The La Specialista Arte is a compact manual espresso machine with a built-in 15-setting grinder, a 15-bar pump with thermoblock heating, three temperature settings and a manual steam wand, sold with a barista kit and tamping guide.
The La Specialista Arte is a compact manual espresso machine with a built-in 15-setting grinder, a 15-bar pump with thermoblock heating, three temperature settings and a manual steam wand, sold with a barista kit and tamping guide. UK owners praise the coffee, the looks and how tidy it is to use once dialled in, which makes it a popular first step into proper espresso. Expect a learning curve: the instructions are thin, and the steam wand takes practice, with some finding it weak or noisy. A minority report leaks or failed parts within the first year, and long-term reliability is not independently established. It suits people who want hands-on espresso and milk drinks without a separate grinder. If you want one-touch drinks, very hot coffee or tall mugs, consider other options.
Strengths
Integrated 15-setting grinder, 15-bar pump and thermoblock heating in a compact body
Coffee quality is consistently praised by UK owners
Barista kit with tamping guide, tamper, mat and milk jug included
Show all (5)
Attractive design and small footprint; easy to clean for most owners
Well regarded by independent reviewers (Stuff 5/5)
Things to consider
Learning curve to dial in grind and dose, with instructions many find too basic
Manual steam wand only; some owners find it weak, noisy or hard to master
Some owners report leaks or failed parts within the first year
Show all (5)
Coffee can be cooler than some want, and 120 mm cup clearance limits tall mugs
Store spec listings disagree on power, tank size, grind settings and guarantee
Who is it for, and who is it not for?
Good for
Beginners to intermediate home baristas who want to grind, tamp and steam milk themselves
Smaller kitchens needing an espresso machine with a built-in grinder
May not suit
People wanting one-touch, automatic milk drinks
Those who mainly drink large mugs of very hot coffee
The UK black version is coded EC9155.MB by De'Longhi. Amazon.co.uk's 'EC9155.BK' listing carries the same EAN (8004399022324), so it is the same product sold under a different label.
15-bar pump with a thermoblock heater, 1400 W, three coffee temperature settings (Active Temperature Control) and three preset recipes: espresso, Americano and hot water.
Coffee quality is the most praised point among UK store reviewers, with several comparing it to coffee-shop drinks; a trained barista reviewer called it impressive and simple to use.
Many owners find it easy to use once set up, but a large share describe a learning curve: dialling in grind and dose by trial and error, often with help from online videos.
A minority of reviewers report faults within months to about a year: water leaking from the base, the milk frother or bean sensor failing, a broken pressure gauge after descaling, or the machine stopping altogether. Some also complained about repair turnaround.
Owners frequently praise the looks and the compact footprint. A few note the brushed steel finish marks easily, and Stuff found the metal top tray scratched.
Owners in hard-water areas report frequent descaling prompts. One reviewer found the grinder very loud, another notes the grinder cannot be taken apart to clean, and several call the machine easy to clean.
Stuff scored it 5/5 ('A sleek, premium, easy to use bean to cup machine that makes excellent coffee'). Its cons were a metal drain mat that scratches easily, a knock box sold separately and a pressure gauge without numbers. Which? has tested the EC9155.MB but its score is behind a paywall.
Sold in the UK by De'Longhi direct, Amazon.co.uk, John Lewis, Argos and Currys, in black, white, green, yellow and blue (blue is an online exclusive at De'Longhi).
15-bar pump with a thermoblock heater, 1400 W, three coffee temperature settings (Active Temperature Control) and three preset recipes: espresso, Americano and hot water.
Coffee quality is the most praised point among UK store reviewers, with several comparing it to coffee-shop drinks; a trained barista reviewer called it impressive and simple to use.
Many owners find it easy to use once set up, but a large share describe a learning curve: dialling in grind and dose by trial and error, often with help from online videos.
A minority of reviewers report faults within months to about a year: water leaking from the base, the milk frother or bean sensor failing, a broken pressure gauge after descaling, or the machine stopping altogether. Some also complained about repair turnaround.
Owners frequently praise the looks and the compact footprint. A few note the brushed steel finish marks easily, and Stuff found the metal top tray scratched.
