It sounds too good to be true: De'Longhi combines a grinder, portafilter and milk frother in one appliance for around 800 francs. Is that even possible? Yes, it is possible, but there are pitfalls.
The grinder, for example, only has six settings, with even the finest setting not delivering enough. The milk frother takes ages to get going. Although there is a pressure display, it only shows "zones" and not bars. On the other hand, the La Specialista also has a few ingenious features such as the integrated tamper, which leaves no mess behind.
When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.
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The name "La Specialista" is actually incorrect. The machine is not a specialist, but an all-rounder. The smart arse at the party who knows everything but has no in-depth knowledge of any topic. The conversation with him is good, but superficial. It's the same with La Specialista. It has provided me with good coffee over the last four weeks and without any mess. The milk foam was also good enough for my modest requirements. But as soon as I wanted something more, it failed.
The design is simple: grind on the left, brew coffee on the right. Milk foam on the far right. You then use the buttons to select whether you want to make one or two cups of espresso, Americano or coffee. So you start on the far left and insert the portafilter into the grinder. The coffee falls straight in and you tamper (or press) the coffee with the plastic lever on the left. The system is ingenious and prevents a big mess. You then remove the portafilter and reinsert it further to the right to make the coffee you want. On the far right, you can froth the milk with the steam lance.
The fact that the La Specialista heats up in just a few seconds gives you an idea: it works with a thermoblock instead of a boiler. Cold water heats up in a long pipe. The water temperature is less constant with this system than with a boiler. This turns these machines into surprise eggs. To ensure that a beautiful crema is always produced, De'Longhi uses double-walled sieves for the portafilter. This technology allows a little air to get under the coffee and always creates the appearance of a crema. This is not a real, solid crema, but more like a slush, as with a fully automatic machine. Could it be that there is too little pressure in the machine for a proper crema? Paradoxically, I can't check this, even though a huge pressure gauge adorns the front of the La Specialista. The pressure display is only divided into "zones" and does not show the pressure in bar.
The De'Longhi La Specialista is therefore not a real portafilter machine. It pretends to be a portafilter, but in terms of technology (and price) it is more comparable to a fully automatic machine. That's where it scores points in my opinion. Sure, I have to put more effort into filling the plunger with ground coffee, tamping it and then inserting it into the brew group. But I have more control than with a conventional fully automatic machine. And the machine looks much cooler than all the fully automatic machines in our range. Fact.
As soon as companies advertise their products with English nonsense like "Sensor Grinding Technology" or "Active Temperature Control", I'm sceptical. Instead of telling us what the machine can and can't do, De'Longhi hides behind verbal marketing diarrhoea. I think the system with the clean tamping... er, sorry... the "Smart Tamping System" is brilliant. If the grinder delivered a little more and the machine built up enough pressure for a proper portafilter, it would have my I-want-to-be-a-barista-now-finally heart.
As it is, however, the machine is the best fully automatic machine I have ever tested. Coffee is almost always successful and tastes better to me personally than with normal fully automatic machines. Milk froth works, albeit slowly. For the price, you can't beat the La Specialista as a "fully automatic machine". However, if you are looking for a portafilter, don't bother with this machine and invest in a set-up with a separate grinder and small portafilter machine instead. This combination costs a little more and is a little more complicated to set up. In return, you get that real barista feeling and even better coffee.
