we are in china, we use bottomless filter to upgrade the coffee quality, they are cheap and easy to find here, by the way i am using air pump coffee maker made in china, good result and not expansive.
I am a new home espresso fan, and have the same machine. I got it used, but it was in new condition, and didn't include any accessories. I couldn't wait for some extra portafilters to come in the mail, so I modified mine by simply drilling the pressure hole in the pressurized basket to be roughly 1/4" in diameter. It was very easy, and now the pressure is determined by the grind instead of the basket! I have been experimenting with the grind in a blade grinder for a few weeks now, it is hard work and works best only in the single basket, because a blade grinder is hard to control,, but if I spend extra time to just keep grinding the coffee, and use the single basket, my espresso is coming out with some crema and a nice rich taste. (of course, I do not let it run the full stock amount of water, I stop it early, so the color is nice and rich, and there is less bitterness)
This was my first espresso maker. When using naked portafilter with non pressurized basket, and steaming with the rubber wand, and pairing it with a nice grinder, It gives you amazing lattes, it's so good that I stopped going to coffee shops. Highly recommend the upgrades!
@@shabsky3244 Now I’m using Rocket Appartamento for extracting and steaming at the same time, drip tray drain to external bottle, powerful steam, larger water reservoir, 3 way valve for flush, easy to do back to back drinks. So far so good.
Yup im actually eyeing Lelit bianca but thats way more expensive and maybe too much for me. My grinder is enough i guess 🤷♂️1Zpresso for pour over and a turinDF64 for espresso. Only the espresso machine needs some upgrade once i saved a lot for this coffee addiction 🤣 an appartamento price range maybe😬
150 Euro?! I've been wanting an expresso maker lately and was at my local thrift store browsing when the employee brought out a cart of new items and on it was this DeLonghi expresso maker. I was thrilled and snatched it up! It looked brand new and virtually unused. It was complete with handle, tamper, two filters, and steamer. Tested it in-store and it's working! Paid $30 Canadian which translates to about 20 Euro. I'm excited to start making my own expresso and thank you for the tutorial in this video!
Wow! I have been using a home espresso machine for a year and I learned more fine detail in this short video than any other I have watched plus I got to learn about the Dedica. I'm off to buy one for camping.
One thing i've noticed with this machine is if you have a very finely ground coffee compound, you need to ease off on the compressing in the filter basket otherwise the machine struggles with pressure. The thicker the coffee ground, the tighter you can pack it. I love this machine - budget friendly way to make great coffee at home for my wife and I.
Same here! From a scale from 1 to 20, if you grind the coffee very finely like around 3, it’s fine. But if you go 1 or 2, then the machine struggles with the pressure and no coffee comes out.
@@jcarrera01 I have the same machine, with the default filter and have noticed that using a needle distributor to break up clumps helps a lot with fine grind coffee and you can use more force while tampering without the fore mentioned effects. Bought the small one with 4 needles for about 5€.
Was having same issues with a cheap grinder then invested in a Baratza Encore. The Encore totally eliminated "failure to launch" issue when using open portafilter. Can pull shots now to 18 grams. Settled now with shots around 16.5 grams.
I found this video very helpful. So calm und explained in detail, yet to the point, also showing all relevant parts. Can't wait to try these tips. Thank you!
Switching from pre-grinded coffee to grinding it yourself is probably the best and most noticeable coffee taste upgrade. Switching from a $20 french press to whatever espresso machine is less of an upgrade and might not even be necessary, specially if milk frother is not used.
Just ordered my machine so this video is a straightforward tutorial- thank you!
Год назад+15
13:13 be careful about that, there's quite a lot of a pressure build up in the steam wand and the rubber spout can and eventually will shoot out from the rest of the steam wand so I'd suggest to use some kind of a rubber band to hold it in place.
I am a novice and using the same machine since a week. This video is well explained and I've got good insights about the upgrades and techniques. Thank you!
Hi there, Is the portafilter that you are using called "NEOUZA Espresso Bottomless Portafilter 51mm"? Also, if I am using 16.5g of coffee beans, do I use the single shot or double shot button? Many thanks.
I just sawed off the bottom of the DeLonghi portalfilter and bought a fitting 51mm non pressurized basket. Works well. Less forgiving, yes, but much morgen room for improvement.
@@vladpetrov4274 the filter basket is enough. but i suggest you go for a solution that lets you see the coffee coming from the filter, as in the video, since it allows you to see any issues with the extraction, like channelling or uneven water flow (because of bad tempering or too coarse/fine grind).
Nice video. I already use a bottomless portafilter with this machine and the key is get a good enough grinder. I use the Sage Barista one and the combination is fantastic. BUT i couldnt make decent lattes with the existing wand. I have now removed the metal rod and by just using the existing rubber tube, i can make great lattes - not need to do the rancillo complicated exchange. I may see if I can get a longer rubber tube to make it a little easier. BUT by just using the existing rubber tube is a game changer in itself. Thank you. It does go to show , how capable this machine is.
There are so many bottomless portafilter online to buy I .afraid to get the wrong one, many reviews said tamper do not fit, or portafilter leaks etc etc. So a link for the right one tested will be nice please...
Great to see Dedica on your channel guys :) Because of its low price point this should be a go-to machine for everyone interested in trying out espresso game at home.
Wow thank you for your advices on this machine !! I was wondering why my coffee was not so tasty. I will follow your advices an look how I can improve my coffee
I have this machine and at 13:10 you most certainly cannot only use the plastic bit as it will blow off due to pressure and splash into your milk ruining your drink. Maybe it stays on the machine first arrives, but not after taking the rubber part off a couple of times to clean it.
I have had a delonghi dedica for a while now and these tips have been really handy as I have wanted to try and upgrade eventually. What was the upgraded port filter that you used?
You may end up blasting the plastic nozzle thing straight off the machine if you remove the outer housing. Not a big problem but it can happen, just saying :) I use the same bottomless portafilter for my EC685! Another highly recommend tip would be getting a WDT tool, coffee bed leveler, and a better tamper and use them in that order
As a coffee machine technician my best tip is Breville > Delonghi but only for midrange and expensive machines. BES840 and BES870 are really well designed machines at a midrange cost but I'm not a big fan of the cheaper BES450 or BES500.
