at a place like Starbucks. I credit this to two things. One is that my coffee is better, and the other is that the brewer doesn’t overextract.
Good coffee, and a good brewing process will result in a good beverage. I used a coffee that I know I like and I got a beverage that I really liked. The brewer could have screwed up the coffee, but it didn’t. This is the source of my wow!
I had bought some ESE pods as well. The resulting beverage was not bad, but it was not as good as the stuff I made from the coffee that was more to my taste.
Finally, I remember the coffee produced by my old Krups machine. The coffee produced by this machine is better.
On to the other important aspect of these machines, their ability to steam milk. I have a 24 ounce steaming pitcher that I used to use, and the wand was barely long enough. I felt like I didn’t have much control over the process. I think a 12 ounce pitcher might work better. (It does, or I can steam right into a duplo cap mug.)
What I got was a good result for a latte, and perhaps less acceptable for a cappuccino. The thermometer I used reported a fast rise in temperature after the temperature went over 100F, while it took quite a while to get from refrigerator temperature to warm. The foam had many large bubbles mixed with the small ones. (Technique, in doing better.)
The machine is really fast. It reports brewing temperature in seconds. I never felt like I was waiting for the machine.
It reports steaming temperature almost as fast.
All in all, I am really happy with this machine. I can’t speak to the durability of the machine, but I hope that it will continue to produce beverages of this quality for a long time.
And I am happy to be able to get an espresso at home again.
After a month, I found that I had to descale the machine. A light comes on to let you know that the machine has decided it needs to be descaled. The process takes a while. You rinse the reservoir and add the solution, then fill it with water. Then you put it in descale mode and it runs the solution through the machine, slowly. You let most of the solution come out through the steaming wand, but you are supposed to turn off the wand and run some of the solution through the filter outlet (with the filter off). When the reservoir is almost empty, the machine stops, you dump the bowls, rinse the reservoir, fill it with tap water, and start the machine again. It runs the rinse water through much faster then the descale, again stopping when the water is almost gone. You can make coffee immediately.
This procedure is long, but completely automatic, and need not be watched full time if you have a large enough bowl. You just need to toggle the steam outlet off and on every few minutes. The machine will still make coffee when it is in descaling needed mode.
I was favorably impressed. I have descaled machines that were more automated and didn’t work as well.
I continue to like this machine.
Signum_Altum –
I have been using this machine for about nine months, and it has become an essential part of my day. My initial rating would have been four stars. As some reviewers have noted, there is a bit of a learning curve with this machine. This is a single boiler espresso machine, where the more expensive and larger machines would be double boiler machines. Do not expect the same “workflow” from this machine as you would from one of the larger machines. However, I’ve found that if you are willing to learn the machine’s quirks, it produces a fine espresso, as would a more expensive and larger machine. That’s why I give it five stars now that I’ve been using it for a while. In particular, contrary to shop practice, it’s necessary to pull the espresso shot before steaming the milk. As a remedy, I bought some of the double walled glasses, which keeps the coffee fresh while the milk is steaming. I’m very happy with the quality of the coffee the Dedica makes. Almost all the beans I’ve used produce a good to excellent crema.
You will want to purchase a knock box and better quality tamper than comes with the machine. Otherwise, everything is included. In my case, one of the filters was missing. I contacted De’Longhi and they rush delivered a replacement, hassle free. I’ve seen some reviewers complaining about customer service. My experience with De’Longhi customer service was overwhelmingly positive.
The machine takes 45 seconds to prepare. The biggest complaint that I have about this machine is that it does not have a pressure gauge! I really don’t know why it was left off because it wouldn’t take up much room, even if it had to be placed on the side. I appreciate the sleek design of the machine, and it looks better than any other compact I’ve seen. But I don’t see the reason for omitting this piece of essential equipment. When the machine starts, the lights blink until it is ready. If you are only pulling a shot, you won’t have a problem. However, if you use some hot water from the steam valve to warm your glass or get the water for an Americano, nothing on the machine tells you to wait to let it build up pressure again. The still lights indicate that it is ready to pull the shot. Here’s my workaround: after opening the water valve, power the machine off and then on again (the button needs to stay in off position for a few seconds–another quirk). Doing so will reactivate the blinking lights, which will go still when it has enough pressure to pull a shot.
I only make coffee for myself, which works well for this machine. If you are making multiple drinks in a session beyond simple espresso shots or americanos, this machine is probably not for you. Anytime you use the steam function to froth milk, the machine will need to cool down before pulling another shot of espresso. This is accomplished by waiting a few minutes, or by opening the valve and allowing the excess steam to vent. Be sure to vent the valve before frothing milk as you would on any espresso machine.
