Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Pro: 2 Similarly Priced Machine – Which Brews Better Espresso?

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Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Pro is the next debate on mid-range machines that I will review. After comparing their espressos’ flavor consistency, I have to go with Breville Barista Pro as the true winner.

Breville Barista Pro boasts a more innovative brewing system. Its PID technology has proven effective in brewing delicious espresso at high temperatures. It also boasts a powerful grinder with a whopping total of 30 settings that allow users to fine-tune their espresso’s strength. I don’t have much to complain about this machine except for the detail that it is a bit minimalistic. There aren’t any additional recipes that can be brewed with a touch of a button beside espresso.

The runner-up Delonghi La Specialista boasts a good set of one-touch beverages, including standard espresso, coffee, and Americano. In addition, its steam wand has 2 different modes to froth flat or fluffy foam, according to users need. However, I put this model in second place because it lacks a powerful grinder. The part also doesn’t have many adjustable settings.

Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Pro: Comparison Chart

Image
THE WINNER (#1)
Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine, 2 liters, Brushed Stainless Steel, BES878BSS
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 Pro
Delonghi La Specialista
Dimensions (LxWxH)
13 x 12 x 13 inches
14.5 x 17.5 x 15 inches
Color / Material
Silver/ Stainless Steel
Silver/ Stainless steel
Water Tank Capacity
64.2 oz
84.5 oz
Weight / Power / Voltage
20 Pounds/ 1680W/ 120V
29.7 Pound/ 1450W/ 110–120V
Bean Hopper Size
8 oz
17.6 oz
Grinder type
Steel conical burr grinder
Steel conical burr grinder
Used Coffee Drawer Capacity
No dreg drawer
No dreg drawer
Grind Settings
30 settings
6 settings
Quick heat-up time
PID temperature control
Milk-based one-touch beverages
Heating system
ThermoJet
Dual Thermoblock
Auto-purge
Milk frother
Steam wand
Steam wand
Programmable Drinks
2
3
What I Like
Price
$849.95
$450.00
THE WINNER (#1)
Image
Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine, 2 liters, Brushed Stainless Steel, BES878BSS
Model
Breville Barista Pro
Dimensions (LxWxH)
13 x 12 x 13 inches
Color / Material
Silver/ Stainless Steel
Water Tank Capacity
64.2 oz
Weight / Power / Voltage
20 Pounds/ 1680W/ 120V
Bean Hopper Size
8 oz
Grinder type
Steel conical burr grinder
Used Coffee Drawer Capacity
No dreg drawer
Grind Settings
30 settings
Quick heat-up time
PID temperature control
Milk-based one-touch beverages
Heating system
ThermoJet
Auto-purge
Milk frother
Steam wand
Programmable Drinks
2
What I Like
Price
$849.95
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
Delonghi La Specialista
Dimensions (LxWxH)
14.5 x 17.5 x 15 inches
Color / Material
Silver/ Stainless steel
Water Tank Capacity
84.5 oz
Weight / Power / Voltage
29.7 Pound/ 1450W/ 110–120V
Bean Hopper Size
17.6 oz
Grinder type
Steel conical burr grinder
Used Coffee Drawer Capacity
No dreg drawer
Grind Settings
6 settings
Quick heat-up time
PID temperature control
Milk-based one-touch beverages
Heating system
Dual Thermoblock
Auto-purge
Milk frother
Steam wand
Programmable Drinks
3
What I Like
Price
$450.00
More Info

Last update on 2023-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Pro: Differences

Breville Barista Pro wins 3-1 against La Specialista, and they tie in the round of milk frothers’ performance. Both can brew very rich espresso, and they are potent latte makers. I will reveal what I like and don’t like about each one.

Espresso flavor

Winner: Breville Barista Pro

I find Breville Barista Pro to be much more robust and stable in terms of flavor. Due to the not-so-great grinder of La Specialista, the espresso flavor sometimes isn’t as strong as I want it to be. But it’s not always the case. So overall, the espressos taste great with these machines when they function smoothly, but consistency is what La Specialista lacks.

Milk frother’s performance and quality of milkfoam

It’s a tie!