I was about to buy the Dedica machine, but the notion that to get the most out of it I need accessories that cost much more than the machine itself has made me reconsider. For the same total price I can get a fully automatic machine by De Longhi, such as the Magnifica Start.
This machine makes pretty good espresso with everything it comes with. The point made in this video isn't that the machine is bad, it's simply that it can be made even better if you wish to invest in additional items. You don't have to, but the fact you can means you can get some really impressive coffee, whereas a fully automatic machine cannot be made to improve on what it produces (as far as I know), and generally the coffee they produce is quite basic.
@@noggintube Good point. I ended up buying the machine a few weeks after writing my first comment, in any case. I can confirm it produces a very satisfying espresso with its basic set. I just upgraded my setup today with a semi-automatic coffee grinder, that I hope will help improving the overall result.
Hello thank you for the video i have buy the espresso machine but i need also buy the bottomless filter but there is many sizes and i don't know which size i have to buy can you tell me please which one do you have?
Can you control how long the hot water passes through the ground beans? Or is it stuck at 25 seconds? I might want to let it go for 42 seconds, for example.
Hello i have few questions about Delonghi Dedica that i just bought. Can I change the filter basket with a bigger one that can hold about 15-18 gr of coffee without changing the portafilter because the double that already has its small. If I can change it I just fit it in or does it require a modification? If I use a non pressurized portafilter with a new double cup basket filter and with a proper tamper can I use pre ground coffee or it's necessary to grind my self coffee if I use non pressurized portafilter? Thanks in advance :)
please tell me, 11g beans is for the 1 cup button or the 2 cup button. let's say for a standard latte I want to pull a dopio. Am I putting 11 grams and choosing the 2 cup button or something different?
How many clicks on the Comandante C40 did you use both for the original portafilter and for the non-pressurized one? Have you ground finer for the non-pressurized one?
I have the exact same setup and my recipe is 17gr in / 38gr out at 8-9 clicks (17 with the red clix) using a non-pressurized naked portafilter. Hope they answer with theirs!
Hey, at around 10 minutes he takes apart the portafiler and there you can briefly see the two cups imprinted. He uses the two cup for the 11g. Hope this helps
Is it 11g coffee for the single espresso? I'm using about 8-9g and coffee is always wet, so it's touching a group head. Coffee is kind of sour... Any recommendations what is wrong here? I set temperature for high and water for hard. I'm using specialty coffee.
no 11gram doesnt even fit the portafilter, 7-8 is best. sourness is from your grind size is maybe little coarse. you have to do little finer than table salt
Hi! Really good video, thanks. I have the same machine but I had little to no success brewing with the advanced modes. First I modified my delonghi coffee grinder to be able to grind finer coffee. That worked out great. Then I tried loading that finer coffee into the pressurized basket but the machine fails to brew it. It just pumps and barely any coffee comes out. Whatever comes out is super bitter. At the end I did not tamper the coffee at all (just scoop it in and brew) and it just simply fails to brew fine coffee. I have a feeling the machine has some trickery with the OPV valve and it is just pumping and never releasing pressure completely pressing the coffee together and not letting any water through. I have purchased unpressurized baskets obviously. I had to cut out plastic pieces from the portafilter to fit it. It is a basket with many holes on the middle but not in the entire basket like yours. This was the only one I found locally. But it is not pressurized and that is the point. I had better success brewing espresso grind coffee with it but even after many many attempts the quality never come close to the one brew with the pressurized basket on default coarser coffee. The output was always bitter, you have no control over the water quantity only the brew length. Also I think the OPV might have some special tuning not really suited for this. I was -to be honest- surprised it worked for you and now I'm suspecting it is something with my machine. I was also suspecting my skills are bad (and they might be still), but then if you copy everything at least some crappy coffee should come out not undrinkable bitterness. So I just go with the crappy machine theory. Not in general, but mine. I'm a bit tired of upgrading it (I also did the wand upgrade) and I think I will step forward to a Breville Dual Boiler.
hey! I think the grinder is super important, maybe try to ask in a local Cafe for an espresso grind and check if that is not the case. If not, then probably something wrong with the machine (?).
I also had this Delonghi coffee appliance (it's not a machine at this price point) and also the grinder. I did not mod it, but used it at 3-5 based on the coffee. If the grind is too fine, the appliance basically chokes because it tries to push water through a plug with a very small point and it can't do that. As such, you're overbrewing and from there you get the bitterness. Oh and also, the delonghi grinder is not the most consistent one for espresso. It might be for french press or pour over, but not for espresso. Now you have 3 options: either continue with the pressurized basket and decrease the amount of coffee and increase the grind setting until you find a setting you like (setting on a coffee or go non pressurized, but with a different portafilter (see aliexpress for 51mm bottomless portafilters) and again find a setting you like or the third, more expensive option, upgrade the grinder to a better one. Imo first comes the coffee beans, then the grinder and finally the espresso appliance / machine. I have the baratza encore, but I would have gone honestly with either a manual good grinder or save up a bit for a better espresso grinder like the Lelit PL 043 fred.
@@cristinmarius Hi! As I mentioned I did purchase unpressurized filters but anything finer than medium grind and the machine is not able to brew even is I don't tamper it. I really really played with it many kilos of coffee went into the bin tried all the different grind settings with different tampering strength it was never good. It might be the machine, might be the grinder at the end I don't care to be honest both have to go when I upgrade.
@@TechTinkerWorks I know this might sound weird, but have you cleaned the sieve where the water comes out of the appliance? Mine had a blockage last year that made the coffee taste funny.
I did the 11g with pre-ground and the standard portafilter. To get 22g of espresso it took 45 seconds. Is the grind too fine? The dude in the video had a 1:3 ratio for the espresso extraction
Thanks for the tip to use the steam wand without the pipe. It popped off and milk squirted all over the place. I can't recommend this technique unless you want to enjoy your cappuccino outside of your cup
At 6:29 you can hear the pump starting and then going very silent. Is this normal? My machine does it and it feel like the pump is really struggling and I stop it..
