DeLonghi Dinamica Review with LatteCrema (2023): Best Value Machine?
Summary
Pros
Cons
DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema Summary
Overall, the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema is a great choice for those wishing to enjoy delicious espresso drinks at the convenience of their own home. With its robust features, decent design and build quality, ease of cleaning and maintenance, and offering good value for money - this machine is an excellent choice for those looking to enter the bean-to-cup world affordably, without sacrificing coffee quality.
The DeLonghi Dinamica with LatteCrema is a high-quality super-automatic espresso machine that has many features and benefits that make it worth considering over other machines in its class. It is well-designed and built to last, it produces great coffee drinks, it is easy to use and clean, and it offers excellent value for money.
Let's take a closer look at this machine and see why it might be the perfect choice for you.
Overview
At A Glance...
- A modern-looking automatic espresso machine that is only 9.3 inches (23.6 cm) wide.
- Mostly made of plastic; however, all the components snuggly fit and the build quality feels sturdy.
- The design prominently features a monochrome screen with 14 sensor buttons below.
- The 14 sensor buttons and display combo make for an intuitive user interface.
- The 18 pre-programmed drinks are highly customizable.
- 6 of the pre-programmed drinks are "directly selected beverages" which have their own dedicated touch sensor.
- You can customize the coffee strength (5 levels), the temperature (4 levels) and the coffee and milk volumes.
- The LatteCrema automatic milk frother is excellent. It uses a dial that allows you to precisely select the milk texture you want, from steamed milk to lots of froth for cappuccinos.
- The Dinamica features the "Drink Menu" and the "MyDrink Menu". Both can be customized, so both menus can be used as 2 user profiles.
- Prepares delicious iced coffees thanks to TrueBrew Over Ice, DeLonghi’s proprietary iced coffee feature.
- This machine’s cup warmer is amongst the hottest we have tested.
- This Dinamica espresso machine is very easy to clean for a super-automatic espresso machine.
- The brew unit is removable for a thorough cleaning.
- The Dinamica features rinsing cycles for both the internal circuit and the milk system, as well as a descaling prompt and cycle.
- The LatteCrema milk system is very easy to clean - all components are dishwasher safe (top rack).
- The monochrome screen of the Dinamica may seem a bit dated to some.
- The rinsing function of the LatteCrema milk system is a bit messy.
- The Dinamica is quite loud.
- There aren't any actual user profiles.
- The milk temperature cannot be changed.
- The temperature control only affects the coffee, not the hot water dispenser.
Some Useful Specs...
- Model: DeLonghi Dinamica with LatteCrema System ECAM35075SI
- Type: Super-automatic espresso machine
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 9.3 x 16.9 x 13.7 inches (23.6 x42.9 x 34.8 cm)
- Weight: 23.17 lbs (10.51 kg)
- Pump pressure: 15 bar
- Water tank capacity: 61 oz (1.8 L)
- Bean hopper capacity: 10.5 oz (298 g)
- Maximum cup height: 135 inches (343 cm)
- Grinder Type: Conical Burr Grinder with 13 levels of adjustment
- User Profiles: None (but there are two customizable menus)
- Number of Pre-programmed Drinks: 18
- Display Type: Backlight LCD (monochrome)
- Brewing System: DeLonghi Infuser ESAM2000
- Milk Frothing System: LatteCrema System
- Ground coffee bypass: Yes
- Warranty: 3 years (2 years plus 1 additional year upon registering your product)
- Power Requirements: 1,250 W
Design and Build Quality
The DeLonghi Dinamica with LatteCrema automatic espresso machine is a high-quality machine with a modern and stylish design that will complement any kitchen décor.
The machine is well-built and feels solid and durable, despite being mostly made of plastic (the exception is the drip tray which is made of stainless steel). At the time of writing, the only finish is painted silver, which has become recognizable amongst DeLonghi automatic coffee machines.
This is a compact machine that won't take up a lot of space on your countertop. It measures just 9.3 x 16.9 x 13.7 inches (23.6 x42.9 x 34.8 cm) and it weighs only 23.17 lbs (10.51 kg). At only 9.3 inches wide, it should fit on most kitchen counters.
However, you should check the vertical clearance if you have kitchen cabinets. The 13.7 inches (34.8 cm) in height does not account for opening the beans container lid, which is located on top of the machine, towards the back.
The bean hopper capacity is large at 10.5 oz (298 g). Unless you are a true coffee fiend you won't find yourself refilling the hopper very often.
One of the most prominent design features of the Dinamica is the large user interface located right in front. The user interface consists of a backlit LCD monochrome screen.
