Customer Ratings & Reviews

This was a nice machine but also very complex. Looked pretty but so hard to get a cup of coffee/espresso.

Mine broke and I have only had it less than 6 months the automatic tamper broke the beans no longer grind properly and the espresso does not brew properly any longer very very dissatisfied for the cost!!!

The new De'Longhi La Specialista Opera is my first true espresso machine. Yes, I have other espresso machines of the fully automatic variety, but the Opera is the first fully manual, multi-step espresso machine I have used. Let's get it out of the way up front, the Opera is much more of an event to use than say my Jura or Kitchen Aid fully automatic. What I mean by that is using the Opera makes you feel like a real barista in that you have to dial in the grind, and tamp the grind, and then move the grind to make the espresso. You don't just hit a button and go. Some might find this tedious and it can be if you are in a hurry, but the final product is where it counts. I have made some of the best tasting espresso and coffee of my life with this machine. Spending the time to dial in the machine to match your beans is well worth the effort and the manual is very good about laying out the steps and recommendations to maximize the machine. If you want an excellent cup of coffee or espresso or cappuccino or just about any other coffee based drink the Opera can make it happen. Just be prepared to take the time to do it right. The Opera is very well built and feels luxurious to use. Of course there are far more expensive and exotic machines out there, but for the 'masses' this is it. I have only two quibbles with the machine. One, the water tank in the back is difficult to deal with. Yes, it is removal, but they don't make it easy to hold and fill. I had as much water all over my kitchen trying to get it from the sink to the machine as was left in the tank after sloshing it everywhere. So, I fill a cup and then fill the tank fixed in place. Not ideal, but it works. My other machines have handles to make filling and moving the tank easy. Also, of note, the machine does not come with a water filter. So keep that in mind if your water quality is less than ideal. De'longhi does offer one though for purchase. My second issue is the grind control. The grind is controlled by a dial/collar around the bean hopper. It is pretty sloppy and very difficult to adjust in any kind of precise manner. There are graduations on the dial, but getting them to line up is difficult and the manual is very clear that lining them up is important. So, after some real trial and error I finally got my beans dialed in, but I don't look forward to changing beans as it was a pain to deal with. Fortunately, if you are settled with a favorite bean and get it where you want it you shouldn't need to deal with it much beyond the initial setup. Overall, the De'Longhi La Specialista Opera makes a stellar cup of coffee (or whatever is you are trying to make with beans). I have truly enjoyed using it and my spouse enjoys the coffee I make for her too. An easy recommend if you want to take Starbucks out of your daily equation.

In my experience, producing a truly good shot of espresso is an art. I have had and used several espresso machines but this De'Longhi was the first automatic machine I’ve had the opportunity (and pleasure) to use. It starts with the coffee bean itself. Don’t skimp, get quality. Then grind it right (which the De'Longhi does for you. For espresso, you want a finer grind so that the water doesn’t filter through it too quickly. But too fine and you end up with something too bitter and strong to enjoy (even in a latte or other mixed drink). My point here is that if your espresso machine isn’t automatic, you have to manually fine tune every little aspect to get the perfect espresso…like I said an art. This De'Longhi takes away so much of that guess work. Yes, you still will need to make some adjustments to fit your personal taste but it really takes away the guess work, particularly for beginners. Follow the settings, watch a few of De'Longhi’s YouTube videos and you’ll be well on your way. I had actually stopped trying to make my own espresso because I felt like I just couldn’t get it where I wanted and didn’t have the patience to get it right. This De'Longhi has changed that. I was so happy with the final results both for just straight espresso (so smooth, just the right amount of froth). Plus, setup was just as smooth as the espresso. This thing is big but once you’ve got it in place, there’s relatively little to do to be up and running. And Oh. My. God. The Espresso Cool and Cold Brew options are life changing for someone like me who lives on iced coffee and cold brew. Don’t be scared by the price. This is actually an amazing price for an automatic espresso machine. You could easily spend thousands on others. Amazing functionality that gets you that coffee house expertise at home.

I will start off by saying that I love De'Longhi and have been a customer and user for years My last De'Longhi was getting a little tired looking, and I decided to step it up a bit with this one - flashier My last one was a super automatic and made wonderful espresso and cappuccino, but it lacked the "cold" drinks that are trendy now Unboxing was uneventful, but I will warn you that the box is huge. Don't let it scare you, it is just protecting the product perfectly The unit itself is a work of art. Not only does it look like a smaller version of what you will find at premium coffee houses, but it fits perfectly into any kitchen or coffee bar in your home The instructions are excellent, but just bypass the quick set-up guide. Pictures and diagrams don't really tell you much Opt for the full manual, and you will be running in minutes. There is a set-up required before you brew your first batch, so be sure to follow it How does it brew? I have yet to venture into the cold drinks, but I can say that the the espresso is superior to anything else I ever brewed at home I used the decent "S" brand and nothing special, and was expecting a good double espresso. What I got instead is one of the smoothest cups that I ever tried The manual explains clearly the grind for the roast, how to properly tamp, and with a twist of the dial, it adjusted itself for a double espresso. Temperature included Prefect crema and a taste that is missing any harshness Cleanup was also a breeze with a quick rinse of the handle Overall this is not only beautiful, but an espresso machine that will rival or in my opinion beat anything that you can buy from the local barista

This version of the La Specialista has been upgraded to include extra features to meet the different drinking preferences of coffee drinkers. The features includes cold brew, espresso cool, and water temperature control. This cool extraction feature helps the machine from using too much excessive heat, unnecessary for making cold drinks. The cold brew settings adjust automatically when selected and takes around 4 to 5 minutes to extract versus the quicker hot extraction option. The automatic bean burr grinder has 15 level settings from coarse to find coffee ground, with a dial that allows your preferred dosage. The tamp lever is to the side and give the perfect amount of pressure to tamp before bringing it over to be extracted. There is a pressure gauge that indicates whether water is passing through the coffee filter correctly. The steam wand froths the milk to a nice creamy texture an shuts off automatically after activation. The coffee maker also has a water spout for dispensing hot water tea and/or hot chocolate. Cleaning and refilling is very easy with warning indicator lights letting you know when something is off with the machine. Hands down one of if not the best investment for avid coffee drinkers!

There is so much that this espresso machine can do that it is impossible to know where to begin. I’ll just cut to the chase and say BUY THIS THING. It is easy to set up, and it is great fun to use. The possible settings are practically infinite, and you could take half a lifetime trying them all. We got this a few days before a planned weekend get together with about a dozen friends, and we had great fun making everyone their own coffee. Espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, americanos, both iced and hot, as well as cold brews were coming out of the machine. We had on hand several coffee flavoring syrups, and we made several flavored cappuccinos and lattes. The ability to make small adjustments in pretty much every aspect of the brew process and monitor the process as it goes along is really what makes this machine so much fun to use. You’ll likely never need to head out to a coffee shop for your favorite with this on your kitchen counter. And speaking of the kitchen counter, another nice feature of this machine is that it is not all that large. It certainly does take up some counter space, but not that much altogether, and that makes just that much more convenient to use on a regular basis. Really, this machine checks all the boxes you knew about and a few you didn’t know existed. Get one. You won’t regret it.

We enjoy the flavorful americanos and cappuccinos!

This item has been a little Difficult to use and hard to make an optimal shot of espresso.