I am from El Salvador and love our coffee, I am so happy to see you using it! i am curios how much its that bag of coffee? here in El Salvador that will be easy $25
As a budget home espresso machine user since the start of the pandemic i have some tips: 1. Most home espresso machine can be upgraded to a non-pressurized basket and you should upgrade it if you have a decent grinder. 2. While you can theoretically pull good looking shots with the non-pressurized basket, most of budget home espresso machine don't have high enough heat to extract coffee properly, so you either need to use darker roast or longer extraction time. 3. If you're planning to buy budget home espresso machine, pay attention to the group head shower screen design, try to find a machine with one screw in the middle (if that makes any sense?) because you could maybe upgrade it to a compatible shower screen like IMS and it's usually better at dispersing water evenly because the water stream gets 'break' before it hits the shower screen, unlike mine that is so bad at dispersing water evenly because the stream of water hits the middle of the shower screen and the pressure is concentrated at the middle of the puck. 4. Always use contact shower screen / puck screen, it helps ALOT in extracting the coffee evenly, although you gotta preheat it first like dipping it in a bowl of hot water, also there's a neat little trick where after you put your puck screen, you pour hotter water to 'pre-infuse' it, maybe it can help raise the initial heat. 5. If im not wrong if you have a steam knob you could potentially control the amount of pressure you're extracting with(?) I haven't tested it because mine doesn't come with a separate steam knob, but i think you do it like when you're extracting, you turn the steam knob a little bit so it can open and release a small amount of pressure while you're pulling a shot, but i honestly don't know cause i read this from a comment in another video.
Also it's gonna be really interesting to see coffee channels try to make the best use of cheap espresso machines (like what small modifications they can do to it, what hacks can be used to improve it, etc), because a lot of people can't afford middle to higher end of espresso machines. The only video i can think of is this, and maybe James Hoffman's video about comparing cheap espresso machine even though it's mostly about using the machine as it is.
I suspect one of the extraction buttons on my machine was not programmed correctly. Do you have any suggestion for how long the single shot and double shot buttons should be programmed?
12:00 I don't understand it, I'm not a coffee expert but I'm very curious. I thought the espresso needs the pressure to be so rich and have a good texture. Why is the no pressure portafilter is better? Doesn't it mean that the machines 15 bar power is pointless with it, and the coffee is made with much less pressure?
Yes, espresso only need 9 bars. Pressured always do crema because of pushing with force. Non are using only water bars and it gets more natural extraction. I get better results with botomless but not so good. IDK why he has so smooth flow
Hello, do you have a link for the bottomless portafilter you used? I don't see one. Thanks! (I found a couple on Amazon that either don't have the best reviews or people said it wasn't compatible with the Deduce EC685)
I love my EC685 - though my biggest complaint is the inconsistency/weakness of the steam wand (panarello). It sometimes does an awful job at producing enough steam, so about 50% of the time it'll inject too much hot water into the milk, and I'll be left with watery hot milk instead of hot microfoamed milk. I'm not sure if it's because I'm using partly skimmed milk (1%), but I don't think that should make a difference.
Re: steam wand, I find mine steams milk much better if I run it on hot water until a continuous stream (no air sputtering) comes out, before pressing the steam button.
@@yatza901 same. Makes a great difference and also, get rid of that alu/plastic cover "HOT MILK/CAPPUCION" thing. Useles. Use only the squishy tip of the wand. Spurt excess water before tapping the steam button and then steam for a long time and you will even be able to do something like latte art, even though this wand sucks. You can replace it with a Rancilo steam wand, though.
Hello - I would like to ask : There are two pressurised portafilters for a single espresso and a double espresso; 9g and 18g respectively. There are also two BOTTOMLESS portafilters again for a single and a double. By adding 16g in the bottomless portafilter , then this means that it is considered a double espresso ? How many 'g' to add for a single espresso in the bottomless filter? Thank you !!!
@@pavlossideris3973 with 16g and output 32ml, i would say its a double espresso amount with ratio 1:2. For commercial size 58mm, easy to fit 18g compare with delonghi 51mm. For single i put 9g and output 18ml
Thank you so much for your feedback. I have not tested yet the bottomless filter , but testing the factory settings of the portafilter for a single shot at 9g i realise that the output is 40g ! ( im not sure whether i need to change the weight scale to ml) but this means that i am way off the 1:2 ratio. obviouslt i need to play more !!! :) thanks again !@@TRcoffeeX
hey guys - just got one - All good but - after frothing I notice the cups button flashing and just keeps flashing - I cant make a 2nd cup unless I turn whole machine off and on...?
yes - found that out when watching carefully maybe in another video - so after froth turn off, then when you want to make a 2nd coffee - you have to turn froth button back to fully on then it quickly empties itself - (not the whole water hey...)
I have the ec 885 and use the filter and baskets that came with the machine and am quite pleased with the result whether I make an espresso or a cappuccino. My question is this. If I drop an additional several hundred dollars more than what the machine cost on a grinder and non pressurized baskets, will my coffee taste several hundred dollars better?
We have this exact machine and just purchased a naked/bottomless portafilter but we can’t get a clean pull because the espresso just sputters and spits leading to minimal crema. Have tried different grinds and quantities but no luck so far. Any advice? Only piece we’re missing is a scale to more precisely measure quantity.
Do NOT just remove the metal part of the foam wand. It may work a few times but eventually your machine will shoot the rubber nozzle away at top speed, right into your milk and cover everything with hot liquid. If you want to do this, use a small cable binder at the top to keep the rubber in place. But i recommend not removing it and foaming the milk first with cappucino setting and then the hot milk setting
Can you explain the latter part abt the foaming technique? My coffee gets cold really quickly i use the cappuccino setting however the coffee doesn't stay warm
That's THE problem of this machine due to the way it works. You cn prehit as in video was shown, by running the machine with only water, or you can put hot water in the tank,but the pump has a low working temperature, so high temperature water can damage it. Good quality coffee and a grinder are a must. For the money the fedica costs, in the end, it's a valuable choice. Last advice, please, don't wash the portafilter in the dishwasher, never
Finally someone said what i did wrong. I only have it now 3rd day bought first time coffee machine and with my electric grinder i guess i did it too much so it was really good smooth and thats wrong i guess. + I didnt had right amount since it was watery , bitter and when i pull off filter with basket basket got stuck on machine on machine was coffee + maybe i didnt used good tamper . Thanks again i will try it later your tips and hope it will work (since i even bought better coffee but was dissapointed it tasted same like cheap pre ground. )i even though about ah need use more money and got to price of automatic coffee machine if i bought new tamper , new filter and new basket. But filter cost much , for basket if i will find it i will buy it , but i think about buying tamper
Can i just use coffee powder ? If im not that demanding on quality? Wonder if we can extract tea or now, knowing tea cant be too high temperature but some times i want a fast n concentrate tea
nice video. defintely makes me want to buy that machine. the grinder though is much more expensive than the machine itself. could you recommend any cheaper alternatives? thanks!