This machine replaced my other coffee maker. Americano is so much better than drip coffee, that it’s all I want now. I enjoy the little ritual of tamping the coffee and puling the shot. It only takes a minute and is more environmentally friendly than individually packaged coffee. If you want prepackaged coffee, get a Keurig. Get or order some fresh espresso from a roaster near you and have them grind it for you. As a barista friend taught me, home coffee grinders will wear out grinding espresso, and aren’t necessary because the freshness of coffee mostly comes from the proximity to the date it was roasted rather than the period between it being whole bean and ground. If you want to grind your own coffee, you probably need to upgrade to a machine that includes a grinder on top.
Jackson C. –
I’m not sure exactly what year I got this only the city I was living in at the time. It was expensive back then, hardly could afford it but I splurged and thank goodness I did. What a fantastic jeep of an espresso maker, never falters just makes amazing coffee day after day after day after day
BryanInChiTown –
My wife gave me one of these for my birthday, followed by a KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder – KCG8433 for Christmas. Using the 2 machines side by side is amazing. Combined, they only take up about the same counter space as my old KitchenAid espresso maker.
The portafilter fits right into the grinder and it fills it directly The high grade tamper included with the espresso machine is miles better than all the flimsy plastic one I got with my last machine.
The machine heats up fast, froths well, and is a snap to clean. I can crank out after dinner espressos for all the guests in no time.
L. Hoy –
I have had this for several months now so I have been able to really put it though its paces – and it has held up perfectly. I make espresso every morning and afternoon. Every single day! I love this machine!! The water temp is adjustable and there is a place where you can insert a water filter if your water is very mineralized. I use filtered water so I dont need one but its nice to know you could if you needed to. I have learned a few tricks about this unit….and one thing I wish I could change.
Sometimes in the afternoon I like a small cup of coffee….but I don’t want drip. So I have figured out that if I use a short coffee cup (one that will fit under the heads and holds three single shots) and then fill the single shot filter cup with an espresso grind – and brew a double shot and then a single right after it….I get a perfect tasting cup of coffee. A little hazelnut syrup and some half and half and I’m in heaven. I know….not your standard espresso use…but it works for me. (I guess I am not a coffee snob) I still like my double shot in the mornings with that perfect crema on top but in the afternoon I just don’t want such a strong shot of caffeine.
I also learned that if you fill the filter cup too full it is really hard to lock it into place. I read some reviews where others had noted the same thing but didn’t know why it was so hard to turn. Well I found out that is the reason. So if yours is hard to turn just back out about a half teaspoon of grind, retamp and it will turn and lock easily.
The thing I really love about this little unit is that it is so simple to use. No guesswork. Load your grind, push a button. Voila. Steaming milk is super easy too.
Now for the one thing I don’t like.
When it’s time to descale….its time to descale and no amount of wheedling or cajoling will change this little units mind. And here is the kicker…you never know when its time. So you could be trying to get that first shot in the morning to jolt you awake….or you could have company over and they are salivating for a latte and a piece of pie…..and you load up the filter cup and hit the button for a double and nothing happens. And then you notice the steam button is lit up an orange color . Uh Oh. So you have to stop everything…take out the filter cup and fill the water tank with descaler/water solution and run the cleaning cycle. It takes about 20 minutes or more. And nope….it won’t let you get that one shot before you clean it. The first time this happened to me I just stood there and stared. I thought maybe I could will it to work by staring it down. It took even longer for me to figure out how to run the cleaning cycle the first time. Soooooo…. Yes I love this machine. It works great and is very versatile and takes up such a small footprint in my small apartment kitchen….and Yes I would buy it again….that is how much I love the coffee this little machine spews forth….I just HATE HATE HATE the fact that you just NEVER know when you will not get that cuppa because its time to clean. Sigh.
