DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro

Purchased this coffee machine to replace another brand that had served me very well but decided to try something new. The first thing was the sheer size of this machine, it is huge both wide and tall and it is very heavy. Sadly, my user experience has not been great. I had to get assistance from deLonghi support and it took quite a while. The menu… Read more

to make the necessary changes is hidden and the process of using it, more complex than it needs to be. Even the de-scaling process is messy and not well explained. My machine already has surface finish issues on the top section designed for warming cups, many small scratches already and the surface is discolouring (a finish over the stainless steel!). There is a range of settings that most will never, ever use and manufacturers would be better advised to keep things simple. As for making coffee, the filter basket has two flaws, it does not fit tightly enough into the carrier and it has a pressed ring near the top which makes knocking the used contents out way more difficult than it might be. The water reservoir is large and awkward to remove and replace, you need a lot of clearance if using under overhead cupboards. On the plus side, the coffee it makes is fine and the warm up time is quite fast. No, I would not purchase another deLonghi until some design changes have been made.

DeLongi express – Delongi La Specialista Prestigo I’m very demanding when it comes to coffee , I had other machines and they didn’t perform to my standard , but this one is really good: The coffee quality is superb & it is consistent I would love to give it 5 stars but DeLongi has to improve few things: 1. This is my second machine, the first one had a faulty… Read more

pressure gauge and I had to exchange it , fortunately under warranty ( I read on the web that a lot of people had the same problem with the gauge) 2. The description in the manual of how to descale the machine is not accurate, again lots of people on the web comment on that problem ( I cracked it & I know how to do it , but I’m an engineer and I love to troubleshoot) so DeLongi please include a step by step description how to descale or I can email you the steps The machine is very sensitive to : coffee beans type, amount of coffee grounded, the grounding level ( fine , coarse etc) , however all this is well described in the user manual provided, and it is not difficult to learn how to and then use it & ones you got it you will have perfect coffee every time Having a pressure gauge is fantastic because it allows you to make perfect coffee every time with any coffee beans I bought it at JbHiFi -Myaree Perth WA

Great item look no further – We’re do I start looked for a machine for ages something simple to operate and clean and able to do everything a coffee shop one can do and this machine does it all from tea to coffee so happy Show details ·  2

Best investment! Can't live without it! – Have had this machine for over a year now and still absolutely love it! My partner works from home so just loves being able to make a good coffee at home and no longer gets takeaway coffee so helping the budget! I absolutely love this machine! So easy to use and getting the grind right for different beans is actually really simple and the flavour… Read more ·  1

of the coffee has been great.

I love the inbuilt tamp and getting to set personalised coffee makes. Being able to get the coffee ground then just press a button and walk away for the perfect long black is just brilliant. The milk steamer for automatic milk is easy to use and prompts cleaning the tube after use also loving being able to pop the sealed jug into the fridge to use the rest of the milk later.

Descaling is super simple once you have the right containers but you can pause it if the container fills up too quick to empty it which is a really good feature

I used to be a barista and getting to do everything from scratch including steaming the milk is just so satisfying

I cannot recommend this machine enough

it takes time to get used to it, but the results are very good – Be aware that it takes time to get used to this machine. You have to use quality beans that you like. Once you get the grind rating and dose right (we use 4 grind and 11 dose); our experience is that the coffee is very good indeed. You do need to take the time to maintain it properly. Daily wipe the tamping device and the coffee outlet and… Read more

add fresh water. Delonghi softballs work well to stop the build up of scale. Ease of use initially was low but now is excellent. It did take time to get use to it, but the results are well and truly worth it.

Poor quality, poor service from Bing Lee and DeLonghi – UPDATE DeLonghi offered a replacement, but we insisted on a refund. We were told to negotiate that with Bing Lee Macquarie. The manager of Bing Lee told my husband we had no right to a refund, the replacement was our legal right. We followed-up with Fair Trading who got right on the case with Bing Lee that day. End result ... The machine was… Read more

refunded and a pseudo apology from Bing Lee Macquarie.

