Last updated: October 2, 2026
Quick answer: Our top pick in 2026 is the Rivelia EXAM44055 — our #1 rated choice. See the full ranked comparison, alternatives and buying advice below.
What’s actually new from DeLonghi right now
DeLonghi hasn’t released one single “newest” machine – they’ve refreshed three different lines in the last 18 months, and each one targets a different buyer. If you’re shopping in 2025-2026, the newest models you’ll see in stores are the Rivelia, the La Specialista Opera and La Specialista Touch, and the updated Dedica Maestro Plus. The Eletta Explore (cold brew focus) is also still rolling out widely in the US. They all make espresso, but they do it in very different ways, with different maintenance and learning curves.
DeLonghi’s strength is still super-automatics and compact semi-automatics. They don’t try to out-do Breville/Sage on manual control, and they don’t chase the ultra-cheap thermoblock market either. What they’ve done with this generation is fix a lot of small annoyances: faster heat-up, better milk texture on automatics, and less plastic in the brew path on the higher-end models.
The newest models compared
See also: Breville Bench Saver • Rocket Espresso Coffee Machine
This is the current core lineup. Street prices move a lot, so think in tiers rather than exact dollars.
| Model | Type | Best For | Heating System | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivelia EXAM44055 | Bean-to-cup automatic | Households that want one-touch latte/cappuccino | Thermoblock | Less control over shot; bean hopper swap is clever but not essential |
| La Specialista Opera EC9555 | Semi-automatic with built-in grinder | People who want to learn to tamp and steam manually | Dual heating (thermoblock + separate steam) | Counter footprint is large; requires technique |
| La Specialista Touch EC9455 | Assisted semi-automatic | Beginners who want guidance but real portafilter | Thermobblock with Cold Extraction option | Touchscreen presets limit fine-tuning |
| Dedica Maestro Plus EC950M | Compact semi-automatic (no grinder) | Small kitchens / single-drink makers | Single thermoblock | Needs a good separate grinder; small drip tray |
| Eletta Explore ECAM45065 | Bean-to-cup with hot & cold milk | Iced latte / cold brew drinkers | Thermoblock | More cleaning cycles; cold drinks are not true cold brew |
Rivelia: DeLonghi’s newest bean-to-cup
The DeLonghi Rivelia is the most significant new automatic. The pitch is two interchangeable bean hoppers so you can swap between, say, a medium roast for milk drinks and a decaf in seconds without dumping beans. In practice, it’s useful if two people in the house drink very different coffee. If you alone drink the same beans every day, you won’t use the second hopper much.
Inside, it’s a refined version of DeLonghi’s proven LatteCrema system. You get about 16 one-touch recipes, auto-frothing with adjustable texture, and a much quieter grinder than the older Magnifica Evo. Extraction is still fully automatic – you set grind, strength, and volume, but you don’t control pre-infusion time or pressure profiling. That is the trade-off: consistency and cleanup are excellent, but you can’t chase light-roast flavors the way you can on a manual machine.
Who it suits: someone who wants to press one button before work and get a repeatable latte, and who hates cleaning a portafilter. Who should skip it: anyone who wants to learn latte art or dial in single-origin espresso. The Rivelia makes microfoam, but it’s auto-textured foam – good for cappuccino, not stretchy enough for real latte art pouring.
Failure mode to know: like all bean-to-cup machines, the brew unit needs weekly rinsing and the milk carafe needs daily rinsing. If you leave milk in the carafe in the fridge for two days, the suction tube will clog. DeLonghi’s auto-clean helps, but it doesn’t replace taking the carafe apart. Descaling is also non-negotiable every 2-3 months in hard water areas or you’ll get weak steam.
La Specialista Opera vs. Touch: Hands-on vs. Guided
These two look similar but teach very differently. Both have a built-in burr grinder, 58mm commercial-style portafilter, and a proper steam wand, which is a step up from older Specialista models that used pressurized baskets.