jenn –
Update: It has been two years nearly to the day that I first purchased this machine. It has made us at least two delicious double espressos with lovely crema and frothed milk every day we have owned it. Then, about a month ago the machine developed a small water drip very near the area where the coffee grounds basket connects to the machine. It usually started just after delivering its espresso shots, and did not seem to affect the machines function, but I have kept an eye on it. Then a few weeks ago it started shutting the frother off after only a few seconds of use. Yesterday, it stopped delivering steam to the frother at all. I went on Amazon to order another machine and was deciding whether or not two years worth of excellent service was worth the $240 price tag that I paid for (now I see the price has dropped closer to $200), and ended up re-reading the reviews, good and bad. That’s when I realized that I had NEVER descaled the machine with vinegar! (Mental head slap!) We use well water for everything, and while our water is not particularly hard, we do have to descale our tea kettle several times a year. So, I immediately filled the water reservoir with pure distilled vinegar and ran it through the machine, alternating with pulling double shots (with no coffee grounds in there of course), and turning on the steamer for as long as it would go. It took several tries, but the steamer slowly started working again and then building strength. After going through the whole reservoir of vinegar and then running fresh water through it, my machine had powerful steam again and NO leak! Unfortunately, it only lasted for two days, and now we are back to no steam. 🙁 Will be looking through the options on a new machine, and I might get another one of these if no other option seems better. Nothing about this little machine seems cheaply made, so I would have expected it to last for more than two years of moderate use, particularly at this price point. However, my lack of descaling may have contributed to the early death. No way to know as I did get it back to its original working order with the vinegar bath two days ago, and now the steamer has stopped again. My original review was 5 stars, but I have deducted one star for longevity.
Original Evaluation: This machine is as perfect as any espresso machine gets. It makes a great espresso, froths milk perfectly (I use whole milk for my latte’s and 1/2 and 1/2 for my wife’s breva), heats up quickly, has the frothing attachment at the perfect height (the frother was too low on my last machine to accept a normal sized coffee mug or pitcher), is easy to clean, and sits in a nice compact space on your counter (great for my small kitchen). For a very clear and complete review of this machine see the one by Matt van Andel from March 31, 2014. His review was the reason I felt comfortable purchasing this machine and now that I have had it for a few months I can tell you his review is right on the money. He makes a number of accessory equipment recommendations as well, which are also very good. I already had a burr grinder and frothing pitcher, but decided to splurge and bought the Espro 51mm Calibrated Tamper (pricy by nice), the Dreamfarm Grindenstein Knock Box (also pricy for a plastic "box" but very good looking and handy), and the De’longhi Double Walled Espresso Glasses. I am very happy with all these purchases. The biggest score, by far, was the espresso maker. Get it, you will not be sorry.
Amazon Customer –
I’ve had this little espresso machine for 6 months and I could not be happier with it. I use it daily, and it produces quality espresso every time. I’m not a coffee snob (it’s more of a delivery method for caffeine to me) but I do live in a notoriously snobby coffee town, so I do know what a good cup of espresso is supposed to taste like. With this machine, the best shots come from a very find grind, imho, and that was a learning curve a bit. But otherwise, it’s perfect for what I need it for, especially since I was never going to spend thousands or even hundreds of dollars on a more expensive machine. It requires descaling every quarter, and after a friend’s Breville broke after a year after only descaling with vinegar, I’ve been sure to use the branded solution every time so far and would recommend doing so. No problems with leaking at all, or any of the other frustrations and troubles others seem to have had. I almost never write reviews, but I like this little espresso machine so much, I was compelled to do so!
H20fall –
Update on one year of use. Why oh why would I want to purchase a machine that only lasts one year and then dies? Can’t even order parts! All the important parts that would fix this issue are no longer available on the Delongi website!
It has had one single user, 3 double cappuccinos per day. Descaled as instructions advised, always used filtered water. 6 oz of coffee at the correct grind…. I have followed the instructions to the "T". And this last week it up and quit working. It no longer has the pressure to force the heated water through the coffee. I can still pre-heat my coffee cup without any coffee in the filter holder. I tried resetting the programs to factory settings, I tried a coarser grind of coffee, not compacting it down even.
I even did the math. At three double shots at .13 oz each per day with 4 fluid ounces of (grass fed local..expensive) milk steamed. I spent a whooping $3.36 per day (and that’s almost the price of one Seattle local coffee shop $3.50 6 oz cappuccino) totaling $1226.40 for the entire year. I could have bought me one fancy high end espresso machine that would have taken up 4x the counter space, which I didn’t have to begin with. Grrrrrrrr. One year is a bad deal. Not worth it.
The espresso this machine makes tastes great. But the steamer is so-so. I have been using this machine for 6 months. Every 4th time I use the machine, and I start the steamer to steam the milk, the steamer sputtered and just quits. I always clean the steamer and it’s parts after each use. So I turn off the machine and restart it, then take off the outer stainless steel cover and inner rubber spout and rinse them both to make insure there is not a clog. (There has never been one.) Then I put it all back together and run the steamer to flush it first. Then it works. Kind of a hassle though.
