Can the DéLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo coffee machine make you a top barista in your own home?

If you're regular visitor to the likes of Cafe Nero or Starbucks and want to recreate that creamy and warming feeling of a freshly made coffee at home then the DéLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo could be the right machine for you. It's designed to make you a barista at home, allowing you to grind, tamp and brew your favourite coffee recipes from flat whites to cappuccinos in just under 5 minutes.
Our editor Claire, who loves a daily flat white, tested this machine at home for several weeks. Here's her verdict:

Setting up the DéLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo

There was very little 'setup' involved in this coffee machine. It arrives well packaged in a box and only needs some simple assembling. The only thing you need to insert into the main coffee machine body is the drip tray and water tank.
The extra accessories come packaged in a separate box and include; a dosing and tamping guide, a portafilter, a tamper and tamping mat, brush and tool to clean the milk wand. You also get a stainless steel milk jug included.

Making your first coffee

Be warned, there is some definite prep needed before using this machine and some trial and error needed to find the perfect setting to suit your coffee beans.

The ideal setting depends on your coffee bean type. The darker the roast of your beans the higher the number you'll need to set your grinder to. Unfortunately, the beans I use had no indication on the packet as to whether they were light or dark roasted, so I had to experiment with a grinding level of between 3 and 6 to see which worked best.
There is plenty of guidance in the instructions on how to get the perfect espresso dose. Again, this may take time as you'll need to make sure you get the right amount of ground coffee in your portafilter. Too much coffee and it will over extract and taste quite bitter. Too little coffee and it will under extract and taste too weak. To achieve the perfect extraction you need to make sure you fill your portafilter to the indicator line.

Using the DéLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo steam wand

Just like a professional barista you can steam your own milk, in a stainless steel jug with this machine. Again, it will take practice to get this just right as you want to achieve a smooth silky texture, not loads of foam.
I have previously owned a Sage coffee machine and found the milk wand on the DéLonghi not to be as articulated. I wasn't able to move it around as much as the Sage. I do find it a lot harder to get the texture of the milk I desire without being able to move it better. Unlike my Sage machine (that has 3 holes), this milk wand has only one hole in the nozzle. I found that having only one hole gives me less control over the steam compared to having three, but having only hole does mean the wand doesn't get as clogged up between uses.

Other features

You can make flat whites, cappuccinos, and Amercianos with this machine, and it can also make a cold brew coffee. This is a method of brewing coffee with the use of room temperature or cold water and uses a longer extraction time. I'm not a big fan of cold brew coffee but I suppose it means rather than making a coffee and waiting for it to cool down you can have cold coffee instantly. This feature does feel a bit like a gimmick and not entirely needed.

Cleaning the DéLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo

When it comes to regularly cleaning and maintaining this machine it's pretty simple. The drip tray can be removed and rinsed or put in the dishwasher.

This machine comes with a handy cleaning brush that should be used regular to remove any ground coffee or dust from the buttons and around the grinder. The milk wand should wiped after each use and put onto to steam for a few seconds to remove any milk residue.
When the machine needs a descale, a warning light will flash. You then simply follow the video instructions on how to descale the machine.
Rather than a filter the machine comes with a pack of DéLonghi soft balls which are placed in the water tank and limescale forming without altering the properties of the water. You can purchase more from Amazon for around £10 for a pack of 2.

Final verdict

There's lots to like about the DéLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo, it's very stylish and looks fabulous on your kitchen countertop. I also love that it's much slimmer than similar models so takes up less space and looks less imposing.
I've found, after some experimenting, it makes the perfect espresso for me. I've managed to get the setting just right for my favourite coffee beans. I also love all the accessories it comes with. The tamping mat is very handy to rest the portafilter on.
I do really struggle to get the milk perfect with the wand. It's very hit and miss, sometimes it's just right other times it's takes several goes to get it the right texture. I think if it had more movement it would be much easier to use.

This machine is ideal for a real coffee lover. Someone who is prepared to put the time in to get their morning coffee just right. Someone who is passionate about the taste and texture of their drink. If you just want a quick no-hassle brew every day then this isn't for you.