Independent coffee benchmarks · No sponsored winners · Est. MMXXVI

Breville Barista Express vs DeLonghi La Specialista Arte

Buy the La Specialista Arte to spend less on the same all-in-one idea; buy the Barista Express if you want an ecosystem to grow into. Both have built-in grinders and manual wands. The Arte undercuts on price with a guided tamping station; the Barista Express has a higher ceiling and a vast accessory and community ecosystem.

Part of our guide to the best espresso machines.

Head to headHighest overall score: Breville Barista Express (8.1 vs 7.8) — but pick by how you brew.

Score
8.1/ 10 Higher
7.8/ 10
Price
$699.95approx.
$299.99approx.
Get it for
upgrade ceiling & community
best value
Portafilter
54mm
51mm
Grinder
Built-in conical burr
Built-in conical burr
Milk
Manual steam wand
Manual steam wand

What the extra money buys — The Barista Express costs roughly $250 more than the La Specialista Arte, and both are all-in-ones with a built-in grinder and a manual wand. The premium buys the higher ceiling: a much bigger aftermarket of baskets and accessories, and a large how-to community to grow into. The Arte's own answer is the guided tamping station, and it delivers a similar all-in-one experience for less.

Breville Barista Express
Breville

Barista Express

8.1
BrewSift Score
Excellent
$699.95

Approximate — verify the latest price

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DeLonghi La Specialista Arte EC9155
DeLonghi

La Specialista Arte EC9155

7.8
BrewSift Score
Good
$299.99

Approximate — verify the latest price

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Which one wins — for you

Best value
DeLonghi La Specialista Arte EC9155

Similar all-in-one experience for less money.

Upgrade ceiling & community
Breville Barista Express

Bigger aftermarket (baskets, accessories) and how-to community.

Score by dimension

BrewSift sub-scores for espresso. The longer bar wins each row.

DimensionBarista Express vs La Specialista Arte EC9155
Espresso quality
8.0
7.8
Milk-drink workflow
7.6
7.4
Ease of use
8.6
8.2
Temperature stability
8.0
7.6
Build quality
7.8
7.4
Cleaning & maintenance
7.4
7.2
Value
8.8
8.4

Specs side by side

SpecBarista ExpressLa Specialista Arte EC9155
Portafilter54mm51mm
GrinderBuilt-in conical burrBuilt-in conical burr
BoilerSingle, ThermoCoil
MilkManual steam wandManual steam wand
TampingGuided dosing station

The bottom line

The right pick depends on how you brew — match the machine to your actual use case using the “which one wins” cards above. If you just want the stronger all-rounder, the Breville Barista Express edges it on our overall score (8.1 vs 7.8).

More comparisons in espresso machines

Other matchups we have run side by side, same scoring, same spec sheet.