The Dedica and the Comandante has been my setup for almost two years! I also have both upgrades. My recipe is 17gr in / 38gr out at 8-9 clicks (17 with the red clix). Would love to know how many clicks did you use!! Great video guys.
Hey, I never comment to others so I hope you don’t mind. How has your experience been with your machine? I’m moving out in two weeks and would love some real world feedback from a coffee person 😂 - I have a decent grinder and filter setup, but would love to know if you rate the machine enough to pick one up. Cheers!
@@danfirth2678 Keep in mind that I bought this as my entry in the espresso world. I can't really say how much better things would be with a better machine (Gaggia Classic, Rancilio Silvia..) but once I got a good grinder, a non pressurized filter and a botomless portafilter (so I could really see and improve my puck preparation) the quality of the shots is very very good in my opinion and everyone enjoys them a lot. My biggest cons would be the low steam power, and being 51mm there are no precision filter baskets (VST etc) and also the puck is quite thick for a 17gr shot. Also due to the small size is quite annoying to have a coffe scale while pulling the shot. For the price I paid (~150 euros + ~50 on upgrades) I couldn't have asked for a better machine and as a newbie it has allowed me to experiment and improve my technique. I'd be lying If I said I wasn't planning on upgrading to something better, but I'm looking for something in the 1k range because I don't think a Gaggia Classic or a Rancilio Silvia would be a noticeable enough improvement!
Alberto on the shooting day I had almost the same recipe :D 16.5g and 17clicks. Thanks for sharing and totally agree 100% with your sum-up of Dedica, basically we tried to showcase what you have written! hi5! ;)
@@albertosendra I'm in the exact same position as you with similar upgrades. I am tempted by a manual espresso maker though as they can pull fantastic espresso at a low price point. Beyond that it would be a case of spending closer to the £1000 mark for a true long term upgrade.
Where did you get the naked portafilter? I got one quite similar looking from the internet but it's pretty useless. It was around 30$. How much does a good one cost? I'm struggling to find a nice one in this size.
Thank you!))))) You have prepared an espresso with 11 grams of coffee using the large basket and button (1 cup). What is the second button (2 cups) for? You can’t put more than 11 grams of coffee in there, and twice as much water is poured out. What type of coffee is this and is it worth drinking?
Do you make espresso at home? What are your tips for better coffee with cheaper home espresso machines?
we are in china, we use bottomless filter to upgrade the coffee quality, they are cheap and easy to find here, by the way i am using air pump coffee maker made in china, good result and not expansive.
I am a new home espresso fan, and have the same machine. I got it used, but it was in new condition, and didn't include any accessories. I couldn't wait for some extra portafilters to come in the mail, so I modified mine by simply drilling the pressure hole in the pressurized basket to be roughly 1/4" in diameter. It was very easy, and now the pressure is determined by the grind instead of the basket! I have been experimenting with the grind in a blade grinder for a few weeks now, it is hard work and works best only in the single basket, because a blade grinder is hard to control,, but if I spend extra time to just keep grinding the coffee, and use the single basket, my espresso is coming out with some crema and a nice rich taste. (of course, I do not let it run the full stock amount of water, I stop it early, so the color is nice and rich, and there is less bitterness)
@@tsmspace a simple machine can also make coffee taste good, it is fun to learn to know how,
Other Portafiler with an other Tamper.
@@chowdennis4440 qq¹
This was my first espresso maker.
When using naked portafilter with non pressurized basket, and steaming with the rubber wand, and pairing it with a nice grinder,
It gives you amazing lattes, it's so good that I stopped going to coffee shops. Highly recommend the upgrades!
what made you upgrade?
@@shabsky3244 Now I’m using Rocket Appartamento for extracting and steaming at the same time, drip tray drain to external bottle, powerful steam, larger water reservoir, 3 way valve for flush, easy to do back to back drinks. So far so good.
Did you jump from dedica to appartamento? Thats the path I’d like to risk, but I’ll practice more my barista skill with dedica before jumping 😅
Yup im actually eyeing Lelit bianca but thats way more expensive and maybe too much for me. My grinder is enough i guess 🤷♂️1Zpresso for pour over and a turinDF64 for espresso. Only the espresso machine needs some upgrade once i saved a lot for this coffee addiction 🤣 an appartamento price range maybe😬
I did the same, upgraded to non pressurized bottomless portafilter. This can actually make good espresso hence can corrects your coffee prep style
150 Euro?! I've been wanting an expresso maker lately and was at my local thrift store browsing when the employee brought out a cart of new items and on it was this DeLonghi expresso maker. I was thrilled and snatched it up! It looked brand new and virtually unused. It was complete with handle, tamper, two filters, and steamer. Tested it in-store and it's working! Paid $30 Canadian which translates to about 20 Euro. I'm excited to start making my own expresso and thank you for the tutorial in this video!
Wow! I have been using a home espresso machine for a year and I learned more fine detail in this short video than any other I have watched plus I got to learn about the Dedica. I'm off to buy one for camping.
One thing i've noticed with this machine is if you have a very finely ground coffee compound, you need to ease off on the compressing in the filter basket otherwise the machine struggles with pressure. The thicker the coffee ground, the tighter you can pack it. I love this machine - budget friendly way to make great coffee at home for my wife and I.
How much space between the coffee and the portafiliter rim?
You probably use the pressurized filter. Try an aftermarket bottomless.
Same here! From a scale from 1 to 20, if you grind the coffee very finely like around 3, it’s fine. But if you go 1 or 2, then the machine struggles with the pressure and no coffee comes out.
@@jcarrera01 I have the same machine, with the default filter and have noticed that using a needle distributor to break up clumps helps a lot with fine grind coffee and you can use more force while tampering without the fore mentioned effects. Bought the small one with 4 needles for about 5€.
Was having same issues with a cheap grinder then invested in a Baratza Encore. The Encore totally eliminated "failure to launch" issue when using open portafilter. Can pull shots now to 18 grams. Settled now with shots around 16.5 grams.
