Last Updated on June 8, 2023 by Jorian
Although the Delonghi Dedica is a great espresso machine, sometimes problems can arise if you have been using the machine for a while.
These problems can occur when something is wrong with your machine or when you have done something wrong with it. Fortunately, most of the common problems with the Dedica are easy to fix yourself!
Common Delonghi Dedica Problems
Some common problems people experience with the DeLonghi Dedica are: The machine not turning on, no water coming out, lights blinking, steam wand not working, leaking, not hot enough, double shot button not working.
I’m going to cover all these problems and the solutions in this article!
There Is No Water Coming Out
The most common reason is that you may be grinding the coffee too finely, in which case the Dedica cannot produce enough pressure to push the water through the ground coffee in the basket. It may also be that the coffee basket is clogged or the pressure relief valve is worn out.
I wrote an in-depth article about what to do when no water comes out of your DeLonghi Dedica.
Delonghi Dedica Won’t Turn On
Power Button Not Working
Most likely your Delonghi Dedica went into sleep mode while the power button was still pressed. If you then turn the power button off and on again, it looks like your Dedica is not working. But it is still in sleep mode.
All you have to do to turn it back on is press one of the three buttons on top of the Dedica, when the power button is pressed in of course. When you do this, the three buttons should flash, indicating that the Dedica is heating up.
Make Sure It Is Plugged In
Another reason why your Delonghi Dedica may not turn on is because you haven’t plugged it in. You would be surprised how many people forget something so obvious.
No Crema On Delonghi Dedica Coffee
If there is no crema on your coffee and it tastes a little sour, it usually means that the grind of the coffee is too coarse. So it’s obvious to grind the coffee a little finer, but there’s one problem…
The Delonghi Dedica cannot handle a very small grind because it cannot produce as much pressure as a more expensive or professional espresso machine.
If the grind level is too fine for the Dedica, the coffee drips very slowly or no coffee comes out at all.
What you can do is grind the beans fine enough to allow the water to flow through and the extraction time is about 30 seconds (using 18 grams of coffee on 2 oz shot).
You may not achieve 30 seconds of extraction time with the Dedica, but try to get as close as you can without choking the machine.
Make sure you use an espresso grinder when you grind your coffee. Unlike a regular coffee grinder, an espresso grinder makes even particles.
When there are larger and smaller particles of coffee, the water will find the path of least resistance and will always flow through it too quickly, no matter how finely you grind the beans.
You can also buy a bag of pre-ground espresso coffee. Espresso grind is much finer than a regular ground bag of coffee.
Delonghi Dedica Lights Keep Flashing
Cup Lights Flashing
If both cup buttons flash at the same time, it means that the boiler is too hot to brew an espresso. This happens after you have just used the steam wand or when you have accidentally pressed the steam button, after which the Dedica heats up the boiler for hot water.
To fix this, just run the steam wand/hot water until it stops. So that all the hot water can leave the tank. After you have done that, the lights should stop flashing.
Orange Steam Light Flashing
When the orange steam light keeps flashing, it means that your Dedica needs to be descaled. Here is a video on how to descale your DeLonghi Dedica:
For descaling your Dedica you need a Descaling solution like the one below. I do not recommend using vinegar to descale your Espresso machine, it can be bad for your machine and it can leave a nasty taste in your coffee.
Delonghi Dedica Steam Wand Not Working
Water Tank Is Not Locked In
The milk frother might not be working because the water tank is not locked in properly. In that case, the steamer will start steaming for a few seconds but then stops. Give the water tank an extra push, so that you can hear the clicking sound of it locking in.
The Steam Knob Is Not Fully Open
Make sure you open the steam knob fully. If you turn it only halfway, the steam wand will not work properly.
The Steam wand Is Clogged
The milk frother can become clogged with old milk residue or limescale. To clean the milk frother, first turn on the steam button for a few seconds to get all the milk residue out of the steam nozzle. Then turn off your Dedica.
Hold the steam wand with one hand while you pull off the steel part with the other hand by turning it clockwise. Then remove the rubber steam nozzle by pulling it downwards.
