Customer Ratings & Reviews

It looks fancy in the kitchen and so far so good for a month using it now. It’s smell so good and taste better when the coffee is making from fresh, it’s grinding and brewing after so that cup of coffee is so fresh and good. I got it when it was Onsale so it’s a deal deal. I do recommend it to my family and friends.

This review is for the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB espresso machine. Produces a great tasting espresso, latte & americano. However, it does take some trial and error to get the setting just right. With 8 grind setting, 3 temperature levels and a wide range of how much beans you want. You have a lot of options. And that's with out even talking about what beans to use. The directions for easy setup were simple to follow and the guide for different roasts of beans was very helpful. Americanos are my go-to drink and I found myself needing to add a little more hot water to get it to my liking. Which is very easy to do with just a turn of a dial and the push of a button. Easy to clean – love that it came with accessory to clean steam wand. The storage on top of the unit & tamping mat were a very nice bonus as well. The barista kit works awesome. From catching the ground beans acting as a funnel and then as a guide for tamping, making for less of a mess and easy clean up. Over all I am very happy with this unit. It gives me the ability to make my drinks just how I like.

My love of coffee and coffee-related things runs deep. I love to nerd-out about coffee, much to the chagrin of my friends, family, coworkers, and random people I meet on the street. My love of coffee and to nerd out make for a great afternoon of watching Youtube videos about brewing techniques or how to pull the best shots...not so much for having an active social life. I remember my first espresso machine, something I bought years ago more as an afterthought than anything else. It was terrible, so much so that it turned me off of making espresso at home for years. As time has gone on, I've entertained purchasing an espresso machine for home, but often times find myself hesitant on the price tag. More often than not, quality comes at a price when it comes to coffee equipment. DeLonghi's La Especialista line of espresso makers start around $700 for the Arte and goes well north of $1000 for the top of the line machine. The Arte has a great feature set for the base model, and doesn't feel like a base model espresso maker. It's a very attractive machine, extremely shiny but easy to keep clean...although it is mostly plastic, it doesn't look like cheap plastic. Because of its plastic construction it is relatively lightweight, but this makes attaching and detatching the porta filter, as well as engaging the grinder, difficult to do without holding the machine in place. I will be adding some rubber feet to the bottom of this machine to make it a bit more stable. When preparing a drink, the action starts with the removable water reservoir. I love that it's removable--makes for easy filling and cleaning without much fuss, although if you don't have a lot of under-cabinet space, swapping this in and out may make for a frustrating experience. There is a built-in grinder with 8 grind settings. As with any grinder, you will have to find the right grind for your preferred beans, but the dial itself is simple to use and grinds with a good amount of uniformity. You'll also need to choose your dose size. Activating the grinder is done by pressing the included 53mm portafilter (with dosing/tamping guide attached) into the machine. I liked the dosing/tamping guide for dosing, but not so much for tamping. Dosing is also controlled with a dial, this one with 40 different levels. I like the ability to really dial-in your dose size based on the particular bean you're working with, and I wish the grinder could be controlled at this level of granularity. There are two filter screens (single shot and double shot) included with the portafilter and can be snapped into place easily (although removing them is sometimes challenging). DeLonghi also includes a small silicone tamping "mat" for use during tamping. Attaching the portafilter feels a little bit unnatural, at least in part because of the lightweight nature of the machine. It takes some getting used to, but once you know how to engage the locking mechanism, you're ready for brewing. The Arte includes a 3-option control for temperature, and they include in their instruction manuals some suggestions around grind size, dose size and water temperature. This is something you'll find yourself adjusting to find the best shot for your bean of choice. There is an onboard pressure gauge that isn't marked with any sort of pressure measurements, aside from a section on the gauge marked "optimal zone." I don't particularly like this, although if you use it enough you'll be able to determine where on the dial you pull your best shots (over time). DeLonghi claims the Arte is capable of 15 bars of pressure, and given the "optimal zone" is in the middle of the gauge, I'm inclined to think their definition of optimal is 7.5 bars...but I can't be sure of that because the gauge has no numerical markings. As an aside--there is another dial I didn't mention, which has presets for the output of the brewer--espresso only, hot water only, or "americano" which engages both. Brewing is achieved by the press of a button, oddly marked "OK." Not "brew," or "start," or "go." I thought this was a bit strange, but not worth passing on the machine over. After the brew is complete, you're off to the races--unless you are making more than just espresso or an americano. There is an included steam wand, which pulls from the same water reservoir as the rest of the machine and has a dedicated button. It does a fine job heating and frothing milk--I had no issues with it. By most accounts, this is an excellent "entry level" espresso maker that has only a few minor drawbacks. As a home brewer, I'm pretty content with it, and aside from trying to determine what pressure it's operating at and trying to keep it in place when attaching or removing the portafilter, I don't have much to complain about. Everything is very easy to detatch and clean when needed, and everything you need to get started comes in the box. At the time of writing this, I see the machine discounted by 20%, which would be enough to get me to make the purchase again. At the full retail price of $699, I'd still be hesitant...but either way, would recommend it as a perfectly acceptable espresso machine.

