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De’Longhi Dedica Duo: two-minute review
The De’Longhi Dedica Duo is an excellent entry-level espresso machine that looks great and performs extremely well, despite its modest price tag.
It has a similar appearance to its predecessor, the De’Longhi Dedica Style, but with some key improvements – including a wider drip tray that can accommodate two espresso cups. The steam wand has been upgraded with a cool-touch handle and a knurled control dial for better grip, and the machine is available in a choice of four colors (including three gelato-inspired pastel shades).
The Dedica Duo’s accessories, such as the color-coordinated portafilter handle, feel robust. It comes with two pressurized portafilter baskets, a coffee scoop, a pin tool, a descaler pack, a tamper, and a stainless-steel milk pitcher. The water tank is easily accessible at the back, with a hinged lid to keep water fresh, and it can be fitted with an optional water filter.
The machine is operated by illustrated buttons on top for single shot, double shot, cold brew, and steam. Colored lights on these buttons indicate the machine’s status, requiring reference to the manual for full understanding.
Although it takes a little while to heat up, the Dedica Duo delivers a good shot with a fine grind consistently. There is some minor dripping after the pump finishes due to the absence of a three-way solenoid valve.
The Dedica Duo’s cold-extraction mode, while slower than preparing hot espresso, is much faster than traditional overnight cold-brewing and produces a full, mellow flavor. This cold brew is versatile, suitable for drinking straight, with milk and ice, or in blended drinks and cocktails.
My only real complaint is that the system of lights to indicate the machine’s current status and any problems (such as scale, or air in the system) can be confusing, and you’ll find yourself having to refer back to the manual quite regularly while you’re getting a handle on things. Other than that, though, this is an easy machine to recommend and worthy of a full five stars.
De’Longhi Dedica Duo: price and availability
- Released in August 2025
- List price of $299.95 / £279.99 (about AU$600)
- Sold in the UK and US, but not yet in Australia
The De’Longhi Dedica Duo launched in August 2025 with a list price of $299.95 / £279.99. At the time of writing (September 2025), it isn’t yet available in Australia, but hopefully that will change soon.
At that price, it’s one of the most affordable espresso machines I’ve tested in the past year. The Casabrews 5418 Pro is in the same entry-level bracket with a list price of $299.99 (about £220 / AU$460), but it’s clear that Casabrews has cut quite a lot of corners, and it can’t compete with the Dedica Duo for build quality and performance.
De’Longhi Dedica Duo: design
- Updated design with refined details and new colors
- Wider drip tray to accommodate two espresso cups
- Accessories feel substantial and well made
The De’Longhi Dedica Duo is a compact, smart-looking espresso machine. At first glance it bears a strong similarity to its predecessor, the Dedica Style. It’s almost exactly the same size, but on closer inspection you’ll notice lots of refinements and improvements.
Most noticeably, the Dedica Duo comes in an updated range of colors, with classic stainless steel accompanied by soft shades of white, pink and green, which De’Longhi says were inspired by different flavors of gelato. Candy-colored appliances have become increasingly popular in 2025, and they look good, with a satin finish rather than gloss.
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For me, one of the most notable updates is to the drip tray, which is now considerably wider, making it easier to fit two espresso cups underneath the portafiter when pulling a double shot. If you have a particularly tall cup, you can remove the stainless steel grille and place the cup directly on a removable ridged plate at the bottom of the tray. A nice touch, and one that helps make clean-up easier.
The steam wand now has a cool-touch handle, which is a nice upgrade, and its control dial sports a knurled texture that looks good and provides extra grip. The wand doesn’t bend, but it does pivot, and its angle makes it easy to achieve a good whirlpool movement when texturizing your milk.
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All of the Dedica Duo’s accessories feel robust in the hand, unlike those of some other entry-level coffee machines I’ve tested recently (I’m looking at you, Casabrews). The portafilter handle is satisfyingly weighty, with a textured end that matches the steam wand dial, and is colored to match the body of the machine.
You get two pressurized portafilter baskets (one for single shots and one for doubles), a coffee scoop, a pin tool for clearing the hole of the steam wand if it becomes blocked, a pack of descaler, a weighty tamper that makes it easy to put sufficient pressure on your ground, and a stainless steel milk pitcher (with a fine spout ideal for pouring latte art).
