De’Longhi Dedica Arte Espresso Machine Review

The De’Longhi Dedica Arte Espresso Machine is a compact manual coffee machine with a steam wand, that gives you the power to brew espresso, black coffee, as well as milk-based drinks like a latte or cappuccino.

At only 15cm wide, the Dedica is ideal for small kitchens limited in space, meaning you can still get that authentic barista experience without sacrificing your countertop for a large machine. Depending on where you shop and the Dedica design you go for, you can pick up this nifty manual coffee machine for sub-£250, which is a more affordable option than some automatic bean-to-cup machines.

With a 15-bar pressure gauge, it is on the lower scale of some more powerful coffee machines but still produces quality coffee with a delightful tasting crema.

Here at A Modern Kitchen, we spend time with the products to integrate them into our lives and to truly get a feel for how they perform. Our coffee experts Natalie Corner, who has previously tested the Smeg Bean-to-Cup Machine, and Natalie Knowles, who recently reviewed the Nespresso Vertuo Pop, know a thing or two about crema, aroma, grind size and bar pressure. Find out what we thought of the De’Longhi Dedica Arte Espresso Coffee Machine below and whether a manual is better than an automatic.

Also available: John Lewis | Argos | Very

De’Longhi Dedica Arte Manual Espresso Machine: Summary

Available in either beige gold, grey or silver metallic at John Lewis, plus black or stainless-steel options direct from De’Longhi, the Dedica Arte is an updated version of the Dedica Style. The main difference between the two manual espresso makers is the steam wand, the Style wand is called the Adjustable Cappuccino System, and the Arte has had a slimmer redesign called My Latte Art to help with the creation of yes, you guessed it, your own latte art.

The Dedica Arte, which is super compact at 14.9cm x 33cm x 30.5cm, comes with three different filter sizes, a single or double espresso using ground coffee, plus a filter that fits ESE pods. These pods are flatter and larger than a Nespresso capsule but tend to be wrapped in a paper filter so easily compostable. The espresso maker has a double spout which makes it straightforward to make two espressos at once or to make a longer coffee ready for the addition of your steamed milk.

Price Analysis

De’Longhi is a well-known appliance brand that delivers world-class products on a more affordable budget. The De’Longhi Dedica Arte Espresso Coffee Machine is priced between £214 to £249.99 (depending on the retailer), and for a manual espresso maker, I’d be more than happy to part with that money for fresh coffee instead of an automatic bean-to-cup like the Smeg BCC02 for example.

It’s a great entry point for someone looking to move on from a pod machine, but still wanting a barista-style drink without visiting a coffee shop every day. The initial investment is higher, but I’ve saved plenty of money by being able to make my own espressos in the morning.

Rating: 4/5

Testing The De’Longhi Dedica Arte Manual Espresso Machine

What Was The Espresso Machine Tested For?

This was a longer test over three months, so it’s been a thorough and authentic trial of how the Dedica Arte has fit into my daily routine. I live in a single-person household, so my testing was based on speed and efficiency in the morning before the gym, how much space a machine takes up in my small kitchen, and the different drink options available.

Build

What delighted me at first sight of the Dedica Arte is just how compact and slimline the machine is. I tested the stainless-steel version, and it is sleek and unimposing when placed on my kitchen countertop. It fits snugly on my small kitchen counter with room to spare.

The traditional design is exactly like I picture on the counter of a café and so immediately felt like I had a mini coffee shop in my home. The manual handle doesn’t take up much space when it’s fixed in place, however, there is no real place to balance it when you remove it from the machine and isn’t in use.

The menu buttons have mini coffee icons on black plastic against silver metal and are big enough to press with one finger and not at all fiddly. There are three on the front of the machine, one for a single espresso, a double espresso (or two single espressos), and the steam function which you can only use once the coffee has finished pouring, switched on by a knob that has to be turned right round to activate the steam. The on-off button is larger and situated at the bottom of the machine closer to the water tank, which was useful when I didn’t want to switch it off at the plug.

Usability

The water tank sits at the back of the machine and slides upwards to detach and slots in securely on its return to the base. I could safely fill it to the maximum capacity without fearing any spillage thanks to the easy mount and the slim semi-circle design which doesn’t protrude nor take up more space than necessary.

It’s pretty simple to drop in your coffee scoop and tamp the grounds in place, but I must admit I miss a machine that does it automatically for me all in one go. An automatic bean-to-cup machine is my ideal, there is less mess, and fewer steps and I don’t need to empty the grinds after every time. However, for affordability, a manual machine comes out on top.

