De’Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus Espresso Machine Hands-On

De’Longhi recently sent us their Dedica Maestro Plus Espresso Machine to go hands-on with to try out a new recipe for spring and summer.

In collaboration with De’Longhi’s Canadian barista partner, Simon-Pierre Caron, a unique Iced Vanilla Yuzu Latte recipe has been developed. Yuzu is a small yellow citrus fruit popular in Japanese and Korean cuisine, and has some aromatic notes like mandarin oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. Pairing yuzu with espresso and milk creates a surprising and delightful drink for spring and also as we head into summer.

Here is the recipe for Simon-Pierre Caron’s Iced Vanilla Yuzu Latte:

Ingredients:

• 30g yuzu simple syrup (Prosyro brand recommended)
• 5g vanilla simple syrup (homemade or 1883 Maison Routin brand)
• 250ml milk (cow or oat)
• 1 double espresso
• Ice cubes

Preparation:

• Add the yuzu and vanilla syrups to a cup.
• Pour the espresso over the syrups.
• Mix the syrup and espresso well to achieve a smooth texture.
• Fill a 16oz glass with ice and add the milk.
• Pour the espresso mixture into the glass.
• Stir well and enjoy.

For the espresso we had some Blue Sky Espresso beans from Vancouver’s 49th Parallel in Kitsilano. We bought some Yuzuco syrup and Maison Routin 1883 vanilla syrup for the rest of the drink.

The combination of yuzu with iced coffee provides a refreshing change, perfect for spring and summer. De’Longhi’s Dedica Maestro Plus was pretty easy to use and we used our own grinder to get the perfect espresso shots. The Dedica Maestro Plus heats up super quickly and is very easy to use. Just fill the included portafilter with your ground coffee, press it down with the included tamper and pour your shots.

We also tested out the auto latte art steam wand and it actually did froth up milk super easily. As for our latte art skills, the perfect swan has yet to be mastered.

While there isn’t wireless connectivity with the Dedica Maestro Plus, it’s a capable entry espresso machine that’s compact in size and easy to use. If you want to be able to control your espresso machine from your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll have to step up to the fully automatic Dinamica Plus, which is nearly 5x more expensive.

There’s nothing quite like having your own espresso maker at home to keep you juiced up during the day during busy tech news cycles. This will come in handy during the week of Apple’s WWDC tomorrow. The Dedica Maestro Plus is currently on sale for $100 off at $399 on Amazon.ca. Father’s Day anyone?