Owners in hard-water areas report frequent descaling prompts. One reviewer found the grinder very loud, another notes the grinder cannot be taken apart to clean, and several call the machine easy to clean.
Stuff scored it 5/5 ('A sleek, premium, easy to use bean to cup machine that makes excellent coffee'). Its cons were a metal drain mat that scratches easily, a knock box sold separately and a pressure gauge without numbers. Which? has tested the EC9155.MB but its score is behind a paywall.
Sold in the UK by De'Longhi direct, Amazon.co.uk, John Lewis, Argos and Currys, in black, white, green, yellow and blue (blue is an online exclusive at De'Longhi).
UK owners mostly rate the coffee highly, often comparing it to coffee-shop drinks, and like the retro looks, compact footprint and the tamping guide that keeps dosing tidy. It is generally seen as a good first manual espresso machine, but expect a learning curve: grind and dose need dialling in, and many say the supplied instructions are too basic, so they relied on online videos. The steam wand splits opinion: plenty make good latte milk, while others find it weak, noisy or hard to get silky milk from. A minority report faults within months to about a year, mainly water leaking from the base, the frother or bean sensor failing, or the machine stopping altogether, and some were unhappy with repair times. Smaller complaints are coffee not hot enough, low cup clearance for big mugs, a loud grinder, frequent descaling in hard-water areas and steel that marks easily.
What buyers like
Coffee quality praised, often likened to coffee shops79 reviews
Easy to use once set up56 reviews
Attractive design and looks29 reviews
Steam wand produces good milk13 reviews
Easy to clean13 reviews
Compact on the worktop12 reviews
Common complaints
Faults within months or a year (leaks, frother/sensor failure, stopped working)10 reviews
Milk steaming problems: weak, noisy or hard to get silky milk9 reviews
Instructions too basic for setup7 reviews
Better suited to small cups; small jug or low clearance3 reviews
Frequent descaling needed2 reviews
Brushed steel marks easily2 reviews
Other observations
Learning curve: dialling in grind and dose takes trial and error30 reviews
How was this summary made?
Summarised from 117 reviews; 4 reviews about delivery, packaging or the seller were left out. The summary is drawn from opinions that recur in the reviews read; each theme shows how many reviews mention it. These counts are not a rate and do not apply to every unit.
117 unique reviews: John Lewis 90 (all, via API pages 1-5), Amazon.co.uk EC9155.BK listing 12 (8 UK + 4 Saudi, on-page duplicates removed), Amazon EC9155.MB listing 5 (Australian), Argos 10 (newest). Currys text not read. Theme counts were hand-tallied by store (John Lewis counts approximate) and summed. Off-topic excluded: 3 gift-only and 1 used-item/packaging complaint.
Show reviews (21 of 117)Read the texts as published by the store
21 original reviews can be listed on this page. The number of reviews analysed may differ.
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V***5/516 October 2026AmazonColour Name: Metal Black
The De’Longhi La Specialista Arte is a lovely espresso machine, although I have to admit it takes a bit of getting used to at first. There is a little bit of a learning curve, especially if you are new to making coffee this way, but once you get to grips with how everything works, it really is a great machine. …
M***5/523 September 2026AmazonColour Name: Metal Black
Took a while to learn to make a perfect cappuccino, lovely machine perfect for me as I love my coffee
C*** G***3/526 August 2026AmazonColour Name: Metal Black
Loved this but one year on and it no longer works. In process of negotiating with manufacturer.
A*** C***4/53 August 2026AmazonColour Name: Metal Black
- the grinder is sooooo loud, or maybe it's just me, but it wakes my son everytime I use it. …
L***5/515 January 2026AmazonColour Name: Metal Black
I especially love the milk frother wand - literally make it as if you have cream on top of your latte! The milk jug that comes with it, is perfect - though we did also buy another larger one so I can do x2 lattes at one time. …
S*** C***1/53 April 2025AmazonColour Name: Metal Black
The machine itself is great—brewing delicious coffee with ease. Setup is a breeze, and operating it feels effortless. However, the product description claims it includes a Metal Tamper. In reality? That so-called “metal” is flimsy plastic. And worse, by the time I made my third cup of coffee, the tamper had already broken. …
d***5/520 September 2023AmazonColour Name: Metal Black
I have had this a few months now, it looks great, it makes great coffee (around 6 per day), its simple to clean and all round I am very pleased with it.
