De’Longhi makes everything from compact manual espresso machines to sophisticated bean-to-cup systems capable of grinding beans, brewing espresso, and frothing milk with almost no effort from you.
That variety is one of the brand’s strengths—but it can also make choosing a De’Longhi surprisingly confusing.
Should you buy the slim Dedica Duo? Is the La Specialista Arte Evo a better alternative to the Breville Barista Express? Would you be happier with the guided La Specialista Touch? Or should you skip the portafilter entirely and choose an automatic machine such as the Magnifica Plus, Rivelia, or Eletta Explore?
The answer depends primarily on one question:
How much of the espresso-making process do you actually want to do yourself?
This guide compares some of the best De’Longhi espresso machines currently available and explains which type of coffee drinker each one suits best.
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⚡ Best De’Longhi Espresso Machines at a Glance
| Machine | Best For | Grinder | Milk System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedica Duo | Best compact | No | Manual |
| La Specialista Arte Evo | Best semi-automatic value | Yes | Manual |
| La Specialista Touch | Best guided semi-automatic | Yes | Automatic or manual |
| Magnifica Start | Best entry automatic | Yes | Automatic on LatteCrema models |
| Magnifica Plus | Best fully automatic for most people | Yes | Automatic |
| Rivelia | Best for switching beans | Yes | Automatic |
| Eletta Explore | Best premium hot & cold machine | Yes | Hot & cold automatic |
For the shortest answer:
Best compact: Dedica Duo
Best hands-on value: La Specialista Arte Evo
Best for beginners who want guidance: La Specialista Touch
Best affordable bean-to-cup: Magnifica Start
Best all-around fully automatic: Magnifica Plus
Best for regular + decaf drinkers: Rivelia
Best premium choice: Eletta Explore
☕ First: Which Type of De’Longhi Do You Want?
De’Longhi’s espresso machines broadly fall into two camps.
Manual and Semi-Automatic Machines
These include the Dedica and La Specialista families.
You still work with a portafilter and participate in making the espresso. Depending on the machine, you may grind, dose, tamp, start the extraction, and steam the milk yourself.
These are better if you enjoy the barista process.
Fully Automatic Machines
These include families such as Magnifica, Rivelia, and Eletta.
Add coffee beans and water, select your drink, and the machine handles most of the process internally.
These are better if you want convenience and consistency.
Neither approach is inherently better.
A $2,000 automatic machine does not necessarily produce espresso that is universally better than a carefully dialed-in shot from a much less expensive semi-automatic machine.
You are often paying for convenience.
🏆 Best Compact: De’Longhi Dedica Duo
The Dedica Duo is one of the most interesting additions to De’Longhi’s compact espresso lineup.
It retains the narrow footprint that made the Dedica family popular but adds features aimed squarely at modern coffee drinkers—including cold beverages.
The machine offers three preset recipes:
- Espresso
- Double espresso
- Cold Brew
De’Longhi’s Cold Extraction Technology can produce a cold-brew-style drink in under five minutes.
You also get a commercial-style My LatteArt steam wand for manually texturing milk and plant-based alternatives.
Why We Like the Dedica Duo
- Very compact
- Hot and cold drinks
- Cold Brew setting
- Manual milk steaming
- Digital touch controls
- Removable double-height drip tray
- Portafilter, tamper, scoop, and baskets included
- Excellent choice for small kitchens
What You Need to Know
There is no built-in grinder.
That means you will need either pre-ground espresso or, preferably, a capable burr grinder.
For someone who wants to learn espresso, that can actually be an advantage. A separate grinder gives you more freedom to upgrade your setup later.
Who Should Buy It?
Choose the Dedica Duo if you want a small, relatively affordable espresso machine and are happy to grind your coffee separately.
It is especially attractive if you make both hot and iced drinks.
Shop the De’Longhi Dedica Duo on Amazon
🫘 Best Semi-Automatic Value: De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo
The La Specialista Arte Evo moves you into an entirely different category.
Instead of requiring a separate grinder, it incorporates a conical burr grinder directly into the machine.
The grinder provides eight settings, allowing you to adjust the grind as you change coffee beans and dial in your espresso.
You still participate in the brewing process, however.
That means the Arte Evo feels much closer to being a home barista than a one-touch automatic machine.
Notable Features
- Built-in burr grinder
- Eight grind settings
- Active Temperature Control
- Manual commercial-style steam wand
- Barista accessories
- Cold Extraction Technology
- Cold Brew in under five minutes
- Low-pressure pre-infusion
- Approximately 9-bar extraction
The included dosing and tamping accessories also make the learning process less messy than starting with a completely bare-bones espresso setup.
