Customer Ratings & Reviews

I will go over some of the specifications in which is stands out. Quality of build is premium, it is made of solid stainless steel structure, functions buttons are easy to understand and feel solid, auto tamping which is fantastic that save time of tamping manually, it has drink selects dedicated buttons for cappuccino, espresso, americano and tea. Easy to clean drain tray. If you are looking for a machine that does everything from grinding coffee to tamping and auto shut off, the this De'Longhi - La Specialista Espresso Machine is the right choice. I’m happy that I have invested in this machine, for one, my family is a coffee drinker and second as a barista who drinks hot drinks everyday, I found it very functional.

When I first begun to set up this beautiful machine I was a little intimidated, to be honest. However once I removed the packing material I was happily greeted with a super easy how-to set up guide. It walked me through the entire set up process and assure me I made the right decision to go with this brand. The color guides with super clean pictures made the set up error proof. The unboxing was expertly designed to remove any lingering questions form the novice's point of view. Aside from the set up, I need to touch on the quality of the machinery. Grinder, frother, steamer, multiple measuring tools and the list goes on. This is not a low quality device. The drinks also stand by the quality too. I am a coffee drinker, while my wife is a espresso/americano drinker. The level of effort that is needed to produce a drink that is on par or above with the national chains is minimal. Again, I was super intimidated at first, but the provided how-to guides removed all of my angst. I can now provide a high quality drink while entertaining. Highly recommended due to the ease of use and level of quality drinks this is able to produce.

Right out of the box there were a lot of parts to clean and put together. Initially, I was very skeptical about the difficulty level of operation. I had never used a coffee maker let alone a cappuccino machine. (I don't like coffee; this was for my wife and mother-in-law) After the setup and reading the instructions, it's not that bad. Fill in the water tank, hit a few buttons, and boom, you got coffee! There were several versions of the setup instructions for visual and/or wordy learners. Everything was laid out perfectly for a novice coffee maker from the troubleshooting down to the cleaning instructions. I haven't tried grinding beans yet, just the standard ground coffee that my wife likes and after a few trial cups, she got into the rhythm of making coffee that tastes good in the morning before work. (She even got syrup and sauce to flavor the frothed milk!) A tedious task about this product is the Drip Tray. The steam built up from making the hot water condenses and goes into the drip tray and if you don't dump/clean it out regularly after each couple cups of coffee you make, it WILL SPILLOVER. Also, it is a must that you clean each part you use every time you use it. Any residue could potentially damage parts of the machine. The cleaning part is a bit annoying but for the money, you should be ready to take care of a product this nice because it's taking care of you every morning.

I can sum up this entire review by just telling you that this machine is incredible. From the machine itself, to the quick start manual, to all of the included accessories, everything is just designed with a heft and quality that screams "high-class". I have been nothing but please with the experience of this machine but let me just tell you now, if you are new to espresso machines, this will definitely take a bit of practice. Alas, the results (delicious, tasty results) are worth it! First of all, the packaging of the machine is incredible. Every accessory and trinket is lovingly packed into this box with pride. Next, the quick start manual for getting this thing up and running is excellent, complete with helpful tips and pictures for those of us who prefer the cartoons part of a newspaper to the front page. Finally, the caffinated-bliss that comes out of this thing. Ohhh myyy gooodness. Standing in my kitchen enjoying such rich pulls of espresso with frothed-milk (whole or 2% for best results) is just too awesome to behold. This is a high-dollar item, no question about it. But when you want beauty, quality, and results all wrapped into a single package, this machine is simply unbeatable. 5 out of 5 stars, most definitely recommend this for purchase! Thanks for reading!

It's a great machine, easy to use, took me about a couple of days to get used to. Bean hopper works great and built in tamper is very useful. Puts out very good espresso, 19 bars. This is an awesome espresso machine, it's my second machine, my first one was good but wanted a better one so I stepped up to this one!

