De'Longhi La Specialista Espresso Machine with Grinder, Milk Frother, 1450W, Barista Kit - Bean to Cup Coffee & Cappuccino Maker,Stainless Steel, Black

We had an okay espresso machine that wasn't super easy to use/clean. We used it maybe once a week. When it failed us, we bought this one...and what a difference! We now have cappuccino 2-3 times a week, sometimes more. People complained about the bean hopper not being removable, so swapping out coffee is a pain...that doesn't bother me because I don't use flavored beans or anything, so I just use them til I need to refill it.The accessories that come with this are good...a manual tamper, a tamping mat, and some others for normal use. The grinding works well, though you have to manually adjust it until you get it the way you want...and if you swap beans/brands, you may have to adjust it again. Again, for me, that doesn't bother me...I did it once, and I'm good.The cup sizes (amount of liquid it makes) are adjustable if you read the directions, so for my cups I had to use the double-shot and increase the liquid it produces. After testing with 5-10 cups after we bought it, I got the grind and portion figured out, and it makes some of the best cappuccino I've ever had. The milk frother works great and produces way better milk than my last machine. I recently used it to make americanos for my mom who drinks standard coffee and she said it was way better than she gets with her machine, so fortunately we don't need a second coffee pot for company.

In view of our experience with DeLonghy products, and in spite of the many negative reviews from previous owners, we decided on the La Specialista Arte Model. It has never worked well. When the grinder worked, it only gave us extra fine grinds. Now it has stopped grinding altogether. I followed the troubleshooting recommendations, but it still does not grind.DeLonghy will repair the item. More later.Several weeks later, I contacted De' Longhi and had a lengthy discussion over the phone regarding the unit. I explained the issue I had with it. After several tests, De'Longhi agree that mine was faulty and agreed to repair it. The sent packing materials and prepaid shipping label. It took them about a month to process and repair it. It now worked as it should from the beginning. Excellent coffee!!!

I purchased and used this machine for three months. At the end of the third month, the grinder started to have problems and I did a video session with Delonghi to show them on video the problems I was having. They sent me instructions to send the unit out for repair and the repair location in Pennsylvania only cleaned the grinder but did not fix the problem. They tested the grinder to ensure the grinder does go around but did not test the grinder with coffee beans. upon return of the unit, I found the grinding worse than before I sent it for repair. The grinder still does not grind to the proper level for a dosage as indicated and now the grind is so off that the unit will not function in the optimal zone and over extracts coffee and it drips out slowly and takes several minutes to deliver a single shot of expresso. The cream on the coffee is limited and hardly there indicating once again that the extraction process is off. I am now returning the unit to Delonghi for a second repair and I expect it will come back unfixed. I would not recommend this product and ask potential buyers to seek out other manufacturers like Breville whom make similar models. This model is more of a toy and very fragile. I own many espresso machines and I find this hard to use to get the grounds right for the perfect espresso. The box comes with a guide for settings for dosage and grind level based the type of bean. I was only able to use the machine to grind 1 kilogram of coffee before the grinder failed. I believe if the grinder/dosage is this fragile that Delonghi should have tested their products longer before they were ready for the market. I have emailed and communicated via phone with Delonghi and can clearly state that they are not coffee aficionados nor are they concerned about providing customer support. Think twice before buying this model. The coffee grinder does not come off and there is little a consumer can do to clean the grinder. Recommend closing other products and read the reviews. This is a fragile toy and not a low end professional coffee machine.

Have been brewing espresso from the Arte for a few months now. Very impressed with the overall package, but some minor disappointment as well.First off, this comes with a non-pressurized brew basket which is great! The included tamper and mat are also really nice inclusions. I ended up buying a bottomless portafilter to see how my shots were being pulled and the entire setup still works with the new filter.Second the grinder has been great so far, even with the new portafilter. I've been grinding on 4--meaning there still is room to grind finer if I need it. Big downside is the non-removable hopper. But it's recommended to only put in the amount you need anyway.Steam wand had me less than impressed at first since I'm used to commercial steam wands. However it has grown on me and it will finish steaming in about 10-15 seconds. I recommend looking up proper steaming technique for people just starting out. You don't want to plunge the wand in all the way right when you start and only want to steam until the pitcher is too hot to grasp.All in all, it's a great machine. No plastic taste from any of my shots. Non-pressurized baskets. PID to help control the temperature of the water. Steam wand performs well. Customizable shot times. Grinder that performs well. It's a complete package.Two downsides:Plastic and lots of it. At MSRP I hesitate to say it's worth it for the amount of plastic you receive. It looks nice. But once you start using and feeling it, I would be disappointed. On sale, it's such a great buy for all the features you receive.Second, why the dark grey plastic for the water tank? It's impossible to see the water level. Yes it has an indicator to warn you before you run out of water but it'sa simple design choice that could have made a huge difference.