Why We Like It
The Arte Evo occupies a particularly useful position in De’Longhi’s range.
It gives you the convenience of an integrated grinder without removing the parts of espresso preparation that make the process satisfying.
You get to learn:
- Grind adjustment
- Dosing
- Tamping
- Extraction
- Milk steaming
That makes it a strong alternative to all-in-one machines such as the Breville Barista Express.
Who Should Buy It?
Choose the Arte Evo if you want an all-in-one machine but still want to develop genuine home-barista skills.
Shop the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo on Amazon
👆 Best Guided Semi-Automatic: De’Longhi La Specialista Touch
The La Specialista Touch is one of the most compelling machines in De’Longhi’s current lineup because it bridges the gap between manual espresso and automation exceptionally well.
You still use a portafilter.
But the machine helps guide you through the process rather than expecting you to already understand espresso extraction.
Its 3.5-inch touchscreen provides interactive guidance, while Bean Adapt Technology helps you find appropriate grind, dose, pre-infusion, and temperature settings for your coffee.
Key Features
- Built-in conical burr grinder
- 15 grind settings
- 3.5-inch touchscreen
- Bean Adapt guidance
- Precision dosing and tamping system
- 10 preset drink recipes
- Four user profiles
- Six saved bean profiles
- Automatic milk frothing
- Manual milk option
- Cold Brew
- Multiple milk temperatures and foam levels
The automatic steam wand offers five foam levels and four milk-temperature settings.
That makes this particularly useful for someone who loves cappuccinos, flat whites, and lattes but has no desire to spend weeks mastering milk steaming.
Ten Preset Drinks
The machine includes presets for:
- Espresso
- Americano
- Long black
- Cold Brew
- Cappuccino
- Latte
- Latte macchiato
- Flat white
- Hot milk
- Hot water
You can then customize them.
Who Should Buy It?
The La Specialista Touch is ideal if you want to participate in espresso making without having to figure everything out through trial and error.
It is probably De’Longhi’s strongest current choice for someone moving from pod coffee into fresh-bean espresso.
Shop the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch on Amazon
🤖 Best Entry Fully Automatic: De’Longhi Magnifica Start
If the previous machines sound like too much work, you probably want the other half of the De’Longhi lineup.
The Magnifica Start is designed around bean-to-cup convenience.
The machine grinds fresh coffee beans internally and prepares espresso and coffee drinks with considerably less manual involvement.
Different Magnifica Start versions are available, including models with a traditional manual frother and versions equipped with De’Longhi’s LatteCrema automatic milk system.
For milk-drink lovers, the LatteCrema version is the more convenient choice.
Why We Like the Magnifica Start
- Built-in conical burr grinder
- Fresh bean-to-cup brewing
- Simple controls
- One-touch drinks
- Available automatic milk frothing
- Less expensive than De’Longhi’s premium automatics
- Good introduction to super-automatic coffee
This is the kind of machine you buy because you want fresh beans without turning espresso preparation into a hobby.
Who Should Buy It?
Choose the Magnifica Start if you want one-touch espresso and coffee without paying for all the advanced customization of De’Longhi’s more expensive machines.
Shop the De’Longhi Magnifica Start on Amazon
🥇 Best Fully Automatic for Most People: De’Longhi Magnifica Plus
The Magnifica Plus is where De’Longhi’s automatic lineup starts becoming substantially more flexible.
It offers 18 one-touch recipes, including:
- Espresso
- Coffee
- Americano
- Long
- Doppio+
- Latte
- Latte macchiato
- Cappuccino
- Flat white
- Cortado
- Iced coffee
- Iced Americano
- Espresso macchiato
- Hot milk
- Hot water
You can customize drinks across multiple sizes and intensity settings.
Built-In Grinder
The conical burr grinder offers 13 grind settings.
Because the machine handles grinding internally, you do not have to think about dosing a portafilter or tamping.
LatteCrema Milk System
The automatic milk system provides three foam levels:
- Light foam
- Creamy foam
- Dense foam
That makes it easy to produce different milk textures without manually steaming.
User Profiles
Personal profiles make more sense than they initially sound.
If one person wants a short, strong espresso and another wants a larger, milder latte every morning, each can save preferred settings rather than reprogramming the machine constantly.
Who Should Buy It?
The Magnifica Plus is the De’Longhi I would consider first for someone who wants a sophisticated one-touch machine without immediately jumping to the brand’s most expensive models.
Shop the De’Longhi Magnifica Plus on Amazon
🔄 Best for Switching Coffee Beans: De’Longhi Rivelia
The Rivelia solves a problem that many automatic espresso machines largely ignore:
What if you want to change coffee beans?
