This article will compare Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express to find out which espresso machine is worth your money. If you don’t have time to read a long article, here is the answer.
After using both for quite a long time, although they are all great, honestly, I think the Barista Express stands out a little bit more than the Delonghi to be the winner. Breville Barista Express has some remarkable features that make it a convincing winner: durable build quality, many grind settings, and good espresso quality.
However, the perfect one may vary for you as the Delonghi La Specialista has some other unique, attractive features, in addition to some of the same features found in the Breville. It has two independent heating systems, automatic tamping, three coffee type selections that make it ideal for those who are beginners and prefer the automatic.
Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express: Specs & Features Comparison Chart
Last update on 2024-04-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express: Similarities
Delonghi La Specialista and Breville Barista Express share a lot of similarities in their functionality as well as their physical appearance. Some of the key similarities between these two machines include:
- The water tank capacity of both espresso machines is the same (2 litres)
- Bruville Barista Express and Delonghi La Specialista both come with a pressure gauge that allows the user to match the right pressure in order to get the best results.
- There is a hot water spout on both espresso machines that can be used to prepare different types of coffee.
- Both espresso machines has customized settings to adjust the amount of coffee to be produced. In the Delonghi machine, this can be accomplished by pressing first the “My” button. With the Breville machine, this is achieved by pressing the “PROGRAM” button
Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express: Differences
Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express have several remarkable features that mark their uniqueness. When using both these espresso machines we can declare that Beville Barista Express won against Delonghi with a score of 3-2 compellingly.
1. Build Quality And Aesthetic Design
The Winner: Breville Barista Express
Putting these two machines side by side, they do not seem to differ in appearance too much. These two espresso machines offer the same features including removable water reservoirs, a bean hopper and cup warmer that are mounted on top, pressure gauges, hot water spout for americanos and tea, and they both have a single group head, single steam wand,…
However, a great convenience of Breville that Delonghi does not have is a handy tool compartment cleverly hidden inside, behind the drip tray. You can place your filters here so that you do not have to hassle with thinking where they are every time you need them or cluttering up the kitchen.
As for size, the La Specialista is an inch or two larger in both length and width, but neither of those should be a big problem.
Durability is an important factor when considering the quality of an espresso machine. As such, I can assure you that Breville Barista is much better than La Specialista in this case
The portafilter handle, the bean hopper, the tamper are the parts that we use frequently. However, on Delonghi La Specialista, they are made partly from plastic whose quality seems very cheap, hard, brittle. Although these are very small details, it is enough to make Delonghi La Specialista lose points in users’ eyes. On the other hand, I’m quite satisfied with Barista Express, since most of its parts are made from heavy stainless steel, which is tough and durable.
2. Grinding
The Winner: Breville Barista Express
Both of these coffee machines have a built-in precision conical burr grinder, which assists in grinding and delivers the right amount of freshly ground, consistent ground in a short time.
Even so, the coffee grinding experience on Breville Barista express is still better with 18 grind settings while Delonghi La Specialista comes with only 6 different settings.
When there are more choices of grinding levels, it is clear that we will be able to grind coffee with fineness or coarseness suitable for more beverages.
3. Tamping
The Winner: Delonghi La Specialista
I really like the integrated tamping system on the La Specialista that helps make a cup of espresso easier. After the coffee has been ground into the filter-basket, all you have to do is press the lever on the side of the machine and the coffee press in the filter basket will be done perfectly. There is no need to remove the portafilter and tamper by yourself, so you don’t have to worry about mess.
However, Barista Express can get a little messy because tamping is more traditional, with a basic manual tamper. This can be difficult for beginners. But it’s also easy to get used to.
4. Espresso Quality
The Winner: Breville Barista Express
I believe that the most significant difference between these two machines is the quality of the coffee they’re able to make.
Espresso extracted from La Specailista is not as “professional-inspired”, good as advertised. This is because the La Specialista system only comes with 51mm pressurized filter basket, the same as on the lower end, or super-automatic machines with these spouts.
It is true that the pressurized basket makes it easier for us to get an espresso, and they also allow us to use pre-ground coffee. However, it is not “professional”. The way they work tends to create a thin, watery and lack the body and velvety smooth crema.
In contrast, the Barista Express uses the non-pressurized basket so it can produce true, high-quality, perfect espresso.
Barista Express goes with both types of filters above to meet your preference while Delonghi La Specialista only uses pressurized filter baskets.
5. Ease Of Use
The winner: Delonghi La Specialista
The De’Longhi machine has three pre-set coffee drinks recipes to choose between, including Espresso, Americano, and Coffee. Meanwhile, the Breville machine doesn’t have any pre-set coffee selections, it simply produces good Espresso coffee.
However, this does not mean that we cannot produce other types of coffee with Breville machines. Because this machine allows you to adjust grind quantities, coffee extraction volumes, as well as use the hot water and steam spouts to prepare the type of coffee you like (in both machines).
However, in terms of ease of use, especially for beginners, the La Specialista still wins.
Quick Rundown Of Breville Barista Express
- Earn up to $200 cashback with a Beanz coffee subscription when you purchase a selected Breville espresso machine. Valid Aug 1, 2023 until Jun 30, 2024
- The Breville Barista Express delivers third wave specialty coffee at home using the 4 keys formula and is part of the Barista Series that offers all in one espresso machines with integrated grinder to go from beans to espresso in under one minute, helping you make the perfect cup of Cappuccino or Latte
- DOSE CONTROL GRINDING: Integrated precision conical burr grinder grinds on demand to deliver the right amount of freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter for your preferred taste with any roast of bean
- OPTIMAL WATER PRESSURE: Low pressure pre-infusion gradually increases pressure at the start and helps ensure all the flavors are drawn out evenly during the extraction for a balanced tasting cup
- PRECISE ESPRESSO EXTRACTION: Digital temperature control (PID) delivers water at precisely the right temperature, ensuring optimal espresso extraction
Last update on 2024-04-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Delonghi La Specialista
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
Last update on 2024-04-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- Breville Barista Express from Breville: https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes870.html
- Delonghi La Specialista from Delonghi: https://www.delonghi.com/en-int/products/coffee/la-specialista
Felix Hendricks is a skilled barista with over 12 years of experience. He excels in crafting coffee and has a strong foundation in coffee machine mechanics. Felix holds a Coffee Machine Maintenance Certification from the Coffee Equipment Technical Institute, showcasing his ability to diagnose and repair coffee machines. He’s also worked as a quality control specialist, selecting premium coffee beans for optimal flavor. Felix has a diverse work history, including stints at renowned coffee spots like Café Euphoria & Starbucks. His expertise in both brewing and machine maintenance makes him a respected figure in the coffee industry.