And this is it, I wake up on 5 o'clock and arrived late to work again.
But...what a coffee
I can’t tell you enough how helpful this video was to me as a complete beginner. Excellently explained!!!
Thank you, glad to hear it was helpful!
I found this video very helpful. So calm und explained in detail, yet to the point, also showing all relevant parts. Can't wait to try these tips. Thank you!
Switching from pre-grinded coffee to grinding it yourself is probably the best and most noticeable coffee taste upgrade. Switching from a $20 french press to whatever espresso machine is less of an upgrade and might not even be necessary, specially if milk frother is not used.
Just ordered my machine so this video is a straightforward tutorial- thank you!
13:13 be careful about that, there's quite a lot of a pressure build up in the steam wand and the rubber spout can and eventually will shoot out from the rest of the steam wand so I'd suggest to use some kind of a rubber band to hold it in place.
Correct. Yes the rubber will shoot out like blow up when we put it to deep in the jug
Just use small tie wrap
That moment when you realise his grinder costs more than the machine, coffee, tamper combined 😔
Hell, that scale cost more than the entire set up too.
same here, i use niche zero to grind coffee for ec685 😂
Come’on. The grinders only $400. Wait. What?
You saved me time 😪
That moment when you realise that the grinder is more important than the espresso machine
I am a novice and using the same machine since a week. This video is well explained and I've got good insights about the upgrades and techniques. Thank you!
I recommend securitng the rubber steam wand with some kind of strap so it wont shoot out while steaming
lol it happened to me
Hi there, Is the portafilter that you are using called "NEOUZA Espresso Bottomless Portafilter 51mm"? Also, if I am using 16.5g of coffee beans, do I use the single shot or double shot button? Many thanks.
Link to the upgraded portafilter please
@@ahmedmesilhi7757 wow, that is good advice. Thank you 😊
I just sawed off the bottom of the DeLonghi portalfilter and bought a fitting 51mm non pressurized basket. Works well. Less forgiving, yes, but much morgen room for improvement.
Hi!
Is it necessary to buy a new portafilter or is it sufficient to buy only the filter baskets?
@@vladpetrov4274 the filter basket is enough. but i suggest you go for a solution that lets you see the coffee coming from the filter, as in the video, since it allows you to see any issues with the extraction, like channelling or uneven water flow (because of bad tempering or too coarse/fine grind).
Amazing video
Grinder is best investment in coffee equipment 😁👌
I'm thinking of buying a machine like this and your video clarified many doubts. Congratulations and thank you very much. ☕️🇧🇷
Nice video. I already use a bottomless portafilter with this machine and the key is get a good enough grinder. I use the Sage Barista one and the combination is fantastic. BUT i couldnt make decent lattes with the existing wand. I have now removed the metal rod and by just using the existing rubber tube, i can make great lattes - not need to do the rancillo complicated exchange. I may see if I can get a longer rubber tube to make it a little easier. BUT by just using the existing rubber tube is a game changer in itself. Thank you. It does go to show , how capable this machine is.
There are so many bottomless portafilter online to buy I .afraid to get the wrong one, many reviews said tamper do not fit, or portafilter leaks etc etc. So a link for the right one tested will be nice please...
How many time you take to steam without the metal part?
I couldn’t do milk foam without the metal it becomes as a hot milk
@@terraferme2590u need to buy 1 which is 51mm. Look at reviews. I think neouza is a decent brand and it is available online in many stores.
There are now rancillio style wands that just screw onto existing mechanim.
I would say the EC685 is a decent machine and when u own one, your coffee quality will be as good as your grinder and beans.
True!
aaand water! :)
@@tomol5785 what do you mean?
Great to see Dedica on your channel guys :) Because of its low price point this should be a go-to machine for everyone interested in trying out espresso game at home.
Exactly, enough of the prejudice! :)
What's the brand of your bottomless portafilter? I can see many on Amazon but with some negative reviews. What's ur suggestion? Thanks 😊
This helped me make my mind up to purchase this machine. Great video.
Wow thank you for your advices on this machine !! I was wondering why my coffee was not so tasty. I will follow your advices an look how I can improve my coffee
I have this machine and at 13:10 you most certainly cannot only use the plastic bit as it will blow off due to pressure and splash into your milk ruining your drink. Maybe it stays on the machine first arrives, but not after taking the rubber part off a couple of times to clean it.
I have had a delonghi dedica for a while now and these tips have been really handy as I have wanted to try and upgrade eventually. What was the upgraded port filter that you used?
Thanks! Good question - I will try to get the answer for you asap. I assume it wasn’t too specific or high-level portafilter though.
@@EuropeanCoffeeTrip thank you very much
Neouza amazon
@@tomol5785 thanks for the advice
Great video, exactly what I needed to see to use my new machine properly. Thank you
Very useful video!
I've upgraded my Dedica with a non pressurized basket and a good manual grinder (1ZPresso JX-Pro). Coffe is just so much better.
What size is the bottomless porta filter for dedica?
@@Lolalatrailer 51mm
@@PaoloFilardi thank you
This was very informative. I bought my machine today. Thanks for posting.
Hey, im thinking of this one too. i found one but i think the previous model the EC680. would it be okay if i buy an old model?
Very helpful... just got my small machine today... learning. Thanks.
You may end up blasting the plastic nozzle thing straight off the machine if you remove the outer housing.
Not a big problem but it can happen, just saying :)
I use the same bottomless portafilter for my EC685! Another highly recommend tip would be getting a WDT tool, coffee bed leveler, and a better tamper and use them in that order
There are Rancillio style aftermarket tips now that just screw onto existing mechanism.
As a coffee machine technician my best tip is Breville > Delonghi but only for midrange and expensive machines. BES840 and BES870 are really well designed machines at a midrange cost but I'm not a big fan of the cheaper BES450 or BES500.
I was about to buy the Dedica machine, but the notion that to get the most out of it I need accessories that cost much more than the machine itself has made me reconsider.
For the same total price I can get a fully automatic machine by De Longhi, such as the Magnifica Start.
But the automatic machines make worse espresso
@@razorSHWhy?
This machine makes pretty good espresso with everything it comes with. The point made in this video isn't that the machine is bad, it's simply that it can be made even better if you wish to invest in additional items. You don't have to, but the fact you can means you can get some really impressive coffee, whereas a fully automatic machine cannot be made to improve on what it produces (as far as I know), and generally the coffee they produce is quite basic.
