La Specialista Arte vs Prestigio: Which Pump Espresso Machine is Better for You?
There is nothing better than a good shot of espresso to get you up and ready for the day, so it is no surprise that many in the world have developed a liking for it. But let’s be real here – a great cup of espresso can sometimes be really hard to find in Malaysia; what more about obtaining a good one every morning before we go about our duties and responsibilities for the day?
And if that bold, well-rounded, and full-bodied finish of espresso is something you need on a daily basis, then we’ve got the best solution for you – a pump espresso machine. De’Longhi Malaysia’s range of espresso coffee machines stands as more-than-viable solutions, with espresso makers from the La Specialista line being all-time favourites when it comes to delivering consistently great cups of espresso coffee.
Here at De’Longhi Malaysia, we’ve got two options for you to choose from in our La Specialista line: the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte and the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio. While both espresso coffee machines can produce flawless cups of espresso, each has its own set of nuanced advantages that may meet your needs better.
To help you make a better purchase decision, our team at De’Longhi has thus put together this piece to compare the features of the La Specialista Arte and Prestigio espresso coffee machines so that you can better understand their similarities and differences.
Integrated Bean Grinder
Both De’Longhi La Specialista espresso machines are equipped with an integrated bean grinder. The bean grinder has eight different grinding regulations for you to adjust the grind size more intricately, hence, allowing you to grind a large variety of coffee beans to achieve different flavours and aromas that would best suit yours and your guests’ taste palates.
These integrated bean grinders on La Specialista espresso machines are programmed to start automatically once your portafilter is locked in. As such, it helps you achieve a more even distribution in your coffee grounds with little to no effort. While both the La Specialista Arte and Prestigio are equipped with integrated bean grinders that work great in all regards, the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio has an edge over its counterpart. With in-built Sensor Grinding Technology that actively adapts to the types of coffee beans you use, allowing for a more consistent grind size and dosage to produce slightly richer shots.
Tamping Method
Tamping refers to the removal of gaps and air pockets between the coffee grinds to create a tight seal around the edges of the portafilter. When tamping is done correctly, you’ll have a flat and even bed of coffee for water to flow through, promoting an even extraction of flavour – this ensures that you can get every last bit of deliciousness and goodness out of your coffee grounds.
With that being said, the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte comes with a comprehensive barista kit containing a professional tamper and a tamping pad that you can use for precise and mess-free tamping. You can also find a dosing funnel within to reduce spillage and a tamping mat to help stabilise your portafilter when you tamp on the Arte.
On the other hand, the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio has a built-in Smart Tamping station designed for hassle-free tamping. All that’s left to do is for you to pull the lever without having to remove the portafilter from your espresso coffee machine. From there, the Smart Tamping station system will automatically apply the optimal pressure needed to achieve an even tamp and improved extraction.
Temperature Control
When it comes to brewing the perfect cup of espresso coffee, temperature control is an important aspect of your espresso maker you should not neglect. Depending on how dark or light your roast is, the few degrees of deviation from the ideal temperature can make a huge difference to the taste of your espresso coffee. For instance, when brewed at too high a temperature, your cup of espresso may end up tasting over-extracted and bitter. In contrast, low temperatures will result in under-extraction and a tinge of sourness.
The De’Longhi La Specialista Arte is smartly equipped with three active infusion water temperature levels (92°C, 94°C, and 96°C) to easily adapt to the different characteristics of your beans and roasting level to achieve textbook-perfect flavour extraction.
Likewise, the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio also comes with three temperature settings to cater to different roast levels. However, the Prestigio espresso coffee machine also has a more advanced feature – Active Temperature Control. These capabilities provide added stability and consistency in water temperatures throughout the brewing process. Using independent systems for heating water and steaming milk separately, the Active Temperature Control technology in De’Longhi’s La Specialista Prestigio allows for customisation. It can be useful in achieving ideal espresso brews that would best satisfy your palate.
Milk Frothing
Contrary to popular belief, milk frothing is just as important a process as grinding and tamping. When it comes to making a good cup of coffee, the result of frothing milk the right way gives you the texture needed to add a creamy, airy mouthfeel to your espresso.
