De’Longhi La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine

Pros

• Environmental packaging sustainability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  Packaging relies mostly on cardboard with clearly labelled biodegradable soft plastics, and the side-opening box design lets you slide the machine straight onto the counter, earning rare full marks from reviewers for both practicality and eco-friendly packaging.
• Assembly & Setup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.9
• Design, ergonomics & footprint ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.9
• Espresso & beverage quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.8
• Overall user experience ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.8
  Owners describe an intuitive, beginner-friendly experience where touchscreen guidance, Bean Adapt assistance, tamping tools and detailed user profiles make good coffee easy while still leaving room to experiment and grow, and this reviewer notes that even after initial skepticism about the touchscreen they ended up delighted by how quiet, compact, convenient and self-cleaning the overall workflow feels, saying they have never felt in safer hands with a coffee machine.
• Cup, tray & carafe handling ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.8
• Automation & sensors ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.6
  Automation features like Bean Adapt, guided touchscreen menus, automatic grind stopping, a temperature-probed steam wand, water level detection and user profiles use sensors and prompts to tune brew parameters and milk texture, and newer reviews add that the interface regularly checks in after grind changes and walks you step by step through grinding, tamping and steaming, even though a few users note it can time out and reset to the main menu if you leave a step too long.
• Brewing performance & consistency ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.6
  Reviews report that once Bean Adapt settings and grind size are dialed in, the machine delivers consistently good espresso and milk drinks with repeatable extraction and flavor across sessions, and this tester’s timed back-to-back single and double shots with matching brew times, thick crema and deep color lead them to describe the coffee as technically flawless in everyday use.
• Accessories ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.3
  Included accessories such as the milk jug, tamping tools, tamping station, booster, baskets, funnel and scraping or cleaning tools give beginners everything needed for tidy puck prep and milk drinks, with some pieces and spare baskets storing neatly in the top cubby so the counter stays organized, though the abundance of gear and lack of an included knock-box for spent pucks can still feel like a bit much for some.
• Build quality & durability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.3
• Speed & time-to-cup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.1
• Milk, steam & frothing ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.1
• Value & Price ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.1
• Capacity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.0
  The rear water tank is sized to handle several espressos and milk drinks in a row and, while it is not the very largest reservoir, reviewers find that the 1.7L capacity and 250 g bean hopper generally hold enough for multiple rounds while still fitting into a compact footprint, with newer feedback noting that the hopper’s modest size and the machine’s popularity in busy homes can mean more frequent bean refills even though the tank itself lifts out easily via its handle for quick top-ups.
• Water system, maintenance & descaling ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.0
• Iced / cold-brew function quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 3.7
  Across reviews, the La Specialista Touch’s dedicated cold-brew mode is praised for producing smooth, sweet coffee that works well over ice, and while it remains a little lighter-bodied than slow-steeped cold brew or the richer Jura J10, recent testing finds its flavor impressively close to overnight methods given the speed and price, making it a genuinely useful bonus feature rather than just a gimmick.
• Grinder, hopper & dosing system ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.5