De'longhi Dedica Chrome Espresso Coffee Machine EC680M

This is the best coffee maker I've had - & I've tried a few! The espresso it produces from even prepacked ground coffee is excellent (crema every time) & the milk frother works just fine. The other reviewer mentioned the portafilter being stiff, which is true, but it quickly eases with use & if it's really stiff then the problem is likely to be overfilling the basket. Steamer wand needs to be pumping out some pressure to froth the milk; the rule is always to keep it submerged or you will get a mess. If you prefer less froth, just take off the outer metal sleeve & use the rubber nozzle.

My coffee today has inspired me to write a review for this. I've made a deliciously chocolatey espresso and a creamy, frothy cappuccino, both of which rival what I can get in most good coffee shops. If you're a skilled barista (or learning to be one) you might want something with a bit more control over timing and water quantities, but if like me, you're not there yet, you will probably benefit from the preprogrammed timings. That and the measuring scoop have forced me to be a bit more consistent with my espressos. There are a few other useful features in the menu - check the user guide out.

I would never have believed there could be so much difference between brands. My previous machine, now defunct, only ever produced mediocre, lukewarm coffee. What a difference from the DeLonghi machine! This really does produce an excellent cup of coffee, at just the right temperature, and does so relatively quietly and completely consistently. The only slight niggle is over the position of the on/off switch at the rear, which rather negates the benefit of the slim design as you still need to allow a few inches of worktop space to reach it. But the coffee is so good it is still worth 5 stars.

I have owned and used this nearly daily for 12 months. Overall the machine is good and makes good coffee, but the biggest problem I have is that I bought a Krups burr grinder with it and the machine will not pump water through the coffee when I use beans that have been ground on the finest setting on the Krups machine. The finest setting is recommended for espressos and makes the strongest coffee. The steam wand is also a bit too short for anything but a small jug. It take up little space in the kitchen but I wish it had a bit more power to pump water through those fine grounds.

No complaints about the coffee but we found the filter holder extremely stiff to engage, my wife couldn't manage it at all. The milk frother delivered hot water with such force that the water jumped out of the cup and splashed over the machine and the worktop. There was also an issue with the power switch which sometimes didn't work until it was turned off and back on again at the wall. All in all rather disappointing so we returned the machine for a refund, which was a very easy process with no hassle at all.