Breville Oracle Touch vs DeLonghi La Specialista: Find Out Which One Is Great for Americanos and Lattes AND for the Money!

I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read more

If this is your first espresso maker, the DeLonghi La Specialista is the crème de la crème of home brewers. It’s fast, consistent, and boasts of barista-grade features. I’m talking about better control, faster performance, and most importantly, long-lasting consistency.

Even though the La Specialista does not feature a touchscreen display like the Oracle Touch, it’s still a league above. Features such as the Active Temperature Control and Sensor Grinder Technology introduce a more precise way of brewing espresso at home.

Both Breville Oracle Touch vs DeLonghi La Specialista are suitable for new users. The Breville Oracle Touch is more intuitive in that you don’t need to know a lot about espresso to make great-tasting espresso at home. But with the DeLonghi, you do, and that’s one of its biggest strengths. It demands that you possess a few skills or learn them with the help of this brewer to make espresso more like a barista. 

Breville Oracle Touch vs DeLonghi La Specialista: Comparision Review

Image
The Winner (#1)
De'Longhi La Specialista Espresso Machine with Sensor Grinder, Dual Heating System, Advanced Latte System & Hot Water Spout for Americano Coffee or Tea, Stainless Steel, EC9335M, 1.3 liters
The Runner-up (#2)
Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel, BES990BSS
Model
De'Longhi La Specialista EC9335M
Breville Oracle Touch BES990
Dimensions (LxWxH)
15 x 14.48 x 17.5 Inches
15.4 x 14.7 x 17.9 Inches
Color/ Material
Black/ Stainless Steel
Brushed Stainless Steel/ Stainless Steel
Weight
29.7 Pounds
37.26 Pounds
Power / Voltage
1450 W
1800W/ 110–120 V
Water Tank Capacity
84.5 Ounces
84 Ounces
Bean Hopper Capacity
249g
500g
Bar Pump System
19 Bar Pump
9-15 Bar Pump
Interface
Display & Buttons Control
Touchscreen
Self-Cleaning Steam Wand
Adjustable Grind Settings
1-6 Grind Sizes
None
Dose Control
1.2 Ounce
22g
Programmable Settings
Automatic Latte System
5 Cafe-Inspired Coffees
Coffee Customizations
None, Only Shot Volume Adjustable 
Up to 8 Drinks
Automatic Tamper
Heating System
Dual Boiler
Stainless Steel Dual Boiler + PID Temperature Control
What I Like
Price
$725.00
$2,300.00
The Winner (#1)
Image
De'Longhi La Specialista Espresso Machine with Sensor Grinder, Dual Heating System, Advanced Latte System & Hot Water Spout for Americano Coffee or Tea, Stainless Steel, EC9335M, 1.3 liters
Model
De'Longhi La Specialista EC9335M
Dimensions (LxWxH)
15 x 14.48 x 17.5 Inches
Color/ Material
Black/ Stainless Steel
Weight
29.7 Pounds
Power / Voltage
1450 W
Water Tank Capacity
84.5 Ounces
Bean Hopper Capacity
249g
Bar Pump System
19 Bar Pump
Interface
Display & Buttons Control
Self-Cleaning Steam Wand
Adjustable Grind Settings
1-6 Grind Sizes
Dose Control
1.2 Ounce
Programmable Settings
Automatic Latte System
Coffee Customizations
None, Only Shot Volume Adjustable 
Automatic Tamper
Heating System
Dual Boiler
What I Like
Price
$725.00
More Info
The Runner-up (#2)
Image
Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel, BES990BSS
Model
Breville Oracle Touch BES990
Dimensions (LxWxH)
15.4 x 14.7 x 17.9 Inches
Color/ Material
Brushed Stainless Steel/ Stainless Steel
Weight
37.26 Pounds
Power / Voltage
1800W/ 110–120 V
Water Tank Capacity
84 Ounces
Bean Hopper Capacity
500g
Bar Pump System
9-15 Bar Pump
Interface
Touchscreen
Self-Cleaning Steam Wand
Adjustable Grind Settings
None
Dose Control
22g
Programmable Settings
5 Cafe-Inspired Coffees
Coffee Customizations
Up to 8 Drinks
Automatic Tamper
Heating System
Stainless Steel Dual Boiler + PID Temperature Control
What I Like
Price
$2,300.00
More Info

Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Breville Oracle Touch vs DeLonghi La Specialista: Differences

The DeLonghi La Specialista is built for someone who loves to experiment and tweak and discover new ways of making coffee at home. This is why I recommend the design and features of the La Specialista over the Oracle Touch. It wins 4 – 1 against the Oracle Touch for its intricate design and rewarding features.

1. Usability

The Winner: It’s A Tie!

