De'LonghiDedica Conical Burr Grinder with Portafilter Attachment, 6.9 x 11.2 x 18.1 inches, Silver

My boyfriend has been using the well-reviewed Capresso burr grinder for a number of years for making French press coffee and espresso drinks at home. He is a “gourmet” and has a “palate.” (I like to tease him, but I enjoy his cooking!) However, at nearly a decade old, his Capresso has gotten temperamental in behavior at some grind settings. He would voice mild complaints, but wasn’t planning to buy a replacement. Here was a great opportunity for a Christmas gift!After doing product research on Amazon and reading user reviews, I chose the DeLonghi Dedica conical burr grinder. He liked it right away. With French press, he noted smoother flavor. Those who think that Starbucks over-roasts their coffee still may not like Starbucks beans(!), but should nevertheless find that this grinder removes harshness while still yielding full-bodied flavor. There is also less grounds sludge in the cup. Even the most coarse setting on the Capresso produced plenty of sludge. The sludge is an objection that many have against French press. This grinder could change their minds.The grinder has 18 grind settings, 6 each for Fine (1-6), Medium (7-12), and Coarse (13-18). It also has three “Strength” settings, which determines how heavy a grind goes into each cup. Thus a Light strength will produce fewer grams of coffee grounds, while the Medium and Full settings will grind more grams per cup. This allows fine-tuning for individual tastes, and is particularly important for proper timing of espresso shots. My boyfriend found he found he could go down to level 14 (a finer coarse setting) for French press, but that 13 produced too much sludge.My boyfriend has a lower-end semi-automatic DeLonghi espresso machine (EC 155). The Dedica has an attachment that accommodates the portafilters from DeLonghi espresso machines so that you can grind directly into the portafilter. This is a nice feature. However, the grinder automatically adjusts to grind only one cup of grounds with the attachment in place. Thus, if you are making a double shot, you will have to grind one cup, wait a second or two, and press the grind button a second time to fill the portafilter. However, the Strength setting still works with the portafilter attachment in place, so you can fine-tune how many grams of grounds per shot.Although the EC 155 claims to have a 15-bar pump, it nevertheless seems to be a weak pump. With too fine a grind, or too much pressure tamping the grounds, the machine takes too long to pull a shot. The Dedica grinder allows the fine-tuning necessary to pull a properly-timed shot, while extracting more flavor from the grounds. Although the DeLonghi EC 155 still won’t make as rich and full-bodied a coffee as something like a Gaggia or a professional-level machine, it is a notable improvement. As with the French press, there is also less sludge from the grounds when making espresso.A concern with a fancy machine like this, that has digital settings for most of its functions, is how robust the circuitry and buttons will prove over the long haul. My boyfriend had an initial reservation that the cost of a grinder like the Dedica was for all the bells and whistles, rather than for a better grinder. Indeed, being only a few weeks old, he hopes for the best in terms of the circuitry longevity.My boyfriend will be getting a hand-me-down Baby Gaggia from a good friend who has upgraded to a fairly high-end espresso machine. He suspects the Gaggia portafilter will be too large to work with the Dedica attachment. In the meantime, he has been making more espresso than before, and enjoying the DeLonghi EC 155 more than ever.Most people think about upgrading coffee machines while relegating a good grinder to a lower tier. For those wondering whether the Dedica grinder delivers a better cup of coffee at a semi-premium price, the answer is yes. Upgrading the grinder will have the benefit of appearing to upgrade one’s espresso machine at the same time. The better burr grinders heat the grounds less when grinding, and yield more even grounds size with less sludge. The Dedica delivers on both counts. My boyfriend doesn’t have enough experience with his friend’s even pricier Rancilio grinder to offer direct comparison, but he does note the Dedica is a well worthwhile upgrade over the crowded $80-$100 segment of burr grinders, and certainly worth the price premium.Perhaps I can post a follow-up in a year to see how the machine holds up. I am thinking of buying a Dedica myself because I enjoy playing with the settings and the ease of use with all those digital bells and whistles! After all, my boyfriend has been telling me those blade grinders, while better than nothing, leave much to be desired. I would merely be taking his advice...

I really struggled buying this grinder, thanks to all the reviews I decided to give it a try. I normally don't write long reviews but I will on this item for anyone else struggling. I don't like coffee, but I love a great cup of mocha, soI am very picky about the espresso. Stars bucks was good ... when it was good. However, it varies so much from store to store and time of day plus it's not cheap. My goal was to produce a high quality cup of mocha at home on a consistent basis. I had a Hamilton blade grinder and a stainless steel tamp. The flavor improvement grinding whole beans over store bought grounded on the blade grinder was huge. I had a $30.00 Mr Coffee espresso machine. The end result was consistent and "ok", actually better than star bucks on an off day. I then tried several very expensive espresso machines but was underwhelmed, I would return them and go back to the $30.00 Mr. Coffee espresso maker. I then tried a Delonghi EC680M DEDICA 15-Bar Pump Espresso Machine, it was great! A small footprint, easy to use and less expensive than some of the others I tried and didn't like. My morning cup of mocha was much better but still not coffee shop quality. Plus there seemed to be a lot of daily waste and clean up since I am the only one who drinks espresso /coffee. I started researching a conical burr grinder, again I was really torn!! My question was does it really make that much of a difference ... my answer is now yes, yes and yes!! My expresso's are smooth that harsh bitterness is gone and there is a average amount of cream. Before this grinder I watched YouTube videos on making espresso and would comment on tasting the raspberry note. I tasted a shot using the blade grinder (and DeLonghi espresso coffee maker) and thought all I taste is strong (ie bitter) coffee. I tasted a shot of expresso after using the DeLonghi burr grinder and was shocked, oh my gosh I tasted raspberry notes and it tasted crisp and clean if that makes sense. My mochas are amazing, each and every time.What I especially like about this machine is the espresso porta filter attachment. I grind the coffee straight into the filter ..one step! I have a stainless steel vacuum sealing coffee canister that came with a stainless steal spoon. I use 1.5 spoon of whole beans for my espresso every morning, so it's as fresh as possible. You could store much more but it is exposed to some air. It's very quit and has an automatic shut off. I personally set it to grind level 3 and use Starbucks espresso whole beans. This setting seems to work best for me. I can't speak to longevity nor how it compares to other conical grinders.My recommendation, if you are torn and unsure, make sure you buy it somewhere where it's a free easy return and just try it ... I'm very glad I did!!

Whether or not there are static problems with this grinder seem hit and miss. I read a number of reviews before buying and several said it was no problem, others had the issue. Well, we have it. The beans and chaff cling to the collection container and go everywhere when it's opened, making the machine a bit messy. The container is a fairly tight fit under the grinder, so it does contain the mess until you empty it.That said, it has a number of grind settings, making it easy to tune your grind to your style of brewing and the conical burr does give consistent particle size. It grinds at a decent speed, so there isn't a great deal of heat generated which, on other types of grinders, can actually change the roast level of the coffee. All in all, a decent grinder, even if a bit messy.

If you are new to espresso machines, this one is a bit pricey but will make for an excellent espresso machine, worth every penny. You can control the temperature depending on what you are brewing. The frother works great once I figured out how to use it(was my first one ever). Also this machine is very compact and stylish.If you are looking for more advanced features like pressure control and others, you may want to look at something else. But my experience with this machine the last couple months has been amazing. I can make a true mocha better then starbucks or most other fancy joints.. all while controlling the dairy and sugar that goes in! Definitely worth every penny.