The screen does not have the highest resolution, and for some may look a bit outdated with its slightly jagged low-resolution fonts. For others, this may add a retro look to the machine, which could be desirable.
Either way, DeLonghi certainly selected this screen to save cost. If you are one who cares for fancy screens, check out the Dinamica Plus. You get a fancy color touch screen for $300 more.
Below the screen are 14 touch sensor buttons, which include 6 One-Touch recipe buttons, navigation buttons, and shortcuts to change the aroma (i.e. the coffee strength) and to activate the rinsing system.
To the left side of the Dinamica, you will find the hot water dispenser which is removable.
In fact, the hot water dispenser needs to be swapped by the LatteCrema System jug if you need a milky drink since they both use the same outlet.
Removing the hot water dispenser and plugging in the LatteCrema System jug is a child's work as you only need to pull or push.
The water tank is large at 61 oz (1.8 L) and can be removed from the right side of the machine.
Removing it reveals this machine's brew unit, which is also removable (more on that below). The water tank is compatible with water filters (one is included with the machine), though one is not needed to operate the machine.
Something we did notice is that this machine is on the loud side. Again, this is something DeLonghi most likely sacrificed to keep the price low.
In short, the DeLonghi Dinamica with LatteCrema System is an attractive and modern-looking compact automatic espresso machine. It's mostly made of plastic, but it feels solidly built. The design prominently features a monochrome LCD with a panel of touch sensors in the front, while the hot water dispenser can be easily swapped with the LatteCrema System jug for milk drink preparations. This machine is a bit loud though, but again, making espresso is (or should be?) a loud process!
Features and Ease of Use
The DeLonghi Dinamica with LatteCrema comes with lots of features to customize your coffee drinks. In addition, it's very easy to use thanks to its intuitive User Interface.
It comes with the following 18 pre-programmed drinks that encompass drip-style coffee, espresso shots, and specialty milky drinks.
- Espresso
- Long
- Lungo
- Ristretto
- Double Espresso +
- Coffee
- 2 Espresso
- 2 Lungo
- 2 Ristretto
- TrueBrew Over Ice
- Cappuccino
- Cappuccino +
- Latte
- Hot Milk
- Flat White
- Espresso Macchiato
- Latte Macchiato
- Hot Water
The Dinamica's User Interface features 6 "directly selected beverages" which have their own dedicated touch sensor. These drinks are the espresso, TrueBrew Over Ice Coffee, long, cappuccino, latte, and hot milk recipes.
If these 6 drinks are your favorites, then you're in luck.
If not, to access your favorite coffee drink you will have to press the "Drink Menu" or the "MyDrink Menu" buttons, which will reveal a list of all the drinks. To select a drink, simply navigate with the up and down errors.
Drinks from both the "Drink Menu" and the "MyDrink Menu" can be customized. In practice, this translates to two user profiles, a feature that some higher-level automatic latte machines lack.
The DeLonghi Dinamica comes with the "aroma selection" button, which allows you to temporarily change the coffee strength of any drink prior to preparation. After preparation, this coffee strength setting will not be saved.
This is perfect if you have a guest who likes a stronger or weaker coffee than you - you will not have to change your drinks' customization options.
Talking about coffee settings, the pre-programmed coffee drinks are indeed highly customizable, as follows:
- There are 5 levels of coffee strength or the coffee aroma, as DeLonghi likes to call it.
- The coffee quantity is also programmable. This depends on the type of drink, for example, an espresso shot can be programmed to be from 1.0 to 2.7 oz (30 to 80 mL) whereas for a coffee the range is from 3.4 to 8.1 oz (100 to 240 mL). When the drink is being dispensed, all you have to do is press "Stop" and the new drink volume will be saved.
- The milk quantity is also programmable; however, DeLonghi does not provide a milk volume range.
It is worthwhile to note that your coffee drinks can be further customized by changing the following global settings:
- Coffee temperature: you can select from 4 temperature settings (Low, Medium, Hot, and Max) via the settings menu. However, this is a global setting affecting all drinks. We measured 70 and 74 degrees Celsius (158 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit) for the min and max temperatures, respectively. It appears that each temperature level corresponds to 1 degree Celsius. These temperature settings do not impact the hot water dispenser.
- The burr grinder has 13 levels of adjustment. You should only change it while the coffee grinder is on, and when your coffee is over or under-extracted.
