The DeLonghi La Specialista espresso maker is the perfect maker for those just getting into home brewing. It has the features of a barista and works quickly, consistently, and with excellent results. I am trying to get across here are better control, faster performance, and most importantly, long-term consistency.
While the La Specialista does not feature a touchscreen display like the Oracle Touch, it is still way ahead of the Oracle Touch in just about every way. It introduces a variety of features such as Active Temperature Control and Sensor Grinder Technology that provide a more precise means by which to prepare espresso at home.
In my opinion, both of the devices, Breville Oracle Touch Vs DeLonghi La Specialista, have the potential to appeal to new users. Unlike other espresso machines, the Breville Oracle Touch is highly intuitive, meaning you don’t need a lot of knowledge to make great espresso at home. The DeLonghi has that advantage as well.
Among its greatest strong points is the fact that you can do it. To make espresso like a barista, you need to know a few tricks along with this brewer. This will let you learn it more easily.
Breville Oracle Touch Vs Delonghi La Specialista: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2024-04-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Breville Oracle Touch Vs Delonghi La Specialista: Differences
For those who enjoy experimenting, tweaking, and discovering new ways to make coffee at home, the DeLonghi La Specialista is designed for you. Therefore, I recommend La Specialista over the Oracle Touch due to its design and features. Because of its intricate design and rewarding features, it wins 4-1 against Oracle Touch.
1. USABILITY
The Winner: It’s A Tie!
You pay more for the Breville Oracle Touch’s automated and modern features than you would for the La Specialista. It comes with a touchscreen that lets you tap and swipe from any place on the screen. With the appropriate settings, you can easily make a cup of coffee by simply adjusting a few settings.
They serve preprogrammed drinks, including Americano, Lattes, Flat Whites, Cappuccinos, and Espresso. Depending on your preferences, you can either brew directly from its presets or make some adjustments to the temperature, coffee strength, milk texture, and temperature. Additionally, you can save up to 8 different customised settings.
In the DeLonghi La Specialista, you will find a dial with six settings for grinding size on the interface. The different buttons for different functions are straightforward to use and easy to understand. The user can choose between espresso, hot water, and steam, as well as the ‘OK’ button to save specific settings, and the Latte system, which allows you to adjust the type of milk you desire.
You will also find buttons for brewing Espresso, Americano, and Coffee to make your use more consistent and quicker. The device has many features to vary the strength and the size of the espresso. However, despite its sophisticated nature, it’s relatively simple to use. It works just like a dream.
2. BREWING PERFORMANCE
The Winner: DeLonghi La Specialista
Although the Oracle Touch has some fantastic features for making a delicious espresso, the performance degrades over time. Unlike some fully automatic espresso machines, it is not as reliable as others.
A feature of Breville that works to the brand’s advantage is the Automatic Tamping system that eliminates a massive mess in the drip tray. Using the machine, you can grind, dose, and tamp 22g automatically, so you don’t have to guess.
A double boiler system will rapidly heat the machine to make a single or double espresso as quickly as possible. Brewing grounds are made up of strong materials that help maintain a steady temperature and pressure. Both of which are at the professional level. Aside from that, the coffee is also pre-infused before it is poured in to ensure that it flows well.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of shot volume and automatic tamping in some cases, which can be pretty frustrating. Since you are in control over the tamping of the material, you can get quite an inconsistency in tamping. Due to a poorly designed tamp fan, the machine sometimes does not get the dose right, and this causes the dose to be incorrect.
Fortunately, the La Specialista comes with a tamping system and pressure gauge for a more accurate readout.
A tamp fan does not display everything, but this method reverses this issue. When the coffee is ground to the perfect size to make a barista-style espresso at home, you will feel the tamp pressure.
Additionally, La Specialista offers a one-second quick start motion and dual heating systems as well as sensor grinder technology, which makes it one of the mess-free, consistent winners in the market.