Regarding the milk foam texture, I have no words to complain about Breville Barista Pro and Delonghi La Specialista. They are both very stable and consistent with the milk frothing. As a result, I have been able to make very creamy and rich foam for a latte. I believe Breville Barista Pro and Delonghi La Specialista will impress you if you are a fan of this beverage.

Can these machines make microfoam? To a certain extent, yes. It’s not as great as other mid-range machines like Philips 3200 LatteGo, but the steam wands’ performance is great enough.

Breville Barista Pro froths microfoam perfectly
Breville Barista Pro froths microfoam perfectly

Grind Settings

Winner: Breville Barista Pro

The conical burr grinder of the Barista Pro espresso machines has 30 settings. This is another feature of the Barista Pro that outperforms the DeLonghi La Specialista, which only has 5 grind stages. You can then dial in your espresso shots more accurately and effectively using the Breville Barista Pro.

Regarding the grinders’ real function, La Specialista doesn’t give me a good impression without considering their grind settings. Even when I set the grinder to the max level, which delivers the finest ground that the machine possibly can, the ground texture still isn’t fine enough. It still is quite coarse compared to what we usually get from other mid-range machines.

Heating system

Winner: Delonghi La Specialista

The Barista Pro features an extremely efficient heating system that uses Breville’s patented heating mechanism, ThermoJet. As a result, it will only take 3 seconds for the water to heat up to prepare espresso. On the other hand, the Breville single heater is utilized for both coffee extraction and milk steaming.

The Delonghi machine features two separate heating systems: one Thermoblock for extracting coffee and another for boiling milk or foaming. This setup allows for the fast preparation of foaming or steaming milk-based beverages.

Delonghi La Specialista boasts dual Thermoblock
Delonghi La Specialista boasts dual Thermoblock

The benefit of having two heaters is that once the coffee is made, boiling your milk for drinks such as latte and macchiato requires no further heating time. Delonghi appears to be the more tempting option in this regard.

Interface

Winner: Breville Barista Pro

The Barista Pro’s LCD screen makes it simple to operate. You’ll be able to view all of the information you need as well as the status of the coffee-making process on the machine’s LCD display. The LCD display also serves as a guide during the grinding and extraction procedures.

This page also allows you to verify the size and amount of photos. Thus, preparing coffee with this machine is simple since it provides straightforward directions.

The La Specialista’s user interface was not as user-friendly as the Breville’s. There are dials and buttons, some labeled with ambiguous symbols and phrases, such as the ‘OK’ button in the center. It’s OK if you read the manual, but I like the simpler layout of the Breville.

Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Pro: Similarites

Alongside the undoubtedly similar exterior design, other aspects are very akin between Delonghi La Specialista and Breville Barista Pro, like eliminating the dreg drawer and price. I will comment further below!

No dreg drawer

Since these devices are designed with semi-automatic standards, users will manually handle the external and detachable portafilter, which means that there is no internal dreg drawer to catch the used coffee pucks. Users can easily dump the wet puck in their trashcan after a brewing session. And with the pressure performance of these machines, I don’t think you will have any trouble with them. There is barely water in the pucks when I dump them, so they come off easily.

Price

These devices belong to the affordable middle price range in the world of home-use espresso machines. Based on their value and price, I think Delonghi La Specialista and Breville Barista Pro deserve a try.

Breville Barista Pro is affordable
Breville Barista Pro is affordable

Quick Rundown of Breville Barista Pro

Breville Barista Pro Espresso Machine, 2 liters, Brushed Stainless Steel, BES878BSS
  • Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use

Last update on 2023-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Quick heat-up time in 3 seconds
  • Strong heating system (ThermoJet) & consistency (PID)
  • Features a separate hot water dispenser
  • High pressure steam wand that can froth microfoam
  • Quiet smooth and silent grinder
  • The machine has a warming tray
  • Very good water temperature for hot coffees
Cons
  • Manual tamping
  • Not many convenient extra features

Quick Rundown of Delonghi La Specialista

Sale

Last update on 2023-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pros
  • Consistent and fast brewing
  • Steaming milk while pulling an espresso shot is possible
  • A messy tamping station can be avoided with the Smart Tamping Station
  • Portafilter and milk pitcher that is strong and durable
  • Five coffee drinks and six incredible grind sizes
Cons
  • Limited grinder with not enough settings and not fine enough ground

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References

5/5 - (2 votes)