DeLonghi's La Specialista espresso machine line use to feel a bit like a "me too" entry into the all-in-one espresso machine market. This isn't to say that these machines have ever been a bad option, there just wasn't a lot on the features end to differentiate the La Specialista from other similarly designed machines out there.

Those days are long gone - and that's never been more evident with the feature packed La Specialista Maestro.

Design

Before we get into the features of this machine, let's talk design. The first thing you'll notice is how crowded the front of this machine looks. While this can be intimidating at first glance, ultimately it's a good thing because this machine really does put a lot of power and control at your fingertips.

As you'd expect, this machine has places on its workspace for the grinder, the brew group, and a steaming area. This machine also has a fold out tray to put your shot glass on when pulling shots that's a little closer to the portafilter. We love this bit of extra thought, as it helps prevent splashing. 

Moving up to the machine's interface, you can see two digital displays and one analog pressure gauge. The pressure gauge and left display mostly provide information, such as shot timing and, obviously, pressure. The right display acts as the menu for the machine and is how you select drink options.

Below these gauges is a set of knobs, buttons, and indicator lights that are all fairly intuitive with their iconography. One thing we do appreciate about this machine is just how much it crams into both the interface and its footprint without sacrificing usability or readability.

Features

The thing that really sets this machine apart from its competitors is its array of features offered at a very reasonable price point.

For starters, the grinder here features a calibrated tamping arm that makes tamps a breeze. This also allows you to go directly from the grinder slot to the brew group, which seems minor but is a really great time saver. 

On the brewing front, in addition to standard espresso shots, the Maestro offers a lower temp - cold shot feature that you can use for delicious iced drinks. The machine comes with pressurized and unpressurized portafilters, with the former being used for that cold shot mode. Regardless of whether you're brewing hot or cold shots, a grouphead rinse option on the face of the machine helps bring the group to temp for better shot consistency - this is a nifty feature that you can achieve by running some water through any machine's group, but we like the thought here of giving the process a dedicated button.

Finally, the Maestro has a traditional steam wand as well as an automatic frothing option using its nifty, sci-fi looking "Latte Crema" carafe. This tool is actually an attachment that clips on to the top of the pitcher that comes with the machine. While you can detach it to manually steam your milk, you can also use the dial on the Latte Crema device to the level of foam desired and then let it do the rest. It even has a cleaning purge that it'll run to keep any milk residue from sitting in the tubes of the system. You really have to see it in action to see how useful it can be if you just want a quick latte and don't care if it has the perfect microfoam (though we like that you can achieve that with manual steaming as well).

While maintenance can be a bit exhausting due to the sheer number of touchpoints on the machine, it is straightforward and definitely not more complicated than separate machine and grinder setups. The manual does a great job of covering maintenance topics as well as teaching you the specifics of using the machine.

Is It for Me?

This machine is a little tricky to recommend - not because it isn't a great option, but because it is so loaded with features. Users that just want to press a button and get coffee might find the La Specialista Maestro to be overly complicated, but users looking for extensive control might see it and think it's not up to the task performance-wise if they assume DeLonghi is a brand for newer users. 

We'd say that really, this is a machine fit for a wide range of countertops. If you are less experienced, this machine can help you learn to brew a range of different drinks with its guided recipes for lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, and more. If you are a more experienced user who knows what you like, this machine offers some helpful automation alongside a plethora of control options. The best part here is that it does all of this without hitting stratospheric pricing. The only users we might not recommend this machine to are those on the extreme ends of the experience scale - people who might not even know if they like espresso, or those shopping for ultra-high end cafe style machines.

With that in mind, we can say that the DeLonghi La Specialista All-In-One Espresso Machine is a great options for a wide range of home espresso enthusiasts, and a machine that we think will be in some pretty high demand with its eye catching innovations and inspiring feature set.

See this machine in action in our video review below, and let us know in the comments what you think of it!