Breville Barista Touch
Score: 82/100
De'Longhi La Specialista Opera
Score: 82/100Rankings
The Breville Barista Touch (BES880BSS) offers a touchscreen-controlled espresso experience with a 3-second heat-up and automatic milk texturing. Its limited bean hopper capacity and lack of an automatic power timer may inconvenience high-usage scenarios. Best suited for busy home baristas who value speed and convenience.
The De'Longhi La Specialista Opera is a semi-automatic machine that combines a built-in conical burr grinder, smart tamping lever and 19-bar pump for barista-level espresso and fast cold-brew. Its size, weight and limited grind granularity are trade-offs for the extensive feature set. Best for intermediate home baristas who want an all-in-one solution with cold-brew capability.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
15 bar | 19 barbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 3 secondsbest | — |
| ↓ lower better | 9.89 kgbest | 12.8 kg |
2,000 mlbest | 2,000 mlbest | |
406.4 mm | 445 mmbest | |
227 gbest | — | |
393.7 mmbest | 380 mm | |
322.58 mm | 370 mmbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Performance(1) | ||
Pump Pressure (bar) | 15 bar | 19 bar |
Capacity(1) | ||
Maximum Cup Height (mm) | 101.6 mm | 120 mm |
Features(3) | ||
Steam Wand Type | Automatic | commercial |
Grinder Type | Conical burr | conical_burr |
Grind Settings (steps) | 30 steps | 15 steps |
Design & Build(5) | ||
Height (mm) | 406.4 mm | 445 mm |
Width (mm) | 393.7 mm | 380 mm |
Depth (mm) | 322.58 mm | 370 mm |
Weight (kg) | 9.89 kg | 12.8 kg |
Primary Material | Brushed stainless steel | stainless_steel |
Power & Electrical(2) | ||
Voltage (V) | 120 V | 220-240 V |
Power Consumption (W) | 1680 W | 1550 W |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Everyday users consistently highlight the machine's ease of use, speed, and high-quality milk texture, appreciating the touchscreen presets and integrated grinder. Common complaints revolve around the limited bean hopper capacity, absence of an automatic power timer, and the smaller portafilter size, which some feel restricts espresso performance for more advanced enthusiasts.
Professional reviewers commend the La Specialista Opera for its smart tamping lever, rapid cold-brew capability, and precise temperature control, noting that it delivers barista-level espresso with minimal user effort. However, they criticize the limited grind settings and view the 19-bar pump claim as marketing hype, while also pointing out the machine's sizable footprint and weight as potential drawbacks for smaller kitchens.
“Integrated 15-setting Italian conical burr grinder delivers consistent dosing and reduces user error.”
“Cold Extraction technology produces cold brew or espresso-cool drinks in under five minutes, faster than traditional methods.”
Everyday users appreciate the machine's ease of use, especially the one-touch presets and quick cold-brew function, and they praise the quality of micro-foam from the steam wand. Recurring complaints focus on the grinder's limited fineness, the bulkiness of the unit, and occasional extraction inconsistencies with non-standard beans.