We purchased a La Specialista machine from Bing Lee at Macquarie Centre in Apr 2024. Within a couple of months, the grinder didn't grind. We contacted DeLonghi who told us to take the item to our nearest repair centre at Newcastle (an hour away) for repairs. The machine was with them for close to 3 weeks. The grinder failed again after another few weeks. This time we took it back to Bing Lee Macquarie (2.25 hour drive), and asked for a refund as it was evident to us this was a dud product. Bing Lee refused a refund and sent it away to be fixed. Another 3 weeks passed until the machine was ready for collection. We drove back to Sydney to collect the machine to have the grinder fail after 3 days! My husband contacted DeLonghi again expressly demanding a refund. They sent a list of instructions about how to clean the machine... We are both very accustomed to cleaning a coffee machine! Now they want us to take the machine back for "assessment" and repairs or replacement. I think DeLonghi need to acknowledge this is machine has presented the same problem for those who have purchased and remove it from the market. It is obviously a high priced machine that looks good on the outside, but the workings are cheap and nasty. The matter has now been referred to Fair Trading for resolution.

Overpriced for being so incapable – For the price of this coffee machine you would expect it to change your life. Yes, the coffee shots it pulls are fantastic, but everything stops there. I've had it for about 6 months, giving it a good go. The Crema System produces some warm milk with a bit of bubbles on top, and the pressure from the steam wand is just not there to make decent… Read more

milk. And yes, I've watched every tutorial, scoured the internet for advice, and it appears I'm not the only one with issues.

If you enjoy a milky coffee, pass on this machine. I had a Breville before this which was half the price and the coffees I used to be able to produce were top notch. The $25 mil kfrother from KMart produces better frothed milk than this.

Pretty average machine and awful Delonghi service – Bought with great interest and excitement but found out the poor milk frothing (manual) and even automatic latte crema system being erratic in terms of frothing level (no matter what dial setting I would use). Manual steamer seems to be low pressure thereby not creating perfect texture for latte. Upon notifying Delonghi, they arranged to be sent… Read more

to Delonghi service Center - after almost a month of wait, got the machine back and issues persist. When I emailed delonghi, they said talk to service Center and now service center wants to take the machine back for another inspection. Considering the machine even had starting issues on day 1 even, I requested Delonghi to consider replacing the unit (all still in warranty) but again delonghi customer service team wants to send the unit back to service Center only without any regard to the fact that it has just come back from there. Overall a pretty awful experience from the product and service standpoint. May be my unit is a faulty piece unfortunately but Delonghi customer service is not at all a ‘service for customer’. delonghi customer service lets you hang to dry by simply offloading their responsibility to you (you go figure out and talk to service Center, you figure out if the machine has been fixed or not, you don’t call us).

I don’t think I would ever buy or recommend a Delonghi product again.

Dont waste your money – I bought this machine 7 months ago and started using it 6 months ago. Now its developed a problem where it doesn't grind enough coffee to fill the coffee handle, tried ALL of the trouble shooting guides, did factory reset, took it to an approved repairer, but still have the same problem. I have been told to take it to another repair centre (100k) away and it will take 4 to five weeks to be repaired, if I'm lucky. I'm so very disappointed. Show details

Changed my mind, was a great machine but… – My old delonghi lasted about 15 years so I was going to take me a lot to turn away from delonghi. I bought this machine and despite a few foibles (like doing the water before the coffee in a long black) it turned out good coffee ( with a bit of practice). When the steamer wand came loose I didn’t loose faith and the machine was replaced under… Read more

warranty. Three months down the track and the grinder on the replacement machine broke. I’m sorry Delonghi but that was enough for me, I now have a Breville oracle.