So far, I am loving this machine. There are a couple things I will talk about first. Then I will get to the good. The first thing is that it does not come with any kind of espresso shot glass. I feel this should have come with at least 1 cup that can hold a double shot. The bean holder does not come off. It would have been nice to be able to fill it and if you wanted to change out the beans to be able to take it off and do so. This is not the case though. The pressure gauge does not have directions as to really what it is for, and what to do if you are higher or lower. On the note with directions, nothing to maybe explain different drinks that you can do like mocha etc. And it can be tough to swap out between a single shot or a double shot. I feel it would have been nice to include a second portafilter. Now, why I love this machine. I enjoy having an iced mocha. With this, I can make it exactly how I want. The basic modes are Americano, Espresso, or Hot Water. From this, you can create a lot of different drinks. Sadly, this does not have directions on how to make other drinks. So will have to look them up online. The cost is far less than if I go to a stand. And like I mentioned, I can make it how I want. The first-time using guide was easy to follow. Then just a matter of trial and error. I saved the grounds instead of dumping them. I have a machine that uses capsules and I have reusable ones, so I just used the grounds for that. But once you get it set up with your coffee beans then it only takes it maybe 30 seconds to make your coffee if that. steam wand is easy to use. It has 1 hole and comes with a great tool to help clean. Speaking of tools. It comes with a few that are great and needed. a tamping mat and tamper. And probably one of the best tools is a dosing funnel. This helps to limit a mess when you grind the coffee beans. My go to drink, I have reusable Starbucks cups that are large size. I fill the bottom part to the first lip that is about 1/8 inch up with dark chocolate, then I fill it up to the second line with milk and then add a tiny bit of French vanilla. I mix those, then I add a little bit of ice and then pour the double shot of espresso into the cup and mix. I then add more ice and milk as needed to fill cup. Overall, there are a couple things s that I mentioned but those are minor and does not keep me from not loving this machine.

I have been using this Espresso machine for a few days. And spoiler alert let me say I absolutely love it! I got this so I don’t have to go to the coffee shop every day and waste all of my money. I also enjoy the thought of making my coffee in the comfort of my home exactly how I like it. And this device delivers! I will start by saying you will not have the skills of a full time barista within an hour. It does take time to master and get right. You have a lot of variables including grind fineness, amount of beans, the water temperature, proper execution of tamping, and even the type of beans you use. With that in mind I’ll tell you my experience so far. It took quite a few try’s (with a lot of failure) to get the shot extraction just right. The quick guide had a chart to show what your settings/ variables should be at. I had an issue where it wouldn’t get up to pressure correctly causing it to be under extracted and to be missing that beautiful crema. I found that the type of beans and the grind fineness make a huge difference. Once I dialed it in…. Let me tell you. It’s life changing. You can drink that espresso straight and almost think it has milk or cream it’s so smooth. Next thing I used it for is cappuccinos and man it’s great. Having that already smooth espresso and adding the smooth milk froth. Chef’s kiss. The milk steamer works great. It’s gets very hot as it should so be careful when handling the milk and also during cleaning. I have not perfected the cappuccino milk art yet but I’m working my way there! The basket comes with a single shot and a double shot basket size. It is a little difficult I will mention to remove to swap the size due to the springs that hold it in very tight and snug. Be careful it may fly out due to the force applied to remove it. This espresso machine will make you say what’s a coffee shop? It is a great enthusiast machine! With a little patience in the beginning you too can be make amazing drinks in the comfort of your home!

