La Specialista Arte EC9155.W, Barista Pump Espresso Machine, Bean to Cup Coffee and Cappuccino Maker, 8 Grinding Settings, MyLatte Art Frothing Wand, 1550W, White

My Sage Barista Express has been a sturdy work-horse for over 9-years but spares for the original grinder are no longer available so it was time for a new machine. The Sage machine was superb but did have some foibles; the most annoying being how particular it was to any variation in the beans. Even the weather could alter the grind to the extent that I wasted at least 2 espressos to get the settings right again! I decided I'd try something new and the Delonghi appeared to be a bargain, so I placed my order. I've had it around a week now and have almost got used to the slightly different brew process and feel able to review. Probably easiest if I run through the process commenting on the way. 1 - Bean Hopper - Not removable (unlike the Sage) so I tend to chuck in enough beans for a couple of cups at a time, incase there is a request for decaf etc. 2 - Grinder - Seems to grind well and consistently. Surprised to find that I'm grinding towards the coarse end of the settings 6/8 (Sage was always towards the fine end 3/16). Dosing level has lots of fine adjustment. Included Dosing & Tamping Guide keeps everything tidy. (I bought an aftermarket one for the Sage, which was really messy without it). 3 - Grouphead - feels good quality. Portafilters are narrower and deeper than on the Sage. They are shaped nicely to fit the tamper and this stops over compression of the coffee. Also have a lip which allows you to judge whether the dose level is correct. On the downside the extra depth seems to mean more friction on the puck when emptying into a knock-box and a bit of extra force is required. I find it's better to empty straight after making coffee, whereas with the Sage I'd empty before making the next one with no issue. IGNORE WHAT THE DELONGHI SPEC SAYS - THE PORTAFILTERS ARE SINGLE SKIN NON-PRESSURISED! I nearly ordered aftermarket ones after reading the spec but glad I waited until it arrived! 4 - Brewing - I always run a shot through the empty Grouphead to pre-heat and wash through before making my double-shot espresso. With the Sage this was easy and foolproof as the Grinder had a Single/Double Shot selection while there are two separate buttons for Single/Double Shot Pour. Basically leave the grinder alone and just pour a single shot through the empty portafilter. On the Delonghi the Single/Double Shot selector works both the Grinder and Pour, so I've now ground a single shot of coffee a number of times after warming the Grouphead. And as usual Two-Singles don't make a Double! Lesson gradually being learnt - warm the portafilter with a double! There are three Temp Settings, I just use the hottest at the moment. I haven't used the Long Black setting yet as I drink espresso and my wife and daughters are flat-white/cappuccino or latte drinkers. 5 - Steam Wand - not as articulated as on the Sage BUT insulated so doesn't immediately bake-on milk to the outside of the wand when removed from the jug. Much nicer to keep clean and good pressure. 6 - Extras - extra stand to lift espresso cups closer to the Grouphead (nice feature), Rubber Grouphead & Tamper holder (works nicely), little cubby-hole on top of the machine to keep spare portafilter etc. (haven't noticed any cup-warming effect because of this). 7 - ON/OFF Switch - a small thing but just slightly annoying! It's hidden at the lower, back corner of the left-hand side of the machine and requires a push in to turn on and a push in to turn off. Compared to the Sage Power Button on the front panel this is a complete faff, and if you don't turn it off and the machine goes to sleep you have to push it in to turn it off and then push it in again to turn it on, and sometimes it makes you repeat the process to punish you for not switching off after making your coffee! OVERALL: Compared to the Barista Express there appear to be bigger steps between each grind setting, but much more scope to fine-tune the dose. So a little bit Swings and Roundabouts. Removable Hopper would have been nice, even better would be two-hoppers like on their Rivela B2C Machine. Seems a lot more consistent in brewing than the Barista Express, haven't had to change the settings much at all since the initial dialing in, even when changing from caff to de-caff beans. Seems a little odd compared to the Sage to be on the coarse side of the middle setting, and dosing at 14/40 on the scale. But I guess it's a bit like clothing, ignore the number, if it fits and looks good, it fits and looks good. Don't put it back because you don't like the size number! The Coffee is Good and Repeatable. Silly On/Off switch won't put me off. Recommended.

Seems a bit daunting at first sight. Having the appliance for the last few weeks has allowed us to get a good idea of the quality we are looking for. The coffee machine will allow you to make great tasting coffee, depending on your choice of flavour preference and bean profiles. Looks great too!

I spent ages looking at different coffee machines, and eventually came to purchase this one. Some of the other brands are over complicated and too many fancy options/buttons when at the end of the day it just makes coffee, which this machine does perfectly Makes such smooth and fresh coffee compared to buying at your Costa or Starbuck. Once you get the grind size and dosage right for how you like it, you'll get consistent barista quality coffee at home, and it takes about 2 minutes. The milk steam wand is a nice touch, as long as you kind of know what you're doing and know the difference between latte & cappuccino milk you'll get great coffee every time. My only gripe with the wand is it doesn't pull out too far from the machine so can be a little awkward depending on what size milk jug you're using. (I bought a 600ML jug compared to the 300ML mug it comes with, as it makes it a lot easier to steam milk without worrying about spilling) The dosage and tamper aids are great, allows you to get your coffee grinds neat and flat every time which is idealy for getting the correct pressure. Overall very happy with the purchase, the colour of the machine looks great and it is very user friendly, with a little trial and error.