@@noggintube Good point. I ended up buying the machine a few weeks after writing my first comment, in any case.
I can confirm it produces a very satisfying espresso with its basic set. I just upgraded my setup today with a semi-automatic coffee grinder, that I hope will help improving the overall result.
Informative and well put together video, thank you!
A very well explained video for us coffee lovers who need to learn more on how to improve our daily hit .👍
Hello thank you for the video i have buy the espresso machine but i need also buy the bottomless filter but there is many sizes and i don't know which size i have to buy can you tell me please which one do you have?
Can you control how long the hot water passes through the ground beans? Or is it stuck at 25 seconds? I might want to let it go for 42 seconds, for example.
You can press and hold the cup button to set length of time
Hello i have few questions about Delonghi Dedica that i just bought.
Can I change the filter basket with a bigger one that can hold about 15-18 gr of coffee without changing the portafilter because the double that already has its small. If I can change it I just fit it in or does it require a modification?
If I use a non pressurized portafilter with a new double cup basket filter and with a proper tamper can I use pre ground coffee or it's necessary to grind my self coffee if I use non pressurized portafilter?
Thanks in advance :)
A very well explained video for us coffee lovers
thanks for nice sharing
please tell me, 11g beans is for the 1 cup button or the 2 cup button. let's say for a standard latte I want to pull a dopio. Am I putting 11 grams and choosing the 2 cup button or something different?
Is replacing the full portafilter necessary, could you just replace the basket?
How many clicks on the Comandante C40 did you use both for the original portafilter and for the non-pressurized one? Have you ground finer for the non-pressurized one?
I have the exact same setup and my recipe is 17gr in / 38gr out at 8-9 clicks (17 with the red clix) using a non-pressurized naked portafilter. Hope they answer with theirs!
hey Martin, the grind was similar around 14-17 clicks with Red Clix. Although there is circa 5g difference in coffee amount.
@@albertosendra thans for sharing Alberto! :)
According with the manual the machine has 3 levels of heating. Question! Is a god or bad thing to set the heat on highest? It will improve?
it depends on the coffee you use, more lighter roasted (and specialty grade) higher the the temperature we suggest to set
Which portafilter did you use? I have checked the links but cannot find it?
Please provide a link to the bottomless portafilter and handle.
Okay, we need to find out. We borrowed it to make the video so we don’t have all the details at hand.
Are you using the 1 cup filter or the 2 cup for the 11g?
Hey, at around 10 minutes he takes apart the portafiler and there you can briefly see the two cups imprinted. He uses the two cup for the 11g. Hope this helps
Is it 11g coffee for the single espresso? I'm using about 8-9g and coffee is always wet, so it's touching a group head. Coffee is kind of sour... Any recommendations what is wrong here? I set temperature for high and water for hard. I'm using specialty coffee.
no 11gram doesnt even fit the portafilter, 7-8 is best. sourness is from your grind size is maybe little coarse. you have to do little finer than table salt
Hi, what bottomless Porta filter did you use?
Hi! Really good video, thanks. I have the same machine but I had little to no success brewing with the advanced modes. First I modified my delonghi coffee grinder to be able to grind finer coffee. That worked out great. Then I tried loading that finer coffee into the pressurized basket but the machine fails to brew it. It just pumps and barely any coffee comes out. Whatever comes out is super bitter. At the end I did not tamper the coffee at all (just scoop it in and brew) and it just simply fails to brew fine coffee. I have a feeling the machine has some trickery with the OPV valve and it is just pumping and never releasing pressure completely pressing the coffee together and not letting any water through. I have purchased unpressurized baskets obviously. I had to cut out plastic pieces from the portafilter to fit it. It is a basket with many holes on the middle but not in the entire basket like yours. This was the only one I found locally. But it is not pressurized and that is the point. I had better success brewing espresso grind coffee with it but even after many many attempts the quality never come close to the one brew with the pressurized basket on default coarser coffee. The output was always bitter, you have no control over the water quantity only the brew length. Also I think the OPV might have some special tuning not really suited for this. I was -to be honest- surprised it worked for you and now I'm suspecting it is something with my machine. I was also suspecting my skills are bad (and they might be still), but then if you copy everything at least some crappy coffee should come out not undrinkable bitterness. So I just go with the crappy machine theory. Not in general, but mine. I'm a bit tired of upgrading it (I also did the wand upgrade) and I think I will step forward to a Breville Dual Boiler.
hey! I think the grinder is super important, maybe try to ask in a local Cafe for an espresso grind and check if that is not the case. If not, then probably something wrong with the machine (?).
you need a better grinder, different beans require different grind size.
I also had this Delonghi coffee appliance (it's not a machine at this price point) and also the grinder. I did not mod it, but used it at 3-5 based on the coffee. If the grind is too fine, the appliance basically chokes because it tries to push water through a plug with a very small point and it can't do that. As such, you're overbrewing and from there you get the bitterness. Oh and also, the delonghi grinder is not the most consistent one for espresso. It might be for french press or pour over, but not for espresso.
Now you have 3 options: either continue with the pressurized basket and decrease the amount of coffee and increase the grind setting until you find a setting you like (setting on a coffee or go non pressurized, but with a different portafilter (see aliexpress for 51mm bottomless portafilters) and again find a setting you like or the third, more expensive option, upgrade the grinder to a better one. Imo first comes the coffee beans, then the grinder and finally the espresso appliance / machine. I have the baratza encore, but I would have gone honestly with either a manual good grinder or save up a bit for a better espresso grinder like the Lelit PL 043 fred.
@@cristinmarius Hi! As I mentioned I did purchase unpressurized filters but anything finer than medium grind and the machine is not able to brew even is I don't tamper it. I really really played with it many kilos of coffee went into the bin tried all the different grind settings with different tampering strength it was never good. It might be the machine, might be the grinder at the end I don't care to be honest both have to go when I upgrade.
@@TechTinkerWorks I know this might sound weird, but have you cleaned the sieve where the water comes out of the appliance? Mine had a blockage last year that made the coffee taste funny.
