De'Longhi Opera Coffee Machine Review

De'Longhi Opera Coffee Machine Review

in Coffee Blog

If you’re looking for a home espresso machine that helps you grow your barista skills without overcomplicating things, the De'Longhi La Specialista Opera is a solid choice. At $849, it sits comfortably in the mid-range category – offering structure where you need it and flexibility where you want it.

Here’s our honest take after putting it through its paces.

Who It’s For

The De'Longhi Opera is ideal for home brewers who want to:

  • Level up from a pod or fully automatic machine
  • Learn hands-on espresso skills
  • Experiment with grind and dose
  • Enjoy cafe-style coffee at home without spending thousands

It's a great intermediate machine that helps you build confidence and consistency.

Design & Build

The De'Longhi Opera is sleek, compact, and clearly designed for home users who want something approachable but capable. It gives you the satisfaction of a typical espresso workflow – grind, dose, tamp, extract – with some clever automations, and without feeling intimidating.

It’s a machine that looks at home on a kitchen bench but still delivers a professional-feeling experience.

Performance

This is where the Opera shines. It’s intuitive enough for beginners but gives home baristas room to develop their skills. You can fine-tune your grind, dose, and extraction to get cafe-quality results – especially when paired with beans roasted for home machines, like our Smooth Medium and Rich Strong blends.

The pressure and temperature control are consistent, which makes it easier to learn how small changes affect your shot.

coffee shot pourint

Things to Keep in Mind

Every machine has its quirks, and this one’s no different.

1) The Bean Hopper

The bean hopper isn’t removable, which means cleaning or swapping beans can be a little awkward. If you like to switch between blends regularly (say, Smooth Medium in the morning and Rich Strong in the afternoon), it’s something to consider.

2) The Portafilter Size

The portafilter is 51mm, not the standard 58mm you’ll find on other machines. That means some of your existing accessories – tampers, dosing rings, or distribution tools – might not fit. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing before you buy.

espresso shot pouring from automatic machine

The Verdict

At $849, the De'Longhi Opera delivers excellent value for what it offers – structure, freedom, and reliability.

If you’re ready to grow your home barista skills and want a machine that will grow with you, this one’s worth a serious look.

Hopefully this helps! And if you're in need of more beans - you know what to do...

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Tags: Machine Reviews
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