De'LonghiDedica Arte Espresso Machine with Manual Milk Frother for Espresso, Capuccino, Latte, 35 Ounce Water Tank, Silver, EC885M

I bought this last year as a birthday gift for my boyfriend. He already had a really nice grinder, so I was looking for something without one but that still made good espresso. This thing works like a charm, and now I can make myself amazing lattes every morning too! :) I was a barista for 7 years so I can be a bit picky about my coffee, but this is honestly an amazing value and creates great espresso for a small at-home machine. It's very sleek on the counter, super easy to clean and wipe off, and it's powerful for it's size. It has a super easy self-cleaning system that you basically can set and forget when it's time to descale, which is only every so often (depends on how often you use it). Now that I've been living with an espresso machine for a year, I don't think I will ever go back, and would definitely repurchase this machine!

The media could not be loaded. I had a 3-in-one machine and knew it was time to upgrade when I saw the Delonghi Dedica Arte. Even though the Delonghi doesn't have a grinder, I bought one that didn't break the bank and the coffee is A1. First things first, the ease of use is truly there. It is straightforward to use. The steam wand has a great feel and I always steam twice after the milk for a cleaner wand. Other than the feel, the pressure is strong! Obviously, not to the level of a coffee shop machine but this is for the home and it is more than enough power. It is capable of pulling great-looking latte art. I am no barista, but even with my rookie skills, I can create art without it looking like polyps.The portafilter it comes with is good but I had to go with a bottomless. In my opinion, shots taste and look better with the bottomless portafilter. In my past machine, shots tasted way too bitter and no cream ever came from it. I can taste sweetness and body in my coffee.There is one minor problem I have with it, but I think I'm nitpicking. When I pull the shot and steam my milk, If I were to do another latte or cappuccino, I have to lower the temperature of the machine. This is done by releasing water through the steam wand, and it tends to be annoying when you have guests over. It takes about 1 to 2 minutes extra until you can pull another shot. Other than that, this machine is very very good and puts a smile on my face every morning.

I bought this machine at Amazon and received it 3 days ago. It made about 5 cups and then stopped working. I went through the manual and troubleshooting several times but nothing worked. Amazon said it's not eligible for return. I called Delonghi and got on a video chat with a representative. He guided me through the coffee making process a couple of times while watching me at every step. Still not working. His conclusion was that I was using the wrong coffee. At first he said it was roasted too dark. It's a medium light roast. Then he suggested the grind. He suggested if I was using half and half in the frother that it would make the machine weak from over use of the frother. I used it twice with milk. If the problem is with me or the coffee then why did it work the first few times? Doesn't make sense. Call ended, no resolution, still have an espresso machine that won't make espresso. Terrible customer service.

Update:I ordered some accessories from DeLonghi, including their “signature” ground espresso blend so I could get a better sense of their idea of a perfect shot. I also experimented with non-dairy milks (also A2 milk which was gross btw). I’m now using Califia Almond “Barista Blend” with a drop of Pacific Foods hemp milk for added body.Once my accessories arrived, my drink quality dialed up. The small steaming carafe is the perfect size for my single cappuccino. I didn’t know they came that small!Full disclosure: prior to having a proper steaming carafe, I’d been using a small cup from my Japanese tea set to steam milk in (i know…) Anyway, I’m using slightly more milk now but it’s totally worth it.I’m still perfecting my espresso shot: The signature ground tends me an over-extracted shot (I have found I can mitigate by using slightly less).Today, I went back to ESE pod and it wasn’t half bad—I don’t know if it’s just that I can see the thin line of crema better in my new glass cups or what, but at any rate, it’s certainly as good a result as I was getting with ESE pods in my previous machine.I still find the steam function to be a bit finicky: The unit often switches from steam back to cooling for a shot before I’m ready. The steam pressure and output also seems highly variable.That said, after two weeks of adjusting to the new machine, I’ve finally achieved the desired result (see photo) and have decided to keep it.TLDR;Decent machine for a frothy espresso drink but be sure to buy a proper steaming carafe!~~~~~~~~^^UPDATED ^^~~~~~~~~~~~I promise to update this review as I tweak my espresso game but, so far, not so good!! This was an “upgrade” from my previous DeLonghi EC155 15 Bar Espresso and Cappuccino Machine which is a surprisingly good little machine for the money (I probably could have kept that one going with a proper descaling but I reckon it served me up at least 1000 macchiatos so I’d got my money’s worth.) I was tired of wiping the leaking water off the counter with that model, plus I thought it would be healthier to have a stainless steel portafilter vs aluminum.Anyway, woke up this morning with high expectations of a smooth, flavorful cappuccino which were quickly dashed…Background: I used to order and grind my own beans (Kona) but have simplified my life in recent years and have been using ESE pods (after a brief stint with Illy capsules). This unit comes with a special pod filter which is super neato but so far (3 tries) I’m getting watery under extracted shots. I’ve tried two different ESE pod brands so far this morning.The bigger disappointment for me compared to my previous model is the steam function: I am allergic to dairy. I also prefer macchiato to latte (that’s what turned me off from buying the Breville Bambino Plus because the minimal milk required is way more than I want or need).The afore mentioned De’Longhi gave me perfect control over steaming about 1.5 ounces of Pacific Brands Original Almond Milk in a small cup. The Dedica only has one steam setting (on or off) and doesn’t allow me to adjust the steam pressure like the old model did. So, foamless and watery shots is all I got today :(I’m thinking I’ll be forced to buy another grinder and start learning how to dose my own shot which is a project I really wasn’t trying to sign up for right now. On top of that, now I’ll have to experiment to find a new milk (maybe I’ll go back to hemp milk or see how far I’d have to drive for some A2 milk around here).Also, another review mentioned the “bear hug” to lock and unlock the portafilter: that is real: I already learned to make sure the unit is off while locking the portafilter in place to avoid inadvertently pushing the brew button.On the plus side, it looks really pretty and has a much more quality/professional look on my counter as compared to the cheaper model. (I already foresee a lot more polishing and wiping to keep that stainless spotless).

I gave this to my son in law for Christmas. When opened, it had a crack in the water reservoir. Amazon directed me to the mfg who was extremely helpful and replaced the reservoir in a few days. He loves it and says it makes the best espresso!

Very good product. It fulfills its function.