Finally, the milk texture can be customized although it’s not programmable. Instead, the milk texture is manually selected via the LatteCrema system's froth adjustment dial. The dial offers the following options:
- No froth
- Min. Froth
- Max. Froth
However, you are not limited to only those 3 options. The scale between "No Froth" and "Max Froth" is continuous. In other words, there are changes in milk textures between "No Froth" and "Min. Froth" or "Min. Froth" and "Max. Froth".
Other features worth mentioning include:
- A cup warmer: this is one of the hottest cup warmers we've tested!
- An ECO mode, which helps you save electricity
- A smart algorithm that organizes your drinks in order of frequency of use
- A 2x mode is displayed shortly after selecting your drink; pressing the drink icon again tells the espresso machine to prepare two drinks in succession
- Ground coffee bypass chute if you really need to use pre-ground coffee instead of freshly ground coffee beans
- Auto shut-off which can be programmed
As can be seen, the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema is chockfull of features, especially given its price.
However, we should mention some features that it lacks.
The milk and hot water dispenser temperatures cannot be changed. There are no dedicated user profiles, (although as discussed above the two coffee menus can be customized for two people), and there isn’t wireless connectivity.
In short, the DeLonghi Dinamica offers plenty of options to customize its 18 pre-programmed drinks. You can change the coffee temperature, strength, volume, and texture of your milk. The latter is changed using the LatteCrema System's jug dial, resulting in a continuous scale of milk textures! The "Drink Menu" and the "MyDrink Menu" can both be customized resulting in two separate menus for two people. You also get a cup warmer, a smart algorithm that learns your favorite drinks, and more!
Coffee Drink Quality
The DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema produces excellent coffee drinks! We were very surprised by how good the espresso was, and we must say, it rivals those from more expensive machines such as the JURA E8!
We first tried the espresso (ah, the royal we) using DeLonghi's default settings, and after trying it, I immediately tossed it out.
This is not a DeLonghi thing. Every time I try the standard espresso recipes programmed in a fully automatic espresso machine, I need to tinker with the settings to get something that satisfies my coffee snobbiness.
I changed the water temperature to maximum, increased the aroma to maximum, and reduced the shot volume to 1 oz and that did the trick!
I got a delicious slightly sweet and velvety espresso!
The drip coffee recipes were also a bit weak using the default settings, but upon changing the coffee strength to max there is nothing to complain about.
The cappuccinos and lattes were also very good, with rich milk textures thanks to the LatteCrema System.
The milk is heated to just the right amount. When I tried it was quite sweet, meaning it was heated to around 60 to 65 degrees Celsius (140 to 149 degrees Fahrenheit) the milk's optimal temperature range for sweetness.
Plus, as we mentioned before, the LatteCrema system has a dial that allows you to virtually choose amongst an infinity of milk textures from no foam all the way to foam for cappuccinos.
In addition, it’s worthwhile to note that the TrueBrew Over Ice is great! It works by dispensing more concentrated coffee at a lower temperature to account for ice melt. This results in a full-bodied iced coffee.
Does the Dinamica have any faults then, when it comes to making drinks?
Well yes, nothing is perfect.
To start, the LatteCrema System automatically pours the milk, which means latte art is not possible with this machine.
Another con is that the coffee could be hotter, we measured it to be 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit) at the highest temperature setting. This is despite warming the cup and running the rinse cycle to increase the machine's and cup's internal temperatures!
This is fine by us, but we know some of you like their coffee piping hot!
In short, the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema creates amazing espresso drinks! The LatteCrema system is likely among the best automatic milk frothing systems in the industry. It dispenses milk at its optimal sweetness point while it offers a continuous scale of milk textures. We just wish the coffee temperature was a bit hotter!
Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
Routinely cleaning and maintaining super-automatic espresso machines is extremely important (unless you like the flavor of stale milk). Unfortunately, this process tends to be time consuming.
Luckily, the DeLonghi Dinamica is very easy to clean and maintain for a super-automatic!
The drip tray, brew group, coffee grounds container, and water reservoir are all removable for easy cleaning.
The drip tray has a water level indicator which lets you know when it needs to be emptied, while the Dinamica notifies you when the coffee grounds container needs to be emptied.
This super-automatic comes with a rinsing cycle with its own dedicated button. In addition, this espresso machine always rinses itself when you turn it on and off.
Significantly, the brew unit can be removed for a thorough cleaning. This is always a plus in our books since this is where your coffee is prepared, and any old grounds could become stale and impact the coffee's flavor.
As you can see from the picture below, despite running the rinse cycle, the brew unit was dirty when we removed it.
Surprisingly, the LatteCrema Milk System is very easy to clean. After preparing a milky drink, simply turn the jug's dial to "Clean" and the cleaning cycle will start. The machine will always prompt you to do so when you prepare a drink with milk.