Stunning looking coffee machine but very unreliable! – I bought one of these machines about 4 months ago and had it for two weeks before it broke down. The lights on the display were flashing and it had to be replaced. The replacement machine was installed, and I did not manage to make one single cup of coffee as it was a DOA. Again, I went back to the 'Good Guys', where I purchased it from and got… Read more

the 3rd replacement. It worked for a couple of weeks until the grinder decided to stop working. This time I took it back to the store and demanded a refund instead. Real shame about this product as it’s got some nice features and looks stunning, but unfortunately, it is very unreliable. :-(

1 star is polite as I rated this ZERO star! – I got this machine for less than 2 years and luckily or not, it broke down before the warranty expired. I was choosing between this or a Breville Machine. I guest I made the wrong choice. It was repaired with New grinder and other internal tube and panel as it was also leaking. This is what i was told by Delonghi recommended repairer. 2.5… Read more

Months later, it broke down again. Did the same and called and go through the usual procedure they ask you to perform to identify exactly what you told them. Got the machine back with another new grinder replaced. less than 5 days, the grinder fail AGAIN! Usual process. Can't wait to get rid of this for a more reliable machine. Unfortunately I can't, it's a $1800 machine when I got it. So for anyone wanting a coffee Machine, highly recommend to stay away unless you want these headaches. No more Delonghi!

Very ordinary machine - not at all reflective of its rave reviews – I worked as a barista while at university and since then home barista coffee has been a passion of mine. I've owned a number of machines now, however all have outshone the DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro. I'm not comparing the DeLonghi to a top-end machine - my last machine was the humble Breville Dual Boiler, which I loved. I wanted to try… Read more

something different, so I did my research. I came across a number of great reviews for the Specialista Maestro and I was sold. Well, it has been over a year that I've been tweaking my technique with this machine, in order to iron out the wrinkles, but I still hate it. The issues I have had over an extended period include,

1) The grind and extraction flow rate are often inconsistent, with varying grind levels noted within the filter basket and with flow rates that range from a nice consistent pour to drops. Yes, I am consistent with my tamping. Yes, I have stuck to the one bean type for an extended period to remove any variability (although I'd argue this shouldn't matter). Consistency is something that both Delonghi and reviews had highlighted as a positive for this machine. It is the reason I experimented with the Specialista Maestro for over a year before I posted this review - I wanted to be sure the results weren't the consequence of inexperience.

2) The specs say it has a dual heating system, but you can't extract and steam at the same time. What the...? And when I do finally steam my milk, the steam pressure from the ridiculously small wand is nothing short of woeful. It often times-out before it adequately heats the milk - god forbid you should try to steam enough milk for more than one cup. The poor steam pressure also makes forming textured microfoam for latte art so much more difficult, at least for anything larger than a small glass - I can rarely achieve a completely macro-bubble-free foam. I don't love the automatic steaming foam, but as you can tell I'm pretty fussy about the end result of my textured foam.

When you consider that the job of an espresso machine is to grind / extract coffee and steam milk, then you'll notice that my issues touch on each of these elements. It gets 2 stars instead of 1 because the coffee it produces is palatable and the machine itself is easy to use, but not enough to get 3. To be fair, if you don't share my hang-ups and want a semi-automatic machine that does most of the work, without the exorbitant price-tag of the Breville Oracle Touch, then the Delonghi may be an option for you. But for me... I genuinely wanted this machine to be better.

Could be better for the price – I like the machine does have a far amount of customisation. The coffee produced can be good however it did require a very significant amount of trouble shooting and changing of the settings to get quite right, and a lot of these settings depend on the type of coffee bean being used, so unfortunately if you change your beans you have to start from… Read more

scratch which can be annoying.

I really wish there was a seperate boiler for the steam wand on this price of machine. The steam wand regularly turns off mid steam as I believe it has run out. This always happens when attempting to steam enough milk for two coffees, or if you are attempting to make a hot chocolate.

Once you get used to the machine it is okay, but again given the price point could be better.

