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These two machines get cross-shopped constantly, and the honest answer is that they are optimized for different constraints. One is built to be narrow. The other is built around a standard basket and an automatic milk wand.
Quick picks — De'Longhi vs Breville for a first machine
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De'Longhi Dedica DeLuxe (EC685)Top pickThe slim one. De'Longhi states a 15 cm width and calls it the slimmest pump coffee maker they make, which is the whole reason to choose it.
Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)The standard answer to “which first machine” — full 54 mm portafilter and an 18 g dose, with the milk step automated so a flat white is possible on day one.
We have not handled these units. Everything above comes from published manufacturer documentation, cited inline, plus arithmetic you can redo yourself. Everyone in this category says they tested twenty machines; we have not tested any, and we say so. Here is what we do instead.
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De'Longhi Dedica DeLuxe (EC685)
A narrow counter
The slim one. De'Longhi states a 15 cm width and calls it the slimmest pump coffee maker they make, which is the whole reason to choose it.
Published specifications for the De'Longhi Dedica DeLuxe (EC685), with sources
Width
15 cm — stated as the slimmest pump coffee maker De'Longhi makes [source]
Takes ground coffee (1 or 2 cups) and E.S.E. pods [source]
Milk
Adjustable frothing wand / cappuccino system [source]
Fifteen centimeters of width is genuinely unusual and it is why this machine keeps selling. If your counter run is already full, that number decides the purchase before any other spec does.
The E.S.E. pod compatibility is a fair hedge: it means the machine still makes a coffee on the day you have not restocked beans, without committing you to a pod ecosystem.
It uses a smaller basket than the 54 mm standard, so accessories and recipes written for 54 mm machines will not transfer directly.
What it does well
Fits where nothing else fits
Takes ground coffee or E.S.E. pods
Adjustable frothing wand rather than a fixed panarello
What you give up
Non-standard basket size limits accessory choice
Narrow body means a small water tank and frequent refills
Skip it if counter width is not actually your constraint — you are paying for the one thing it is best at and giving up basket standardization to get it.
The standard answer to “which first machine” — full 54 mm portafilter and an 18 g dose, with the milk step automated so a flat white is possible on day one.
Published specifications for the Breville Bambino Plus (BES500), with sources
54 mm tamper, Razor dosing tool, 16 fl oz milk jug, single- and dual-wall baskets, cleaning tool and disc [source]
The 54 mm portafilter and 18 g dose matter more than they sound: they put the machine on the same dose a cafe uses, so any recipe you read applies to it directly and every 54 mm accessory fits.
The three-second heat-up is the difference between espresso being a weekday habit and a weekend project. A machine that takes fifteen minutes to be ready is a machine you use on Sundays.
The automatic steam wand is the single biggest reason this suits a first setup. Milk texturing is the skill that takes longest to learn; handing it to the machine removes the part most likely to make you give up.
What it does well
Standard 54 mm basket, so recipes and accessories from anywhere fit
Ready in seconds, which is what makes it a habit rather than a project
Automatic milk means a drinkable cappuccino before you can texture by hand
The manual wand is still there when you want to learn
What you give up
No grinder — budget for one separately, and that is the right trade
Small water tank compared with a bean-to-cup machine; refills are frequent
Nothing here helps if your grinder cannot go fine enough
Skip it if you want one box that does everything with no learning curve — a bean-to-cup machine is the honest answer for that, and it is a different product.
De'Longhi states the Dedica is 15 cm wide and calls it the slimmest pump coffee maker it makes. Breville states the Bambino Plus at 11.9 by 7.4 by 14.3 inches — roughly 30 cm wide. If your available counter run is tight, that is not a preference, it is the decision.
54 millimeters
Breville states a 54 mm stainless portafilter and an 18 g dose. That is the size a large share of the accessory market is built for, and 18 g is the dose most recipes assume. The Dedica uses a smaller, less standard basket, so when you go looking for a tamper, a distribution tool or a bottomless portafilter, your options narrow. Check portafilter sizes before buying anything.
Dedica and Bambino Plus, on published specifications
De'Longhi Dedica
Breville Bambino Plus
Width
15 cm, stated as their slimmest pump machine
11.9 in (about 30 cm)
Basket
Not the 54/58 mm standard
54 mm stainless, 18 g dose
Pump
15 bar
15 bar pump, 9 bar extraction
Heating
Thermoblock
ThermoJet, stated 3 s to temperature
Milk
Adjustable frothing wand
Automatic and manual wand, 266°F steam
Also takes
E.S.E. pods
Single- and dual-wall baskets
How to pick in one question
Is your counter the constraint, or is milk the constraint? If it is counter width, the Dedica is a machine with a genuinely unusual advantage and you should take it. If it is milk — you drink lattes, you have never textured milk, and you would like one on day one — the Bambino Plus's automatic wand is the feature you are actually buying, and Breville's own copy frames the Plus that way.
Questions people actually ask
Is the Breville Bambino Plus better than the De'Longhi Dedica?+−
It is better on basket standardization and milk automation; the Dedica is better on width. If your counter fits both, we would take the standard 54 mm basket and the automatic wand.
Which is easier for a complete beginner?+−
The Bambino Plus, mostly because of the automatic steam wand — it removes the skill that takes longest to learn. Breville states three milk temperatures and three texture levels on that wand.
Do De'Longhi and Breville use the same portafilter size?+−
No. Breville states 54 mm for its beginner machines. The Dedica uses a smaller basket, so accessories do not transfer between them.
Which is cheaper to run?+−
They are close enough that the difference is the beans, not the machine. The real running costs are coffee, electricity and descaler — see what a setup costs to run.
