The counter area in my kitchen is expensive. It's valuable real estate and every square inch matters. So when a new one espresso machine comes to my door, I always have to play a high-stakes game of Tetris on the counter to figure out how everything fits — or who should be banished to a closet. When the De'Longhi Specialista Arte Evo rolled into my kitchen, I was ready to make some tough decisions.
Given the size of the box, I was sure the rice cooker or food processor would have to be banished. But when I took the De'Longhi out of the box, my devices breathed a sigh of relief. This is a sleek espresso machine and it fits perfectly without sending one of my favorite machines to a pantry gulag. It all started well, and it just got better – most of the time.
Sleek and consistent
The first few shots I get from an espresso machine usually require some manual work. If an espresso machine has an internal burr grinder, that's another thing I have to set up all over again. On the second shot I was happy with what I got out of the Specialista.
The espresso was poured into the cup in two streams of luxurious caramel-gold liquid, with the crema collecting in an even layer on top. I changed the settings and took more test shots to see how it performed with different grind consistencies and amounts for testing purposes, but with that second shot I knew I had found the sweet spot.
Photo: Jaina Gray
Something I always like about De'Longhi espresso machines is the buttons. Many different models from the company across the price spectrum have really good buttons. The ones here are a pleasure to use. They are raised from the surface of the control panel and the exterior has the characteristic concentric circles of machined steel; the sides are decorated with textured metal accents. One controls the amount of coffee to be ground and the other switches between the coffee brewing modes.
When you turn the grind knob there is a little resistance, just enough to feel like you have very fine control. The mode button gives a satisfying click when you switch from one mode to another. It's important how much fun you have using a device, and these little details make the Specialista Arte Evo feeling good to use.
The Specialista Arte Evo comes in at a wonderfully narrow 11.2 inches, saving me quite a bit of counter space, especially since this takes the place of two appliances, an espresso machine and a coffee grinder. There are smaller espresso machines – the new ones KitchenAid semi-automatic espresso machine is about as narrow as the Specialista, but most with a built-in reel are slightly wider.
Photo: Jaina Gray
Some assembly required
The Specialista is built-in conical burr grinder can grind coffee fine enough for espresso and coarse enough for drip or other brewing methods, so it can replace a standalone grinder. However, there is a small downside. The portafilter cannot be placed in place under the grinder unless you attach the “grind and tamp guide”. This part is a short plastic cylinder that locks onto the portafilter to guide the coffee grounds directly into the basket and help point the tamp toward the ground.
It's weird. The guide doesn't feel as high-quality as other parts of the Specialista, almost like cheap 3D-printed plastic. If you try to place the portafilter under the grinder without the guide, you will have to hold it there the entire time and the grinder will likely spill some coffee grounds into the drip tray. It feels like the grinding and tamping guide was added as a solution to the coffee grounds spill problem.