De'Longhi La Specialista Touch review: premium design, middling performance

De'Longhi’s La Specialista Touch combines a premium finish and a large colour touchscreen with an array of semi-automatic features, but a review by the Daily Mail found that its calibration tools and automated milk frothing deliver inconsistent results.

The £699.99 bean-to-cup machine is De'Longhi’s smallest in the La Specialista range and offers an in-built grinder, a dose guide and a tamper, a "bean adapt" calibration routine, and an automated milk frother. The reviewer said the machine can produce a good espresso with a pleasing crema after a period of manual adjustment, but that getting the most from its assisted features required more time and patience than expected.

The bean adapt function prompts users to pull several shots and taste them in order to find an ideal grind setting. De'Longhi is not the first manufacturer to introduce feedback-led calibration, but the reviewer characterised this implementation as slow and less precise than competing systems; experienced users, the review said, may find it quicker to make manual adjustments. After experimentation the machine delivered a balanced shot, but the process required repeated tweaks.

On design and build, the La Specialista Touch scored well. The unit has a glossy touchscreen that guides users through drink selection and settings, and the reviewer described the materials and ergonomics as "super-luxe" for the price. The machine's cleaning routine was also noted as tidy, with less residual water being dumped into the drip tray than on some rivals.

Despite those positives, the automatic milk frothing was repeatedly criticised. The reviewer attempted to produce silky microfoam for latte art but found the frothed milk too foamy and not smooth enough for consistent milk-texture work. That shortcoming separates the La Specialista Touch from higher-priced alternatives and some cheaper options that handle milk-based drinks more reliably.

Functionally the La Specialista sits between fully automatic super-automatic machines and more hands-on semi-automatic units. It grinds and doses beans automatically but still requires the user to tamp the puck—the unit ships with a tamper and mat—and to move the portafilter by hand. It does not include a knock box in the package, which the reviewer noted as an omission that buyers should factor into the overall cost and setup.

Comparisons in the review positioned the La Specialista against the Sage (Breville) Barista Touch and the Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier. The Barista Touch, typically priced closer to £1,000, delivered smoother extraction and superior milk frothing in the reviewer’s experience, while the Ninja, at around £549.99, offered better milk performance at a lower price but without the same premium touchscreen finish. De'Longhi’s own Rivelia, a fully automatic model selling for roughly £749.99, was suggested as an alternative for buyers who prioritise a fuss-free milk experience and a touchscreen interface.

Customer sentiment on De'Longhi’s website averages about four out of five for La Specialista models, the review noted, with purchasers praising the machine’s design and coffee flavour but flagging difficulties with grind calibration and milk foaming in some one-star reviews.

The Daily Mail review was carried out over at least a week of hands-on testing, reflecting the outlet’s standard procedures for appliance reviews. The reviewer, who specialises in kitchen products and has years of product-review experience, evaluated the La Specialista Touch on performance, coffee quality, design, ease of use and cleaning.

For shoppers, the review’s central finding was pragmatic: the La Specialista Touch delivers a stylish, well-built home espresso experience and can produce good espresso once dialled in, but its assisted calibration and automatic milk frothing do not consistently match the performance of some rivals. Design-oriented buyers who value a tactile touchscreen and premium materials may find it attractive; buyers focused primarily on extraction accuracy and latte-quality milk may prefer competitors that prioritise those areas.