Customer Ratings & Reviews

Very easy to use and makes great coffee . I loved it

This thing is fantastic It’s so pretty too It’s big also

Let me start by saying that I go to Colombia a lot, so I know a little about high quality coffee. The experience I have had with this machine is mind blowing. There are a few steps in getting things set up. The quick set up guide is very clear and easy to follow. One thing though, it is important to make sure that the coffee bean holder is fully seated in position. The guide is clear about this but apparently I didn't turn it quite far enough. The grinder will not activate unless it is in place. After I got this taken care of I was ready to start. The rest is, as they say. history. The process of making expresso for various drinks is very easy and straight forward. Just put the portafilter in position under the grinder and pull the lever forward to compress the grinds perfectly. Place it in position under the steam head and press "ok." You now have a perfect (in my case a double) shot of expresso. As far as frothing, I have had machines with this feature in the past but none are so efficient at making the most perfect foam. I am still working on making designs that are fancy but in the mean time I am in heaven. The device is well built and feels solid. Truly a great investment if you want to have total control over your coffee or other hot beverage.

This machine does all it says it will do nicely, no complaints.

It makes the best espresso and café lattes easily.

Kept this unit after trying out four others. Nice!

Good ground of coffee. pressure adjusts well. Frothing can take a second look. But good only till it lasts. 1.5 years later, pressure is off. Doesnt descale. Now working like a regular $100 coffee maker. De'Longhi's quality has come down a lot over the years..

it was functioning really well, and suddenly it doesn't grind and the coffee doesn't leave

I expected something better than this quality. That’s not what I expected at all

Buyer beware!! After the third exchange, I gave up with this machine. First machine, the grinder stopped working constantly. Exchanged the machine for another one, which made a squeaky noise. Got another exchange, which didn't grind enough coffee to fill the potafilter, even with the dose adjustment at maximum level. My next espresso machine will definitely NOT be De'Longhi.

An amazing machine when it works. I’m on the phone again with Delonghi to have it sent out to be serviced again. From what I’ve been told, the heater core keeps going out. Customer service has been great in helping out and resolving the issues but it keeps happening. The wait to talk with a rep also takes 45+ min every time. I would be much happier if it didn’t fail every 6-8 months as everything else has been a mostly positive experience. Overall, I think I purchased a lemon and am stuck with it. I’d like to believe that this doesn’t happen to many people as I haven’t heard of many complaints from other owners online.

My first reaction upon receiving this brewer was, “wow.” The scale of it seems overwhelming initially. It weighs (without packaging) just a hair under 30 lbs. That’s hefty compared to one’s usual drip coffeemaker. There also is the issue of electrical supply. La Specialista is rated at 1450 Watts which, if left on for more than a short while, might trip a 15 Amp circuit. An electrician I consulted said that using anything less than a 20 Amp circuit would be “unwise.” Most modern kitchens readily have 20 Amp service, but I would urge a prospective buyer to check before purchasing. Height also is an issue. Although the description provided by the company is 14”, that does not include the bean bin which sits atop the device. With that installed the height is just under 18”. While the standard height between countertop and bottom of upper cabinets is 18”, many are not so generous. Increasingly, counters are being installed higher to improve user comfort, thus reducing the “standard” distance between countertop and upper cabinets. Regardless, in order to fill the device with beans, water, etc. the La Specialista has to be pulled forward—not that easy due to heft—from under the cabinet to be used. Again, check your counter space before committing to a purchase. Upon unpacking, anyone who is not a trained barista might find matters a bit daunting. The contents look challenging with loads of buttons, knobs, switches, lose parts, a lever, and a not very elegant monochromatic instruction booklet. However, and this is critical, DeLonghi has an excellent series of instructional videos with explanatory titles on YouTube; these make set up and initialization processes easier if not really straightforward. When I review a product, I assess if the manufacturer was environmentally-conscious when selecting packaging. In this case, there is a large, 2-section piece of non-recyclable Styrofoam suspending and isolating the equipment. While I wish it were otherwise, I can’t think of anything that would have protected the delicate contents better, so I am not going to criticize the choice. The La Specialista is, as noted, a heavy machine. But that weight is a function of the high-quality materials (stainless steel especially) the manufacturer has chosen. For example, other machines might have lighter, plastic drain grilles; this one is solid stainless. Wherever visible, the quality is evident! Setup was, well, finicky. There are several very small informational and warning lights on the right side of the control panel. Deciphering each and trying to figure out why one or more are flashing is not intuitive. The only way to decipher what is blinking (but not necessarily why) is to look in the difficult-to-read manual. I installed the machine by following the series of videos produced by DeLonghi. Nonetheless, I could not get the grinder to function despite reviewing the manual and the videos. Ultimately, I called customer service and was delighted by the assistance. The representative asked permission and we then set up a combination video and voice link so she could see the device and guide me through the “repair.” (A small, partial bean had fallen deep into the grinder and blocked its function.) While I appreciated the support, I was surprised that such a sophisticated machine could be rendered useless for such a small reason. The representative warned me that I would waste a lot of coffee as I learned to use the machine and until I was confident, I should buy less expensive beans. She was acknowledging what I had already intuited: there is a real learning curve. Before I could make my first cup of espresso, I had to try grinding 4 times as the instructions are very specific about how much needs to be in the filter. An error of 1/8 inch requires a regrind and does waste coffee. Because the La Specialista is multi-functional (espresso, lattes, Americano, coffee, tea) there is a lot to learn, and to repeat: I did not find it intuitive. Once setup and trial and error are over, the machine does make very good espresso and other brews. The steamer works well as does the hot water dispenser for tea or to dilute the blend. Getting to the ideal taste, as the manual and videos note, can be time consuming and involve significant trial and error. Why does such a complex and expensive unit, clearly manufactured to very high standards, not replace the difficult-to-decipher (flashing) lights with words. I assume this is due to selling on the international market. Setup and learning are, as noted, complicated and finicky. Should one forget, for example, to use the tamper immediately after grinding, the coffee is wasted. If reinserted for tamping, the handle would start an automatic grind of additional beans. Maintenance is also complicated; several steps and functions are needed to keep the brewer working optimally, but the tools and guidance for these tasks are provided. In sum, this is a well-made, multi-function coffee maker that will meet the needs of most coffee aficionados. It’s attractive and versatile. However, to quote my wife, “Is it really worth all this effort for a cup of coffee?” That’s a decision only a person can decide when considering a purchase.