Bottom Line: This unit strikes a good balance between simplicity and versatility, turning the user into their own home barista. Review: Out of the box, there are a lot of buttons and settings, and so it does take a good read of the instructions to familiarize oneself with the machine. For coffee grinding, there are eight settings, and the manual provides good instructions on how fine you should grind the beans depending on the roast. There's also a dial to select the size of the dose, which may vary slightly also depending on the bean. Once set, grinding is as easy as connecting an attachment to the portafilter and pushing it under the grinder. The unit comes with a little rubber pad that holds the portafilter and tamper when you tamp down the shot. This potaflter is a little different than the ones I've used before, as it provides extraction from both the left and right sides (rather than one single tip right down the center). This allows for double shots into two cups (with attached stand to raise them up) or both sides can be emptied into one regular sized mug. So far, I've found that this dual tip portafilter provides a more consistent shot than single-tipped ones. When ready for the shot, there are essentially three settings: espresso (just the coffee shot), Americano, which delivers the shot plus a pre-measured amount of water, which comes out of a water spigot next to the portafilter, and a water option, which just delivers water. We tend to make Americanos and add extra water, and this works very well. The unit also includes a steam wand for steaming milk for lattes. Although we like this machine quite a bit, I have two minor issues. First, because of the double tipped portafilter and water spigot, you do need to get your mug centered just perfectly under all three so you don't miss. This is not a huge issue, but it is something I think about everything I use the machine. Second, the steamer cup is on the smaller side; I wish it were just a little bit bigger.

So this if my wife and mine first endeavor in doing this at home. And the experience (although still new - about a week) is outstanding so far. Tasty Expresso twice a day for each of us is easy, but alas be forewarned that this isn't just wash it and plug it in and push a button, you have to learn the system first and figure our your grind etc etc etc but once that's all figured you're good to go. The product appears to be of quality construction, so although more than a little pricey for it will be well worth it if the product keeps working for a couple of years. Our kitchen is all stainless steel and black so the Expresso Machine fits in perfect as a countertop appliance that can be left out. Really like it that my wife and I can pick different temperature for our expressos. Also note that you will need a small screw driver of butter knife to remove the filter for cleaning as it is in there very tightly, this may loosen up enough to do by hand once the machine has been worked in long enough. We would definitely recommend this Expresso Machine to our friends and family, and in fact may be purchasing another as a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law this year.

A great addition to our home. It was super easy to set up and is easy to maintain and clean.

This espresso machine is AWESOME. It’s extremely easy to use, looks great, and makes really good espresso. It is well worth the money.

Loveeee it. I will marry it if I could. So easy to use, great quality.

Bought it as a christmas gift for my girlfriend who works at Starbucks and is addicted to coffee. She absolutely loves it. At the rate she drinks coffee it should payfor itself in about 6 months. No more drinks from outside, she makes everything at home now. Great investment !

Great machine! Easy to use. Love my mornings with this machine.

Good, easy to follow instructions. Makes great coffee

I have enjoyed having this coffee machine for a little over 2 years, worked fine thoughout that time. These coffee makers have a manufacturer's warranty of 2 years. I am now 4 months past the 2 years. and of course as soon as the 2 years went by I started having issues with it. The dial to adjust the grind amount stopped working and would not change, the same amount of coffee came out no matter where the dial was. Now it no longer grinds at all, so like I said it worked fine until it didn't. With a large company like this and the price tag that comes along with it I would expect it to work more than the 2 years. Disappointing.

Quality product - great coffee with efficient brewing and preparing process.

If you want to gift your mother something special. If it is in promo this is definately a good choice!

Great so far! Present for my boyfriend's 40th birthday and the machine makes wonderful espresso.

I love this machine. It makes great espresso and I thought I didn't want the built-in grinder - but I do! Making espresso drinks is easy. Love, love, love.

Makes an excellent espresso. Enough controls for fine tuning your espresso to your personal preference.