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DeLonghi Dinamica ECAM 350.55.B review

There are now several models of the DeLonghi Dinamica range. They differ mainly in the display and beverage selection. The older ECAM 350.50.B has no digital display but only direct selection buttons with 4 beverages. The successor ECAM 370.70.B has a color display with 12 drinks. In addition, you can also conveniently adjust the cup size in 4 levels. For the other models, you can reprogram them.

We have summarized the differences for you:

Prices (CET) Product prices and availability are as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. The price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase apply to the purchase of this product.

The DeLonghi Dinamica is 24 cm wide and thus not the most compact bean to cup coffee machine in our test. But there are a few key advantages here. This is because the water tank and milk container can be removed to the front. This way, you don’t need any additional space around the machine.

Size comparison: Delonghi Dinamica (left) & coffee machine with grinder (right)

The case is mainly made of plastic that is supplemented by some stainless steel. Included are the instructions, a water filter with test strips for water hardness, descaler and a cleaning brush.

Scope of delivery for the device

Milk container & milk system

The Dinamica uses the LatteCrema system typical of DeLonghi bean to cup coffee machines. It comes with a 600 ml milk container. With this you can prepare about 5 drinks with milk. The milk foam is prepared fully automatically at the touch of a button. So you don’t have to measure or foam it yourself.

the milk container holds 600 ml

You can insert the container with one handle at the front left of the bean to cup coffe machine. You can just as easily take it off again and put it in the refrigerator. The lid fits well, although not completely airtight.

the milk container is simply plugged into the fully automatic machine

and is removed again with a handle and stored in the refrigerator

You can adjust the consistency of the foam in 3 steps via a dial on the lid. This is a real plus point, because many other fully automatic machines do not offer the possibility to influence the milk foam consistency at all. On the first level you get warm milk without foam – perfect for latte. The medium level is well suited for latte macchiato. On the highest setting, you get a lot of milk foam – ideal for cappuccino.

you can adjust the milk foam consistency in 3 levels

Another plus point is the milk spout. Here you can adjust the height and thus adapt the milk spout to your cup. This has several advantages. Nothing splashes and the milk foam quickly lands in the cup. This way, the foam stays hot longer and the consistency is finer and more uniform. With other fully automatic machines, it is not uncommon for something to splash. When frothing, we measured an average of only 54 dB. This makes the Dinamica one of the quietest bean to cup coffee machines in our test.

Milk spout can be adjusted in height

What we like very much: you can completely disassemble the milk container and put all parts in the dishwasher. Which cleaning programs the machine can perform we explain to you in the point Cleaning.

you can completely disassemble the milk container including the lid and put it in the dishwasher

Bean compartment

At the top center of the bean to cup coffee machine is the bean compartment. It can hold up to 300 grams of beans and, depending on the settings, you can prepare about 30 drinks. That is a lot compared to other models. The beans are in the compartment for quite some time, so the aroma must be well protected. This is achieved with a darkened and airtight lid. When the bean compartment is empty, a note appears in the display. The opening is very large and the compartment is easy to fill. Due to the integrated grid, the beans always slide in the direction of the grinder.

very large bean compartment with darkened lid

Holds up to 300 g of coffee beans

In the front area there is also a compartment for ground coffee. For example, if you want to drink a decaffeinated coffee. And at the back, you’ll find the dial for the grinder setting. We’ll get to that in detail in a moment. Overall, the bean compartment is of high quality and convinced in the test.

Compartment for ground coffee

Grinder

The DeLonghi Dinamica ECAM 350.55.B is equipped with a conical burr grinder made of hardened steel. You can set the grinder setting in 13 levels. The dial is labeled from 1 to 7 with dashes. The small dots represent intermediate stages. With an average of 67.8 dB during the grinding process, the grinder lands in the front midfield of our test devices. We were positively surprised here, because the inexpensive DeLonghi Magnifica was considerably louder at 72 dB.

