De'Longhi Dedica Style Traditional Pump Espresso Machine, Coffee and Cappuccino Maker, EC685R, 1 liters, Red

I bought this De'Longhi espresso machine about a year ago, and I waited before writing a review because these machines can sometimes work fine for few months and then start to develop problems.But in fact, I have used it every day to make between 2 and 8 espressos cups, and the results have always been excellent.You can use either E.S.E. pods or ground coffee with this machine, just replacing the coffee filter, which is very easy to do.For convenience I normally use E.S.E. pods, but I had excellent results also with ground coffee (of course you need a good quality ground coffee made specifically for espresso).There is also a "capuccino" system to froth the milk, which works very well. It is a bit inconvenient to clean after use, but not particularly complicated, and the result is always very good.Cleaning the machine is easy and it needs little maintenance (but it is advisable to install the De'Longhi filters in the water tank, to extend the life of the machine and the time between descaling cycles. It is a semi-automatic simple task.The quality of the materials (both the metal and plastic parts) is very good and after a year of daily use, the machine still looks in excellent conditions.It is not the cheapest espresso machine out there, but definitely not an expensive one, and it is worth the money if you like a good espresso at home.I highly recommend this product for every espresso lover. With little practice and a good quality coffee, you will match the skills of any good barista.

I love my coffee and I have wanted an espresso machine with portafilter for a long time. I had tried the pod machines and used refillable pods, grinding my own beans. But I just knew I could get better coffee so I picked this up when the vine sale hit and it looked more reasonable in price. I am so happy I did. It's like night and day in comparison.I chose the silver look as it's just a metal finishing and easy to wipe down. Out the box it is easy to assemble. You get the machine, a tiny drip tray, portafilter handle, 2 portafilters (a 1 cup, and a 2 cup), a hefty instruction book and descaling fluid (cleaning). Make sure you follow the instructions about 1st use to flush out any nastyness.Espresso is easy even for a novice. Just pop the filter into the handle, fill with ground coffee and tap down with tamper. Then twist the handle in until it locks. There's a power button on the side and when the lights stop flashing hit the 1 or 2 cup option. In 30 seconds you'll have a tasty espresso. You can then hit the 1 or 2 cup option to add more hot water and make it a longer drink.The filter holder twists in securely. It is a bit tough if you're not used to it. So just hold the top of the machine to get a bit of leverage.The filters are pressurised and use a small point in the middle. I changed them over for a more open basket. There's also a rubber seal which can effect flavour. Inside the holder/ handle there is a plastic flow director... Again it's plastic which is porous and can leach bad flavours and effects the taste so if you remove it (1 screw underneath) your coffee will taste wonderful again.The water tank is easy to fill and big enough for an afternoon or day of making coffee.The wand for making hot water or frothy milk works a treat. It is tricky at 1st but try and get the spout just on the surface of the milk and adjust up or down a little . When you get the hang of it it makes wonderfully frothy creamy milk for espressos. It does recommended semi skimmed but full fat milk is wonderful to do if a little more tricky. You can also just get hot water from the wand for tea or top ups which is a great excuse to replace the kettle. Just make sure you undo the wand and rinse and wipe after use to keep it fresh.The drip tray is pretty useless unless you are only using tiny mugs. It gives you very little clearance. So I just removed it and used the lower one, then wipe with a cloth.Noise. This is not quiet but it is a serious machine. As long as it is in a separate room from the family you will be ok. If you have an open plan kitchen / living room you might be banished to another part of your home with the machine.Space. This has a fantastic narrow profile so it takes up the same width of counter or desk space as a kettle and because it has a water tank you can set this up in almost any room of your house or office. There is enough space on the top to sit a couple of mugs which is great for sleepy morning prep.Cleaning is really easy and there are lots of accessories available for this machine to.Good quality and value. Highly recommended. Thank you for reading my review. I hope you found it useful

Before deciding on this machine as a replacement for my old De'Longhi, I had a good look round and read a lot of reviews, including a very critical one of this model (though most were 5*). At this price level, there did not seem (understandably) to be a perfect machine - all had some drawbacks. However, after a couple of months of use, I can say that I am very happy with this - it makes very good coffee, nice and hot, with several style options; once you get used to it, it's very easy to use, and the filter fits sung and tight; you can remove the normal drip tray for larger cups; and it's quick and efficient. One criticism was that to get a good grip on the machine when fitting the (good) tight filter, the user can very easily hit a start button, before fully fitted. True, but once you get used to it, it is not beyond most humans to figure out where and how to grip it.