expiredphoinix | Staff posted Jul 13, 2024 07:39 AM
Item 1 of 4
Item 1 of 4
expiredphoinix | Staff posted Jul 13, 2024 07:39 AM
$159.95 (Prime Members): De'Longhi Dedica EC680M Espresso Machine at Amazon
$160
$200
20% offAmazon
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Alternatives: Breville Bambino Plus
The Breville or Sage Bambino Plus on the other hand offers amazing steam power! This little bugger is way better than the Dedica at milk steaming, making it almost too easy. It has loads of power, and a four hole steam wand tip, making it super easy to get a whirlpool going in the milk. Too bad it's 2-3 times the price of the Dedica, depending on the market. But it is a nice option to consider if you have the money, for the sweet steam wand alone. I find the espresso between the Dedica and the Bambino Plus quite comparable.
As others stated, it works well as an entry-level machine.
2 things worth pointing out if you are trying to have a bit more control over the extraction:
1. The portafilter has a closed bottom and the basket is pressurized. Meaning you cannot see how well the extraction from the grind if you have a nice grinder. Would need to buy 51mm portafilter and non-pressurized based on say Amazon.
Another thing is if you wanted to learn latte art, which is part of why I bought mine, it would be more challenging than other models as the steam wand was not particularly designed for that and needs some tweaking and playing around.
As you search around YouTube for tutorials you will see most models have much longer steam wands made from metal that look different from this one. e.g. Bambino Plus from the comment above: https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES500BSS-Bambino-Espresso-Stainless/dp/B07JVD78TT?tag=tomingerman04... [amazon.com]
There are 2 parts to the steam wand in this model, the thick metal color part can be seen in the picture, and a black conical-shaped rubber-like soft material inside.
The outer part assist air injection throughout the whole steaming process and will make the milk foam up too much. This is good for cappuccino needing heavy foams but too thick for a latte as it needs much smoother foam with micro-sized foam bubbles.
One workaround to try to get this to work is to remove the outer tube and use a zip-tie to secure the inner conical-shaped wand. With this it could work for latte and is what I have been doing. But since the wand is much shorter than a normal one it will be more challenging.
All in all, it's an entry-level model that would be good for most espresso-based drinks (e.g. Americano, cappuccino, ice latte, espresso tonic etc) just need to keep in mind of these potential limitations.
Maybe I'll wait for another different deal
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