A few days ago, I received an email from De’Longhi, announcing a new coffee machine called De’Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus, with much more advanced features than the original De’Longhi Dedica; the main one being a steamer with an automatic milk frothing option.
I thought it had to be tested, so I got it and have been trying it out for a few days. This is everything I can tell you about this Dedica Maestro Plus from De’Longhi.
De'Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus
 | disponible | $304,45 in Amazon |
| Power | 1450W |
| Pump | 15 bars |
| Water tank | 1.6 L |
| Steamer | Manual and automatic |
| Control panel | Analog |
| Portafilter | 51 mm |
| Filters | 2 pressurized |
| Dimensions | 190 x 450 x 325 mm |
| Weight | 5.5 kg |
A quick look at the design and parts of the coffee machine
If you know the previous coffee machines from the Dedica range by De’Longhi, the design of the Dedica Maestro Plus will already be familiar to you. De’Longhi has maintained the aesthetics but in a slightly larger size that allows it to house a large capacity water tank, a larger drip tray, and a new control panel, which I will talk about later.
The casing is stainless steel, very elegant, and the coffee machine feels high quality, with good finishes. A detail taken from another De’Longhi coffee machine, the Specialista Arte, is that double drip tray that makes it easier to use small cups. Both trays are also made of stainless steel.
The portafilter and filters, as well as the two steamer wands, are also made of stainless steel. On the top is the control panel, and there is a small drawer to store some accessories, whose lid also serves as a cup warmer tray.
At the back, the water tank, which can be filled directly without removing it thanks to the lid it has. Something much appreciated about the tank is its sensor, so the machine warns you when it is about to run out.
Probably at this point, you will also be interested in knowing what comes in the package along with the coffee machine, so here it goes: the portafilter with two 51 mm pressurized filters, a tamper, a measuring spoon, a stainless steel milk frothing jug, a brush and a cleaning needle, plus a bottle of descaling liquid.
A control panel that really controls everything
One of the strong points of the De’Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus, without a doubt, is its control panel. Unlike the simplicity of the Dedica Style, the Maestro Plus has multiple functions on its control panel, aimed at having control over the different parameters in coffee preparation.
- The first button (top left), with the coffee bean and thermometer icon, has a dual function: it is used to adjust the brewing temperature (92ºC, 94ºC, and 96ºC) and the pre-infusion time (no pre-infusion and one or two seconds).
- The second (top right) sets the maximum temperature at which the milk is heated using the automatic frothing function. There are three settings: 60ºC, 65ºC, and 70ºC.
- The third button (bottom right) adjusts the milk foam in three textures: microfoam, fine texture, and dense texture.
- The other two buttons are for single or double espresso. The default amount for a cup of espresso is 35 ml, with a customizable range of 20 to 90 ml; the default value for two cups is 70 ml, with an adjustable range of 40 to 180 ml.
- In addition to the buttons, the panel has two light indicators, one to warn you when the water tank is about to run out of water, and the other is the descaling warning.
How is the De’Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus at making coffee?
One of the things that caught my attention the most about the De’Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus is that it comes with pressurized filters instead of no-pressurized, given the possibilities of a coffee machine with so many adjustment options.
And I have found that the pressurized filters diminish the performance of this coffee machine, or as they say in tech jargon: it’s as if it comes capped so that it doesn’t offer the performance expected from its features and price.
Undoubtedly, the inclusion of pressurized filters is justified by the fact of making things easier for a beginner user when dealing with typical pre-ground supermarket coffee, but it wouldn’t have cost De’Longhi anything to also include two non-pressurized filters to satisfy an advanced user who has a grinder and knowledge about how to properly calibrate the espresso.
That said, the espresso is fine, although as always this depends a lot on the raw material used, that is, the quality of the coffee. But using a good supermarket ground coffee, the 15-bar pump and the 1450W thermoblock of the Dedica Maestro Plus are capable of extracting an espresso good enough to satisfy most users.
And frothing milk?
But there is no doubt that the great attraction of this coffee machine is its steamer, with manual and/or automatic frothing function.
How does this work? The steam knob has two positions, manual and automatic. When we use the automatic one, we can leave the milk jug completely still, with the tip of the steamer submerged in the milk, and the machine does it all by itself.
If you have read my guide on frothing milk with an espresso machine, you will know that the key to good foam is to integrate the steam with the milk by making it swirl in a vortex inside the jug, but to do this, you have to hold the jug in a tilted and inclined position relative to the steamer.
So, where’s the trick? The trick of this system is in that second rod next to the main steamer: what it does is inject air, similar to how a panarello does, although with better results.
Even so, the result is not as good as what we achieve using the steamer in manual mode. In this case, the steamer offers great power – it has three holes – and in a few seconds, you have good quality foam if you apply the correct technique.
The automatic frother is very convenient and gives good quality milk foam, although the best foam is achieved using the manual mode.
Things I liked about the steamer:
- It stops right when it reaches the temperature we have set. And even using it in manual mode, we can control the temperature because the milk temperature button flashes and lights up to indicate the temperature.
- The steamer performs an automatic cleaning purge every time we finish using it and place it in the OFF position.
- It is very easy to clean with a cloth after use, as it is cool to the touch and the milk does not get encrusted.
Thus, the automatic frother is ideal for those who want to have good milk foam – not perfect – with little effort, similar to how a super-automatic coffee machine with a milk tank and automatic frother would do, but surely, advanced users will prefer the results given by the steamer in its manual mode.
To wrap up…
The feeling I have with this Dedica Maestro Plus is that De’Longhi has missed a great opportunity. The feeling I have is that the Italian brand has tried to bring something to the market to compete with the Breville’s Bambino Plus, but the sum of drawbacks places the Dedica Maestro Plus at a disadvantage compared to the Sage coffee machine.
The biggest problem I see is that it is too expensive for what it offers. I think a price around 350$ would have been more appropriate. Additionally, it would have placed it at a more reasonable level compared to the previous Dedica models by De’Longhi.
It should also be noted that De’Longhi has a coffee machine like La Specialista Arte for a very similar price. I think it is a better purchase option, as the integrated grinder is something much more relevant than having an automatic frother.
Thus, both mentioned coffee machines, both the Bambino Plus and the Specialista Arte, are the two best alternatives I can think of to this Dedica Maestro Plus within a similar price range.
