The DeLonghi Specialista offers the best of both customizability and convenience for your at-home cafe. La Specialista offers a radical take on a home espresso machine with programmable drink options that automatically adjust coffee dosing and shot time for your espresso, Americano, or lungo coffee drinks. A side-mounted lever tamps identically every time and removes an often-frustrating manual step—while keeping spilled grounds to a minimum. Milk frothing is equally easy; a separate heating element brings quick steam times while the wand itself can be adjusted between automatic and manual foam creation. The all-in-one La Specialista is just the thing for a beginning barista.
Features and Functionality
Programmable Grinder – A built-in burr grinder doses shots automatically and offers control over grind consistency and grind time for each drink option.
Calibrated Tamper – The lever tamper integrated into the machine offers consistent puck packing with every shot.
Drink Dial – The Specialista features a drink selector for espresso, Americano, and long coffee options—each setting can be modified to your preferences with a dedicated ‘my coffee’ button.
Dual Heating Element – A dedicated second heat circuit for steaming brings the Specialista up to temperature in seconds and offer ample power for milk frothing.
Two Cup Heights – A magnetic drop-down shelf makes it easy to adjust your cup height for standalone shots.
Adjustable Steam Wand – Adjust the steam wand’s sliding collar for automatic or manual milk frothing.
Pros
Drink Programming – Pre-programmed for beginners or customizable for your preferences, these built-in settings affect grind, brew time, and auto-dispensing of hot water.
Grind System – Well thought out and tied to your drink settings—with a calibrated tamper no less—makes the Specialista’s auto-grind system a step above for those looking for easy espresso.
Cleanliness – The built-in tamper has another benefit then consistency—it keeps loose grounds from falling into your drip tray and creating a gunky mess.
Cons
Pressurized Baskets – The Specialista’s one-of-a-kind programming is designed to work with its included pressurized baskets—meaning users looking to manually control their machine have few options for customization.
How Does it Compare? The Specialista is a unique beast. You get very close to the convenience of push-button superautomatic machines, but with more programmability to play with.
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