3. GRINDING FEATURES
The Winner: DeLonghi La Specialista
With the Breville Oracle Touch burr grinder, you can choose to grind at six different sizes. It doesn’t matter what size grinder you use or whether you let the machine select its grind size based on its default settings. The machine will always tamp between 18 to 22 grams of ground.
You can select the amount and type of grind you want. The amount and type of grind will be determined by the amount of strength of the coffee you choose. The bean hopper is removable and can be cleaned if needed. Also, with the burr grinder, dust is minimal, and it stays cool and hygienic for the longest period of time.
A significant benefit of automatic grinding is that the machine will automatically cease when the desired dose is reached. A considerable disadvantage of automatic grinding is that it does not always follow the prescribed dose. Conical burr grinders, on the contrary, are very accurate and easy to use. Users can adjust the settings manually from finer to coarser, which would appeal to coffee geeks.
Unlike Oracle Touch, the grinder in La Specialista does not operate automatically. Instead, the user has an additional layer of control for the essential parts of the machine. A dial lets you adjust the grind size, and it has eight choices ranging from a finer to a coarser grind. Once adjusted to your preference, you need to stop the grinding by turning a knob.
The more you practice, the richer and thicker the cream layer will become as you get better at the dose the right amount of coffee grounds. To make it easier for you, I suggest adding only as many coffee beans per cup as you need.
When you don’t know how an espresso grinder works, the Sensor Grinder Technology can help.
4. STEAM WAND
The Winner: DeLonghi La Specialista
With Oracle Touch, you can control milk texture and temperature using an automated steam wand. Therefore, you may not get the same amount of foam for your latte and cappuccino. Fortunately, you can adjust how thick and hot the milk is without any hassle.
Even so, I would say that Oracle Touch is not the best choice for consistent results. This means that you should expect to see some variations between cups. The primary reason is that it’s not a manual steam wand. Therefore, it cannot maintain the consistency required for latte art and foam.
The steam wand provided by La Specialista is excellent and extremely fast. Thanks to the dual heating elements, you can make a cup of tea whilst simultaneously steaming. Unlike the Oracle Touch, it is not a self-cleaning wand, but it does not take very long to clean.
When using the wand, dip the wand’s tip up to 1-1/2 inches within the milk to get the best results. The steamer will heat up and foam the milk in approximately 60 seconds, not even longer! The machine offers two settings: Latte and Cappuccino, which produce a cloudy buttery microfoam suitable for latte art.
Breville Oracle Touch Vs Delonghi La Specialista: Similarities
The built-in burr grinder on the Oracle Touch and DeLonghi La Specialista both performs well. They both have an automatic tamping option that automatically handles tamping without your involvement.
It must be quick and easy to brew for beginners and intermediates alike. Smooth and rapid temperature control is standard in both machines. Although the temperature control systems and heating devices for these two espresso machines are different, both produce the same result.
Both Oracle Touch and La Specialista offer customised drinks, such as espresso, cappuccino, americano, and latte. Plus, the La Specialista comes with a unique Advanced Latte System to make drinks like a barista.
Quick Rundown Of DeLonghi La Specialista EC9335M
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
Last update on 2024-04-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Breville Oracle Touch BES990
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use.Grind Settings : 45 precision grind settings. Portafilter : Commercial grade 58mm portafilter.Portafilter : Commercial grade 58mm portafilter
Last update on 2024-04-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References
- https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes990.html
- https://www.delonghi.com/en-us/la-specialista-espresso-machine-with-sensor-grinder-and-dual-heating-system-stainless-steel-ec9335m/p/EC9335M
I’m Floyd J. Alcock, an experienced barista with a deep love for coffee. I curate personalized coffee experiences, guiding customers through diverse flavor profiles and suggesting ideal brewing methods. My extensive knowledge of espresso machines enables me to recommend the best equipment to match specific needs and budgets. Sharing my expertise and passion with coffee enthusiasts brings immense satisfaction. I look forward to continuing my journey of coffee discovery with every customer I serve, fostering connections over a shared love for this magical beverage.