However, the milk system cleaning cycle is a messy process! Make sure you place a mug under the spout, or else you'll have to clean your counters!
For more thorough cleaning, the milk system can be disassembled, and all pieces are dishwasher safe (top rack only).
However, the Dinamica does not feature a dishwasher-safe drip tray. As per the instructions manual, only the grille is dishwasher safe.
This automatic coffee machine also comes with a descaling alarm which notifies you when the machine needs to be descaled. Descaling is important because it removes calcium buildup which can affect your machine's performance.
This DeLonghi automatically calculates when descaling is needed based on the water hardness you selected as well as whether you're using a water filter.
In short, cleaning and maintaining the Dinamica LatteCrema is surprisingly quick and easy. Virtually all components can be cleaned (except for the grinder), including the brew unit! There are rinsing cycles for the internal circuit and for the milk system; however, the latter one can be a bit messy necessitating a separate mug to avoid spills. However, all components of the milk system are dishwasher safe, which saves tons of time!
Value for Money
At the time of writing, the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema costs about $1,400, although sometimes you can find it at a discounted price.
Is it worth paying that much money for a coffee maker?
This depends on your habits, but if you like coffee most likely this answer is yes.
Sorry in advance if you don't like numbers, but as an engineer, I cannot resist doing a bit of a cost assessment! This is not to torture you, it's just that numbers don’t lie!
Assuming the Dinamica uses 20 grams (0.71 oz) of coffee per preparation (most likely it uses less, I know this is conservative), and assuming you make coffee once per day, you will need 7.3 kg of whole bean coffee each year. You can get good quality coffee beans at around $0.02 per gram. This translates to a cost of around $150 per year for fresh coffee beans.
This means Year 1 of owning and operating the Dinamica will cost you around $1,550 per year, say $1,600 per year since you may need to buy descaling liquid.
Now, if at least one person from your household purchases $4 coffee daily from coffee shops, they will be spending about $1,460 per year on coffee alone!
Since Year 1 of owning and operating the Dinamica will cost about $1,600, this machine will essentially pay for itself within 1 year!
Plus, after Year 1 you will have an amazing super-automatic espresso maker to show for that money (versus the distant memories of rushing to work while drinking coffee).
If more people from your household buy coffee, then this machine becomes even more cost-effective.
Indeed, it makes sense to purchase an espresso machine, even the super expensive ones (hello, Breville Oracle Touch) if you like to purchase third-wave coffee drinks.
So why do we think the Dinamica offers such good value?
Well, the number of features, customization options, and quality of coffee of the Dinamica rivals what more expensive machines have to offer.
Yet, the Dinamica costs over $1,000 less than some of its competitors!
For example (I will spare you the math needed to get to the numbers below), based on the same assumptions above, the JURA E8 and the Miele CM6360 would have a cost of about $2,600 and $2,900, respectively, for Year 1.
Note that these bean-to-cup espresso machines are comparable in terms of features. So the features-to-cost ratio of the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema is quite high!
However, you are paying less because the build of the Dinamica is not as luxurious, and you're stuck with a monochrome display reminiscent of the 1980s.
However, if you care about the screen check the Dinamica Plus as it comes with a gorgeous full color screen!
Finally, DeLonghi offers a very robust warranty of 3 years (2 years plus an additional year if you register your appliance). So, if anything goes wrong, you won't have to worry about more costs.
In short, the DeLonghi Dinamica offers excellent value. It has a very high features-to-cost ratio, arguably the highest in the market. It easily costs $1,000 less than other super automatic espresso machines featuring similar features. The tradeoff is this machine is not as luxurious and gorgeous looking as its competitors and lacks a fancy color screen.
Verdict
Summary
Pros
Cons
DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema Summary
Overall, the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema is a great choice for those wishing to enjoy delicious espresso drinks at the convenience of their own home. With its robust features, decent design and build quality, ease of cleaning and maintenance, and excellent value for money - this machine is an excellent choice for those looking to enter the bean-to-cup world affordably, without sacrificing coffee quality.
Who is the DeLonghi Dinamica For?
The DeLonghi Dinamica is for coffee enthusiasts who want a reliable, high-quality espresso machine without spending a crazy amount of money.
With 18 one-touch pre-programmed and customizable bean-to-cup drink recipes, this machine is perfect for those who are looking for convenience and great-tasting coffee drinks with minimal effort.
Those who value the quality of their coffee will appreciate the ease of use, customizable options, and excellent drink quality this machine offers.