First coffee machine purchase, and this was a solid intro (especially during Amazon sales). Coffee-making is straightforward once you dial in the grind size/quantity for your beans—took some trial and error, but the results are worth it. Tip: Read the manual! Holding the brew button to program water/coffee amounts is a game-changer for consistency. From Cup to Cup Haven’t tested the milk frother yet, but the grinder and customization options impress. One quirk: Mine leaks a bit of water from the tank into the drip tray when idle. A friend’s doesn’t, so might be a defect. Still, zero regrets—excited to experiment with new beans. Great entry into home espresso if you’re patient with setup.

Non-functional, terrible design. Just a piece of cheap tacky gimmicky plastic consumer electronics - will not do the job of a real espresso machine. The housing looks like brushed aluminium or steel in the pics - it's not, it's just metal-coloured plastic, which I guess is what you'd expect for this price. You can't remove the grinder, so impossible to clean it after a month or so.... now what are you supposed to do? It is basically useless. Who signed off on that design idea? The grind sizes are totally inadequate - there needs to be about 5 more settings each between 1, 2 and 3. The rest are useless - you won't use them. The portafilter and tamper have HOLLOW PLASTIC handles - so the joint between them and the functional metal component is extremely fragile and will break very easily. Can't get the milk steamer to work, despite following all tutorials, etc. I know how to do it, but it never comes out right. Don't know if it's because the device itself is poor or just that the included jug is too small (which it is). You can get a dirty mud-water-flavoured coffee out of it which you will then dilute in plenty of milk & sugar to make it bearable, but why bother? Just stick to instant Azura. Overall, would not recommend.

I love it! Compact and nice looking. Makes great coffee. My only gripe- if it is one- is that it lacks the incorporated tamper function that some De’Longi coffee makers have, but this one is less expensive.

Absolutely love this coffee machine Easy to use and cleans up nice

Also, die De’Longhi La Specialista – man kauft sie sich mit dem Gedanken „Barista zu Hause“ zu werden, und plötzlich fühlt man sich wie in einer dauerhaften Beziehung mit dem Mahlwerk – Liebe, Frust, Austausch, Reue. Das Liebesversprechen: Ja, sie sieht schick aus. Retro-Touch, clever integriertes Mahlwerk, man fühlt sich sofort professionell. Man denkt: „Ich hab’s geschafft – endlich der Grund, morgens aufzustehen (neben dem Kaffee).“ Und: Milchschaum, der aussieht wie vom Latino-Latte-Werbeplakat. Alles wunderbar. Der Alltag: Aber dann kommt der Alltag. Und der sagt: Warte, wie war das nochmal mit dem Mahlgrad? Ach ja – „Stufe 1“ soll die besten Ergebnisse bringen. Kein Witz – egal, wie fein oder grob man mahlt, Stufe 1 scheint das absolut magische Einhorn unter den Einstellungen zu sein. Alles andere ist… naja, Verschwendung von Kaffeebohnen. Dann ist da das Mahlwerk – anscheinend ein gern genutztes Fitnessstudio für Reparaturwerkstätten. Immer mal wieder verklemmt, manchmal ganz kaputt, manchmal fühlt man sich wie Held des Alltags, wenn man’s wieder flott kriegt. Kompatibilität mit der Realität: Barista-Feeling zu Hause heißt hier: Man misst Bohnen, Druck, Temperatur, spuckt innert Sekunden Bitterkeit oder Säure. Man probiert Sachen, wechselt Bohne, mahlt feiner, mahlt gröber, denkt: „Okay, das MUSS jetzt perfekt sein.“ Und dann: Alles wieder Mist. Jeden Morgen von vorne. Manche Reviews sagen: Nach drei Tagen hat man das Gefühl, der Kaffeeladen nebenan schmeckt besser – und das, obwohl man intensiven Bohnen-Support betrieben hat. Design & Bedienung: Design? Toll. Edelstahl, bisschen Retro, schönem Finish. Aber: Support? Etwas distanziert. Wenn was schiefgeht, muss man fast schon Detektiv sein. Ersatzteile? Mahlwerk auseinandernehmen? Viel Spaß beim Basteln. Außentank-Wasserstand nicht sichtbar? Warum auch – Überraschung beim Nachfüllen macht doch den Alltag interessanter. Für wen ist sie geeignet? Für Leute, die gerne lernen, tüfteln, Bohnenrätsel lösen und Kaffee eher als Handwerk betrachten. Für Morgenmenschen mit viel Geduld (oder Kaffee als Therapie). Nicht so sehr für diejenigen, die morgens nur einen guten Espresso wollen, ohne zuerst ein kleines Science-Projekt zu betreiben. Fazit (mit leicht bitterem Nachgeschmack): Die La Specialista verkauft sich gut als „fast perfekte Siebträgermaschine für zu Hause“. Aber in Wahrheit: Es ist wie mit einem sportlichen Hobby – sieht toll aus, macht Spaß, kostet aber Nerven, Schweiß und gelegentlich Ersatzteile. Wenn du bereit bist, Kaffee als Abenteuer mit gelegentlichen Rückschlägen zu sehen, wirst du halbwegs stolz sein über das, was sie liefert. Wenn du einfach nur morgens müde bist und einen ordentlichen Espresso willst – vielleicht reicht auch etwas simpleres.

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ممتازة

If you need a machine that helps you do your own customisations, but is not intimidating at all - then this has to be your pick. We wanted something in between an automatic machine and manual machine. This is a very sweet spot. Drink quality is great, process is easy but still feels sophisticated enough and is intuitive to use. The installation and demo support was a cherry on the cake as it was extremely seamless and very helpful.

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