I have used many espresso makers in the past, here are my pros and cons especially compared to the Breville Barista That I have. Pros: - Simple and consistent tamping system (makes for less mess) - stand for smaller cups - Espresso is good (If you like weak to medium Espresso) - out of the box, one with no experience can start making espresso in about 5-10 minutes - Steamer is not as loud as other espresso makers - automated grinder... YES Steamer is very, very hot and can froth the milk to make great latte's Cons: - I could not get the grounds out of the filter very easy (for me this is a big deal, I was literally bagging the handle on the trash can to get them out. other espresso makers like the Breville was a significant difference. This was such a big deal for me I returned it the same day!) - The steamer wand is not as movable as other espresso makers - the grind size and amount make weaker Espresso (I adjusted the setting to make and could not get the same quality of Espresso as I would like.. then again, I like strong espresso.)

I used to go to Starbucks daily to get my fix, and often brought my daughter and bought hers as well. I was spending $50-$60 per week at Starbucks. Now I make my own. Once you figure out how this machine works, it's really easy to use and it makes a really smooth espresso! I love the built-in grinder and tamper! My daughter and I have been making 1-2 espressos each with this machine daily. Even though it was very expensive, it'll pretty much pay for itself within about 3 months! And OMG it's so pretty!!!

I've had my machine for about a month now. I use the same beans the whole time. I've been tinkering with the grind to perfect my espresso shots. It's a little difficult to get the grind exactly right considering the very few grind settings. With that in mind, it doesn't bother my "customers" too much as they're not entirely coffee snobs. I love the built in tamper, I just wish there was a way to properly polish it off with the machine's mechanism. The static that's produced makes it pretty difficult. I was having an issue with the pressure building up in the basket and the shots not pulling correctly. I figured out that the small grinds were getting into the removable bottom of the filter. If you're using the smaller grind it's important to check this and rinse it often which can get tedious if you're brewing multiple shots. I don't use the steam wand too often. It is a little weird compared to a traditional wand but I like that it has the option to choose your foam amount with flat or foam options. Even with these issues, I still love my machine. It brings me a better quality espresso than the beginner machines and is simple enough that my non-barista husband can also use it.

We love it!! Makes great quality expresso! Super user friendly!

This was an upgrade from a previous espresso machine that we owned. Couple things that I love and hate about it. I bought this machine specifically because the grinder was attached, however the grinder does NOT have any measurements for how much coffee it is grinding so you just have to guess how much you are getting, or weigh it, guess where to turn it to if you need more, and then attempt to put it about where you need it next time. The tamping does okay, but if you do a proper double it doesn't seem to tamp properly. The steam wand range of motion is very limited and makes it difficult to get your steam cup at the proper angle, and it spits water while using the wand no matter what we do. Overall I'm satisfied and plan to upgrade again in the future, definitely worth the purchase for those who are learning without spending the thousands of dollars to buy a more professional machine.

I'm am certainly not a connoisseur of espresso machines. However, this one is very straightforward to use and it makes good espresso. Maintenance is a little convoluted and it needs to be descaled and cleaned out (the bean grinder/hopper) every single month or it displays a warning then stops working but that may be par for the course. Based on my reading you could run your maintenance stuff every 2 months but with regular use it will make you do it more frequently. The descaling solution also makes cost of ownership more expensive than anticipated but you could buy off-brand or use vinegar too I think. Overall satisfied with this purchase.

If you are looking for something that is just between full on coffee shop and home brewing, this is a good option for one to two people, maybe three. The grind is customizable and variable enough for most. The instructions for setup and maintenance are easy to follow. One limitation is the steaming wand. It is a timed run, which makes sense for a system that runs on a tank and is decently compact. But, it is not long enough to steam a full 20 oz drink's worth of milk. And to make that much with the included pitcher, you have to steam two batches of milk; and at least one of them 1.5 times to get a decent temp that won't chill too much in an insulated cup to be unenjoyable by the time you get to finishing the drink, if you are a slower drinker like me. That said, the steam wand is also one of my favorite things about it. If you are not great at steaming milk, no problem. If you want foam, this thing can make very good foam with no effort At ALL. The only things you have to do is not overfill the pitcher, and watch to make sure it doesn't overflow with foam. And even if you are good at steaming milk, it is nice to not have to fuss with it. One other thing to note, this is not a quiet machine. The actions that are the most silent are dispensing hot water for tea, and pulling shots. However, if you are going to use the included grinder, you have to make noise with that before the quiet action of pulling the shot, so dispensing hot water is the quietest function. I did not expect it to be quiet, and that does not make me enjoy this any less, it is just something that needs to be mentioned for those that might not expect it. Last thing I'll mention is to check the steam wand components, I did have to exchange the outerost part of the wand due to the outer metal part separating from the hard black plastic part it surrounds (not the silicone part that the steam comes out of). All in all, this is for those that want to be a little more fussy with the end result, but also want some features that make things easier to do with less effort. I would recommend this to others.