The grinder setting can be adjusted in 13 steps using the control dial

The grinder setting can be easily adjusted by turning it to the right or left. Please adjust only during the grinding process and only by one level. Otherwise, something could jam. In the range from level 1 to 2.5, the grinder setting is very fine and uniform – ideal for espresso. Levels 3 to 5 are also very uniform but less fine – ideally suited for coffee.

the beans are finely and evenly ground

Water tank

The water tank can hold 1.8 liters of water. It is located directly at the front right of the bean to cup coffee machine and can be easily pulled out to the front. So you can fill it up directly under the tap. When the tank is empty, a note appears in the display. In terms of quality, the tank has convinced us. The plastic is quite sturdy. Only the opening is a bit narrow. Therefore, the tank cannot be wiped out quite as well.

the 1.8 liter tank can be easily pulled out to the front

The connection for water filters is in the rear part of the tank. The first filter is included in the delivery. After that you can decide for yourself if you want to use filters or not. Alternatively, you can descale more often or use a table water filter, for example. This both comes in a little cheaper, but is a little more cumbersome. Whether you have a filter or not, you should use the test strip for water hardness and adjust it on the machine. Then you will be reminded in time to descale.

This is how you use the water filter – but the Dinamica also works without a filter

Coffee spout

Besides the milk spout, you can also adjust the height of the coffee spout from 8.5 to 14 cm. It’s a little high for small cups, but large latte macchiato glasses still fit underneath. Nevertheless, nothing splashed past our small espresso cups in the test.

larger distance for espresso glass

large latte macchiato glasses are no problem

Like almost all bean to cup coffee machines, the Dinamica also has two coffee spouts. Espresso, Ristretto and Espresso Lungo can be prepared with the double cup option. Two coffees, however, can’t be prepared at once. We can’t say why, but we already miss this function here.

In any case, the coffee spout is easy to adjust and robust. It does not wobble and looks good visually. However, we first thought it was stainless steel, but it is plastic.

easy to adjust and looks like stainless steel – but it is plastic

Drip tray & coffee grounds container

You can pull out the two collection trays directly to the front. Again, you don’t need any more space besides the machine. The cup tray is made of stainless steel and the two trays are made of a sturdy plastic. We recommend using one of the inexpensive protective foils for the cup tray, because it will otherwise get scratched quickly.

the collection trays can be pulled out towards the front

The coffee grounds container holds up to 12 pucks – so you can prepare 12 drinks and only then will a note appear on the display. The coffee grounds are counted automatically, even if the fully automatic machine is switched off in between. The drip tray under the cup tray is also relatively large. When it is full, a small red water level indicator stands up. It’s not in the instructions but according to other owners, the collection trays can also go in the dishwasher. We recommend the less hot ECO mode here.

large container for coffee grounds

brewing unit

Directly behind the water tank is a small service flap. Behind it you will find the brewing unit. Two red buttons show you exactly where to touch and press to take it out. Typical for DeLonghi is the small and robust brewing unit made of plastic. In the center there is a round surface of stainless steel. That’s the part that is in direct contact with coffee powder and it’s part of the so called brewing chamber. Although the chamber is not completely made of stainless steel, but still.

To remove the brewing unit you need a little space on the right side. But it really doesn’t take much space, and it’s the only situation where you ever have to approach the machine from the side. So the model is still very suitable for small kitchens or under wall cabinets.

behind the water tank is the service flap

the brewing unit can be removed in one easy step

from the outside consists mostly of plastic

the brewing chamber itself is made of stainless steel

First power on

The power button is located above the display. After switching on, the device performs a short flushing process and preheats the system. In the test, the DeLonghi Dinamica was ready for use after 30 seconds. That is very fast. Most bean to cup coffee machines take something short of a minute to heat up. Let’s see if the first drink will be hot enough.

Power button

Display

The DeLonghi ECAM 350.55.B comes with touch buttons and a screen. The buttons are logically arranged and well labeled by symbols. However, the buttons could be a bit bigger. However, they react very reliably in return.

You can select espresso, coffee, cappuccino and latte macchiato via the four direct selection buttons. Under “Drink Menu” you can select many other drinks. About the 2 coffee beans you adjust the coffee strength over 5 levels. You can program the drinks in the “My Menu”. We will explain exactly what you can set and how to do it later in the Settings section.

the display of the Delonghi Dinamica is understandable

In the Drink Menu you will find more drinks

The screen simply guides you through all the settings and the manual is almost superfluous. Admittedly, we only understood the difference between “Drink Menu” and “My Menu” after some time. A look at the Delonghi manual would have helped.

