The short answer
Choose the Dedica for a very narrow counter - it is 5.9 inches wide. Choose the Stilosa for a real manual steam wand at an entry price. Both use pressurized baskets, which forgive supermarket beans but cap the cup.
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Quick picks
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1. Choose this for a narrow counter
De Longhi Dedica EC685
Budget tier · A six-inch-wide thermoblock machine with a pressurized 51 mm portafilter.
A six-inch-wide thermoblock machine with a pressurized 51 mm portafilter.
The Dedica EC685 is 5.9 inches wide, with a 1350 W thermoblock, a 15 bar pump and a 35 oz tank.
Its pressurized 51 mm portafilter is forgiving with supermarket beans, and it heats fast.
51 mm is an accessory dead end compared with 54 mm or 58 mm.
Its frother is Panarello-style rather than a bare steam wand.
Specification
- Portafilter
- 51 mm, pressurized
- Water tank
- 35 oz / 1 L
- Pump
- 15 bar
- Power
- 1350 W thermoblock
- Footprint
- 5.9 in W x 13 in D x 13 in H
What it does well
- Genuinely tiny - fits where nothing else will
- Forgiving with supermarket beans thanks to the pressurized basket
- Fast to heat
Where it gives ground
- The pressurized basket manufactures crema; it hides grind quality rather than rewarding it
- 51 mm is an accessory dead end compared with 54 mm or 58 mm
- Panarello-style frother, not a bare steam wand
Skip it if
Skip it if you want a bare steam wand to learn on. The Stilosa has one.
2. Choose this for a manual wand
De Longhi Stilosa EC260
Budget tier · About the cheapest pump espresso machine worth naming, with a manual steam wand.
About the cheapest pump machine worth naming, with a manual steam wand.
The Stilosa EC260 has a 15 bar pump, a 34 oz tank and pressurized dual-wall baskets.
It has a real manual steam wand at a price where sleeved frothers are the norm.
It is simple enough that there is very little to go wrong.
Its plastic construction and pressurized baskets set a low ceiling.
Specification
- Pump
- 15 bar
- Water tank
- 34 oz / 1 L
- Baskets
- Pressurized dual-wall
- Milk
- Manual steam wand
What it does well
- A real manual steam wand at a price where sleeved frothers are the norm
- Larger tank than most machines in the bracket
- Simple enough that there is very little to go wrong
Where it gives ground
- Pressurized baskets cap extraction quality and hide what your grind is doing
- Plastic construction throughout
- The bracket's ceiling is low; this is the best of a compromised field
Skip it if
Skip it if counter width is the constraint - the Dedica is 5.9 inches wide.
The pressurized basket
Both machines rely on pressurized baskets, which build crema from almost any grind. That is genuinely useful with pre-ground coffee, and a ceiling once you own a grinder - see bottomless vs pressurized portafilters.