Breville Oracle Touch Usability
Breville Oracle Touch Usability

With the Breville Oracle Touch, you’re paying more than the La Specialista for automated and modern features. It features a touchscreen with tap-and-swipe functionality. You can easily adjust a variety of settings to make a cup of coffee.

You can also select from their pre-programmed coffee drinks such as Americano, Latte, Flat White, Cappuccino, and espresso. You can either brew directly from its programmed settings or make some changes of your own – temperature, coffee strength, milk texture, and temperature. And save those customized settings – up to 8 drinks. 

The DeLonghi La Specialista’s interface features a grind size dial with 6 grind settings. It’s easy to use… the different buttons for a specific function. You have the espresso button, hot water and steam, the ‘OK’ button to save certain settings, and the unique Latte system for finalizing the different textures of milk you’d like.

There are also Espresso, Americano, and Coffee buttons for quick and consistent use. Even though the machine has tons of features to tweak the intensity and size of espresso, it’s relatively easier to use… it works like a dream. 

2. Brewing Performance

The Winner: DeLonghi La Specialista

DeLonghi La Specialista Performance
DeLonghi La Specialista Performance

Even though the Oracle Touch offers some incredible brewing features to make a delicious cup of espresso, the performance drops with time. It’s not the most consistent of espresso machines that are fully automatic.

What works in Breville’s favor is the Automatic Tamping feature that prevents a huge mess on the drip tray. The machine automatic grinds, doses, and tamps 22g – taking away your troubles in guesswork.

Then the dual boiler system will heat up the machine quickly to extract single or double espresso into the cup. The brew ground is made up of strong materials that keep the temperature stable and pressure high… at the professional standard. It also pre-infuses the coffee to keep the flow as it should be.

But the lack of shot volume and the auto tamping are not always great. Because you have control over tamping, it can get quite inconsistent. The machine does not always get the dose right, on account of the poorly designed tamp fan.

Thankfully, the La Specialista features a built-in tamping system with a pressure gauge for an accurate reading. This reverses the inconsistencies of a tamp fan because it shows you everything.  You can feel the tamp pressure after grinding it to the correct size to make a barista-style espresso at home.

Other features like the sensor grinder technology 1-second quick start and dual heating systems make the La Specialista a mess-free and consistent winner.

3. Grinding Features

The Winner: DeLonghi La Specialista

DeLonghi La Specialista Grinding Features
DeLonghi La Specialista Grinding Features

The Breville Oracle Touch features the standard burr grinder with 6 grind size settings. Whatever grind size you select or you let the machine select based on its default options, the machine will always tamp between 18 to 22g of coffee grounds.

It grinds according to the options you select. Based on the coffee’s strength, it will grind more or less. It’s easy to clean the bean hopper as it is removable. And the burr grinder stays cool and mess-free for the longest time.

There is automatic grinding in that the machine will stop as soon as the desired dose is acquired. One drawback is that it is not always consistent with the dose amount. But the conical burr grinder is accurate and very easy to use. There is a manual feature for adjusting between finer to coarser settings that coffee geeks would find useful.

The grinder in the La Specialista is not automatic the way Oracle Touch is. It offers more control where espresso lovers need it the most. There’s a grind size dial with 8 size adjustments from a finer to a coarser grind. Next, you have to stop the grinding by turning the knob.

The better you get at dosing the right amount of coffee grounds, the richer and thicker the crema layer will get! My advice to you would be to add only the amount of coffee beans you need per cup.

The Sensor Grinder Technology helps you when don’t understand how an espresso grinder works. 

4. Steam Wand

The Winner: DeLonghi La Specialista 

DeLonghi La Specialista Steam Wand
DeLonghi La Specialista Steam Wand

The Oracle Touch features an automatic steam wand with milk texture and temperature controls. So you won’t always get the same amount of foam for a latte and a cappuccino. You can adjust the thickness and hotness of the milk accurately.

But again, the Oracle Touch is not the best pick for consistent results. So expect some alterations from cup to cup. This is primarily because it’s not a manual steam wand. So it lacks the control that is needed for latte art and foam consistency.

La Specialista features an excellent and fast steam wand. The dual heating elements make sure you can brew and steam, simultaneously. It’s not a self-cleaning wand, like the Oracle Touch, but it takes only seconds to clean.

To get the best results, dip the tip of the wand up to 1-1/2 inches inside the milk. The steam wand will heat up and froth the milk in 60 seconds, not more! It features two settings: Latte and Cappuccino for a micro-foam suitable for latte art and a foamy texture for a cloudy and buttery flavor of milk.

Breville Oracle Touch vs DeLonghi La Specialista: Similarities

Between the Oracle Touch and DeLonghi La Specialista, the built-in burr grinder performs excellently. They also have the automatic tamping feature in common which lets the machine handle the tamping without your interference.