However, there is one small drawback. The display is easy to read from the front, but it gets more difficult from above. We would have liked a slightly slanted display even better. Overall, the display is of high quality and everything responds flawlessly. If you want a modern look, take a look at the DeLonghi Dinmica Plus – it has a color display and app control.

We will now prepare an espresso and a coffee. We will also show you a special feature of the DeLonghi: the Long Coffee – a coffee that is prepared in the surge brewing method. Then, of course, we’ll show you the drinks with milk foam: latte macchiato, cappuccino and caffe latte.

Espresso

Of course, we want to know whether the Dinamica can prepare a really intense espresso. We set the aroma to level 4 out of 5 – then more coffee powder is ground for our espresso. For the espresso to be strong and intense, however, we need not only a lot, but also fine coffee powder. Therefore, we set the grinder setting to level 2 out of 7.

We leave the cup size at 40 ml – as set ex works.We will explain how to reprogram the cup size later in the Settings section.The brewing process takes about 40 seconds and we measure a temperature of 68°C. Those who like it even hotter can simply increase the brewing temperature. In our test, we had the temperature at level 2 out of 4. You can see that there is still room for even hotter beverages.

the temperature is almost perfect at 68°C (70°C is ideal)

The crema is insanely fine and hazelnut brown. So far, we have only seen this with very few bean to cup coffee machines. Visually it is one of the best espresso from our test. The crema is very dense and dissolves only slowly. The crema disappeared much faster in some of the other devices from our test.

fine hazelnut brown crema

We were also delighted with the taste. Clear aromas and very intense flavor – that’s what we want. The coffee strength was not even set to the highest level. The espresso has a slightly syrupy consistency that comes very close to a portafilter. Overall, the Dinamica has earned 19 out of 20 possible points here.

intense taste and syrupy consistency – this is how a good espresso should taste and feel like

Coffee

Next, we try a “regular coffee” from the DeLonghi Dinamica. Here, bean to cup coffee machines simply usw more water for the coffee puck than with the espresso. To prevent the coffee from becoming too bitter, we set the grinder setting a little coarser. We recommend levels 3-5 of 7. We stay in the finer range and select level 3 of 7. The coarser you set the grinder setting, the less bitterness will end up in your cup. This is because the water is pressed more quickly through coarser powder. Bitter substances, on the other hand, only dissolve when extraction is too long.

for coffee the grinder settings 3 to 5 are ideal

For the coffee strength, we select 3 beans, i.e. “normal”. We leave the beverage quantity as set at the factory at 180 ml. By the way, a maximum of 240 ml is possible. Drawing takes around 80 seconds, twice as long as with espresso. Logically, much more water must also be forced through the puck. The temperature is a very good 77°C.

the coffee is quite hot with 77°C

The crema is again very fine and shiny brown. Here, the drinks really do look better than they do in the advertising.

Coffee with beautiful crema

Taste of the coffee is good – strong and aromatic. However, as expected, some bitterness does come through. DeLonghi has a direct solution for this – the Long Coffee prepared with the surge brewing method. We’re going to test it for you next. 😉

Long Coffee

The Long Coffee is prepared using the surge brewing method. This is a special preparation method for bean to cup coffee machines that is only available from DeLonghi. Here, small surges of water are repeatedly pressed through the coffee puck. This results in less pressure during brewing and fewer bitter substances are dissolved. Also, a second coffee puck is ground halfway through preparation. This shortens the extraction time of each coffee puck. Because as you know: long extraction time = more bitter substances. So much for the theory – now let’s test if it’s true.

So that we have a direct comparison to normal coffee, we leave all settings the same. So set the grinder setting to level 3 of 7 and the coffee strength to 3 beans. For the beverage quantity, we again use the default factory setting – here it is 175 ml. A maximum of 250 ml is possible.

This time, the draw takes a little longer than 2 minutes , which is longer than with normal coffee (1:20 minutes). This is understandable, after all, the machine has to grind twice and the brewing in small surges is slower. But is it worth the wait? In any case, the temperature of 77°C is exactly the same as for coffee. The crema is very fine and light brown, but not quite as pronounced as in normal coffee.