We've had this for 2 yrs now. Its used everyday, sometimes twice a day. It makes a better cup of coffee than any we can buy at fancy places. Easy to use, easy to clean and easy upkeep. It has saved us thousands of dollars a year in take-out coffee. Definitely worth buying!

This is my first venture with an espresso and cappuccino machine having been a drip coffee drinker. Bought this to help with the boredom of our stay at home order. It is a very high quality machine and quite easy to use. After researching machines to purchase, this seemed like a good machine to start with knowing there are many machines that cost several $K. It does a great job of creating a single or double shot of espresso. It also makes a great cup of cappuccino. And if Americana is your thing, makes this as well. Fairly easy to clean and maintain and seems like it should last. Lot's of indicators to help if you need to add more beans, etc. A nice accessory is a set of DeLonghi espresso and cappuccino glasses. They are insulated and your beverage will stay hot longer.

This machine takes your espresso from start to finish. The built in grinder evenly grinds the coffee beans. The dual heating systems means that the machine uses one system for the extraction of coffee and the other system for steaming or frothing milk. The machine has options for different espresso shot volumes and you can also use this machine to make an Americano through the hot water sprout. One of my favorite parts is the milk frother attachment so that I can make my favorite lattes at home! My absolute favorite part of this machine is that you can turn it on and instantly brew espresso beverages! I definitely recommend this product to my family, friends and anyone that appreciates good espresso as it is everything and more in a coffee system!!

This espresso machine is a serious update for my wife and myself, which we love a good cappuccino in the morning, after having a mr coffee machine. I was impressed by the first foamed milk giving a delicious texture to my cappuccino. The tamping mechanism is smart, which means no coffee ground mess. I like to do three tamps before releasing the portafilter to keep all the coffee in place. Being able to make an americano in the same machine is awesome. I'm expecting this machine to last and last and last for a long time after spending the money I spent.

My wife and I are new to the espresso machine world. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law swear by some other machine; which I won't name, and my daughter has a smaller and basic version that doesn't grind or tamp the coffee. Our machine does it all! It grinds, tamps without mess and even froths with simple adjustments that allows us to make the perfect espresso, americano or cup of coffee; single or double. It's just simply awesome! We love it! Thank you De'Longhi for a well crafted machine!

Absolutely amazing. The La Specialista is an excellent addition to my coffee bar. It is simple and easy to use. I recommend watching YouTube videos before using the first time. Please the coffee bean container on before adding coffee! I tried to set it up in haste so I had to vacuum the beans out because it would not lock in place with beans inside. That was my fault for not following instructions. This is a luxury item in my home and produces excellent expresso, americanos, and coffee!

One of my favorite purchases of the year. Build quality is fantastic, I much prefer the mechanical espresso machines over automated. I would consider this a semi-automatic espresso machine. Have noticed it does suck a lot of power but maybe it’s an electrical issue on my end. If you appreciate having control over the coffee you drink and enjoy doing things effortlessly by hand this is the machine for you. I recommend getting a knock box to dump the grains. Will save you a lot of time!

Makes delicious Starbucks worthy coffee! It only took a little tinkering with the settings and ingredients before it was able to make a coffee that I like BETTER than Starbucks. The fact that it's freshly ground makes a consistent coffee no matter how long the beans are there. The frother is easy to clean (just put it in a cup of water and turn it on) and so is the drip tray! Great machine!