This necessitates quick and easy brewing for the beginner as well as the intermediate. Both espresso makers ensure smooth and quick temperature controls. Even though both employ different temperature controls and heating systems, the end result of the espresso is the same.

Even in terms of customizations, the Oracle Touch and La Specialista are similar in that the Oracle Touch offers customized coffee drinks such as Espresso, Americano, and Cappuccino, and Latte, among others. And the La Specialista also features a unique Advanced Latte System for the authentic barista-style coffee experience.

Quick Rundown Of DeLonghi La Specialista EC9335M

Sale

Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Fast and consistent brewing performance.
  • You can pull an espresso shot and steam milk together.
  • The Smart Tamping Station prevents a huge mess.
  • Strong and durable portafilter and milk pitcher.
  • 6 incredible grind sizes and 5 coffee drinks.
Cons
  • It’ll take some time to get used to the features.
  • No temperature settings are a huge bummer.
  • No touchscreen display like the Oracle Touch.

Quick Rundown Of Breville Oracle Touch BES990

Sale
Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel, BES990BSS
  • Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the grind size and amount and reprogramming may be needed when the size and amount are adjusted.Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
  • The Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine with automation at every stage with touch screen operation to simply swipe and select for espresso, long black, latte, flat white or cappuccino and enjoy third wave specialty coffee at home.
  • Dose Control: The integrated conical burr grinder automatically grinds, doses and tamps 18-22 grams of coffee, similar to the commercial espresso machine in your favorite cafe.
  • Espresso Machine with precise water temperature: Achieve balanced tasting espresso with the Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine complete with a digital temperature control (PID) technology, which ensures the temperature is kept at its optimum range
  • Optimal Water Pressure: The Over Pressure Valve (OPV) is a commercial feature included in the Oracle Touch. This limits the maximum pressure throughout the extraction, helping prevent bitter flavors in the coffee shot. It also has true low pressure pre-infusion, which gradually increases the pressure to gently expand the grinds for an even extraction.

Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Straightforward and direct brewing options.
  • 8 programmable coffee drinks with brew and milk adjustments.
  • Keeps coffee beans fresh with the automatic burr grinding.
  • Pre-infusion technology makes espresso with a rich crema.
  • High-quality accessories for cleaning and maintenance.
Cons
  • It’s the more expensive pick.
  • Quite heavy and bulky to have on the counter.
  • The dose amount is always fluctuating.

Product Videos

Related Articles to Delonghi La Specialista

  1. Delonghi Magnifica S vs Delonghi La Specialista: 2 Amazing Affordable Espresso Makers. Which Is Better?
  2. Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Touch: What Machine Is Best For Users At Different Levels?
  3. Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express: Which Is The Best Entry-level Espresso Machine For The Money?
  4. Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Pro: Which Is Better Purchase?
  5. Breville Oracle vs Delonghi La Specialista Review: 2 Best Super-Automatic And Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines
  6. Delonghi La Specialista vs Magnifica Comparison Review: What’s Hot Right Now?
  7. Delonghi La Specialista vs Dinamica: Comparison Review & Top Features

Related Articles to Breville Oracle Touch

  1. Breville Oracle Touch Vs Jura E8: How Automatic Do You Want?
  2. Breville Oracle Touch vs Miele 6350: Which Makes The Better Coffee?
  3. Breville Oracle Touch vs Jura Z8: Comparing Features Of Two High-end Superautomatic Machines
  4. Breville Oracle Touch vs Jura Z6: Which Of These Superautomatic Machines Offers Better Espresso And Is Easier to Use?
  5. Breville Oracle Touch vs Jura S8: Which Automatic Espresso Machine Is The Best Option?
  6. Breville Oracle Touch vs Saeco Xelsis: Both Prepare Specialty Coffee But Find Out Which One Does It Better
  7. Breville Oracle Touch vs DeLonghi Prima Donna Review: Which Fully Automatic Espresso Machine Is Great For Lots of Crema?
  8. Breville Oracle Touch vs Dual Boiler: 7 Points Of Comparison Between Both Espresso Machines to Help You Decide
  9. Breville Oracle Touch vs Barista Pro Review: Which Home Espresso Maker Does Better Brewing & More Customizing?
  10. Breville Oracle Touch vs Barista Express – Best Comparison Review For Espresso
  11. Breville Oracle Touch vs Delonghi Eletta Review: 7 Key Differences Between the Two Espresso Machines with Adjustable Settings
  12. Breville Oracle vs Oracle Touch Review: Find Out Which Espresso Machine Is the ‘Superior’ Automatic Coffee Maker
  13. Breville Oracle Touch vs Gaggia Babila: Top 4 Contrasts
  14. Breville Oracle Touch vs Barista Touch – Why Is Oracle So Much More Expensive?
  15. Breville Oracle Touch vs Barista Express – Best Comparison Review For Espresso

References

5/5 - (2 votes)