I’m an ex-barista — and this entry-level De’Longhi bean-to-cup is the best-value espresso machine I’ve tested so far

The de'longhi la specialista arte evo special edition truestart edition, with yellow body, showing the espresso machine attachments like tamper, tamping collar, grinder, and control buttons.

I test loads of the best espresso machines, so you know it’s a big deal when I proclaim that something is the “best”. But that’s the case with the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo: this is the best-value machine I’ve tested thus far.

So, I know $699 is still an objectively large amount of money, but in the grand scheme of espresso, it’s… kind of not? I’ve tested $1,800 machines without grinders, and I’ve tested $3,000 computerized espresso machines. The Arte Evo is neither of those: it’s a compact yet powerful $700 workhorse.