Owners of compact carob coffee machines often face a situation where the perfect taste of espresso slips away, turning into a sour or bitter liquid. The main reason for the imbalance of taste in the models of the series DeLonghi Dedica (EC680, EC685, EC695) becomes poor quality grain or water, and a banal violation of technology. dosing and the tampers. Understanding the physical principles of pumping allows you to turn homemade beverage preparation from the lottery into a predictable process.
The standard single-serve basket in these devices has a limited volume, which often doesn’t meet the grain manufacturers’ recommendations. If you pour coffee "on the eye", you can easily exceed the free space, which will lead to contact wet tablets with the dispersion shower group even before the strait. As a result, you will get burned, bitter slime and a dirty filter. The right dosage is the balance between the amount of ground product and the resistance force it exerts on the pump.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how to determine the perfect gramming for your particular horn model, why tamper caliber is important, and how to avoid common stuffing mistakes. We will not rely on intuition, but use the technical specifications of the device to achieve a stable result.
Technical limitations of the Dedica carob group
Coffee machines of the line Dedica They are equipped with horns of non-standard diameter - 51 mm, while the classic professional standard is 58 mm. This design solution is dictated by the desire for compactness of the case, but it imposes serious limitations on the volume of the boot chamber. Unlike full-size machines, it is physically impossible to place the 18-20 grams of coffee that are characteristic of double shots in coffee shops.
An attempt to shove an increased portion of grain into a small basket leads to the fact that the tablet swells when in contact with hot water. As the nine bars of pressure generated by the vibration pump meet an impenetrable wall of compressed coffee and a metal filter, either a flow failure or a basket overflow occurs. Dosage. In this case, it is the main regulator of pressure inside the system.
It is important to consider that DeLonghi’s factory baskets often have a double bottom (pressurized baskets) that mimics the resistance of a properly prepared tablet. However, even with such filters, the volume of filling is critical. If you pour too much, the valve will not be able to form the correct foam, and if not enough - the water will pass too quickly, without having time to extract the flavoring substances.
⚠️ Attention: Never try to force your coffee when the horn is full to the brim. Excess pressure can damage the group locking mechanism or deform the filter metal mesh.
To understand the limits of your device, you need to consider not only the volume, but also the degree of grinding. Small grinding takes up a larger volume in a loose state, but is more compacted when stamped. Large grinding, on the other hand, requires more volume to create enough resistance, but in a narrow basket of 51 mm it is more difficult to evenly distribute.
Use kitchen scales with an accuracy of 0.1 grams. Visually rated “one spoon” can give an error of up to 30%, which is critical for small volumes of the Dedica basket.
Optimum portion weight for different filters
Determining the exact weight of coffee is the first step to a stable taste. Depending on the type of basket installed (single or double, bottom or no), dosages will vary significantly. Standard measuring spoons, coming in the kit, often give an incorrect result due to different grinding density and grain moisture.
For a single basket (1 cup), the optimal range is considered to be a weight of 6 to 8 grams. Exceeding this value even by 1 gram can lead to the fact that the pill will touch the shower group. For a double basket (2 cups), the range is 12 to 14 grams. Some enthusiasts experiment with 15 grams, but this requires very fine grinding adjustment and perfect flatness of the tablet surface.
Below is a table showing the dependence of portion weight on filter type and desired extraction result. These data are relevant for standard medium-roasted grain.
| Type of basket | Recommended weight (g) | Strait time (sec) | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single (1 cup) | 6.5 - 7.5 | 20 - 25 | Light espresso, high acidity |
| Double (2 cups) | 12.0 - 14.0 | 25 - 30 | Classic balance, tight cream. |
| Double (maximum) | 14.5 - 15.0 | 30 - 35 | Saturated taste, risk of bitterness |
| Overflowing | > 15.5 | > 40 or dripping | Bitter, overextracted drink |
When working with decoffeinated With a grain or grain of light roasting, the density of the material changes. Light roasting is harder and takes up more space at the same weight, so the dosage is better to keep on the lower limit of the range. Dark roasting is looser and lighter, allowing you to get closer to the upper weight limit of the basket.
The effect of the degree of grinding on the density of the tablet
The amount of coffee and the amount of coffee are directly mathematically dependent. If you can’t change the settings of the grinder, varying the weight of the portion becomes the only tool to manage the extraction time. However, DeLonghi Dedica It is critically important to choose a grinding that will allow water to pass through the tablet at a certain speed.
Too much grinding requires an increase in the mass of the coffee in the cone to create the necessary resistance. But since the basket is limited, you will be able to resist the limit: coffee just does not fit. In this case, the water will pass through the loose mass too quickly and you will get a sour, watery drink. This is a classic sign of underextraction.