Most bean-to-cup machines have a hopper filled with beans. Switching from a medium roast to decaf may mean emptying the hopper or waiting until the existing coffee is used.
Rivelia introduces De’Longhi’s Bean Switch System.
You get interchangeable bean hoppers that can be removed and swapped.
This makes Rivelia particularly appealing if you:
- Drink regular coffee in the morning and decaf later
- Enjoy trying different single-origin beans
- Have two coffee drinkers with different preferences
- Frequently change roast styles
Automatic Drinks
Rivelia is built around one-touch preparation and automatic milk frothing.
Current models offer a broad selection of customizable coffee and milk drinks, while LatteCrema technology handles the milk.
The integrated grinder provides 13 settings.
Compact for a Super-Automatic
Another appealing characteristic is the machine’s comparatively compact design.
Fully automatic espresso machines can become enormous, so Rivelia’s emphasis on fitting substantial automation into a smaller footprint is useful for normal kitchens.
Who Should Buy It?
Rivelia is the standout choice if you want fully automatic coffee but do not want one bean hopper dictating what you drink all week.
Shop the De’Longhi Rivelia on Amazon
🧊 Best Premium Hot & Cold Machine: De’Longhi Eletta Explore
The Eletta Explore is built for the person whose coffee order changes with the weather—or sometimes with the time of day.
De’Longhi designed it around both hot and cold drinks.
The machine offers more than 50 hot and cold recipes, including drinks such as:
- Espresso
- Cappuccino
- Latte
- Iced latte
- Iced cappuccino
- Cold Brew
Hot AND Cold Milk Foam
This is one of the biggest distinctions.
Eletta Explore uses separate LatteCrema Hot and Cool technologies to produce foam appropriate for both hot and iced drinks.
That means an iced latte does not have to be topped with warm milk foam.
Cold Brew
De’Longhi’s Cold Extraction Technology uses room-temperature water and low-pressure extraction to create its version of Cold Brew within minutes rather than requiring the traditional overnight steep.
Built-In Grinder
The conical burr grinder offers 13 settings.
Large Drink Menu
The 3.5-inch color display lets you navigate a much larger menu than you will find on simpler Magnifica machines.
Who Should Buy It?
Choose Eletta Explore if you want one premium machine for almost every hot, iced, milk, and cold-coffee drink you can imagine.
Its capabilities are impressive.
Its price is equally serious.
Shop the De’Longhi Eletta Explore on Amazon
🆚 De’Longhi Espresso Machine Comparison
The easiest way to understand the range is to look at what you have to do.
Dedica Duo
You:
- Grind
- Dose
- Tamp
- Brew
- Steam milk
The machine gives you a very compact brewing platform plus cold extraction.
La Specialista Arte Evo
The machine:
- Grinds
You:
- Dose
- Tamp
- Brew
- Steam milk
This is the strongest choice for someone who wants a hands-on all-in-one setup.
La Specialista Touch
The machine:
- Grinds
- Guides dosing
- Guides extraction
- Can automatically froth milk
You still:
- Work with the portafilter
- Tamp
- Make brewing decisions with the machine’s guidance
It is the bridge between manual and automatic espresso.
Magnifica Start
The machine handles most of the coffee-making process internally.
Choose your drink and let it work.
Magnifica Plus
The same automatic concept with more recipes, customization, profiles, and milk options.
Rivelia
Adds easy bean switching to the fully automatic experience.
Eletta Explore
Adds a huge drink menu, cold extraction, and both hot and cold milk foam.
🎓 Which De’Longhi Is Best for Beginners?
There are two kinds of beginners.
“I Want to Learn Espresso”
Choose:
Dedica Duo or La Specialista Arte Evo
The Arte Evo is easier as an all-in-one package because the grinder is built in.
“I Want Good Coffee Without Learning Espresso”
Choose:
Magnifica Start
You get fresh whole-bean coffee without worrying about puck preparation.
“I Want to Learn, but I Need Help”
Choose:
La Specialista Touch
This is exactly where its touchscreen guidance becomes valuable.
🥛 Which De’Longhi Is Best for Lattes?
For hands-on latte making, choose the La Specialista Arte Evo and learn to texture milk manually.
For easier milk preparation, the La Specialista Touch automatically controls milk temperature and foam.
For true push-button lattes, move into:
- Magnifica Plus
- Rivelia
- Eletta Explore
The Eletta Explore wins if you regularly make iced milk drinks, thanks to its cold-foam capability.
🧊 Which De’Longhi Is Best for Iced Coffee?
De’Longhi has invested heavily in cold coffee functionality across its current lineup.