In terms of taste, Long Coffee is quite a bit better than regular coffee, according to our testers. Significantly fewer bitter substances on our taste buds. At the same time, the aroma is intense and beautifully strong.

Comparison of normal coffee (left) with Long Coffee (right)

Cappuccino

Now let’s get to the exciting part of a bean to cup coffee machine: beverages with milk foam. We always use organic UHT milk with 3.8% fat and a protein content of about 3% for our tests. This allows us to compare all devices directly with each other. We pour the milk into the milk container.

Cappuccino is prepared with an espresso, so we set the grinder setting back to level 2 out of 7. We set the aroma to level 4 of 5. We adjust the beverage quantity to our cup. How this is done step by step we’ll explain to you in the point Settings. On the milk container, we turn the control all the way to the right to level 3 – as described in the instructions. This way we get a great frothy milk cap for our cappuccino.

set the milk foam consistency to level 3

One advantage is that you can also push the milk spout down so that nothing splashes past the cup. Unfortunately, only a few fully automatic machines can do that. In addition, the milk foam remains hotter and finer when it does not “fly” through the air for so long.

big advantage: the height-adjustable milk spout

The draw took about 80 seconds in total – that was pretty fast. We measured a temperature of 65°C. During another test, we even measured 70°C. In that case we had previously set the brewing temperature from “normal” to “high”. This makes a difference of 5°C. You see: the cappuccino will definitely be hot enough.

in the test, the cappuccino was up to 70°C hot

The milk foam is very even and finely frothed. It doesn’t get much better than this. It also sticks to our spoon, is pleasantly creamy and not stiff. We are thoroughly convinced of the taste. The flavors of the espresso come through well and the milk foam has a slight sweetness. We like that!

the milk foam is very fine and creamy

and passes our spoon test at the first go

Latte Macchiato

For latte macchiato, we now proceed in the same way as for cappuccino – we reprogram the beverage quantity to match our large glass. This time we set the control on the milk container to level 2, because latte typically has less milk foam than a cappuccino. You will also find this in the instructions. We set the aroma to 4 out of 5 beans. We leave the grinder setting at level 2 of 7.

The draw took a total of 1:40 minutes. The temperature is 64°C – and that is already very good for latte macchiato. It should not get much hotter than this, because above 70°C milk can already taste slightly burnt. You can immediately see the three layers – hot milk at the bottom, then the espresso, and the milk foam on top.

very good latte macchiato with its typical 3 layers

The milk foam is very fine-pored and uniform. It sticks perfectly to the spoon and has a creamy soft mouthfeel. We don’t want to praise everything to the skies, but the drinks are all great up to this point in our test. The taste is dominated by the sweetness of the milk with light aromas of espresso. In our test, the latte macchiato scores very well, which is fully deserved.

very fine milk foam

Caffe latte

As an alternative to the latte macchiato, DeLonghi offers a caffe latte. It has less milk foam and a double espresso instead. In taste, it is somewhat stronger than the latte macchiato .

For our test, we simply prepared it with the factory settings. Set the aroma to 3 beans and the grinder setting to level 2 out of 7 again, as for the latte macchiato. We set the control on the milk container all the way to the left to “hot milk”. This is also what the instructions say.

You can tell directly from the milk that there is much less foam. It flows almost like water into the glass. The bubbles are much coarser this time. From a visual point of view, the Caffe Latte cannot compete with the Latte Macchiato. In terms of taste, we lack the sweetness of milk. Sorry, but that could not convince us. The Caffelatte is no alternative to the Latte Macchiato

Caffe Latte is with hot milk and little foam

Hot milk for cocoa

There is good news for all hot choclate fans. You can also just prepare hot milk – perfect for adding cocoa afterwards. If you like, you can even It can therefore draw a lot of milk foam. Even our large Ikea jar is easily filled.

A big advantage here is the regulator on the milk container. With it, you can just get warm milk or milk foam with a large foam cap. Just as you like. We like the flexibility.

With the DeLonghi Dinamica, there are many ways to customize each drink to your individual taste.

