Barista Express Vs La Specialista: A Hot Comparision You Should Not Miss

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Our comparison article will explore the differences between Barista Express Vs La Specialista to find out which is the best espresso machine. I have created a short, easy-to-read article for anyone who does not have time to read a long article.

Although they are both great, after using them for many years, I would have to say that the Barista Express is superior to the Delonghi, in my opinion. The Breville Barista Express comes with some outstanding features that make it a clear winner among compact espresso machines: its durable build quality, diverse grind settings, and good espresso quality.

You may, however, find that the perfect one may vary depending on your preferences since the Delonghi La Specialista has a few other unique, attractive features that go along with the Breville. This machine has two independent heating systems, automatic tamping, and three selections for the type of coffee you can make, which makes it suitable for beginners and those who prefer the automatic function.

Barista Express Vs La Specialista: Comparison Chart

Image
The Winner (#1)
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine BES870BSXL, Black Sesame
The Runner-up (#2)
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
Breville Barista Express BES870
De'Longhi La Specialista
Dimensions (LxWxH)
11 x 12 x 13.5 inches
15 x 14.48 x 17.5 inches
Color
Stainless Steel
Metal
Material
Steel
Stainless Steel
Weight
23 Pounds
29.7 Pounds
Bean Hopper Capacity
8.8 oz
8.8 oz
Water Tank Capacity
2 Liters
2 Liters
Power
1600W
1450W
Pump Pressure
15 bars
19 bars
Interface
Dials and buttons
Dials and buttons
Tamping
Manual
Built-in Tamper
Grind settings
18 grind settings
6 grind settings
Programming customized settings
Coffee type selections
Hot Water Spout
Can use non-pressurized filter
What I Like
  • Extraction of espresso well
  • Frothy milk with great flavor
  • The filter basket can be either pressurized or nonpressurized.
  • Easy-to-understand instructions with troubleshooting information
  • Easy to clean compared to other espresso machines
  • Setup and use are simple
  • Tamper-built-in means no mess and waste
  • Silent
  • Rapidly warms up
  • One button makes the American.
Price
$699.99
$520.57
The Winner (#1)
Image
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine BES870BSXL, Black Sesame
Model
Breville Barista Express BES870
Dimensions (LxWxH)
11 x 12 x 13.5 inches
Color
Stainless Steel
Material
Steel
Weight
23 Pounds
Bean Hopper Capacity
8.8 oz
Water Tank Capacity
2 Liters
Power
1600W
Pump Pressure
15 bars
Interface
Dials and buttons
Tamping
Manual
Grind settings
18 grind settings
Programming customized settings
Coffee type selections
Hot Water Spout
Can use non-pressurized filter
What I Like
  • Extraction of espresso well
  • Frothy milk with great flavor
  • The filter basket can be either pressurized or nonpressurized.
  • Easy-to-understand instructions with troubleshooting information
  • Easy to clean compared to other espresso machines
Price
$699.99
More Info
The Runner-up (#2)
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
Dimensions (LxWxH)
15 x 14.48 x 17.5 inches
Color
Metal
Material
Stainless Steel
Weight
29.7 Pounds
Bean Hopper Capacity
8.8 oz
Water Tank Capacity
2 Liters
Power
1450W
Pump Pressure
19 bars
Interface
Dials and buttons
Tamping
Built-in Tamper
Grind settings
6 grind settings
Programming customized settings
Coffee type selections
Hot Water Spout
Can use non-pressurized filter
What I Like
  • Setup and use are simple
  • Tamper-built-in means no mess and waste
  • Silent
  • Rapidly warms up
  • One button makes the American.
Price
$520.57
More Info

Last update on 2024-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Barista Express Vs La Specialista: Differences

A comparison between the Delonghi La Specialista and the Breville Barista Express brings several variations that make them different. When it comes to testing out both these espresso machines, we can declare that Beville Barista Express easily wrests the victory over Delonghi Espresso Machine with a 3-2 score.

1. BUILD QUALITY AND AESTHETIC DESIGN

The Winner:  Breville Barista Express

From a side-by-side comparison, the machines look very similar to each other. Compared to the others, these two espresso machines share many of the same features, such as removable water reservoirs, a bean hopper, a cup warmer on the top, and pressure gauges. They both have a single steam wand, the same group head, and electric motors power both. 

On the other hand, Breville offers the convenience of a handy tool compartment that is cleverly hidden inside the drip tray of the Kettle, something Delonghi does not feature. This lets you place your filters conveniently so that you will not have to think about where you put them whenever you need them or worry about cluttering the kitchen.

As for the size of the La Specialista, it has a little more length and width than the Barista Express, but it shouldn’t be a severe problem.

When it comes to considering the quality of an espresso machine, durability is a crucial factor. Because of this, I can assure you that Breville Barista is much better than La Specialista in this specific situation.

