# Delonghi Dedica Espresso



## dweazel (Oct 22, 2019)

Hi all,

new to coffee world and new to the forum also. About 4 months ago i bought a delonghi dedica espresso machine. at first it was great but after 2 months it started being temperamental with delivering the shot. Now if i get one cup of coffee it doesnt give me another. makes all the buzzing noise and a little drop of coffee falls into the cup and thats it. i've i've checked and the water and pump are ok and flowing when no filter is on but as soon as the filter and ground coffee is in then nothing comes through.

delonghi have mentioned to clean the filter but i've tried and the same thing is happening. iBefore i send this back i want to make sure im not being a noob with it all. i live in scotland and it shouldnt need descaled after this length of time as the water is very soft. also the machine works fine its just getting to the final part of pouring the coffee into the mug.

has anyone else experienced this before? if so, any solutions that avoid me sending the machine back?

thanks in advance


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## Jackabb (Nov 6, 2018)

Hi.

So if there are no issues when the portafilter isnt attached and it pumps water through fine then I would presume that the fault is in the portafilter (or potentially the pump).

I guess it is a pressurised basket? Maybe this isn't opening when the correct pressure is reached. Is the coffee puck wet through when you open it after trying to pull a shot?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## dweazel (Oct 22, 2019)

thanks for coming back to me Jackabb

it is a pressurised basket. when i removed it from the machine there is a lot of water sitting at the top of the ground coffee that cant get through.

have you heard of this before?

thanks again


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## Jackabb (Nov 6, 2018)

No worries.

I haven't heard of this before and I dont have a pressurised basket system myself but know the concept.

From your description I presume that when cleared the bottom of the puck is dry. Are you tamping the coffee? If so it might be too hard rif the coffee too fine

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## Jackabb (Nov 6, 2018)

Jackabb said:


> No worries.
> 
> I haven't heard of this before and I dont have a pressurised basket system myself but know the concept.
> 
> ...


Sorry missed an obvious question.

Does water come through the pf if no coffee is present?

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## dweazel (Oct 22, 2019)

hi jackabb,

thanks for your help. i think its what you mentioned right at the start. i'm grinding ithe coffee too fine. i've been grinding it leaving it coarser and it seems to be pouring through.

just need to get the right grind to get the stronger flavour and it'll be perfect now.

cant express my gratitude enough. i know its something simple but it had me stumped for weeks.

much appreciated

graeme


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## Jackabb (Nov 6, 2018)

Glad to have helped!

The pressurised portfilter should allow most grinds to produce something reasonable but no matter how perfect the grind it will never produce something exceptional....

Good luck, maybe see you in the gaggia classic forum someday soon 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## Home Coffee Tips (May 5, 2020)

I had the exact same issue with my Dedica. Also found that I was overpacking it with coffee too. Glad it's all sorted now


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

Also be aware that sometimes fine particles of coffee can get between the double walls of the basket and block the exit hole. If you get that kind of issue on one of the single piece double wall baskets (not the replacement ones with a removable layer) it may be worth getting some caffiza or similar coffee oil remover, and trying that. Put a tiny amount in the basket and run about 6 or 7 consecutive shots through it until no more suds are visible, then rinse it and run at least 2 more blank shots before even thinking of putting coffee into it.


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## TRatcliffe (Jun 15, 2020)

allikat said:


> Also be aware that sometimes fine particles of coffee can get between the double walls of the basket and block the exit hole. If you get that kind of issue on one of the single piece double wall baskets (not the replacement ones with a removable layer) it may be worth getting some caffiza or similar coffee oil remover, and trying that. Put a tiny amount in the basket and run about 6 or 7 consecutive shots through it until no more suds are visible, then rinse it and run at least 2 more blank shots before even thinking of putting coffee into it.


 I used to just hold mine over the hob with barbecue tongs until all the stuff between the 2 walls burns away. Probably not the best idea but it's quick and worked. I also set fire to my aeropress metal filter when it gets clogged with oils. Discolours it but still works... 😅


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## Faro (Feb 1, 2021)

Hi All, I bought a Dedica and interested in reading your experience, curious to hear if others experiences the same as me. All said I really dont rate this machine at all. A few major issues, yes it can create an espresso, but the issue I am having firstly is that plastic splitter in the Potafilter, contaminates every cup with a plastic taste. Thats not going to change, I tried, alcohol, Bread soda, dishwasher.. its cheap plastic that cant handle the temperature and the stink of polymer comes back after every shot. So ok you get conditioned to the rancid taste of plastic coffee, then go to steam the milk and the steam wont come on. Light flash - ok, steam and its sort of farts and dies or injects water and starts flashing again, after dicking around for another 10 minutes it might respond and steam, (oh ye but that wand is also crap so chuck that out with most of the accessories,) So after about 10 minutes you get steamed milk to pour into the cold plastic flavoured espresso. I have a nespresso sat beside this junk and I am reverting back to it. Best advice I can give is dont buy one, if you do throw out the portafilter, it wont work without the plastic pieces and everyone here says the pressure cap is rubbish too. Throw out the wand and if you have nothing better to do persevere with it until you get fed up and throw the whole thing out too, or give it to someone you dont like. The shop actually gave me 2 in the box by accident and I left number two back, I can see why they dont that now, most probably bring them back after use.


