The coffee from the pad machine doesn't taste good? In the office there is only stale coffee from the fridge-sized coffee machine? The instant coffee at work always gives me a stomach ache. A real espresso, yes, that's it. Strong, strong and not bitter or sour. Or a creamy cappuccino? Just like in my favorite café.
There are countless reasons why more and more people are looking for high quality coffee. When it comes to espresso and cappuccino, most people come across portafilter machines and are immediately put off. They cost several thousand euros and then also a more expensive mill. Maybe you would prefer a new capsule machine?
The De'Longhi Dedica range promises something different. For just 200 to 250 euros you should be able to enjoy a delicious, real espresso. If you do a little reading into coffee communities, you will find that the Dedica machines are probably the most popular entry-level machines. But do they deserve their good reputation? Can you really buy a usable espresso machine for so little money? We are also enthusiastic about the Dedica machines and we will tell you why!
Focus on the Dedica 685 and 885
There is 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.
These are the differences between the two machines:
The steam lance
The Dedica 885 has some new features on board. The most noticeable upgrade is a new and really usable steam lance on the Dedica 885. The cheaper Dedica 685 has a so-called Pannarello steam lance installed. In this technique, water vapor is mixed with air in a stainless steel tube to froth the milk. However, for latte art-compatible, fine-pored milk foam, you have to determine the air supply yourself in the drawing and rolling phase of milk foaming. This is almost impossible with a Pannarello steam wand. If you don't want to tinker with your machine and want to have a suitable steam wand straight away, you should choose the Dedica 885.
If you have a Dedica with a Pannarello steam lance, watch our video with tuning tips, where we also replace the steam lance with a Rancilio Silvia steam lance.
The included accessories
The 685 and 885 also differ from each other when it comes to accessories. With the cheaper 685 version you only get a plastic coffee measuring spoon with a tamper function, which is completely unusable and can be thrown away immediately. The 885's accessories, however, include a real, high-quality tamper that sits very flush with the portafilter. You also get a small, sturdy milk jug for frothing the milk.
In summary, one can say that the additional price of the Dedica 885 is definitely justified, as you have to pay significantly more for a proper tamper, a milk jug and the conversion of the Pannarello steam lance and even have to do some manual work.
What makes the Delonghi Dedica machines the perfect entry-level machines?
The price
The price. As simple as it may sound, the price is what makes the machine really interesting. For around 200 euros, which is often much cheaper when used, you get a good introduction to the world of espresso.
The thermoblock
The Dedica machines are thermoblock machines. In these machines, the water from the water tank runs through a heated block when making espresso, similar to an instantaneous water heater. The water is heated and brought to the correct brewing temperature. This is much quicker than with espresso machines with a boiler, where the entire boiler first has to be brought to operating temperature. This takes about half an hour.
Different with thermoblock machines. The Dedica is ready for use after just 20 seconds. This is good for beginners who don't want to spend a lot of time planning when to make an espresso. Fancy an espresso? Switch on and get started.
Last but not least, thermoblock machines use much less electricity. Not bad either!
Built-in volumetrics
In order 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, the amount of water in the single and double covers can be easily adjusted. You can place a scale under your cup and hold down the reference button until you have reached the desired amount in the cup. The machine saves this value and you no longer need a scale for further purchases. This volumetric is extremely practical, ideal for beginners and is not installed even in 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 crucial for the taste, but also the correct brewing temperature.
The Dedicas offer three temperature levels to choose from. For the vast majority of medium to dark roasts, we recommend the 2nd level at 92° - 93° C.
Not all machines offer the luxury of an 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 really remarkable for this price segment. This makes them really interesting entry-level machines, especially given their low price.
But the whole truth also means that the Dedicas do not offer entry into the world of espresso “out of the box”. To do this, you will need to make some upgrades, which we will briefly explain below.
Upgrades for the Dedica machines
New sieves
The Dedica machines are delivered with so-called double-walled screens. Instead of many holes, these only have one tiny hole through which the coffee is pressed under enormous pressure.
The word has now gotten around everywhere that a crema on the espresso is a sign of quality. The extreme pressure created by the double-walled sieve creates a crema on almost every coffee, no matter how old or incorrectly ground, no matter how terrible the espresso tastes. What's even worse is that there's always a bit of old coffee left behind under the rubber ring in the double-walled sieve. This is unhygienic and certainly does not contribute to a delicious drink.
Real espresso, as we understand it, is created through a natural resistance that is created by the grinding degree of the coffee powder. For this you definitely need suitable single-walled sieves . In our shop you can buy a portafilter with a double spout or a bottomless portafilter . These come with high-quality sieves. An absolutely necessary upgrade!
A mill
Ground coffee loses much of its aroma after 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: The grinding degree determines how quickly the water runs through the ground coffee. The coarser the powder, the faster the water flows through and vice versa. Just think about fine and coarse sand in the sandbox. Roughly speaking, the best taste, the so-called “sweet spot” of a coffee, is achieved with an extraction time of 25-35 seconds. So you have to choose a coffee grinder that can grind espresso finely and then adjust it accordingly.
A good electric mill can easily cost another 230 euros. If you don't want to invest that much, you should buy a good hand mill .
A real tamper
If you bought the Dedica 685, you should replace the included coffee measuring spoon tamper (the word alone sounds terrible) with a high-quality tamper. You use the tamper to compact the ground coffee and create a flat surface for even extraction. Dedica machines fit 51 millimeter tampers, such as this one: 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 gadgets that can be practical and helpful, but no longer directly affect the quality of the espresso.
Since the drip tray of the Dedica is somewhat impractical, we recommend that you buy a drip grid or print it using a 3D printer in our shop.
Since the space under the Dedica machines is quite small and two cappuccino cups cannot fit under them at the same time, there is a further expansion. You can print or buy a space extension. Even if these two upgrades do not directly affect the taste, they still enhance the machine immensely.
Anyone who has a Dedica 685 can upgrade the Pannarello steam wand without any technical know-how. First you can simply pull off the outer metal tube and foam it with the silicone tube. This works better than with the Pannarello tube. We recommend securing the silicone hose with cable ties to prevent it from slipping. If that's too temporary for you, you can simply put the hose onto the inner pipe and fasten it with a clamp. There are detailed instructions in our video .
As you can see, the Delonghi Dedica machines are really unbeatable for their price. With the right upgrades and a little practice, you can make delicious, barista-quality espressos and milk drinks at home.
Here you can find an overview of accessory options for your Dedica in our shop.
We're excited to hear what you say about your Dedica. Please leave us a comment or send us an email.
See you soon and happy brewing!