The following settings are possible:

Double cup option

If you select the espresso, you can prepare 2 drinks at the same time. Unfortunately, the double cup option is only available for espresso. After you have selected Espresso, an “x2” briefly shows up in the display. If you now confirm with “ok”, you will get two espressos. Other bean to cup coffee machines also offer this option for coffee and even beverages with milk foam. This function is unfortunately not available on this device (for whatever reason)

Set coffee strength

With the Dinamica, you can adjust the coffee strength (aroma) for each drink in 5 levels. From very mild (little coffee powder) to extra strong (a lot of coffee powder). The levels can be adjusted via the bean button or programmed permanently in the menu for each beverage. DeLonghi has set a default flavor for each beverage that is shown in the display as “Auto”. For espresso, for example, 3 out of 5 beans are then set.

the coffee strength can be adjusted in 5 levels – very mild to extra strong

Adjust beverage quantity to your cup

The beverage quantities are set to a specific amount for each beverage. For espresso, for example, to 40 ml. It would be even easier if there were three quantity levels to choose from for each drink (small, medium, large).

On the other hand we can save any quantity we likefor each drink in “My Menu”. This way we can adjust the beverage quantity to a specific cup. This adjustment is infinitely variable by eye. For espresso, for example, you can choose any quantity from 30 to 80 ml. The following table shows the factory settings and programmable quantities:

Recipes for drinks with milk foam, such as cappuccino and latte macchiato, are also stored in the classic espresso & milk foam ratio. Here, too, you can adjust the quantity completely freely under “My Menu”.

Adjust cup size under My Menu:

We will now show you how this works with a cappuccino. First, we select the “My Menu” button and choose Cappuccino there. Now we are already in programming mode where we can customize everything to our cup.

under “My Menu” you can reprogram the beverage quantity

First, the device asks us about the coffee strength. Here, we select level 4 of 5. After that, the milk froth starts automatically. The Dinamica keeps frothing milk until we press “ok” again. We stop the process as soon as there is only 2-3 cm of space left to the edge of the cup. As you can see in the photo below, the milk foam bar is just about 1/3 full. So you can get much more milk foam if you have a large cup.

Program amount of milk

No exact milliliters are mentioned for the milk foam quantity. But you can really program freely in a huge area here. In our test, for example, a 400 ml glass for latte macchiato was already almost full and we were only halfway in the possible range.

The grinding process for the espresso starts directly afterwards. We wait until the glass is full and a nice milk foam cap forms. Then we press “ok” and thus stop the draw.

Program amount of coffee

The device will now ask you if you want to save the parameters. If you want to, confirm with “ok”. The next time you select a cappuccino under “My Menu”, it will be prepared with the settings you just saved.

Programming step by step:

1. Select the desired beverage via “My Menu”
2. Set the desired coffee strength
3. Automatic milk foam drawing starts – press “ok” to cancel
4. Automatic espresso extraction starts – press “ok” to cancel
5. Device asks “Save parameters?” – Press “ok” to save
6. The recipe is now available via “My Menu

Unfortunately, we can only adjust the beverage quantity by eye. This makes it difficult to maintain the original espresso/milk foam ratio, especially with milk foam drinks.

Reprogram direct dial keys

To save you the detour via “My Menu”, you can also reprogram the direct dial keys. This will replace the factory settings. You can access the menu via the “gear wheel”. Under the item “Program drinks” you can now also change the direct dial keys and all other drinks from the “Drink Menu”. The reprogramming works the same way as with the “My Menu”.

Create profiles

It’s not advertised that way, but theoretically the DeLonghi Dinamica even has 2 profiles. The fact that you can customize each drink either via “My Menu” or as a direct selection button (or additional drinks via Drink Menu). It is more cumbersome, but for the fact that there are usually no profiles at all in this price range, we are positively surprised.

Set temperature

Brewing temperature isn’t just about how hot your drinks get. Because it also has an impact on the taste. Dark beans, for example, shouldn’t be extracted with water as hot as light beans. Therefore, it is very good that the temperature on the DeLonghi ECAM 350.55.B is adjustable in 4 levels – low, normal, high and very high. We measured a difference of 2-3 degrees per level.