My main difficulty with the Dedica Arte is fixing the coffee filter handle into place. Understandably it needs to be a secure fixture, however, when switching it to the closed position the handle is very stiff to turn and there is nowhere for me to get a grip to prevent the machine from tipping. After some getting used to this, I did find that gently gripping the filter holder with my opposite hand and swiftly locking it into place works. Sometimes my miscalculation of even the slightest bit too much coffee grind did mean I struggled to fasten it into position without removing some.

Another problem arose when I emptied the used grounds, the filter pops out as soon as you give the handle a couple of bumps to loosen the grounds. A clip on the filter would be ideal to stop this from happening, I lost count of the number of times I’ve had to fish it out of my bin!

Performance

I mainly used the Dedica Arte for an espresso first thing in the morning before heading to the gym. So, the speed at which it heated up was a bonus. I haven’t quite figured out how to adjust the size of my espresso, but it’s pretty simple to top it up once it’s finished pouring by pressing the button again and allowing it to restart - I then pressed it to stop once I’d filled my espresso cup to the right amount.

The cup warmer was rendered pretty useless for me personally because I don’t have it switched on long enough to get it to heat up before I’ve brewed my espresso and left the building. When I tried to read the instruction manual to see how to get the cup warmer to work, there was nothing other than to switch on the machine and allow it to heat. It only seems to warm in one section, and the heat it gives off is nowhere near enough to heat a cup, plus the auto shut-off means the machine turns off before this could happen.

For me, the Dedica Arte excelled in simple coffee making and did everything I needed it to do, delivering a deliciously thick crème every time. The LatteArt steam wand is specially designed for extra controllability and to experiment with your own latte art creations, which absolutely takes a lot of practice, and a YouTube video or two.

I have used a steam wand before and so I’m well-adjusted at how to make a thick and velvety foam for a flat white or a latte, however without fresh milk to get it just right, seven times out of ten, it didn’t happen for me but at least the large capacity water tank allowed for plenty of attempts. Just make sure you wipe the spout after every use, otherwise, you’ll get a build-up of dried milk which can be a pain to scrape off.

OUR VERDICT: Is The De’Longhi Dedica Arte Manual Espresso Machine Worth It?

The Dedica Art manual espresso maker is a perfect starting point for beginner coffee connoisseurs. For me, the cost is what makes it stand out, a well-built machine, with simple features that deliver a perfect espresso for under £250. All without the need for costly coffee capsules, I’d prefer to spend more on a machine like this one from De’Longhi, knowing that I can pick up a bag of great-tasting coffee that will last me for a few weeks, sometimes a month because I only need one scoop for an espresso a day.

This is probably a downfall for my own personal use because as a one-person household, I don’t get through the coffee quickly enough and it loses the freshness. I think to get the most out of this machine, I could invest in my own coffee grinder to grind the exact amount of beans I needed.

After testing out the Smeg Bean-to-Cup Machine I have to admit, I prefer the fact it grinds everything automatically and there is a small bin inside to capture the used grinds. The manual espresso maker means, yes, I must do everything manually, so when I’m in a rush in the morning to get to the gym I do pine for fewer steps.

For sub-£250 this is certainly an investment for a manual coffee machine, but it’s hard to ignore how well-built the De’Longhi Dedica Arte is, how easy it is to clean, and how it can help you on your way to creating gorgeous latte art without stepping foot in a coffee shop.

Full Product Specifications

Automatic or manual: Manual espresso maker

Heating system: Thermoblock

Type of drinks: Espresso, double espresso, latte, cappuccino

Coffee options: Ground coffee, ESE pods, pre-ground coffee beans

Pump pressure: 15 bar

Milk frother: Yes, steam wand

Power supply: Mains

Heat up time: 40secs

Water Tank Capacity: 1.1L

Dimensions: 14.9cm x 33cm x 30.5cm

Colour: Beige gold, black, grey, silver, stainless steel

Weight: 4.2kg

FAQs

What Is A Coffee Crema?

The oils of the coffee separate out when extracted in the brewing process - this is the foamy layer. A good quality crema is a pale-brown colour, depending on the roast, and it has tight bubbles on top. Using a spoon, fold the crema back into the coffee and you'll end up with a creamier drink.

Natalie Corner is the Commercial Content Editor across the Specialist Portfolio for Bauer Media. She specialises in all things coffee and tea related for A Modern Kitchen. When she's not hopped up on caffeine she's testing the latest space-saving hacks to organise her small kitchen.