The machine’s water tank slides onto the back, and has a sturdy-feeling hinged lid to keep water fresh. It can also be fitted with an optional water filter, but this needs to be purchased separately. The tank lifts out easily and is simple to slot back into place. You’ll need to pull the machine away from the wall to do this, but it’s so small and light, this shouldn’t present a problem.
The Dedica Duo has a power switch on its right-hand side, and is operated using a set of illustrated buttons on top: single shot, double shot, cold brew, and steam. Pressing combinations of these buttons, or pressing and holding, provides access to certain menus, and the colored lights on them give you information about the machine’s current status, so it’s useful to keep the manual on hand for reference. For example, a solid white light on only the steam button means there’s probably air in the system that needs clearing.
De’Longhi Dedica Duo: performance
- Steady pressure for consistently extracted hot espresso
- Cold-extraction works well, too, producing a smooth flavor
- System of indicator lights can be confusing
The Dedica Duo is an excellent entry-level espresso machine, providing the steady pressure necessary for preparing consistently good coffee. The Casabrews 5418 Pro I reviewed a couple of weeks in the past was so variable, it had me questioning whether or not I truly knew tips on how to make espresso in any respect; the Dedica Duo has restored my religion in my very own skills. It takes a short time to warmth up, however as soon as it does, and the espresso buttons on high are illuminated, you may be assured that you’ll get an excellent shot. I’ve been utilizing a reasonably tremendous grind for my espresso, and the outcomes have been faultless.
There’s no three-way solenoid, so you possibly can count on a bit dripping after the pump has completed, however that actually is not the tip of the world.
The Dedica Duo’s star characteristic is chilly extraction, and it really works very effectively. Whereas another espresso machines I’ve examined just lately create “chilled” drinks by asking you to fill a cup with ice after which dumping a shot of scorching espresso on high, the Duo’s chilly brew mode bypasses the Thermoblock heater and makes use of ambient-temperature water direct from the tank.
This takes longer than brewing scorching espresso (measured in minutes quite than seconds), nevertheless it’s nonetheless rather a lot quicker than getting ready cold-brewed espresso within the conventional manner (by infusing the grounds within the fridge in a single day), but the ensuing taste profile may be very related. The taste is full and rounded, however extra mellow than the identical espresso extracted scorching. Whether you drink it straight, add milk and ice, or use it in blended drinks and cocktails, it’s very tasty.
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It’s price noting that the Dedica Duo isn’t a quiet machine. Unlike some superior machines from the likes of KitchenAid or Jura, the Duo has no house in its compact chassis for sound-deadening materials, so that you’ll be capable to hear its pump working away at full quantity. Pumping water doesn’t take very lengthy, although; however in the event you’re delicate to noise then it’s one thing to concentrate on.
For me, the one drawback of the Dedica Duo is the system of lights that change color and/or blink to point your machine’s standing or any issues. These aren’t all the time self-explanatory, and till you’ve realized what all of them imply, you’ll end up referring again to the handbook repeatedly. Perhaps it could be higher to have a small row of standing lights for widespread points within the curiosity of readability.
Should you buy the De’Longhi Dedica Duo?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
Very reasonably priced, squarely in the “budget” bracket for an espresso machine of this type. |
5/5 |
|
Design |
Modern and stylish, with thoughtful touches such as a wide, adjustable drip tray and cool-touch steam wand. |
5/5 |
|
Performance |
Brews consistently well hot or cold, with steady pressure from the pump. Status lights can be confusing, though. |
4.5/5 |
Buy it if
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De’Longhi Dedica Duo: also consider
If the De’Longhi Dedica Duo doesn’t sound like quite the right espresso machine for you, here are two alternatives in the same price bracket, both of which come highly recommended.
How I tested the De’Longhi Dedica Duo
I used the De’Longhi Dedica Duo for three weeks in place of my usual coffee machine, and brewed coffee using a blend of fresh Brazilian and Colombian arabica beans, freshly ground using a Sage Dose Control Pro grinder. I used the tamper provided with the machine to tamp the coffee. I tested the steam wand with chilled, full-fat dairy milk and oat milk.
I flushed the machine with hot water before and after brewing to make sure it was clean, and purged the steam wand and wiped it with a damp cloth after making each drink.
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First reviewed September 2025