I did the 11g with pre-ground and the standard portafilter. To get 22g of espresso it took 45 seconds. Is the grind too fine? The dude in the video had a 1:3 ratio for the espresso extraction
Thanks for the tip to use the steam wand without the pipe. It popped off and milk squirted all over the place. I can't recommend this technique unless you want to enjoy your cappuccino outside of your cup
Awesome video for beginners🎉
At 6:29 you can hear the pump starting and then going very silent. Is this normal? My machine does it and it feel like the pump is really struggling and I stop it..
I am from El Salvador and love our coffee, I am so happy to see you using it! i am curios how much its that bag of coffee? here in El Salvador that will be easy $25
Thanks for the video!
Man, I love your video! Thank you.
thank you!
When you rotate the filter into the machine it makes a clock sound, my machine does not. Do you think my machine is faulty? Thanks
Can I use instant coffee powder or I must use coffee powder specific for espresso machine?
Perfect video ! I have the same machine and it is very good . Could you suggest any portafilter ?
As a budget home espresso machine user since the start of the pandemic i have some tips:
1. Most home espresso machine can be upgraded to a non-pressurized basket and you should upgrade it if you have a decent grinder.
2. While you can theoretically pull good looking shots with the non-pressurized basket, most of budget home espresso machine don't have high enough heat to extract coffee properly, so you either need to use darker roast or longer extraction time.
3. If you're planning to buy budget home espresso machine, pay attention to the group head shower screen design, try to find a machine with one screw in the middle (if that makes any sense?) because you could maybe upgrade it to a compatible shower screen like IMS and it's usually better at dispersing water evenly because the water stream gets 'break' before it hits the shower screen, unlike mine that is so bad at dispersing water evenly because the stream of water hits the middle of the shower screen and the pressure is concentrated at the middle of the puck.
4. Always use contact shower screen / puck screen, it helps ALOT in extracting the coffee evenly, although you gotta preheat it first like dipping it in a bowl of hot water, also there's a neat little trick where after you put your puck screen, you pour hotter water to 'pre-infuse' it, maybe it can help raise the initial heat.
5. If im not wrong if you have a steam knob you could potentially control the amount of pressure you're extracting with(?) I haven't tested it because mine doesn't come with a separate steam knob, but i think you do it like when you're extracting, you turn the steam knob a little bit so it can open and release a small amount of pressure while you're pulling a shot, but i honestly don't know cause i read this from a comment in another video.
Also it's gonna be really interesting to see coffee channels try to make the best use of cheap espresso machines (like what small modifications they can do to it, what hacks can be used to improve it, etc), because a lot of people can't afford middle to higher end of espresso machines. The only video i can think of is this, and maybe James Hoffman's video about comparing cheap espresso machine even though it's mostly about using the machine as it is.
I suspect one of the extraction buttons on my machine was not programmed correctly. Do you have any suggestion for how long the single shot and double shot buttons should be programmed?
Hold the buttons to the desired quantity. a coffee scale will help u for the espresso doses.
12:00 I don't understand it, I'm not a coffee expert but I'm very curious. I thought the espresso needs the pressure to be so rich and have a good texture. Why is the no pressure portafilter is better? Doesn't it mean that the machines 15 bar power is pointless with it, and the coffee is made with much less pressure?
Yes, espresso only need 9 bars. Pressured always do crema because of pushing with force. Non are using only water bars and it gets more natural extraction. I get better results with botomless but not so good. IDK why he has so smooth flow
Hello, do you have a link for the bottomless portafilter you used? I don't see one. Thanks! (I found a couple on Amazon that either don't have the best reviews or people said it wasn't compatible with the Deduce EC685)
Good job on making this video. I use this one! Perfect espresso its around $500 but it will last you years.
Did you press the double or single button on the machine with the bottomless filter in the end?
Still 25Sec?
Superb tips matey
I love my EC685 - though my biggest complaint is the inconsistency/weakness of the steam wand (panarello). It sometimes does an awful job at producing enough steam, so about 50% of the time it'll inject too much hot water into the milk, and I'll be left with watery hot milk instead of hot microfoamed milk. I'm not sure if it's because I'm using partly skimmed milk (1%), but I don't think that should make a difference.
Re: steam wand, I find mine steams milk much better if I run it on hot water until a continuous stream (no air sputtering) comes out, before pressing the steam button.
@@yatza901 same. Makes a great difference and also, get rid of that alu/plastic cover "HOT MILK/CAPPUCION" thing. Useles. Use only the squishy tip of the wand. Spurt excess water before tapping the steam button and then steam for a long time and you will even be able to do something like latte art, even though this wand sucks. You can replace it with a Rancilo steam wand, though.
Did you manually stop the machine when you got the espresso yield within 30 seconds. Or did you let the machine run on default time
How many grams should we put for a double shot ? Plus, thanks for this amazing tutorial!
Learned so much from the video. I have the same machine, and im using 16.5g after i watched this video. And still learning to do latte art
@@Knackerflacker 16.5g coffee bean ground
Hello - I would like to ask : There are two pressurised portafilters for a single espresso and a double espresso; 9g and 18g respectively. There are also two BOTTOMLESS portafilters again for a single and a double. By adding 16g in the bottomless portafilter , then this means that it is considered a double espresso ? How many 'g' to add for a single espresso in the bottomless filter? Thank you !!!
@@pavlossideris3973 with 16g and output 32ml, i would say its a double espresso amount with ratio 1:2. For commercial size 58mm, easy to fit 18g compare with delonghi 51mm. For single i put 9g and output 18ml
Thank you so much for your feedback. I have not tested yet the bottomless filter , but testing the factory settings of the portafilter for a single shot at 9g i realise that the output is 40g ! ( im not sure whether i need to change the weight scale to ml) but this means that i am way off the 1:2 ratio. obviouslt i need to play more !!! :) thanks again !@@TRcoffeeX
Can I use the cup warmer on top to preheat the portafilter?
hey guys - just got one - All good but - after frothing I notice the cups button flashing and just keeps flashing - I cant make a 2nd cup unless I turn whole machine off and on...?
I have the same problem… have you found out how to fix it? I think we need to completely let all the water out until the frother button turn off?
yes - found that out when watching carefully maybe in another video - so after froth turn off, then when you want to make a 2nd coffee - you have to turn froth button back to fully on then it quickly empties itself - (not the whole water hey...)
good work ,very proffesional
Hey! What an excellent video, thanks for sharing your expertise
Thank you guys
in the barista routine, are you using 2 Tass porta filter or 1 Tass porta filter ?
