La Specialista Maestro with Cold Brew EC9885M

Get a good grinder. The dedica is a great little machine and the 885(?) is even good with steaming milk.   The only big upgrade in that price range would be something like a flair 58, if you like those.

You are wrong, I switched from $700 Delonghi La Specialista to La Marzocco! Way better taste and i have mine set to turn on at 6:30 am before i am up begore my morning routine! Machine tajes 5 min heat up time but it’s ysually on 30 min before my first espresso, and my mugs are hot as well!

Got a Delonghi Specialista, makes a good cuppa Joe. Espresso, Longo, hot water and a steam nozzle. Grinds beans too.

I used that machine everyday for 3 years until it died on me recently. It’s a great little machine! Though we since upgraded to the La Specialista and having the bean grinder is great.

Honestly for that budget, the Barista Pro is probably the sweet spot. The Impress is nice, but a lot of what you’re paying for is the assisted tamping workflow rather than major improvements in espresso quality. Since you’re already coming from a Dedica and seem interested in dialing things in properly, the Pro gives you more direct control while still being very user friendly. The faster ThermoJet heating system and stronger steam performance are also a noticeable upgrade for cappuccinos, especially compared to the Dedica struggling to keep milk hot enough for two drinks. I’d probably avoid the Ninja for now personally. The feature set is interesting, but there still seems to be too much uncertainty around long-term reliability and consistency. The La Specialista has some nice ideas too, but the grinder design and maintenance quirks would probably annoy me long term, especially if trapped beans are already a concern for you. The built-in grinder on the Barista Pro isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely capable enough for very good espresso, and the steam wand is substantially better than most machines in this price range. If the Express Impress drops further during Prime Day it could still be worth considering, but strictly from a value/performance standpoint I think the Pro makes more sense unless you specifically want the assisted tamping system.