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

I have a dedica, I've not used it for over a year, but still, I used it heavily for a year or more. It's an alright machine, but it's only going to be what it is when it shipped. And what you think is plastic taste is probably just coffee oils. You should try Caffiza or Puly-caff to shift that.


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## Faro (Feb 1, 2021)

allikat said:


> I have a dedica, I've not used it for over a year, but still, I used it heavily for a year or more. It's an alright machine, but it's only going to be what it is when it shipped. And what you think is plastic taste is probably just coffee oils. You should try Caffiza or Puly-caff to shift that.


 Thanks illl try that, I did rinse it through in vinegar too. You could be right but its only on the plastic insert and smells nothing like coffee oils, the taste is not present when I remove the insert, howeverwithout the plastic coffee splashes espresso everywhere, so I just ordered a new metal bottomless Portafilter, new filter should resolve it, Ill change the wand too, the plastic remains of the wand shot across the floor last night. On a positive I think I worked out the steam's unpredictable character without burning anyone. I suppose once I fix everything, your right it will go from pretty unusable to just alright. You gets what you pay for and €200 dont get you much other than a water pump and basic boiler in a fancy coat.


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

The insert, or something like it, is required because the coffee comes out of the basket in a tiny jet at high speed. The insert is designed to slow down that jet to prevent it turning into a coffee power washer for your kitchen. Have you considered covering the insert with foil?

Please note that a bottomless portafilter does not have anything to slow down the coffee power wash effect from the standard baskets, unlike the normal ones. This means that using the standard dual layer (aka pressurised) baskets with a bottomless is the quick way to a coffee washdown for your kitchen.


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## Faro (Feb 1, 2021)

I didn't try foil, that's a good pragmatic idea which Ill try out...tomorrow. Yes I expected the bottomless Filter would be messy too without an insert. The coffee spraying about doesnt seem right in principle. I also noticed using granulate (I can feel the rolling eyes of forum purists from here) makes something akin to contaminated water, half cup gives a stomach ache.

Its a delicate balance with this polished water pump, maybe it should be called the Delicata because 3 times out of 10 the coffee is right, sure maybe the joy is in the challenge, if you have time. It is after all only a cup of coffee which the machine should provision perfectly in 2 minutes flat to be of any value.

As of now I started the day with one pissy brew from the Delicata, followed by two satisfying and predictable Nespresso's from the Capsule machine. I fear after week 1 the Delicata is slowly graduating to the press for unloved appliances, placed slightly ahead of the Fondu set for the next trip is the charity shop.


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

I found my dedica worked a bit better with fresh ground coffee that was a little chunkier than a real espresso grind.


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## Tipperary (Feb 12, 2021)

Have a dedica but I'm looking to upgrade, I found it struggled if the grind was too fine and tamped too hard, I'm using a cheap blade grinder atm(have a burr grinder coming in the post) and I leave the grind a bit on the big side, also just lightly tamp it.


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## Faro (Feb 1, 2021)

I purchased the new Portafilter, the open version from Ali. took a few weeks to arrive but its actually far more superior to the cheap junk that DeLonghi made for the machine.., the coffee does spray about a bit but it is at least consumable, I dumped the portafilter with all the cheap plastic tasting inserts. Its still hard to understand how they justified manufacturing parts that taint the coffee.

The other issue still remains with the steam wand, again the stainless steel housing is rubbish and at times the steam creates a milk shake that spills over the jug in bubbles. You see a lot of people recommend dumping that too and using the plastic bit without the housing. That works for a while and now usually "Pops" off mid steam, into the jug splashing hot milk everywhere. Its not safe. That brings an end to your steaming, while you go fishing for another bit of cheap plastic from the jug of luke warm milk. So that's another order to Ali express for a replacement wand.. if I bother.

This thing is probably better than nothing and only sufficient if the budget cant stretch further. For the money I'd stick with the Nespresso machine which works better in every way. You accept compromise with a manual machine but this doesn't even do it basic function properly. Out of the box the coffee is awful and the steam wand is crap.

Spend the extra 100 you need for parts on a better machine.


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