De'Longhi Dedica: The Narrow Machine for Small Counters, Model by Model
The De'Longhi Dedica is a line of narrow thermoblock pump machines, about 6 inches wide on the slimmest models. We'd take the Dedica Duo for a tight counter and a hand-steamed latte, and the Dedica Maestro Plus if you want milk done for you and have a little more room. Neither has a grinder, and De'Longhi's pages don't state the portafilter size.
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Choose the Dedica Duo if width is the main problem and you'll steam by hand. Choose the Dedica Maestro Plus for an automatic wand with 3 milk temperatures and 3 textures, in a body about 8 inches wide. Both use a thermoblock and a 15 bar pump, and both need a separate espresso grinder. Check the portafilter size before buying tools.
On this page
The Dedica is the De'Longhi you buy for a measuring-tape reason. In the De'Longhi range, it's the line built around width. Here we compare the three versions we could read about on De'Longhi's own US pages. We haven't used these machines, so everything below is the maker's data plus our reading of it.
De'Longhi Dedica Duo
A very narrow thermoblock machine with a steam wand and a cold brew preset, per De'Longhi.
Why here: Our Dedica for a tight counter: listed at 5.9 wide, with a steam wand you control yourself.
Best for: Small counters where every inch of width counts and you want to steam by hand
- Listed at 5.9 wide on De'Longhi's spec sheet
- Steam wand with a cool-touch body (De'Longhi)
- Presets for espresso, double espresso and cold brew (De'Longhi)
- Needs a separate espresso-capable grinder
- De'Longhi's page does not state the portafilter size
- Match the listing to the EC890 family before you buy, because Amazon's title gives no number
- Heating
- Thermoblock
- Pump, as stated
- 15 bar
- Built-in grinder
- No
- Milk
- Manual steam wand
- Price class
- Mid-range
Who it's for
- Small kitchens where a standard machine won't fit beside the kettle
- One or two drinks at a time, milk or no milk
- People who already own, or will buy, a real espresso grinder
- Anyone wanting a one-box setup: there's no grinder inside
- Tall mugs on the Maestro Plus, with a maximum cup height of 4.68 in
- People who need the portafilter size before they buy, since the pages don't state it
Three Dedicas, side by side
| Dedica Duo EC890 | Dedica Maestro Plus EC950M | Dedica EC680 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width, as listed | 5.9, no unit printed | 8.15, no unit printed | 6 in (15 cm) |
| Heating | Thermoblock | Thermoblock | Thermoblock |
| Pressure, as stated | 15 bar pump | 15 bar pump, 9 bar extraction | 15 bar |
| Milk | Manual steam wand, cool-touch | Automatic wand, 3 temperatures, 3 textures | Manual frother |
| Tank | 34.83 oz | 54 oz | Not stated in what we read |
| Maximum cup height | 5.85 in | 4.68 in | 12 cm |
| Weight | 10.36 lb | 13.67 lb | Not stated in what we read |
| Extras | Cold brew preset | 3 brew temperatures | Takes E.S.E. pods |
| Sold in our Amazon data | Yes | Yes | No |
All values come from De'Longhi's pages, and we copied them as printed. De'Longhi's Maestro Plus spec table prints a tank value that doesn't fit, so we took the 54 oz from its text. The EC680 page also showed “Out of stock” when we read it, which is why it gets a mention and no link.
About the pressure line: “The 15 or 20 bar on the box is what the pump can reach. Espresso is brewed at about 9 bar.” 15 bar vs 20 bar has the detail.
De'Longhi files all of them under “manual” machines. They're pump machines where you still grind, dose and tamp, which puts them in the semi-automatic group, as semi-automatic vs automatic explains.
Dedica Duo: narrowest, with a real wand
The Dedica Duo* is the one to measure first. De'Longhi gives it three presets (espresso, double espresso and cold brew), and a cold brew it says takes less than five minutes. An FAQ on its page, written for the Dedica line, lists low, medium and high temperature settings. In the box are a portafilter, single and double baskets, a tamper and a scoop, and the spec sheet calls the accessory a spoon and tamper. If it's one combined tool, you may want a proper tamper once you know the size.
Amazon's title carries no model number, so match the listing to the EC890 family before you order.
Dedica Maestro Plus: milk without the wand work
An automatic wand changes the morning
The Dedica Maestro Plus* has an automatic wand with latte art, fine and dense textures. So you trade a skill for a setting. De'Longhi adds 3 brew temperatures and includes a tamper, a milk jug and both single and double wall baskets. It also takes more counter than the Duo.