Several models now offer Cold Extraction Technology.
Good options include:
Dedica Duo
Best compact cold option.
La Specialista Arte Evo
Best for someone who wants manual espresso plus fast Cold Brew.
La Specialista Touch
Best if you want guided espresso and Cold Brew.
Eletta Explore
Best overall for people who drink a substantial variety of cold coffee and milk drinks.
Its cold milk foam system is particularly useful.
🫘 Which De’Longhi Has the Best Grinder?
This question is more complicated than simply counting grind settings.
Integrated grinder models offer different levels of adjustment.
For example:
- La Specialista Arte Evo: 8 settings
- La Specialista Touch: 15 settings
- Magnifica automatic models: typically 13 settings
- Rivelia: integrated burr grinder with multiple adjustments
- Eletta Explore: 13 settings
More settings provide additional room for adjustment, but grinder performance also depends on burr design, dosing, and how the grinder integrates with the brewing system.
If maximum grinder control matters to you, a separate dedicated espresso grinder still provides the greatest long-term flexibility.
⚖️ De’Longhi vs. Breville
This is one of the most natural comparisons in home espresso.
Both brands make:
- Compact espresso machines
- Semi-automatic systems
- Integrated-grinder machines
- Guided machines
- Premium automated systems
However, their ranges have somewhat different strengths.
Consider De’Longhi If You Want:
- A very broad fully automatic lineup
- Extensive one-touch milk systems
- Cold Brew functionality
- Hot and cold milk options
- Bean-switching functionality
- Lots of bean-to-cup choices
Consider Breville If You Want:
- A strong home-barista focus
- Excellent semi-automatic choices
- Lots of control over traditional espresso preparation
- Popular machines such as the Bambino and Barista Express
- Premium portafilter automation through the Oracle range
Neither brand wins every category.
The better choice depends on whether you lean toward hands-on espresso or push-button coffee.
See our full Best Breville Espresso Machines: Which Model Is Right for You? comparison.
🧹 Are De’Longhi Espresso Machines Easy to Clean?
Cleaning requirements depend heavily on the type of machine.
Manual Machines
For Dedica and La Specialista models, routine care typically includes:
- Rinsing the portafilter
- Wiping the group area
- Emptying the drip tray
- Purging and wiping the steam wand
- Cleaning the grinder where applicable
- Descaling as required
Automatic Machines
Fully automatic machines may perform more rinsing and cleaning tasks themselves, but they contain more internal components.
You may need to maintain:
- Brewing unit
- Grounds container
- Drip tray
- Water tank
- Milk carafe
- Grinder
- Descaling system
Automatic milk systems deserve particular attention because milk residue should never be left sitting inside tubing or frothing components.
The easiest machine to brew with is not necessarily the machine with the fewest parts to maintain.
💰 How Much Should You Spend?
You can think about De’Longhi’s range in stages.
Lower Budget: Dedica
You get the espresso machine but need a grinder.
This can be a smart route because you can build your setup gradually.
Midrange: La Specialista
You gain an integrated grinder and increasingly sophisticated guidance.
This is probably the most interesting part of the range for people who genuinely enjoy espresso preparation.
Entry Automatic: Magnifica
You start paying for convenience.
Grinding, dosing, tamping, and brewing happen internally.
Premium Automatic: Rivelia and Eletta
Now you are increasingly paying for:
- More drink recipes
- Touchscreen interfaces
- User profiles
- Automated milk
- Bean adaptation
- Cold coffee
- Cold milk
- Easier personalization
The jump in price is primarily a jump in automation and versatility, not proof that every shot of espresso will automatically taste several times better.
🔧 What About the Other De’Longhi Models?
De’Longhi’s lineup is much larger than the seven machines highlighted here.
You may also encounter:
Stilosa
A basic manual espresso machine aimed at entry-level buyers.
Dedica Maestro Plus
A compact Dedica with Auto LatteArt automatic milk texturing.
La Specialista Opera
A more advanced semi-automatic La Specialista with an integrated grinder and manual barista-oriented workflow.
La Specialista Maestro
A premium La Specialista that adds more sophisticated milk and brewing functionality.
Magnifica Evo
A popular step up within the automatic Magnifica family.
Magnifica Evo Next
A newer automatic model with additional drink and interface features.
These can all make sense at the right price.
But the models featured in this guide provide a clearer set of choices for the most common buyer types.
❓ De’Longhi Espresso Machine FAQ
Which De’Longhi espresso machine is best overall?
There is no single winner because the product families are so different.
For hands-on espresso, the La Specialista Arte Evo offers excellent value.
