The counter room is in short supply in my kitchen. This is valuable real estate and every square centimeter counts. So when a new espresso machine arrives at my door, I always have to play a high-risk game of Tetris on the countertop to figure out how everything fits in—or who needs to be relegated to the closet. When the De’Longhi Specialista Arte Evo rolled into my kitchen, I was ready to make tough decisions.
Given the size of the box, I was sure the rice cooker or food processor would have to be banned. However, when I took the De’Longhi out of the box, my devices breathed a sigh of relief. This is a sleek espresso machine that fits perfectly without having to send one of my favorite appliances to a gulag’s pantry. It started off well, and it got better – for the most part.
Lean and consistent
The first few shots I take from an espresso machine usually require some finesse. If an espresso machine has an internal grinder, that’s just one more thing I have to adjust from scratch. On the second shot I was happy with the result of the Specialista.
The espresso poured into the cup in two jets 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 by the second shot I knew I had found the sweet spot.
Photo: Jaina Gray
What I always like about De’Longhi espresso machines is this Buttons. Many different models from the company in all price ranges have really good buttons. It’s a pleasure to use this one. They protrude from the surface of the control panel and the outside features 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 brewing modes.
As you turn the grind knob you will feel a slight resistance, just enough to feel like you have very fine control. The mode button makes a satisfying click when you switch from one mode to the other. It’s important how much you enjoy using a device, and these little details make the Specialista Arte Evo feel good to use.
The Specialista Arte Evo comes in at a pleasingly slim 11.2 inches and saves quite a bit of space on my work surface – especially because it replaces two devices, an espresso machine and a coffee grinder. There are smaller espresso machines – KitchenAid’s new semi-automatic espresso machine is about as narrow as the Specialista – but most with built-in grinders are slightly wider.
Photo: Jaina Gray
Assembly required
The Specialista’s built-in conical grinder can grind coffee fine enough for espresso and coarse enough for drip or other brewing methods, allowing it to replace a standalone grinder. However, there is a small peculiarity. The portafilter cannot be inserted under the grinder unless you attach the “grinding and tamping guide”. This component is a short plastic cylinder that snaps onto the portafilter to direct the coffee grounds directly into the basket and help guide the plunger onto the coffee grounds.
It is strange. The guide doesn’t feel as premium as other parts of the Specialista, almost like a cheap 3D printed plastic. If you try to slide the portafilter under the grinder without a guide, be sure to keep it there the entire time or the grinder will likely spill some of the coffee grounds into the drip tray. It feels like the grinding and tamping instructions were added to fix the coffee grounds leaking issue.