The Delonghi Dedica is an excellent entry-level model. But sometimes you can experience some problems with the pressure and the water pump.
The are a variety of reasons why there is no coffee coming out of your Delonghi Dedica, in this article I will try to cover all of them and tell you how to fix it!
Why Is There No Water Coming Out of My Delonghi Dedica?
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.
Table of Contents
- Why Is There No Water Coming Out of My Delonghi Dedica?
- Brewing Espresso The Right Way With Delonghi Dedica
- Technical Problems With The Delonghi Dedica
- Alternative For Delonghi Dedica
- Conclusion
You can have two types of problems when no water comes out of your Dedica. There may be a problem with the way you brew your coffee or there may be a technical problem with the espresso machine.
To begin you want to check if there is a normal amount of water coming out the group head when you don’t have the portafilter in. If not, then it’s likely the water pump is broken. Scroll down a bit to find out what to do next in this case.
If there is a normal amount of water coming out of the group head. Then it could be a problem with the pressure or with the way you brew your coffee. Let’s talk about the latter first.
Brewing Espresso The Right Way With Delonghi Dedica
The Coffee Grind Size Is Too Fine
The Delonghi Dedica does not produce as much pressure as a higher-end espresso machine. Therefore, if the coffee is too finely ground, it does not have enough power to press the water through.
You may see a tiny bit of coffee dripping in your cup, but the flow is too slow and your Dedica starts to produce a stranger sound the longer it is brewing.
If this sounds familiar, you may want to try brewing a coffee with a slightly coarser grind.
On the other hand, make sure you don’t use a coffee grind that is too coarse, as this can make your espresso taste sour. The trick is to find the perfect grind size so that the water can flow through it, but not too fast.
Keep in mind that the age of the coffee beans you are using will also affect this. If you’re using freshly roasted coffee beans you’ll want to set the grind size even coarser and if you’re using older coffee beans you can set the grind size bit finer.
Tamping Too Hard
Like the grind of the coffee, tamping also affects how easily the water can flow through it. Try not to tamp too hard, but tamp hard enough that the coffee is nice and flat, but not completely compressed.
Technical Problems With The Delonghi Dedica
Coffee Basket Is Clogged
When you remove the portafilter from the group head after brewing a coffee and you hear a lot of pressure being released, then the pressurized filter is probably clogged.
When you remove the coffee basket from the portafilter and look at the bottom you will see a small hole through which the coffee flows. This hole can become clogged with limescale or coffee residue.
To unclog it, you can insert a needle into this hole to loosen all the lime and coffee residue, then rinse it with water from the espresso machine.
Not Enough Pressure Because of Scale Build-up
Keep in mind that the Delonghi Dedica does not produce the same amount of pressure as a higher-range espresso machine. So as I said, you can’t use the same coffee grind as you would with another model.
However, if you have adjusted the grind size and made sure the basket is not clogged but your Delonghi still seems to produce less pressure than normal. It may be time to descale your espresso machine.
Scale buildup can reduce the pressure inside your espresso machine, preventing it from being able to push the water through. You can read the manual to find out exactly how to descale your Delonghi Dedica.
Not Pumping Water At All
A known and common problem with the Delonghi Dedica is a defective and worn-out over-pressure valve. Your Dedica can lose a lot of pressure when the over-pressure valve is worn out, resulting in no water coming out.
This might be the case with your machine when there is almost no water coming out of the group head despite the steam wand working fine.
Luckily the over-pressure valve is easily replaceable. For $10 and half an hour of work, you can repair your machine.
You can buy a replacement over-pressure valve on amazon, that you will need for this repair.
Here is a video on how to change the valve:
There Is Still No Water Coming Out
If you tried all the above and there is still no coffee coming out of your Delonghi Dedica, then something else may be broken in your machine.
Unless you’re a handyman and know how to repair electronics, it might be best to contact Delonghi support. If you’re still under warranty they will usually fix the espresso machine for you or send you a brand new one!
Alternative For Delonghi Dedica
If your Delonghi Dedica is still not working and you’re not under warranty anymore. Then the Breville dual temp pro might be a perfect alternative for you.
The dual temp pro is only about $100 more expensive than the Dedica, but I’ve read people are a lot more positive about this espresso machine.
The Breville dual temp pro can also produce more pressure than the Dedica, resulting in a better-tasting espresso.
Conclusion
There are a number of reasons why your Delonghi Dedica is not pouring coffee. Here is a summary of the possible reasons:
- The coffee grind size is too fine
- The coffee basket is clogged
- The pressure relief valve is worn out
- Your Dedica needs descaling
I hope this article helped you to fix your Delonghi Dedica and that you can enjoy a good espresso now!
Thanks for reading!