Too small grinding, resembling dust, creates excessive resistance even with a small portion weight. The pump will hum with overload, and from the nose of the horn will drip rare, dark trickles. Trying to reduce the weight of a serving in this case can help, but often results in an uneven strait, as a thin layer of coffee is easier to break through with water at the weakest point.
- ⚡ If the stream runs fast and light, reduce grinding or zoom in Dosage (if volume allows).
- ⚡ If the stream drips or is interrupted, increase the grinding or reduce the amount of coffee.
- ⚡ The ideal stream should resemble warm honey: viscous, dark brown, with a smoothly changing color to light nutty.
Owners of built-in millstones (models with built-in coffee grinder) should be especially careful. Adjusting the knives there has a big step, and it is often easier to pick up the weight of the portion than to achieve the perfect micro-pop. For external grinders, weight adjustment is the final calibration step after the fraction size is set.
⚠️ Attention: A sharp change in the degree of grinding without adjusting the weight of the portion can lead to a breakage of the pump or a failure of the thread in the brewing group due to a pressure jump.
Tramping and distribution techniques
The even distribution of ground coffee in a basket with a diameter of 51 mm is more difficult than in professional 58 mm horns. The slightest distortion leads to the fact that the water follows the path of least resistance. Right. stamping It compacts coffee, removing excess air and creating a monolithic pill.
The first step is always the distribution. After grinding coffee in the horn formed hills and voids. You need to gently tap the horn on the table or use a special distributor (WDT tool) to break the lumps. Only then is tamper used.
The pressure force during the tramping is secondary to the uniformity. It is enough to apply a force of 10-15 kg and check the horizontality of the surface. The main thing is that the plane of the tablet is strictly parallel to the horn cut. If you mow down the pill, one side will get wet faster and the extraction will go unevenly.
☑️ The algorithm of preparation of the pill
Using a calibrated tamper for 51 mm greatly simplifies the process. Standard plastic “pushers” from the DeLonghi kit often have a backlash or imperfect geometry. Replacing this accessory with a flat-base metal counterpart is one of the best investments to improve the quality of the drink in this coffee machine.
Water volume adjustment and programmer
After the dosage and tamping are debugged, it is necessary to synchronize the amount of water supplied with the volume of the drink received. V DeLonghi Dedica The function of volume programming for espresso and Lungo buttons is implemented. This allows you to automatically stop the water supply when the cup is the right amount of liquid.
Factory settings often involve too much water for a standard serving, leading to overextraction and bitterness at the end of the strait. It is recommended to reprogram the buttons to your portion weight. For example, for 7 grams of coffee, the optimal output will be 14-15 grams of the drink (proportion 1: 2).
To adjust, you need to press the corresponding button (espresso or Lungo) and hold it until the indicator blinks three times. Release the button when the desired volume is poured in the cup. The machine will remember that meaning. Now, each launch will play this scenario, which ensures the stability of the result from day to day.
How to reset the volume settings to factory?
To return to factory settings, you need to turn off the coffee machine. Then, hold and hold the espresso button (or the one to be reset) and turn the machine on at the same time. Hold the button until the indicators blink, confirming the reset.
The more sour taste at the end of the strait suggests that the water passes through the coffee for too long and the volume should be reduced. The appearance of a light, fast jet at the end of the cycle signals that the resources of the tablet are exhausted ahead of time.
Removing Typical Dosing Errors
Even experienced baristas sometimes make mistakes that negate all efforts. In the context of DeLonghi compact machines, the most common problem is the “false-bottom effect.” Owners forget that you can not pour a full dose into a double basket for a professional car. The safest weight for a standard Dedica double basket is 14.5 grams.Everything above requires individual verification on a particular machine.
Another common mistake is using a wet horn. Residues of water after washing the group are mixed with coffee on the walls, creating dirt and disrupting the geometry of the tablet. Always wipe the basket dry with a towel before filling a new portion. Humidity can also cause the coffee to stick to the walls and not form a smooth cut.
- ⚠️ Error: Use of grain with added flavors (oils). Oils clog the filter grid and change resistance, making the dosage unpredictable.
- ⚠️ Mistake: Reuse of an already-brewed pill. This gives empty, sour water and spoils the taste of the next drink.
- ⚠️ Mistake: Ignoring the cleaning of the dispersion group. Scale and coffee oils on the shower grid change the flow fluid dynamics, distorting the results even at the ideal dosage.
Regular calibration is the key to success. Check once a month if your weight has changed.