To set the temperature, press the “gear wheel” at the top center. There in the menu you select next “General” and then “Set temperature” . Now you can adjust the temperature for all drinks at the same time. It would be even better if we could set the brewing temperature for each drink individually. Nevertheless, 4 levels are very good, because most fully automatic machines have only 2-3 levels.

the brewing temperature can be adjusted via 4 levels

If you want to permanently enjoy delicious coffee, espresso and cappuccino, taking care of your DeLonghi Dinamica is crucial. The milk system, brewing unit and drip trays are particularly important. Overall, the cleaning effort is 15-20 minutes per week.

For the Decalcification you can plan another 5-10 minutes. Depending on how hard your water is, you will need to start the program every 1-3 months. In total, the decalcification runs for around 45 minutes, while you only have to perform a few steps yourself.

We have selected both the original DeLonghi and a cheaper alternative from the most important care products. When it comes to descaler, we personally always go for the original, at least during the warranty.

Clean milk system

Cleaning the milk system is particularly important to us. With some bean to cup coffee machines, there are quite cumbersome solutions for this, which also take a long time. How well is this solved with the DeLonghi Dinamica? In our opinion, very simple.

After drawing, all you have to do is place a cup underneath and turn the control to “Clean” . Then the pipes are flushed with hot water and steam. This takes 1 minute max. and you will even be reminded of the cleaning in the display. After that, you can put the milk container in the refrigerator.

Turn the control dial to “Clean” to start cleaning

You should use up the milk after 2 days at the latest and clean the container and lid thoroughly. To do this, disassemble the milk container into its 7 individual parts. This makes the milk system somewhat more complex compared to other bean to cup coffee machines in our testbut after a few times you will certainly get the hang of it.

The best way to do this is to soak all the parts in warm water and detergent. Alternatively you can also use the “Milk Clean” cleaner from DeLonghi or simply put everything in the dishwasher. This is a good way to remove the milk fat. Then you get permanently fine milk foam like on the first day.

clean thoroughly by hand or in the dishwasher

Overall, the milk system can be cleaned easily and quickly. Especially since the complete milk container including lid may be placed in the dishwasher. Cleaning after use can be started via the control dial. Some bean to cup coffee machines even clean themselves automatically with hot steam, but that’s complaining at a high level. In total, the effort for the milk system is about 10 minutes per week.

Empty drip tray & coffee grounds container

You can pull out the collection trays directly to the front. When the drip tray is full, a red water level gauge shows up and as soon as the coffee grounds container is full a note appears in the display.

red water level gauge signals full drip tray

in this container the coffee pucks end up

The grinder tray can hold up to 14 pucks, which is quite a lot compared to other machines. Both trays have hardly any corners and are easy to rinse. Only the extra plastic grid in the drip tray is a bit more cumbersome to clean. Since the coffee grounds are relatively dry, it is enough if you clean the containers 1x per week.

Some users also put their containers in the dishwasher. This is not stated in the manual, but usually nothing happens if you use the less hot Eco mode of your dishwasher.

Tip: It is always best to empty both containers at the same time when the machine is switched on. Otherwise, the counter for the coffee pucks will get messed up. When the machine is switched off, the counter is not set to 0. Then you will soon be asked to empty the container again, even though it is almost empty.

All in all, cleaning the containers takes about 5 minutes per week.

brewing unit

You can only prepare good coffee with a clean brewing unit. Therefore, you can remove the brewing unit of the DeLonghi Dinamica in a few simple steps.

According to the instructions, you should rinse the brewing unit with warm water once a month and immerse it in water for 5 minutes beforehand. We found only a few coffee grounds on the brewing unit of the DeLonghi Dinamica compared to other bean to cup coffee machines. We still recommend that you rinse the brewing unit once a week.

You can reach the brewing unit via the service flap behind the water tank. Before doing so, you must switch off the machine, because only then does the brewing unit move to the “rest position” and can be removed. Then simply press the two red buttons and pull it out.

after three days, there are already a few coffee grounds on the brewing unit

therefore weekly rinse the brewing unit with water and then soak it in warm water for 10 minutes

Cleaning is effectively done in 2 minutes a week, because brewing units from DeLonghi are compact and have hardly any hidden corners. In addition, you can still wipe the stamp inside the machine with a damp cloth. However, please do not use detergent. Each brewing unit is lightly greased to run smoothly.

You still have a question yourself or tips for other users about this device? Then feel free to leave us a comment.