Over priced entry level machine – I have had for several months now, played around with setting after setting, I still cant get a near perfect coffee and or even with the milk froth system. When this machine decided to descale, even though our water is very very good when I tested it. Make sure you have allot of time and not in the need for a coffee. book says 40 mins. not one… Read more

part of that is true. Be prepared to wait... and wait... even after 90 mins just in the descale mode and not into the rinse mode. The longest descale I have ever seen in any coffee machine we have and have owned. I would not recommend it especially for a mid class machine. More like a entry level machine with a very over price tag of $1,250.00 AUD. The first and last Delonghi machine that I would ever buy.

POOR Customer Service – My first machine that I bought at xmas broke, two days of having it and the grinding gear tooth had broken and was loose somewhere in the machine. The Good Guys were awesome at taking this back HOWEVER I CANNOT say the same for Delonghi. I bought the specialist because of the promotion they were having as well because the beans were great so it… Read more

was like a 2 for 1 special HOWEVER 4 MONTHS LATER still not promotional products have been sent apart from one bag of beans I had to demand to get. WHERE IS MY promotional $450 package that was promised going to be despatched 2 weeks ago ? You are giving away valentines packages yet still haven't fulfilled your XMAS promotion, I get there are delays but you would have pre planned this promotion months in advance and should have been prepared. Its really suss how NOONE returns your emails, no one returns your calls and. you keep getting the same answer of its coming in 2 weeks. I am close to going to the office of fair trading for falsely advertising a product that in 4 months you have still not provided. Please get back to me ASAP with a despatch date and tracking number

Disappointing – We bought this machine 3 weeks ago and I have to say for the expense you pay it’s very disappointing. Knowing what I know now I would Have look at a different machine. The machine is fantastic with the coffee pour, minimal mess and ability to adjust certain setting BUT this machine is not made for 2 cups of coffee which require milk. So if you are… Read more

looking for a machine which can make 2 cups of coffee this is not the machine for you. The manual steamer only steams for 2 minutes and then turns off so you need to steam your milk twice to reach the right temperature. It’s a shame this is not fixable and this information is not shared.

Im very satisfied but a bit confused – Coming from as a full pledged Breville Coffee machine user, I would say this machine makes it really confusing when it comes to dialling in the perfect espresso. First the default 2x basket is a 20g and it pulls out by default almost a 1:3 ratio, which can easily be fixed by using the MY button function. The confusing part is following the grinder… Read more ·  3

setting and dosing as per the manual doesn't seem to work for me, specially when I see in most videos that they are using around 15 dose level at most, and #3 grind setting. Im using a medium roast and my setting is up to 25 and # 4. Its almost I need to activate the extra dose to achieve the ideal level as indicated by the laser marking on the basket. (this function(extra grinder) is not also explain very well in the manual) I just find it weird that it seems everyone else is using at most 15 and I am using 25. The coffee extracted is beautiful though, but at this setting it doesn't leave me with a lot margin to work around if I consider different type of beans, or roasting inconsistency.

Coffee Locer – The quality of the coffee is great that comes out of this machine! You can adjust the fineness of the grind etc. also depends on the beans you use of course for that great espresso taste. I love this machine the only negative I’d say and why I didn’t score it a 5 is because the frother is not as strong as it could be, the milk does not get spun… Read more

by the frother. The autofrother that the machine also comes with does not heat up the milk that hot so if you’re thinking of getting this machine you may as well save some money and get the specialista model as this one doesn’t come with the automatic frother (which isn’t that much of a loss) *side note- we got this at an amazing price as we purchased 15K worth of things from the store. Normal RRP for this is $1800

One of the best coffee machines we have ever had the pleasure to use – Love the consistency of the coffee. Took awhile to get the correct grind and tamping. NOT happy with the temperature of the coffee or the milk. Have it set at the highest temperature but still not hot enough. Have to heat coffee cups up first with boiling water from the kettle to try and have a hot coffee. The temperature of the coffee no milk has… Read more

completely spoilt the whole experience. We have two cups of coffee each a day (2 people) and have had to descale after just 3 weeks, thought this was a bit soon. Water hardening test was done and set, also using water ‘balls’. Don’t have lime in the water but it is more in the ‘hard’ scale.