A***5/53 August 2026John Lewis
Really enjoying it, simple and easy to use! introduced via a friend, who has one for the last 3 years.
a***1/59 May 2026John Lewis
…after only a few months of extremely light use (roughly two coffees a day), both the milk frother and the coffee bean sensor stopped working properly. …
k***4/53 January 2026John Lewis
…really complicated to set up and the very basic instructions included are not very clear. … The steam wand for the milk is also very noisy.
2***1/511 December 2025John Lewis
The milk frother does not froth the milk. Raised issue with De Longhi but no response yet. I will be returning this item.
A***5/518 October 2025John Lewis
I am a trained barista who has worked in many coffee shops over the years, and this really is an impressive and simple to use semi automatic machine. Out of the box it poured a great coffee with only very slight grind adjustments and guided by useful De'longhi videos online. The milk steamer is easy to use and make consistent latte milk, and the build quality is excellent. …
T***2/511 September 2025John Lewis
After every use water was leaking from underneath, and we found it hard to create silky milk with the steam wand. Luckily we were able to return, and we've upgraded to the EC9455.M which has been fantastic.
H***1/526 January 2025John Lewis
Having used this machine for a week, it was leaking water from the base of the machine with every single use right from the beginning. Have only been offered repair despite having major mistrust for the manufacturing of this item. …
m***3/55 February 2024John Lewis
The machine is good for small cups of coffee however if you wish to have a normal size cup it is not the best. Somewhat disappointed in what the machine is able to do
R***1/513 August 2023John Lewis
…I previously owned a Sage which served me well. Foolishly bought this to replace it. It didn't last a year and now I'm stuck in the cycle of trying to repair it. Buy a Sage instead.
A***4/524 May 2026Argos
The coffee machine is brilliant. It grinds coffee very well . Makes the tastiest coffee ever! Very happy with my purchase
T***4/519 May 2026Argos
Bought after researching several machines. Very happy with purchase
A***4/52 April 2026Argos
Had it a month.Took a while to get used to it
J***2/522 December 2025Argos
For the someone who knows coffee this machine is not perfect and suitable very weak steam pressure, …
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4 videos · Timestamped summary
YouTube · Review
In Review: Delonghi La Specialista Arte EC9155 Home Espresso Machine
The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte is a capable all-in-one espresso machine that comes complete with useful accessories such as single-walled baskets, a quality tamper, and a hands-free grinding funnel. It features a fast heat-up time thanks to its dual thermoblock system, along with a commercial-style steam wand suitable for latte art. However, it is largely made of plastic, lacks a three-way solenoid valve, offers only eight grind settings, and has a non-removable bean hopper.
Why You (maybe) Shouldn't Buy a Delonghi La Specialista Arte.
The presenter highlights three major recurring issues reported by owners of the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte: defective selector switches, malfunctioning pressure gauges, and grinder jams that require disassembling the entire machine to clear. Viewers experiencing these issues are advised to return the machine under warranty or consider alternative options like the Breville Barista Express.
Delonghi La Specialista Arte Review - Best manual expresso machine?
The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte is a stylish, manual espresso machine with a compact footprint, quiet operation, and an innovative 5-minute cold brew feature. However, the tall water container may be awkward to fill under certain kitchen taps, and double doses can easily overfill the portafilter. It is best suited to coffee lovers who enjoy a manual, experimental brewing routine rather than a one-touch automatic experience.
La Specialista Arte by DeLonghi Review. Setup & Using.
The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte looks like a great home barista setup with a solid accessory kit, fast heat-up time, and an impressive dedicated long black function. However, it is let down by its built-in grinder, which only has eight settings that lack consistency between steps and cannot easily be dismantled for cleaning. The pressure gauge also acts more like a gimmick than an informative tool.
Metal Black · New · Available for delivery; free standard delivery over £40, next day from £5.99; free store collection; 30-day returns; 2-year guarantee.
This page is compiled from manufacturer, store, review and video sources; every piece of information links to the source it was read from. Technical values are as stated by the manufacturer or store; user experiences are summarised from the reviews read and do not apply to every unit. We do not test products ourselves.