For fully automatic coffee, the Magnifica Plus provides a particularly strong balance of features and price.
Which De’Longhi is best for beginners?
Choose the La Specialista Touch if you want to learn espresso with guidance.
Choose the Magnifica Start if you want the machine to handle most of the process.
Does De’Longhi make a machine with a grinder?
Yes. La Specialista machines include grinders, as do De’Longhi’s fully automatic Magnifica, Rivelia, and Eletta machines.
Compact Dedica machines generally require a separate grinder.
Which De’Longhi makes Cold Brew?
Several current machines include De’Longhi Cold Extraction Technology, including the Dedica Duo, La Specialista Arte Evo, La Specialista Touch, and Eletta Explore.
Does Rivelia make different kinds of coffee?
Yes. Rivelia offers numerous customizable one-touch drinks and allows users to switch between removable bean hoppers.
That hopper system is one of its most distinctive features.
Can Rivelia switch between regular and decaf?
That is one of the best uses for its Bean Switch System.
Keep regular beans in one removable hopper and decaf in another, then exchange them when desired.
Which De’Longhi has cold milk foam?
The Eletta Explore is particularly notable for combining LatteCrema Hot and Cool systems.
Current Rivelia models are also available with cold-milk functionality.
Is La Specialista fully automatic?
No.
La Specialista machines are designed around a portafilter workflow. Even models that automate or guide several steps still require more user participation than a Magnifica, Rivelia, or Eletta.
Is De’Longhi or Breville better?
Neither brand is universally better.
Breville has an exceptionally strong home-barista lineup, while De’Longhi offers one of the broadest selections of fully automatic and hot-and-cold coffee systems.
⭐ Which De’Longhi Espresso Machine Should You Buy?
Choose the Dedica Duo if your priorities are compact size, affordability, and both hot and cold espresso drinks.
Shop the De’Longhi Dedica Duo on Amazon
Choose the La Specialista Arte Evo if you want the grinder built in but still want to make espresso yourself.
Shop the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo on Amazon
Choose the La Specialista Touch if you want touchscreen guidance, more grinder adjustment, and automatic milk without abandoning the portafilter experience.
Shop the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch on Amazon
Choose the Magnifica Start if you want a relatively straightforward introduction to fresh-bean automatic espresso.
Shop the De’Longhi Magnifica Start on Amazon
Choose the Magnifica Plus if you want a more sophisticated one-touch machine with a large drink menu and extensive customization.
Shop the De’Longhi Magnifica Plus on Amazon
Choose Rivelia if switching coffee beans easily is important to you.
Shop the De’Longhi Rivelia on Amazon
And choose the Eletta Explore if you want De’Longhi’s broadest hot-and-cold coffee experience, including automatic hot foam, cold foam, and fast Cold Brew.
Shop the De’Longhi Eletta Explore on Amazon
For most buyers, the decision ultimately comes down to this:
Want to make espresso? Choose Dedica or La Specialista.
Want the machine to make espresso for you? Choose Magnifica, Rivelia, or Eletta.
Once you answer that question, De’Longhi’s enormous lineup becomes much easier to navigate.
🔗 Related Articles
- Best Home Espresso Machines: Types, Features & Buying Guide
- Best Breville Espresso Machines: Which Model Is Right for You?
- Your Guide to Finding the Best Budget Espresso Machine
- The Perfect Small Espresso Machine for Your Home
- Discover the Best Nespresso Espresso Machine
📚 Sources
- De’Longhi — Dedica Duo Espresso Machine — Current Dedica Duo specifications, Cold Extraction Technology, drink presets, and steam-wand information.
- De’Longhi — La Specialista Arte Evo — Current model information for the integrated grinder, Cold Brew functionality, temperature control, and barista workflow.
- De’Longhi — La Specialista Touch — Specifications for the 15-setting grinder, Bean Adapt guidance, 10 recipes, automatic milk frothing, profiles, and Cold Brew.
- De’Longhi — Magnifica Range — Current Magnifica Start, Magnifica Evo, Magnifica Evo Next, and Magnifica Plus lineup.
- De’Longhi — Magnifica Plus — Information on its 18 recipes, 13-setting grinder, drink customization, and LatteCrema milk system.
- De’Longhi — Rivelia — Current Rivelia models, Bean Switch System, drink options, and milk functionality.
- De’Longhi — Eletta Explore — Official details covering more than 50 hot and cold recipes, 13-setting grinder, LatteCrema Hot and Cool systems, touchscreen, and Cold Extraction Technology.
- De’Longhi — Automatic Espresso Machines — Explanation of De’Longhi’s semi-automatic and fully automatic espresso categories.
