Is the Delonghi La Specialista Prestigio worth buying?

Hey there! I am glad you made your way here to COFFEE GRUMP. Full disclaimer – I am a tech guy, not a sales guy. I love coffee and I service the equipment that grinds and brews it for you. If you are looking for a ‘right fix’ not a ‘quick fix’ this is the spot for you. So, grab your cuppa’ Joe and read on…Cheers!

Is the Delonghi Prestigio a good machine?

Remember, I’m a coffee/ espresso technician so I am going to give you my opinion on the Delonghi Prestigio from a technical point of view.

YES! the Delonghi Prestigio is worth buying! Delonghi has worked out many design and user issues of the previous La Specialista.

Here are my reasons why I think the Delonghi Prestigio is a good machine to purchase or even upgrade from the La Specialista. LINK Prestigio

When this machine was released, it had addressed so many technical issues from the previous La Specialista. On the outside, the machine didn’t change very much.

The display/control panel changed slightly, I won’t go into detail about programming etc. but for the end user, it makes a big difference in being able to follow descale and backflush procedures easily.

The frothing wand was a very big improvement from the previous version. As a user, it really gave a better experience frothing milk and in my opinion, performance is superior. The wand is comparable to a café espresso experience. This is the second-best improvement on the Delonghi Prestigio. Easy to use and easy to clean. Amen.

The number one improvement is the Grind adjustment on the Delonghi Prestigio it has been upgraded and now there is a very nice grind variance. The most important change on this machine was the grind variance. This being the biggest complaint on the first Delonghi La Specialista where you would need to grind at position 1 or 2 just to create a good pressure and good espresso.

Internally there has been a lot of changes as well. The boiler and water delivery system has improved substantially and has reduced from 2 pumps to one. There is an increase in the number of solenoid valves, but I have had very little issues with the solenoid valves in either machine (good news if you have after warranty service).

The best new cleaning option introduced to the Delonghi Prestigio was Delonghi included the cleaning cycle of backflushing the unit. This is a very quick and easy cleaning cycle, but the reward is the long-term health of your Delonghi Prestigio.

The 3 biggest issues of the Delonghi La Specialista that have been fixed in the Prestigio

I think we have to review a bit on the first La Specialista. The first Delonghi La Specialista was the first generation of this series, and I would be kind if I said it only had a few problems. Don’t get me wrong though, I love the machine. But there were some issues that have been thankfully worked out in the Prestigio

Grind coarseness

This is the biggest and most widely complained about the issue. Users have a hard time pulling a good shot unless they were at the grind setting of 2 or 1, and are stuck to that adjustment. There is no fix for this. Unfortunately, the user is very confined by this with no options.

Adjustment collar disconnecting

This kept me busy for sure. It is quick to turn around for this service, but it was happening all the time. I made a popular video just for this issue.

Descale light won’t turn off

This machine is very dependent on the sequence of the descaling process and many users were basically confused about the series of steps. It kept me busy performing descale. With the Prestigio the process is clear and step by step. Less scary to perform

Of course, there were many other issues related to the La Specialista, but the list would be long and less relatable to this comparison.

Should I upgrade to the Delonghi La Specialista Prestigio?

YES! Absolutely, the Delonghi Prestigio is worth upgrading.

Delonghi has a nice lineup for the La Specialista now, and the good news is they have worked out all the service issues in the first La Specialista.

If you’re looking for the best price on the Prestigio, you can check Amazon and see if the Prestigio is on sale, which can save you some money.

Depending on your budget you can consider these other machines in the La Specialista series:

Machine	Price Range (USD)	Check for sales on Amazon
Delonghi La Specialista Maestro	$750 – $1300	See on Amazon
Delonghi La Specialista Arte	$700 – $1300	See on Amazon
Delonghi La Specialista	$700 – $900	See on Amazon

I hope this article could help you make a decision on your next machine. If you want to save some money, there are many resources on my website to help you fix your La Specialista on your own.