La Specialista Prestigio EC9355.M

Go for it. And don’t get sucked into the accessory fomo that this sub often promotes (I’m guilty as well). This machine is going to come with everything you need out of the box. The thing is if you’re a complete beginner, you have no frame of reference, so this will work for you to learn the ropes and understand the basics. When you get the hang of things, and it can take years to do so, which by then the machine would have fully paid for itself and outlived your initial outlay, YOU, will naturally know what you’re lacking and look for upgrades with better knowledge. I personally started with a De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio, which I used for a good 3+ years before finally upgrading. And today, this is my station. I have so much stuff now because I know exactly what I want and how things affect my workflow and everything I buy is to specifically change something I feel needs improvement (for better or worse). I may not use all of them all the time, but I love experimenting, and you can only do that when you understand what you’re doing. https://preview.redd.it/95vqqr1aivbf1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7421946849ab9701e1e345940674cb1ecc89d41f

Thanks for replying. I had Prestigio for 3 years and Opera for 1 year so far. Fortunately never had a single issue. But I agree that the non removable hopper is dumb - it was removable in its predecessor. I also have a Timemore Sculptor 064S and a Cafelat Robot. But I mostly use Opera and the internal grinder as it's most convenient to me. The workflow is fast in the mornings when I'm in a hurry. Today I dialed in new beans on the first try, but thinking about your post, I took out the Robot and dialed it in with the Sculptor. It took me 3 tries and still I like the espresso from the Opera better. I'll keep trying the Robot, but I already miss the easier Opera workflow. Between Prestigio and Opera I pulled a trigger on Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus, 3x more expensive than Opera, had a bad luck and it was a dud right from the store, took it back and went back with DeLonghi, thinking I didn't actually need such an expensive coffee machine when the DeLonghi works for me. Anyways, your setup looks cool! 🙂

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!

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.

DeLonghi LaSpecialista. I've had min3 for close to 5 years, and it feels like it's still brand new.   I love the built-in tamper and grinder, and I love how easy it is to make great drinks with it.  If you're really into making a great espresso shot, you can buy replacement portafilters to replace the pressurized one that comes with it.  From what I've read, the new models have regular portafilters.  

We bought a De Longhi La Specialista as our first home coffee machine and love it! Grinder and tamper built in, the milk wand has a flat or froth option. So easy. Had it for 5 years and haven’t had any issues with it.

The DeLonghi Specialista is solid but honestly you might be better off getting a separate cold brew maker for like $30 and putting that money toward a better espresso setup. Most "cold brew" features on espresso machines are just iced coffee which isn't the same thing at all If you're set on all-in-one though the Breville Barista Express checks most of your boxes and has way better build quality than DeLonghi in my experience