Keeps the grinder
De'Longhi La Specialista Arte
- Built-in grinder
- Dosing guide
Cheaper alternatives to the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch EC9455.M
Three cheaper picks. Each drops either the grinder or the automatic milk.
Updated 12 November 2026
Simplest of the three
De'Longhi Magnifica S
- Grinds and tamps itself
- 1.8 L tank
Same auto milk, no grinder
Sage Bambino Plus
- Heats in seconds
- Quiet frothing
The original
De'Longhi La Specialista Touch
Worth it if: You want both a grinder and auto milk
- Grinder plus auto milk
- Touchscreen drink menu
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What are you actually paying extra for with the La Specialista Touch?
What the extra money buys
- Grinder plus auto milk
- Touchscreen drink menu
- Compact for what it does
Worth it if
- You want both a grinder and auto milk
- You like picking drinks on a screen
Not worth it if
- You'd steam milk by hand anyway
- You already own a good grinder
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
De'Longhi La Specialista Arte
It's the Touch without the screen and auto milk. Tom's Guide found café-quality coffee out of the box from the Evo version; TechRadar found it heavy and noted not every part is dishwasher safe. It suits a patient learner.
De'Longhi Magnifica S
A basic bean-to-cup that CHIP found tastes as good as far dearer machines, with a few quirks. Les Numériques judged the range very good value. It suits someone who wants coffee at a button and doesn't need auto milk.
Sage Bambino Plus
Like the Touch, it froths milk for you, at three textures and temperatures. TechRadar liked how fast it heats; Tom's Guide found the drip tray small and accessories harder to find. It needs a separate espresso grinder.
Final recommendation: Keep the grinder and steam milk yourself with the Specialista Arte. Want coffee at a button? The Magnifica S is simplest. Already own a grinder? The Sage Bambino Plus keeps the automatic milk. The Touch EC9455.M stays the pick for grinder and auto milk together.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium |
| Type | Manual espresso with grinder and touchscreen | Manual espresso with grinder | Bean-to-cup | Manual espresso, no grinder |
| Milk | Automatic, 4 temperatures and 5 textures | Steam wand | Manual steam wand | Automatic steam wand |
| Drinks | – | – | – | Espresso, milk drinks |
| Grinder | – | – | – | None: needs a separate grinder |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water tank | 1.8 L | 1.7 L | 1.8 L | 1.9 L |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
What does the La Specialista Touch add over the Arte?
Automatic milk at four temperatures and five textures, plus a touchscreen. Both have a built-in grinder.
Is the Magnifica S bean-to-cup?
Yes. It grinds and brews by itself; only milk is done by hand.
Which EC9455.M alternative froths milk automatically?
The Sage Bambino Plus. It needs a separate grinder, though.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: De'Longhi: De'Longhi La Specialista Touch, TechRadar: De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: one of the best compact semi-automatic espresso machines you can buy, Trusted Reviews: The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is so close perfection, De'Longhi: De'Longhi La Specialista Arte, Les Numériques: Test Specialista Arte : la plus accessible des cafetières semi-automatiques de Delonghi, TechRadar: De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB review, Trusted Reviews: DeLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo Review, Tom's Guide: De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: The best-value bean-to-cup on the market, De'Longhi: De'Longhi Magnifica S, CHIP: DeLonghi Magnifica S ECAM 22.110.B im Test, Les Numériques: Test Delonghi Magnifica S ECAM11.112.B : un rapport qualité/prix redoutable, Sage: the Bambino Plus, TechRadar: Breville Bambino Plus review, Tom's Guide: Breville Bambino Plus review.