Most of the parts we use are the beans hopper, handle, and tamper. However, on Delonghi La Specialista, they are made partly from plastic of poor quality, which is hard, brittle, hard, and cheap. It’s small, but it is enough to influence users to lose faith in Delonghi La Specialista.

On the other hand, the Barista Express, which has a heavier stainless steel body, has a lot of tough and durable parts. It makes a good impression on me, as most of its features are made from stainless steel.

2. GRINDING

Barista Express: Easy-to-use Control Panel
Barista Express: Easy-to-use Control Panel

The Winner:  Breville Barista Express

Each of these machines comes with a built-in, conical burr grinder that assists in grinding and provides fresh, consistent ground coffee within two minutes.

However, Breville Barista express still offers a better coffee grinding experience with 18 different grind settings, while Delonghi La Specialista only provides six.

By allowing for more choices of grinding levels, it becomes possible to grind coffee with a fineness or coarseness that meets the needs of more beverages. 

3. TAMPING

The Winner: Delonghi La Specialista

The integrated tamping is a helpful feature on the La Specialista espresso machine, making brewing an espresso much easier. Having ground and poured the coffee into the filter-basket, all you have to do is push a lever on the side of the machine, and it will finish up the coffee press and ensure a perfect cup of coffee. Hence, you do not have to worry about mess, as you do not have to remove portafilters and tamper with them by yourself.

On the other hand, using Barista Express can get a little messy since tamping is done with a simple manual tamper, which is more traditional. As such, beginners may have difficulty using it. Nevertheless, it is easy to use and can be mastered quickly.

4. ESPRESSO QUALITY

Bean hopper of La Specialista
Bean hopper of La Specialista

The Winner:  Breville Barista Express

I believe that their main distinction is the quality of coffee they produce between these two machines.

I was a little disappointed with the quality of the espresso extracted from La Specailista since it wasn’t as good as it was advertised to be. The reason for this is that the La Specialista system is only equipped with 51 mm pressurized filter baskets, the same as those on the lower end of the super-automatic machines fitted with these spouts. 

As it turns out, the pressurized basket makes it easier to make an espresso, and you can also use preground coffee with it. Unfortunately, it does not lend itself to professional use. It creates a thin, watery, lackluster texture and lacks body and velvety smoothness. 

On the other hand, the Barista Express uses a non-pressurized basket to create a well-made espresso that is high in quality and perfect.

Delonghi La Specialista, on the other hand, only uses pressurized baskets, while Barista Express uses both types of filters above to meet your preferences.

5. EASE OF USE

The winner: Delonghi La Specialista

Three predefined coffee drink recipes are available on the De’Longhi machine, including an Espresso, Americano, and Coffee option. Meanwhile, the Breville machine does not come with any pre-set coffee settings. It simply makes good espresso coffee as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Even so, this doesn’t mean Breville machines cannot prepare other types of coffee. With this machine, you can adjust the grind quantities and coffee extraction volumes and make the coffee according to your taste by using both hot water and steam pipes (with the two machines). But for beginners, the La Specialista still takes the cake when it comes to ease of use.

Barista Express Vs La Specialista: Similarities

Delonghi La Specialista - Steam wand
Delonghi La Specialista – Steam wand

The Delonghi La Specialista and Breville Barista Express are very similar in both their physical appearance and functionality. Below are a few points of similarity between them.

  • Both espresso machines hold 2 liters of water in their tanks.
  • Delonghi La Specialista and Breville Barista Express come with a pressure gauge that enables users to match their desired pressure when making espresso.
  • You can prepare different kinds of coffee using the hot water spout on both espresso machines.
  • The amount of coffee produced can be adjusted using customized settings for both machines. You can do this on the Delonghi machine by first pressing the “My” button. Besides, you can press the “PROGRAM” button with a Breville machine instead.

Quick Rundown Of Breville Barista Express

Sale
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine BES870XL, Brushed Stainless Steel
  • 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 2024-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Extraction of espresso well
  • Frothy milk with great flavor
  • The filter basket can be either pressurized or nonpressurized.
  • Easy-to-understand instructions with troubleshooting information
  • Easy to clean compared to other espresso machines
Cons
  • Has no way to adjust water hardness
  • Water leakage is a common complaint, especially after regular use.
  • A grinder sometimes gets stuck with beans

Quick Rundown Of La Specialista

Sale

Last update on 2024-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Setup and use are simple
  • Tamper-built-in means no mess and waste
  • Silent
  • Rapidly warms up
  • One button makes the American.
Cons
  • Portafilters with a pressurized interior
  • Filtering the water does not soften it
  • Grinders only have six settings
  • When full of beans, you cannot take off the hopper.

Product Video

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