De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB review

The EC9155MB De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Espresso Maker creates smooth, rich coffee with a thick crema in just a few minutes.

This machine comes with a built-in steam wand for texturizing milk and can be controlled manually or automatically so you can feel like a real barista. It even comes with some handy tools to make filling and tamping coffee before brewing easier. There are, however, some components that aren't dishwasher-safe and it's relatively expensive to buy brand new.

We are however selling refurbished Delonghi La Specialista espresso machines at a great discount. Click on the link above and grab yourself a bargain. 

See how the Delonghi La Specialista coffee machines compare in this review of the different models. 

Quick overview of the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB

With the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB, the brand has released its most compact espresso machine. In addition to eight different grind levels, the built-in grinder allows adjusting how much ground coffee is dispensed into the portafilter before brewing the espresso. Freshly ground beans result in a thick, fully formed crema when espressos are brewed by the machine. 

Aside from brewing regular espressos, the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB is capable of brewing long blacks and double espressos - all thanks to the two filter baskets it comes with. As well as a built-in steam wand, this machine has a metal milk jug for texturing milk, or plant-based alternatives, for drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. 

A range of handy tools come with this espresso machine, which is great for baristas who hate cleaning up. This kit comes with a handy silicon mat for levelling the portafilter for tamping, and a dosing and tamping guide, which sits on top of the portafilter while the ground coffee is dispensed.

Performance of the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte

With the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB espresso machine, you can make a single or double shot within 24 seconds. If your first initial espresso or coffee is too hot for you, you can choose from three different temperature settings.

There are two spouts on the EC9155MB, enabling you to pour two drinks at the same time. Two coffee cups can fit comfortably side-by-side on the drip tray. Smaller cups can be raised closer to the spout with additional support - although it can only hold one cup at a time. 

In the case of a single espresso, the espresso machine dispenses 35ml by default and 70ml for a double espresso. It is possible to customise these volumes from 25ml to 90ml for single espressos and 50ml to 180ml for double espressos. Long blacks can also have the ratio of espresso to hot water tailored, as well as the amount of hot water dispensed at one time. 

This is a quiet machine too at just 55dB it generates about the same amount of noise as your fridge, so you won’t be waking up your household with your early morning brew. 

Design of the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB

EC9155MB is the smallest DeLonghi espresso machine in the La Specialista line. Approximately 28.5 x 36.5 x 39.9 cm in size, it measures 14.37 x 15.87 x 11.22 inches. Nonetheless, it's heavy at 21.5lb / 10kg, so if you plan to regularly lift it out of a cupboard onto your countertop, it might prove difficult. 

Despite the fact that there's no water filter for people who live in areas where the water has high levels of calcium and magnesium dissolved in it, the rear of the machine contains a removable 2.6 quart / 2.5-litre water tank. The integrated coffee grinder sits on the left side of the machine and can hold 250g. Under the bean hopper, there's a slider that can be used to adjust the eight grinding levels.

This espresso machine comes with two dials on the front, one for adjusting the number of coffee grounds being dispensed, and one for selecting the hot drink that you desire: espresso, long blacks (water mixed with espresso), or hot water. The control also allows you to choose a single or double shot, set the temperature of the coffee, and activate the steam wand and brewing process.

It comes with a single and a double espresso basket for the portafilter, and the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB produces espresso at 15-bar pressure. There is a slight difference in size with this coffee machine having 51mm baskets and the standard being 58mm baskets. A single basket can, however, hold up to 12 grams of coffee, and a double basket can hold up to 20 grams, which is enough to make espresso according to accepted industry ratios. 

The portafilter basket is filled with ground coffee using a dosing and tamping guide to minimise spills. Before brewing begins, a metal tamp compacts and levels the coffee grounds and holds the portafilter level.

There is a steam wand and metal jug built-in to texturise dairy or plant-based milk for longer coffee drinks that will accept cups up to 4.72 inches / 12 cm tall. It is possible to clean some components with a dishwasher, while others are best cleaned by hand as they are not dishwasher-safe. 

Conclusion

Of the many espresso machines out there, this one comes with a handy built-in grinder which means that you don’t need to have an additional grinder to grind up your coffee beans. It's also a clean machine with very little splash or spillage when tamping or filling the portafiller. 

This machine is also relatively inexpensive when bought second-hand. Have a look at our Delonghi Specialista espresso machines for more information. 

For those of you that are thinking about buying this machine or perhaps already have please take a look at the - Quick Start Guide

Happy brewing!