De'Longhi Dedica Style, Traditional Pump Espresso Machine, Coffee and Cappuccino Maker, EC685M, Silver

One of the best adult purchases I have ever made. The coffee quality is fantastic and everyone always asks me for a coffee when they visit. It’s pretty quick once you get the hand of it but it is a little noisy. The frothing function is easy and effective. Great entrance to home coffee brewing and very good value for money as it’s an expensive market. I personally love the stainless steel and it looks great living in the kitchen on display.

My first impression was that it was a beautiful and compact machine that would look lovely in my kitchen to replace a 5 year old pod machine which I felt was not environmentally friendly.I read the instructions carefully because that's the kind of person I am. I suspect that if you are not a read the instructions kind of person you may be disappointed with the coffee that you get!So, I cleaned it as instructed and set it up. Then I ran the circuit program to clean the insides. No problem at all.Now, I live in a hard water area so wanted to change that setting. I read the instructions again and made my first attempt, this resulted in my getting water everywhere. I realised that I hadn't been quick enough to press the right button and it made me a cup of coffee instead. I suggest removing the drip tray and putting a container under the outlet when in programming mode, just in case.Some reviews say that the coffee isn't hot enough. Well, you can change the temperature of the water. I like mine hot so I changed the setting to hot, it made very hot coffee.I like espresso, cappuccino and flat white. Espresso is easy, just use the 1 cup basket. The first time I tried the coffee took ages to come through, I realised that I'd tamped too much. The second time was much better. However, I need to mention my next issue, I really really struggled to twist the handle to lock the holder into place. I found myself wrestling with the machine for several minutes. Having used it for a few days now, it does get easier and it locks into position without the wrestling.Note that the tamper that comes with the machine is okay but you need to hold it at the bottom, if you push the top, it bends alarmingly. I bought the wood and metal tamper which is much easier to use.Cappuccino etc is also easy once you realise how the frother works. I recommend watching a YouTube video but basically you pop the ring up for hot milk and down for frothy milk. To get the wand off, twist to the right and pull down. It's easy once you know how. Cleaning it was straightforward.My final choice is for a mug of coffee, and I do have a few of these every day! To achieve this I reprogrammed the 2 cup button to run more water through the machine using the 2 cup filter basket and 10g coffee. I have a slightly larger mug too, to fill this one I use 12g ground coffee, my reprogrammed 2 cup button, and then the default 1 cup button to get an extra 60ml of water through.I absolutely love, love, love this machine. It makes perfect coffee every time xxxxx

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.

Obal not an expert and I am super there are better coffee makers in the market, but not necessarily in this price range. This is is compact, easy to use and it does the job. It is all depends of grinder you are using, coffee and water but it does make a nice coffee. I’ve had it for a couple of months so I can’t say anything about its durability. Design is a matter of opinion, this one is a lot retro and I like it.

I bought this machine to replace a previous De'Longhi model that final died. It shares some of the design and functions of that previous model. There, all comparisons end. Over the years, I have got through many espresso machines: some great - some not so great, some small - some huge. A few have been absolute monsters. One even went out in a massive explosion. None have disappointed as much as this one though.The machine is small and light. Without the heavy filter attachment, it's not really much heavier than a large box of tea bags. Seriously. I have packets of coffee that weigh no more than the main body of this machine.To understand why this is a problem, we need to look at the location of the buttons on the top. They are on a sloped part of the main body, close to the top of the machine.So you fill the heavy filter attachment and go to slot it in. It's a tight fit and the machine is too lightweight to deal with it, so the machine begins to turn on your worktop. You have to grip the machine firmly to stop it moving, but that holder is still very tight. You get it part way, but it's certainly not firmly in place. You grip the top of the machine more firmly - fingers over the side trying to gain more purchase ... and ... you accidentally hit one of the buttons and water starts pouring out, hissing and bursting out of the top of the filter attachment, because it's not firmly locked in place. The pressure wants to turn the filter back, but you grip tightly, trying to hold it in place, but it's no good. The machine is so light that it turns under the pressure and the filter is thrown out, wet coffee grounds flying in all directions.After you have cleaned everything up, you try again, this time being careful where you put your fingers. You try to put a mug under the filter but ... there's not enough space. Not enough space for a small mug or a large cup. You're going to have to use a small cup or measuring jug.But, hey ... coffee's on it's way.Hit the one cup option. You get a tiny little bit of coffee - not enough to get all that coffee goodness you have in the filter. Never mind for now ... let's use the hot milk function and drink the coffee.The hot milk function just dumps hot water into your milk. There's three times as much liquid as you started with and the 1 part milk/2 parts water mix is barely warm.You pour it into the minuscule drip of coffee and are rewarded with a cup of luke warm water, faintly flavoured with milk and coffee.Pour it away and try again.Now we wait for the machine to reset itself after using the water/steam attachment.Time passes. Lots of time passes. Several minutes pass. Finally it says it's ready for your next drink.Fill the filter. Carefully insert it. Straighten up the machine, which has revolved around 100 degrees counter clockwise.Let's try two servings.That's going better. Getting all the coffee now. OK, stop. Stop! STOOOP! It's just adding hot water now!OK, finally stopped. Let's try Cappuccino mode on the steam attachment.Hmmm ... It's just adding loads of water to the milk again.This time, you have slightly stronger, but more watery, barely warm coffee.As you pour it down the sink and go to leave the kitchen in disgust, your kettle looks at you and seems to whisper, "I think you could do with a nice hot cup of tea after all that!".You look back at the useless coffee machine you just bought and conclude that Mr Russel Hobbs may be right. about that.