Was a really good adtion to our family. But unfortunately it broke in 3 month. When start reading troubleshooting found out that it's pretty common For them to break.

The machine looks great and i like the idea of everything being integrated. However I returned it as the dosing was inconsistent and after one week of use the steamer stopped working.

The first thing I noticed when unboxing the machine was that this thing is solid. The knobs and buttons are machined from big, knurled chunks of metal. The buttons are metal. Most of the machine is beautiful, polished stainless steel. Of course, there is plastic. The water tank, the drip tray, and other places where it makes sense. But mostly this machine screams well built and high quality. Setup was quick and easy. Just wash all the loose parts with warm soapy water, allow them to dry, and assemble per the instructions. Fill and install the water tank, install and fill the bean hopper, flush the unit, and you’re ready for adjustments. There are only two adjustments required to get to your first shot(s) of espresso. First is grind quantity. It is set by grinding a few beans into the porta filter, tamping and checking the level against a line inside the filter. You may have to do this a couple times until you get it right. Next adjust the coarseness of the grind to get the pressure into the optimal extraction range. This is all easy to do following the included instructions. Once it’s all set up, your favorite beans will yield a perfect espresso! The frothing wand is also unique. It slides in and out slightly, with up being the “flat” setting and down the “froth” setting. The froth setting yields a nice cappuccino, and the flat setting offers steamed milk for lattes. The unit also offers americano and coffee modes, but I’ve yet to try them, and there is a hot water dispenser for a quick cup of tea. If you’re looking for a high quality, easy to use espresso machine, you’ve found it! I love mine!

Be prepared to give up a lot of counter space. With that said, if you're a fan of espresso, it is well worth it. Setup was a breeze and then you're your own personal barista. When first setup, you'll need to play around with the various settings until you find the perfect configuration that matches your desires. From then on, just hit "my" and let the machine reuse your saved setup for you to get a consistent brew perfect for your tastebuds. There are dual heating elements inside for heating up the milk and water separately, helping you to get that fresh cup just a little more quickly. And, with the milk you can make foam or just get it heated. While the machine is big and bulky, using it is a breeze. You'll be an expert in no time. And, if it isn't good at first, just practice. You don't have to drink it all, but from a cost perspective, it is better to spend the time and money on practice shots then hitting up your local Starbucks for the daily fix. Some quick math will show how much you're saving, with the machine paying for itself eventually, in like a year or two. Thankfully, the machine matches our statinless steel appliances. Now all we need are some demitasse cups...

Drop tons of money only to have THREE units all fail in a 3 year period. Sure they were all replaced but that's a pain to do and why can't delonghi make a quality product? They can't. Don't waste your money, try a breville maybe. I hear great things

Stopped working in less than 2 weeks, it would turn on but it wouldn't do anything, not even grind coffee. The Best Buy's customer service was awful managing my potential replacement, so I just decided to get my money back.

Don’t buy it , poor construction , leaking, difficult to use , doesn’t worth the price . I don’t recommend it .

Had this machine for less than one month and right now it is not working. The grinder haven't been working for a week now the expresso is not working either, so can't make any coffee. I am not sure what to from here! Had a lot of issues with this machine alreadya and it is new