Breville Bambino Plus vs De'Longhi Dedica Style EC685
Two compact entry machines, but different capability. The Bambino Plus at $500 is a 9-bar ThermoJet machine with automatic milk and a 54mm portafilter — genuinely good espresso and hands-off lattes. The De'Longhi Dedica Style at $250 is the slimmest pump machine around, half the price, with manual milk and a 51mm portafilter. Choose the Bambino for better espresso and automatic milk; choose the Dedica for the narrowest footprint and lowest price.
Spec face-off
Bars scaled to the higher value. Coloured = wins that spec.
Full specifications
Strengths & weaknesses
Full comparison
Both are small entry espresso machines, but they sit a tier apart. The Bambino Plus runs a true 9-bar extraction with pre-infusion, a ThermoJet heater (3 seconds), and an automatic steam wand, using a 54mm portafilter that shares baskets with pricier Brevilles. The Dedica Style is a 15-bar thermoblock machine under 6 inches wide — the slimmest in its class — with a manual pannarello-style wand and a 51mm portafilter, prioritizing footprint and price.
Espresso quality and milk favor the Bambino. Its 9-bar extraction and automatic microfoam produce better, more consistent drinks with less skill; the Dedica's pressurized baskets mask grind issues and its steam is modest, taxing the thermoblock on back-to-back drinks. The Bambino is the better café-drink machine.
Size and price favor the Dedica. At $250 it's half the Bambino's cost and narrower still, ideal where counter width is the hard constraint or budget is tight, with an inexpensive upgrade path to a non-pressurized basket. Both lack grinders.
Buy the Bambino Plus ($500) for better espresso and automatic milk in a compact body. Buy the Dedica Style ($250) for the narrowest footprint and lowest price, accepting manual milk and a lower ceiling.