Also the steamer just won’t make a really thick foam. I’ve tried different milk fats from whole milk to half and half cream to heavy cream. The half and half is the most consistent in somewhat foamy. The whole milk just doesn’t make a respectable foam. The saving grace is the espresso this machine produces, tastes excellent! And for that I am happy. If a latte is your thing, then this machine is good sine lattes don’t require a thick foam top.
Mark Herriott –
This machine had some advantages for us and that is its width — Counter space was at a premium. we do have it located so the steam wand when used ends up using space over the stove top. Very convenient, and its narrow size allows us to keep it out all the time.
This machine is easy enough to use that friends who use our place over vacations have not problem in making cappuccinos or lattes . . . they have now purchased one of these units for their homes.
We have had this unit for over a year and have not experienced any issues. We do use bottled water with some minerals. We do not use RO water as it is too aggressive and doesn’t have any TDS to carry the flavor of the coffee/espresso.
We set our OXO grinder (Oxo) to 5 and use 14-15 grams of coffee. Cremea is great. A firm tamp is all that is needed — do not need Atlas to tamp the espresso, just a good firm tamp.
We prefer the older style steam wand but have gotten use to this style. It does create a smooth velvety froth when using 1/2 & 1/2 cream. Unit is a bit noisy as any manual espresso unit is — but not overly loud.
Would highly recommend this unit – quality machine which produces a good quality espresso!
Dave –
1 year update” 13Dec2019
Descaled twice so far, easy process. Have had no problems with the machine solid construction and feel. Using a non-pressurized filter (see below) it makes an excellent cappuccino. Small footprint and looks nice and solid. Easy to use, clean and descale. Very happy and increasing to 5 stars from 4 starts
6 month Update 7July2019:
Have not any reliability problems, descaled once so far and it was an easy process. I have upgraded to the ec685 steam wand and it performs much better than 680 wand- longer reach and more velvety foam. Grate machine when used with non-pressurized filter.
Depending upon Price, either in the sweet spot or no-man’s land, best with a non-pressurized filter
So what do I mean? There are essentially three options if you want your espresso in a minute (i.e. Thermoblock/Thermocoil)- in the low-to-mid $100’s is a Nespresso, in the $500 to $600 range is the Breville Barista Express or Infuser (darlings of the sub-$1000 category), in between is the Delonghi Dedica and Dedica Deluxe.
A Nespresso is quick and easy but- requires a separate frother, has limited flexibility and very expensive capsules.
Delonghi Dedica, can be almost as quick and easy when using the E.S.E pods (essentially a giant tea bag with coffee) at half the price of a nespresso capsule. You have the flexibility of using fresh ground coffee with the included pressurized filters and of course a built-in steam frother.
Breville machines have the ability to pull professional shots with the included non-pressurized filters and include a pre-infusion stage (a pre-stage that infuses coffee grinds with low pressure hot water immediately before the extraction phase)- these are the 2 biggest features that enable a high quality espresso. There are also a few other features- thermocoil which is bit more robust than Dedica’s thermoblock and can improve heat consistency, a pressure gauge and PID (digital thermometer).
How does the Dedica compare to the Brevilles? Well you can get a non-pressurized filter for $6, it’s not made by Delonghi but is the Mr. Coffee 4101 (or equivalent), and in addition even though Delonghi doesn’t advertise it, the Dedica also pre-infuses. If you have the Dedica this is what happens in the 5 second phase when the pump starts for a couple of seconds and then pauses for a few seconds before the pumps starts up again. Use of the non-pressurized filter is vital to improve the espresso significantly and generate a true crema. The Breville’s thermocoil is better but not vital, same with the pressure gauge which is cool but not vital. The PID is definitely a worthwhile feature. These three are worthwhile but at what cost.
If you have to pay the $349 list price for the Dedica then the price difference for the Infuser is only $150, even less if you can find the Infuser discounted. At $150 or less, the added features of the Breville are worth the price. In addition, the $200 increase over a Nespresso might not make sense, thus the Dedica is in no-man’s land. If you can get a good discount on the Dedica to the point where it is more than $200 less than the Breville, then the added features of the Breville may not be justified. A discounted price for the Dedica is also a small enough difference compared to a Nespresso and may make more sense. Hence, a sizably discounted price put’s the Dedica in the sweet spot.
The biggest problem with the Dedica is that the panarello frother wand can’t make microfoam. The dedica Deluxe (EC685) has the added feature to vary the force of the steam pressure, this can enable you to make mircofoam.