De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo vs Rancilio Silvia Pro X

A grinder, a real steam wand and cold brew in one machine

Scores higher on ease of use & learning curve, maintenance & cleaning, value for money.

The Silvia grown up: two boilers, two PIDs and soft infusion in a 25 cm wide body

Scores higher on shot quality & extraction, steam power & milk texturing, build quality & durability.

• +Cold brew in under five minutes, from a function De'Longhi developed with the Specialty Coffee Association.
• +Three infusion temperatures, which De'Longhi calls Active Temperature Control.
• +A manual steam wand, so microfoam and latte art are genuinely possible.
• +A dosing and tamping guide in the box, which is the step beginners get wrong.
• +1600 watts and a 56 oz tank, in a machine 14.4 inches wide.

• −De'Longhi's own page says 8 grind settings in one place and 15 in another, and never resolves it.
• −No portafilter diameter is published, so you cannot check accessory fitment before buying.
• −No bean hopper capacity and no heat-up time are published.
• −One finish only, and no display: control is by button and dial.
• −The machine is sold under two SKUs at the same price and one of them is out of stock.

• +Two boilers with a PID controller each, so brew and steam temperatures are both set exactly.
• +Variable Soft Infusion, an adjustable low pressure pre-infusion.
• +A brass group and chrome-plated brass portafilter, built like a commercial machine.
• +Only 250 mm wide, narrow for a dual boiler.
• +A pressure gauge and a display that doubles as a shot timer.

• −$2,195, and no grinder.
• −Rancilio's two sites disagree on basket size: 8/16 g on one, 8/18 g on the other.
• −No published pump type, warranty or warm-up time.
• −20 kg, which is a machine you place once and leave.