The Arte espresso machine comes with a steam pipe you can use to froth milk on your own with just the simple push of a button. The steam pipe on the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte froths and heats milk rapidly to give you a ready milk jar to get started.
The Prestigio espresso machine is extremely similar in this department, but what sets it apart from the former is its ability to switch immediately from brewing to steaming without having to wait for the steam wand to heat up. In turn, this helps move the entire process a little more smoothly.
Both the La Specialista Arte and Prestigio espresso machines come with the De’Longhi My LatteArt Steam Wand that is cool to the touch and capable of creating velvety smooth milk froth for latte art.
Pre-Set Coffee Recipes
Pre-set coffee recipes on espresso machines can be extremely handy for all your rushed mornings. With just the touch of a button, you can have your espresso coffee ready to go quickly and effortlessly, with zero compromises on flavour and aroma.
On the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte, two pre-set recipes are available: espresso and Americano, whereas the Prestigio features three: espresso, coffee, and Americano. While both espresso coffee machines produce results that are sure to excite your senses and delight your taste buds, the La Specialista Prestigio takes it up a notch with its "my" function. It enables you to customise and save your preferred brewing configuration for pre-set recipes.
Drip Trays
Another noticeable difference between the two De’Longhi La Specialista espresso coffee makers lies in their respective drip trays.
The drip tray of De’Longhi La Specialista Arte is removable – when in use, it locks in right under the portafilter and will not budge once it is in place. On the flip side, the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio comes with an attached drip tray instead of a removable one – the small drip tray can be folded down whenever you’re placing an espresso cup under the portafilter.
Ease of Use
As mentioned above, the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio allows for more customisable use and results compared to the La Specialista Arte. However, such variations entailed by personalisation also come with a degree of intricacy in machine use.
In addition, the manual aspects of the Arte espresso machine — such as tamping and extracting — provide a good starting ground for coffee lovers to practise coffee-making fundamentals and put them on track to become better self-made baristas.
When put together, the De’Longhi La Specialista Arte is a much more friendly espresso machine for beginners and intermediate users. In contrast, the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio is more well-suited for advanced coffee enthusiasts with considerable experience and expertise.
Size and Compactness
The De’Longhi La Specialista Arte is designed to be more compact than the Prestigio, making it a more viable espresso machine option for smaller kitchens or homes with little kitchen countertop space. The exact dimensions of the Arte espresso coffee machine are 275mm in width, 365mm in depth, and 400mm in height.
In comparison, the De’Longhi La Specialista Prestigio is significantly larger, at 380mm in width, 369mm in depth, and 445mm in height.
The Arte weighs about 8.8kg, whereas the Prestigio is slightly heavier at 13kg.
Price Range
As the two La Specialista espresso machines sport different features, it is no surprise that their price tags are substantially different – the La Specialista Prestigio retails at a price that is slightly higher than the La Specialista Arte. Any purchase of Prestigio espresso machines is entitled to access De’Longhi’s Coffee Privilege programme.
Both espresso coffee machine with De'Longhi Coffee Privileges are great buys as they provide a lot more value than their cost. Coffee connoisseurs in the early stages of their coffee-making journey may want to consider the La Specialista Arte over the Prestigio since it is more entry-level friendly and affordable.
Still Can’t Decide? Let Our Experts Help You!
Besides espresso coffee machines, we also have a diverse range of coffee essentials, including fully automatic coffee machines, drip coffee machines, and even coffee bean grinders.
With so many options, we understand that choosing the right espresso or coffee machine for your home can be daunting, especially when you’re unsure where you stand or where to start in your coffee-making journey.
Hence, if you ever find yourself in such a dilemma, you can always reach out to our live coffee advisors at De’Longhi Malaysia at zero cost. Our industry experts are trained to recommend suitable De’Longhi coffee machines, barista tools, or coffee-making tips that will best meet your specific needs or preferences.
Shop De’Longhi Malaysia today, and check out our ongoing and upcoming promotions to get the best dibs on our coffee machines, household, as well as kitchen appliances.
