I love a specialty coffee drink. Whether that means enjoying cappuccinos in Italy, which I've been lucky enough to do, or going to my local coffee shop (sometimes two days in a row) to have an iced hazelnut latte, I'm a coffee lover through and through.
This machine comes with all you need to start making espresso drinks straight out of the box: a tamper (with its precision dosing and tamping guide), a portafilter with changeable inserts (for a single and double shot), a milk jug and more. Right off the bat, I noticed some of the La Specialista's special features. It has 10 preset drink recipes ready to go and a programmable touch-screen display where you can customize your drinks. It also has a milk frothing wand that you can either use manually or choose the automatic milk frothing option.I was excited to see the cold brew drink option, which uses De’Longhi’s Cold Extraction Technology to make cold brew in less than five minutes. If you know anything about how cold brew is usually made, you’ll know that you have to let it steep for a long time to achieve the optimal amount of flavor and caffeine. So with this option, you can theoretically just brew it with the touch of a button, like it’s espresso or drip coffee. More on that later!Related: What’s the Difference Between Cold Brew and Iced Coffee? Experts Spill the Beans
How Much Does the La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine Cost?
De’Longhi espresso machines range from $149.95 for the Stilosa Espresso Machine to $1,999.95 for their Eletta Explore Espresso Machine. The De’Longhi La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine with Cold Brew that I tested falls in the middle of that price range. It costs $999.95 at De’Longhi and on Amazon.
La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine with Cold Brew, $999.95 at De’Longhi and on Amazon
How To Use a De’Longhi Espresso Machine
I was never a barista, but I did work at a bakery where I made lattes and used the espresso machine daily. Before every morning rush, I made myself a 4-shot espresso to get through my early-morning shift and help me power through the rest of my day full of college classes. All of this is to say that I’m well-acquainted with a coffee-level-shop espresso machine. My fiancée worked at Starbucks for years, so everyone in our household knows their way around espresso makers.
But even with our experience, there's a learning curve when it comes to working this machine. For instance, grinding the beans and tamping the espresso isn’t super intuitive right off the bat, because it works slightly differently than other portafilters. Instead of just releasing the ground-up espresso into the portafilter and tamping it down, it comes with a precision "dosing & tamping guide." This includes a nice tamping mat, an attachment to the top of the portafilter and a tamper with a dosing guide on the side. The instructions were a bit confusing, and it wasn’t clear right away what all of this was meant for. Plus, you have to have the attachment on the portafilter to get the grounds. If you're also struggling with this first step, I have some advice. Once you put the tamper in the attachment and portafilter, look at the dosing guide on the side of the tamper. It has levels ranging from -2 to +2 with an “OK” in the middle; you want that “OK” line to fall at the top of the portafilter attachment. That means you'll have just enough grounds to make espresso for your shot amount (the single or double insert).
From left to right: the portafilter with the dosing & tamping guide attached, the tamping mat and the tamper inside the guide attachment.Pros and Cons of the La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine
Pro: It’s gorgeous
This note is actually more important than you might think. I wanted a good espresso machine for my first time, “big girl” at-home espresso maker, so that I could spend less money at coffee shops. But I also wanted one that looked nice. I now have a coffee credenza—an aesthetic area to keep all of my coffee-making items in one place—which is this Virgo’s dream. I love that the front has a pristine steel facade that acts almost like a mirror. From the bean hopper down to the portafilter to the tray and even the water tank in the back, this is aesthetically what you would expect in a premium espresso machine.
Pro: It’s decently fast for hectic mornings
Related: The Canadian Way to Make Coffee 10x Better
Con: You can’t remove the bean hopper
Probably the biggest con for me, thus far, is the fact that the bean hopper isn’t removable. Unlike some of the more expensive machines, you’re not able to unscrew or remove the hopper on top that holds your whole espresso beans. This is an issue for me because I don’t have a bean grinder, and I don’t like to drink full caffeine during the week. But I can imagine this will be a major problem for anyone who enjoys trying out different espresso bean varieties often. The only “fix” for this issue is to get your own, separate bean grinder.
Related: I Tried 11 Popular Cold Brew Concentrates To Find the One You Should Stock in Your Fridge
Con: The automatic milk frother doesn’t deliver great foam
My Final Thoughts
As with any machine that allows you to manually make something, there can be a lot of user error involved. Even with my prior coffee-making experience, I'm still working out the kinks to make my perfect at-home latte. But overall, I think this is a good espresso machine if you have experience with some type of espresso maker and espresso drinks. If you’re someone who learns fast and figures out appliances or puzzles well, this could also be a great first-time espresso machine for you.
A finished cold brew drink from the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine with Cold Brew.Where To Buy De’Longhi Espresso Machines
You can buy the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine with Cold Brew on De’Longhi’s website and on Amazon. If you're looking for other De’Longhi espresso machine models, you can also buy them on De’Longhi’s website or Amazon.Other retailers that sell espresso machines by De’Longhi include Target, Williams Sonoma and Best Buy.Up Next:
Related: I Tried 12 Popular Dunkin' Iced Coffee Drinks and Ranked Them Worst To Best
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