Wash both parts you just removed with a little soap and hot water. If there is a lot of old milk residue in the tube, you can soak it in hot water for an hour to loosen everything. Also be sure to remove any blockages from the steam wand.
Then put it back together, the steam wand should now be unclogged. Repeat this process after every use.
Delonghi Dedica Stops Then Starts Again
Your Delonghi Dedica is supposed to stop for about 2 or 3 seconds and then continue, this is the pre-infusion time and it helps with a better extraction.
Delonghi Dedica Is Leaking
Leaking Water Underneath
Check if the drip tray is empty and the water tank is properly locked in. Another reason for leakage may be that one of the tubes or valves in the machine is worn and has a small leak.
Unless you are very handy with repairing home appliances, it is best to contact delonghi support. They will repair your machine for free if you are still under warranty.
Leaking Group Head
A leaking group head is usually due to a dried out gasket. As your Dedica gets older, the gasket dries out and small cracks develop where water can leak through. You can buy a replacement group head gasket on Amazon. Here is a video on how to change the group head gasket on the DeLonghi Dedica:
Another reason why the group head is leaking may be that you are not fully tightening the portafilter. Make sure that you are tightening the portafilter properly into the group head.
Steam Wand Is Leaking
When you’ve had your Dedica for a while the O ring in the steam wand can dry out and get cracks in it, causing it to leak.
You can easily replace it, Hold the steam wand with one hand while you pull off the steel part with the other hand by turning it clockwise. Then remove the rubber steam nozzle by pulling it downwards.
You can see the O-ring on the rubber part. You can gently pull this off and put a new O ring on it.
Delonghi Dedica Coffee Not Hot Enough
Change Temperature Setting
The first thing you can do to make your espresso hotter is to change the temperature setting of your Delonghi Dedica.
You can do this by holding the steam button for 10 seconds until the buttons blink in sequence. Then press the one-shot button once, and the buttons will blink in sequence again. Now you can change the temperature by pressing one of the three buttons.
- Single shot button = low temperature
- Double shot button = medium temperature
- Steam button = high temperature
When you press one of the buttons it will flash, indicating that the temperature setting has been saved.
Temperature Hack
If the high-temperature setting is still not hot enough for you, there is another temperature hack you can do.
Press the steam button once to go into the steam mode, this will raise the temperature of the Dedica. When you now go back to coffee brewing mode the DeLonghi won’t let you brew an espresso because it’s too hot.
You can bypass this by turning the machine off and on again, then you should be able to brew an espresso with the hot water.
I recommend that you first let a little water run through the group head before you brew an espresso though. Otherwise, the water will probably be too hot and your espresso won’t taste as good.
Pre-Heat Everything
Another thing you can do to raise the temperature of your DeLonghi coffee is to pre-heat everything.
Before making an espresso, just run some water through the portafilter with your cup underneath. Then remove the portafilter and dry it with a towel. Let the water sit in the cup for a minute while you prepare the portafilter to make espresso.
Double Shot Not Working
Is your Delonghi Dedica only pouring a single shot espresso when you pressed the double shot button? It is a common problem with the Delonghi Dedica and fortunately, there is a simple solution.
Somehow your machine’s settings have changed and you just need to reset the settings back to factory mode.
How To Reset Delonghi Dedica
To reset the Delonghi Dedica, you first need to go to the settings mode. You can do this by holding the steam button for 10 seconds until the buttons blink in sequence.
Then move the steam dial to the ON position and press the single shot button. The three lights will blink simultaniusly, indicating that the Dedica was restored to factory settings.
The single and double shot buttons will start blinking, to indicate that you have to turn off the steam dial again.
Conclusion
When you have an espresso machine with many moving parts like the Delonghi Dedica, there are many problems that can occur. Here is an overview of some common problems:
- No water coming out
- Machine won’t turn on
- No crema
- Lights keep flashing
- Steam wand not working
- Leaking
- Not hot enough
- Double shot not working properly
- Stops then starts again
I hope this article helped you solve the problem with your Delonghi dedica and that you can enjoy a great espresso again!
Thanks for reading!