To reach 25 seconds, you used programmation mod on the dedicated ?
Excellent video with detailed description. Enjoyed it. Thanks a lot
Thanks Godwin :)
Have you used the machine default setup for time of extraction?
You can also just press and hold the button to time it manually
How much coffee was extracted from the 16.5g coffee using the bottomless portafilter?
I have the ec 885 and use the filter and baskets that came with the machine and am quite pleased with the result whether I make an espresso or a cappuccino. My question is this. If I drop an additional several hundred dollars more than what the machine cost on a grinder and non pressurized baskets, will my coffee taste several hundred dollars better?
One of the most helpful video on the machine and technique.
We have this exact machine and just purchased a naked/bottomless portafilter but we can’t get a clean pull because the espresso just sputters and spits leading to minimal crema. Have tried different grinds and quantities but no luck so far. Any advice? Only piece we’re missing is a scale to more precisely measure quantity.
Can you provide link for better porta filter please?
Do NOT just remove the metal part of the foam wand. It may work a few times but eventually your machine will shoot the rubber nozzle away at top speed, right into your milk and cover everything with hot liquid. If you want to do this, use a small cable binder at the top to keep the rubber in place.
But i recommend not removing it and foaming the milk first with cappucino setting and then the hot milk setting
Thanks for the tip. I was going to buy a new rubber nozzle as it keeps popping off even with the metal part on
Happend to me first time while using it without the metal part :')
Can you explain the latter part abt the foaming technique? My coffee gets cold really quickly i use the cappuccino setting however the coffee doesn't stay warm
Quite a confusing idea.
The rubber wand can be fixed using just a thread of yarn.
Results are better than many professional batistas get
That's THE problem of this machine due to the way it works. You cn prehit as in video was shown, by running the machine with only water, or you can put hot water in the tank,but the pump has a low working temperature, so high temperature water can damage it.
Good quality coffee and a grinder are a must. For the money the fedica costs, in the end, it's a valuable choice.
Last advice, please, don't wash the portafilter in the dishwasher, never
Very helpful video. I am gonna to buy this Delonghi machine. plz suggest me a bottomless portafilter
Finally someone said what i did wrong. I only have it now 3rd day bought first time coffee machine and with my electric grinder i guess i did it too much so it was really good smooth and thats wrong i guess. + I didnt had right amount since it was watery , bitter and when i pull off filter with basket basket got stuck on machine on machine was coffee + maybe i didnt used good tamper . Thanks again i will try it later your tips and hope it will work (since i even bought better coffee but was dissapointed it tasted same like cheap pre ground. )i even though about ah need use more money and got to price of automatic coffee machine if i bought new tamper , new filter and new basket. But filter cost much , for basket if i will find it i will buy it , but i think about buying tamper
Can i just use coffee powder ? If im not that demanding on quality? Wonder if we can extract tea or now, knowing tea cant be too high temperature but some times i want a fast n concentrate tea
Hi! Where can i get the portafilter?
Get them online... got mine from amazon.
Thanks so much, what size porta filter ? 58mm or 51mm
51mm
This guy likes coffee you can tell. After every sip you can see him smiling.
Thanks a lot! Just bought new dedica Arte and will try you tops ❤
Thank you for making this video it was very helpful and informative 😊
Best video I’ve watched for making coffee on the dedica
Wow, thanks!
Excellent video
Thanks ☕️🙌
@@EuropeanCoffeeTrip ❤️
The extraction time for a 16 gr using a bottomless portafilter is the same Than original pressurized / 11.4 gr? (25 secs) thanks in advance
25-30 sec 😉
nice video. always like videos with this guy
Thanks, Tomo is a great presenter with a focus on detail. Coffee he roasts taste amazing too ☕️🖤
☕️🖤
nice video. defintely makes me want to buy that machine. the grinder though is much more expensive than the machine itself. could you recommend any cheaper alternatives? thanks!
The Dedica and the Comandante has been my setup for almost two years! I also have both upgrades. My recipe is 17gr in / 38gr out at 8-9 clicks (17 with the red clix). Would love to know how many clicks did you use!!
Great video guys.
Hey, I never comment to others so I hope you don’t mind. How has your experience been with your machine? I’m moving out in two weeks and would love some real world feedback from a coffee person 😂 - I have a decent grinder and filter setup, but would love to know if you rate the machine enough to pick one up. Cheers!
@@danfirth2678 Keep in mind that I bought this as my entry in the espresso world. I can't really say how much better things would be with a better machine (Gaggia Classic, Rancilio Silvia..) but once I got a good grinder, a non pressurized filter and a botomless portafilter (so I could really see and improve my puck preparation) the quality of the shots is very very good in my opinion and everyone enjoys them a lot.
My biggest cons would be the low steam power, and being 51mm there are no precision filter baskets (VST etc) and also the puck is quite thick for a 17gr shot. Also due to the small size is quite annoying to have a coffe scale while pulling the shot.
For the price I paid (~150 euros + ~50 on upgrades) I couldn't have asked for a better machine and as a newbie it has allowed me to experiment and improve my technique. I'd be lying If I said I wasn't planning on upgrading to something better, but I'm looking for something in the 1k range because I don't think a Gaggia Classic or a Rancilio Silvia would be a noticeable enough improvement!
Alberto on the shooting day I had almost the same recipe :D 16.5g and 17clicks.
Thanks for sharing and totally agree 100% with your sum-up of Dedica, basically we tried to showcase what you have written! hi5! ;)
@@albertosendra I'm in the exact same position as you with similar upgrades.
I am tempted by a manual espresso maker though as they can pull fantastic espresso at a low price point. Beyond that it would be a case of spending closer to the £1000 mark for a true long term upgrade.
Is this single shot?
Where did you get the naked portafilter? I got one quite similar looking from the internet but it's pretty useless. It was around 30$. How much does a good one cost? I'm struggling to find a nice one in this size.
Can anyone share a link to but that bottomless portafilter? Thank you!
Thank you!))))) You have prepared an espresso with 11 grams of coffee using the large basket and button (1 cup). What is the second button (2 cups) for? You can’t put more than 11 grams of coffee in there, and twice as much water is poured out. What type of coffee is this and is it worth drinking?