It is also perfect for households who purchase a lot of coffee from coffee shops and want to save money in the long run.
Who should avoid the DeLonghi Dinamica?
This machine is not for those who are looking for a luxurious, high-end espresso machine experience. The DeLonghi Dinamica does not have the same build quality as more expensive models such as the Breville Oracle Touch, JURA ENA 8, and Miele CM 6350.
Check our top recommendations for automatic espresso machines if you don’t think the Dinamica is for you!
Or if you want the convenience of pod machines check the Creatista Plus or the DeLonghi Gran Lattissima.
Furthermore, if you are interested in having a gorgeous full-color display, then you should opt for the DeLonghi Dinamica Plus instead.
Finally, if you want to learn about the coffee-making process, we recommend other types of espresso machines.
Perhaps a semi-automatic espresso machine or even a manual espresso machine will better suit your preferences.
If you like DeLonghi espresso machines consider La Specialista for a more manual experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the DeLonghi Dinamica and the Magnifica?
The DeLonghi Magnifica, even though it's also considered a super-automatic espresso machine, features a more manual coffee preparation process. It is operated using buttons and dials, whereas the Dinamica is operated using a display and touch sensors.
In addition, the Dinamica series offer one-touch recipes and tend to have more features and drink customization options. The Magnifica series do not feature One-Touch recipes
What is the difference between the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema and the regular DeLonghi Dinamica?
The key differences between the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema and the regular DeLonghi Dinamica are:
- The Dinamica LatteCrema comes with the LatteCrema milk system, which is fully automated. The standard Dinamica comes with a steam wand.
- The Dinamica LatteCrema features 18 one-touch recipes whereas the Dinamica features only 5 one-touch recipes, which are all black coffee. The preparation of milky drinks is a bit more manual in the base Dinamica given the steam wand.
- The Dinamica LatteCrema has 5 temperature settings whereas the Dinamica has 4 temperature settings.
- The Dinamica LatteCrema is operated using a monochrome screen with touch sensors below, whereas the Dinamica has a touch control panel with lights and prompts (no actual screen).
- The Dinamica LatteCrema comes in silver whereas the base Dinamica is available in black, white, and silver colors.
What is the difference between the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema and the DeLonghi Dinamica Plus?
The key differences between the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema and DeLonghi Dinamica Plus are:
- The Dinamica LatteCrema is operated using a monochrome screen with touch sensors below, whereas the Dinamica Plus is operated using a gorgeous 3.5” TFT full-touch and full-color display.
- The Dinamica LatteCrema comes with 18 pre-programmed drinks whereas the Dinamica Plus comes with 16 pre-programmed drinks. Notably, the ristretto is missing from the Dinamica Plus.
- The Dinamica LatteCrema does not come with user profiles (instead it has two menus) whereas the Dinamica Plus features 3 user profiles.
- The Dinamica LatteCrema does not have any connectivity options whereas the Dinamica Plus can be connected to your phone using Bluetooth.
Is the DeLonghi Dinamica Plus better than the Dinamica LatteCrema?
From a technical standpoint, the DeLonghi Dinamica Plus is better. It has more features and is better equipped for those who want a more luxurious experience.
However, the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema forgoes the screen, wireless connectivity, and user profiles while providing an identical coffee drink quality. If you don't care about these features and want to save money, then the DeLonghi LatteCrema is the better choice.
Does the DeLonghi Dinamica make regular coffee?
Yes, one of the pre-programmed recipes in the LatteCrema is the "coffee" drink. It can be customized based on 5 levels of strength and the volume can be customized from 100 to 240 mL (3.4 to 8.1 oz).
What drinks does the DeLonghi Dinamica LatteCrema make?
It can make 18 drinks. The pre-programmed drinks include espresso, long, lungo, ristretto, double espresso+, coffee, 2 espressos, 2 lungos, 2 ristrettos, TrueBrew Over Ice, cappuccino, cappuccino+, latte, hot milk, flat white, espresso macchiato, latte macchiato, and hot water.
How often do I need to descale my DeLonghi coffee machine?
Typically, you will need to descale your DeLonghi coffee maker every 3 months. However, this depends on the hardness of your local water as well as whether you are using a water filter or not.
What is the warranty of the DeLonghi Dinamica?
The Dinamica comes with a 3-year warranty. The warranty is extended from the initial two years when you register your machine.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this thorough guide and detailed DeLonghi Dinamica review has helped you make a decision on whether to buy this machine or move on to the next.
We did our best at covering everything you may need to know about this coffee machine, so you don't have to go anywhere else to find this information. So we hope you found it useful!
