De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M Electric Coffee Grinder

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The product presented here was provided to us free of charge by Amazon. The provider had no influence on the test criteria or our rating.

Features und design

For round about £180 you get the electrical coffee grinder De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M in a full-metal housing with a conical grinder made of stainless steel. The grinder impresses with a high-quality look and feel, and an elegant, timeless design in silver and black. With dimensions of 24cm x 25.4cm x 38.2cm, it is quite large and looks rather like a coffee machine. Take this into consideration, if you plan on placing it permanently in your kitchen. Moreover, with 2.75kg, it’s also quite heavy and not as easily stowed away. The main cable, however, is adequately long, though we were missing a cable winder.

Coffee beans and ground coffee container

The coffee bean container is made of transparent plastic and can be retrieved. It can hold up to 350g of coffee beans and is ideal for grinding large quantities. The ground coffee container too is transparent and retrievable and fits up to 170g of coffee powder. It comes with an air-tight silicon cap that allows you to use it for storing ground coffee as well.

Perfect for portafilter machines

In addition to the coffee containers, the De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M comes with a filter holder accessory for portafilter machines. You can install it instead of the ground coffee container to grind coffee directly into a portafilter. It is designed to hold most standard portafilters, but can be used for all sorts of systems if you hold it in place while grinding.

The accessory indicates with an arrow how you are supposed to insert it. When not needed, it can be stowed away in a box that is inserted in the housing. That’s also where you can find it, when unboxing.

Grinder settings and number of cups

The De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M has a stunning 18 grinder settings divided in three groups: level 1 (very fine) to 6 for espresso maker, 7 to 12 for drip coffee maker and 13 to 18 (very coarse) for French presses. Additionally, you can choose the amount of coffee powder you want to produce. The option is between 1 and 14 cups. With the filter holder accessory in use, only 1–2 cups can be selected.

Safety features and other accessories

To guarantee safe operation, the electrical coffee grinder has four rubber feet for a safe stand. Grinding is only possible when the coffee bean container is attached to prevent injuries. The cleaning brush included makes the cleaning as easy as possible.

To prevent coffee beans from falling between grinder and the housing, you should retrieve the coffee beans container only when empty. This is not just advised in the manual, but also on a sticker directly on the container’s lid.

Operation and grinder

The De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M comes with a manual in 19 languages, including English, German, Italian, and French. On four pages you’ll find safety warnings, a description of the machine and clear instructions for use. It is recommended to clean the housing with a damp cloth before first use and rinse all the removable parts with hot soapy water and let them dry.

Ready for use in just a few steps

Setting up the electrical coffee grinder is quite easy. Fasten the bean container on top of the grinder and place either the ground coffee container or the filter holder accessory on the bottom. Now, all you need to do is plug in the power cable and fill in some coffee beans, and you’re ready to grind.

Beans and settings

Thanks to the large opening of the bean container, it’s no problem at all to fill in some beans. Afterwards, simply close the lid tightly and choose your preferred settings.

With the grinding selection regulator, you set the desired coarseness. It is located on top of the appliance and has a range from 1 to 18. However, it’s hard to see it when the beans container is attached, and the extremely shiny surface doesn’t help either in this aspect. To choose the right amount cups, there is a selection dial on the side of the grinder that — in contrast — has a clearly visible labelling.

If you, however, choose to grind your beans directly into a portafilter, you can set the amount via the coffee filter holder button on top of the device. For one cup, push the button once, for two cups, push it another time within one second after the first push. As not all portafilters are of the same size, you can also program the amount of powder. How to do so, is indicated in the manual.

Quick, but a little loud

To make the machine ready for operation, first press the on/off button at the bottom right. Then start the grinding process with one of the two soft-touch buttons on the front of the coffee grinder. The left button is for grinding with the portafilter holder and the right button is for use with the ground coffee container. The latter can also be used to end the grinding process prematurely, for example if there are not enough beans for the desired quantity.

When grinding, the De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M is so loud that a normal conversation is not possible. However, the noise is not annoying for long because it works very quickly. The electric coffee grinder prepares grounds for two cups in around ten seconds.

Fine to coarse

To get an impression of the results of the different grind settings, we ground powder for four cups in each of three settings:

• 1: very fine
• 9: medium
• 18: very coarse

For finer powder, the machine needs slightly more time. In addition, the differences are noticeable in the appearance and quantity of the grounds as well as in the smell. The finer the beans are ground, the smaller the amount of powder obtained and the stronger the perceptible aroma.

Cleaning

The elegant design of the De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M has one disadvantage: the silver surface is very susceptible to fingerprints. However, these can be easily removed with a damp microfibre cloth. Those who value a coffee grinder that is always shiny should be prepared to use a cloth more often.

In addition to the housing, the inside of the coffee grinder also needs regular cleaning — preferably after each use. To do this, first switch off the grinder and disconnect it. The bean and coffee ground containers as well as the filter holder can easily be cleaned with lukewarm water and washing-up liquid. None of the components are suitable for cleaning in the dishwasher.

To prevent it from rusting and reducing its lifespan, the stainless-steel grinder must not come into contact with water. To make it easier to remove coffee residue, the upper part of the grinder can be removed. To do this, slide the grinding selection regulator all the way to the left to ‘Open’. For thorough cleaning of the removable grinder, De’Longhi recommends a hard-bristled brush. This is not included in the scope of delivery, but it would be very useful for removing powder residue. Loose grounds can be easily swept out of the grinder and powder outlet with the brush provided.

However, the coffee grounds cannot be removed completely, even with the brush provided. The instruction manual recommends using a vacuum cleaner to remove all residues. If you want to avoid any remaining powder falling out of the coffee grinder when you touch or move it, it is best to have a handheld vacuum cleaner ready.

Summary

With a price of around £180, the De’Longhi Dedica KG 520.M is quite an expensive coffee grinder, but it impresses with its high-quality, elegant design and many setting options. You can choose between a total of 18 grind settings for espresso, filter coffee, and French press, as well as a powder quantity for one cup up to 14 cups. The operation of the coffee grinder is simple and intuitive. Only cleaning is a little more complicated. Here, a handheld vacuum cleaner makes the work easier.

The grinder works very quickly, so the high operating volume is only annoying for a short time. Thanks to its performance and the large bean container, the coffee grinder is predestined for larger quantities of powder. The supplied filter holder also makes it the perfect addition to a portafilter machine.

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Images 1-10: © FinalCheck