Breville and Delonghi are two big brands in the espresso maker industry. And they have 2 models which are competing in the semi automatic espresso machine category. Today, we will compare these 2 models in this review on Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express to see which is the better machine to buy.
Delonghi La Specialista is great if you want to have a lesser learning curve to making espresso semi automatically at home. Its smart tamping and automatic milk texturing can take out the guesswork and allow you to produce a decent milk based drink from Day 1.
DeLonghi La Specialista EC9335M
However, Barista Express will make a better choice for aspiring Baristas who are serious about improving their coffee making skills. If you really want to experiment with the espresso taste, Barista Express gives you that freedom with its higher 16 grind levels compared to just 6 in Delonghi La Specialista.
Breville Barista Express
Delonghi La Specialista vs Breville Barista Express : 6 Similarities
1 High Quality Integrated Grinder
Delonghi La Specialista and Breville Barista Express both come with an integrated grinder, giving you the maximum freshness in your coffee beans for the best espresso flavor.
2 Brewing Technology
Both machines are equipped with pre-infusion and temperature control technology for optimizing the extraction of espresso. Pre-infusion improves the uniformity of water flowing through the coffee grounds for a even flavor extraction while the temperature control keeps the brew temperature at the optimal level to avoid an unbalanced extraction which gives an ashy espresso taste.
3 Milk Frother
Delonghi La Specialista and Barista Express comes with milk steam wand for frothing milk.
4 Capacity
Both have the same huge water tank capacity of 67 ounces and 500grams bean hopper.
5 User Interface
In terms of user interface, both machines use dial knobs and buttons for operation. And both comes with a pressure gauge which show the brewing pressure during the espresso extraction.
6 Hot Water Dispenser
There’s a hot water dispenser in both espresso makers.
Breville Barista Express vs Delonghi La Specialista : 4 Key Differences
1 Grind Levels
The most crucial difference lies in the grinding level options. La Specialista only has 6 options. However, Barista Express gives you an incredible 16 levels to play with and this wide selection can really allow you to vary the taste of your espresso to your desired preferences.
2 Heating System
Delonghi La Specialista does better in this department. It uses a dual independent heating system for milk steaming and espresso brewing. Hence, there’s no waiting times between these 2 activities.
In Barista Express, you will have to wait for the steam to heat up before you can start milk steaming.
3 Milk Texturing Technology
La Specialista does the milk texturing automatically for you. But in Barista Express, you would have to have some experience to texture your milk to an acceptable quality. But if you are serious about gaining Barista skills, Barista Express can give you the freedom to texture milk to your preferred texture.
4 Smart Tamping
Tamping requires some skills to get right. If you don’t tamp well with the right pressure on the coffee grounds in the portafilter, the water flow through the grounds is affected and this results in an espresso taste that may not be great. Delonghi La Specialista takes out the guesswork with its Smart Tamping system which will apply just the right pressure to get the perfect tamp. In Barista Express, it will be up to the individual’s skills so there’s some learning curve in this area too.
Delonghi La Specialista or Breville Barista Express : Which is a better choice?
I would say that both Delonghi La Specialista and Breville Barista Express are really good espresso machines. They have the same fundamental technologies for optimizing the espresso extraction.
Delonghi La Specialista is great if you want to have a lesser learning curve to making espresso semi automatically at home. Its smart tamping and automatic milk texturing can take out the guesswork and allow you to produce a decent milk based drink from Day 1.
DeLonghi La Specialista EC9335M
However, Barista Express will make a better choice for aspiring Baristas who are serious about improving their coffee making skills. If you really want to experiment with the espresso taste, Barista Express gives you that freedom with its higher 16 grind levels compared to just 6 in Delonghi La Specialista.
Breville Barista Express
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Hope this review on Delonghi La Specialista or Breville Barista Express has helped you make a choice on which is better to buy.