The original Dedica
The EC680 is the plain version of the idea. De'Longhi describes a thermoblock that brews at temperature in 40 seconds, a 3-in-1 filter holder that also takes E.S.E. pods, a flow stop for 1 or 2 shots, and an automatic shut-off after 20 minutes. We don't have an Amazon listing for it, so check availability before you plan around it.
Six inches of machine leaves room for the grinder and the scale.
What you'll still need
Budget for a grinder first. A narrow machine doesn't help much if the grinder beside it is the wide part, so measure both together. Our espresso grinder guide is the next stop. After that come a scale and a basket-sized tamper. Those last two depend on a size De'Longhi doesn't print on these pages, so check the manual that comes up under support for your model. The De'Longhi overview has more on this gap, and portafilter sizes shows how to measure.
For care, De'Longhi's EC680 support page lists how-to sections on descaling, cleaning and the steam spout. Follow the manual for your model and use the descaler it names. How to clean an espresso machine gives the general routine.
Alternatives
If width is your main problem and you'll steam by hand → De'Longhi Dedica Duo
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonIf you want automatic milk in a narrow body → De'Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonIf you want a maker that prints the portafilter size → Breville Bambino
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonIf you want to see every small machine
The Breville Bambino* is the natural rival: small, with a 54 mm portafilter named on the maker's page. Breville vs De'Longhi compares the two makers. If you want the general picture, thermoblock machines explains the heating, and compact machines compares the sizes.
Asked at the bar
How wide is the De'Longhi Dedica?
De'Longhi calls the EC680 a slim 6 inch design, or 15 cm wide. The Dedica Duo's spec sheet lists 13 x 5.9 x 12, length by width by height, with no unit printed. The Dedica Maestro Plus is wider at 8.15. Measure your counter space with the handle and the tank in mind, and leave room to reach the tank.
Does the De'Longhi Dedica have a built-in grinder?
No. The De'Longhi pages we read for the EC680, Dedica Duo and Dedica Maestro Plus don't list a grinder, so you need a separate one that can grind for espresso. If you want a grinder in the body, De'Longhi's La Specialista machines are the place to look, and our page on machines with a grinder compares them.
What is the Dedica portafilter size?
De'Longhi's product pages for these machines don't state it. The EC680 page only calls it a 3-in-1 filter holder for single shots, double shots and pods. So don't order a tamper, funnel or basket on a guess. Check the manual for your exact model or measure your basket across the top first.
Can the Dedica brew and steam at the same time?
De'Longhi's pages we read don't promise it. These machines use a thermoblock, which heats water on demand. In general, plan on making the shot first and the milk second, as with most machines that use one heater. If you make several milk drinks in a row, compare a dual boiler before you decide.
What's the difference between the Dedica Duo and the Maestro Plus?
The Duo is the narrower machine, with a manual steam wand, a 34.83 oz tank and a cold brew preset. The Maestro Plus is wider, with a 54 oz tank, 3 brew temperatures and an automatic wand. Of the pages we read, only the Maestro Plus page names 9 bar extraction next to its 15 bar pump.
Where this comes from
Next round
De'LonghiDe'Longhi's pump machines by spec sheet: Stilosa, Classic Signature, Dedica Maestro Plus and La Specialista. What the maker states, and what it leaves out.- Compact machinesCompact espresso machines compared by width, depth and height, with sources. Why “compact” on a listing means little, what to measure, and which machine to pick.
Thermoblock machinesThermoblock espresso machines heat on demand, so they start fast and stay small. Where steam falls short, which models use which heater, and our pick.
Breville BambinoBreville Bambino BES450: 54 mm portafilter, 3-second ThermoJet, one-touch shots and a manual wand. What the manual asks of you, and who should pick something else.- Steam milkHow to steam milk at home: purge, stretch 5 to 10 seconds, spin, stop near 140 to 145 °F. Steps, the temperatures sources disagree on, and fixes for big bubbles.
semiautomaticespressomachine.com Editorial Team
Espresso gear & shot craft
We are the editorial team at semiautomaticespressomachine.com. We read maker spec sheets, manuals, standards and published research on espresso and turn them into plain-English buying advice, with sources on every page. We do not run lab tests, and we say so openly.
- Spec sheets & standards read
- Sources on every page
- No lab tests – stated openly
- Publisher details in the imprint