Encountering a big, beautiful espresso machine at someone’s house feels a lot like gazing upon the countertop equivalent of a vintage Bentley, or observing the mechanics of an expensive watch. There’s that covetable air of functional sophistication; the nonchalant cool that comes with a device that showers you with at-home cappuccinos at the pull of a handle (or push of a button, these days). Granted, these sexy Rube Goldberg machines are not cheap — so when a sale on a top-shelf brand pops up, I pay attention.
Right now, De’Longhi has kicked off a holiday sale that will last until December 24, and which chips away at its (otherwise) lofty price tags with up to $300 off its espresso and coffee machines. Below, I plucked three of the best, most affordable De’Longhi deals from the sale, whether you’re looking for a smaller countertop option or a cold brew-making beast.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25799706/Screenshot_2024_12_20_at_3.19.34_PM.png)
| De’Longhi
De’Longhi Dedica Maestro Plus Espresso Machine
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The most affordable option on our list is also one of the most small-space friendly. The Dedica Maestro Plus is a mouthful of a name, but it measures in at under 10 inches in width (and packs a 54-ounce water tank). This is a solid beginner’s espresso machine, equipped with detachable, dishwasher-safe parts, an automatic steam wand, and what I like to refer to as idiot-proof buttons (want one espresso? Push the button shaped like a coffee cup. Want two? Push the button with two coffee cups), which makes the whole operation less intimidating to newcomers. There are also three brewing temperature options, available at the (you guessed it) push of a button.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25799711/Screenshot_2024_12_20_at_3.21.44_PM.png)
| De’Longhi
De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine with Cold Brew
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Specialista Arte is the next level up in both price and frills amongst De’Longhi’s espresso machines. The machine’s grinder has four preset options, espresso, Americano, hot water, and, most impressively, a cold brew grind designed to work with the machine’s “Cold Extraction Technology,” which can make you cold brew in about five minutes.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25799721/Screenshot_2024_12_20_at_3.24.19_PM.png)
| De’Longhi
De’Longhi La Specialista Opera Espresso Machine with Cold Brew
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Specialista Opera is the kind of machine that deserves to star in its own episode of Frasier (whose espresso-fueled universe did, after all, once base an entire episode around an antique salt server). With a whopping 15 burr grinder settings, this workhorse is the kind of investment appliance that is designed to appease even the fussiest of coffee-lovers; it’s equipped with a 19-bar Italian pump designed to deliver precise pressure, a smart tamping function that supposedly takes the guesswork out of mastering the right tamping pressure), and the same cold brew option as its younger sibling, the Specialista Arte.