The La Specialista Opera is the more manual of the two. You dose, tamp with the included lever tamper, and control extraction time yourself. It has DeLonghi’s Smart Tamping Station and Active Temperature Control with five settings, which actually matters if you switch between dark and light roasts. Cold Extraction is also here – it brews a low-temp espresso concentrate for cold drinks in under 5 minutes. It’s not cold brew, but it’s better than pouring hot espresso over ice.
The La Specialista Touch is for the same hardware but with a 3.5″ touchscreen that walks you through dose, grind, and tamping pressure, then saves profiles for up to four users. You still tamp, but the machine tells you if you were off. It’s less intimidating, but experienced users will find the presets restrictive. You can override them, but at that point you’re paying for guidance you don’t use.
Concrete trade-offs: Both need counter space (about 17″ deep) and both grind directly into the portafilter, so static and clumping can happen with oily dark roasts. The grinder is good for medium to dark roasts but struggles to go fine enough for very light roasts – you’ll hit the finest setting and still get fast, sour shots. If you mainly drink light, Nordic-style coffee, you will want a standalone grinder anyway.
If you want to learn real espresso craft without buying a separate grinder and scale immediately, the Opera is the better value. If you want the household to make decent drinks without you playing barista instructor every morning, the Touch earns its keep.
Dedica Maestro Plus: Still the small-kitchen pick
The updated Dedica Maestro Plus is not a revolution, but it’s the newest compact option and it fixes the old Dedica’s worst flaw: the steam wand. The new wand has better range of motion and more steam pressure, so you can actually texture milk instead of just frothing it. It also moves to a larger 58mm filter diameter and includes both pressurized and single-wall baskets.
There’s no grinder, so factor in a decent burr grinder. Paired with a good grinder, the Dedica can pull shots that beat any automatic on flavor clarity. Paired with pre-ground or a blade grinder, it will be worse than a Rivelia. This is the machine where the grinder matters more than the machine.
It is also the most hands-on and least forgiving. Heat-up is fast (about 30 seconds), but temperature stability is limited to a single thermoblock. If you pull two back-to-back shots and then steam, the second shot will run hotter. For one or two milk drinks at a time, it’s fine. For entertaining six people, you’ll be waiting between cycles.
For many apartments, a compact semi-automatic like the DeLonghi Dedica line is still the smart buy if you value counter space and already own a grinder. Don’t buy it expecting bean-to-cup convenience.
Eletta Explore and the cold-drink angle
The Eletta Explore is DeLonghi’s answer to the iced latte trend. It has both LatteCrema Hot and LatteCrema Cool, which cold-froths milk without steam. That works surprisingly well with oat and skim milk for cold foam. The “cold brew” button is really a low-temp, long extraction espresso – about 3-4 minutes at lower temperature. It’s smooth and less bitter than iced espresso, but it’s not traditional 12-hour cold brew. DeLonghi is honest about that in the manual, but marketing blurs it.
Buy this only if iced drinks are more than half your orders year-round. Otherwise, a Rivelia or Specialista with the Cold Extraction does the same thing with less to clean. The Explore has more auto-clean cycles and two milk carafes to manage, which is extra maintenance most people don’t need.
What to watch before you buy
All of these machines use thermoblocks, not boilers. That means fast heat-up but less thermal mass. You’ll get small temperature swings if you rush shots. The fix is simple: run a blank shot to heat the group, then brew.
Water matters more than the machine. DeLonghi’s water filters reduce scale but don’t soften very hard water enough. If your tap is hard, use filtered water and descale on schedule. Scale kills the steam thermoblock first – you’ll notice weak steam or long heat times before anything else. Warranty doesn’t cover scale damage.
For automatics, the grinder is not user-serviceable beyond cleaning. If you buy very oily, dark Italian roasts, you’ll need to clean the burrs monthly or the grind will drift coarse and shots will thin out. For semi-automatics, budget for a scale and a better tamper if you get serious; the included plastic tools get you started but not to repeatable results.
Finally, be honest about workflow. If you won’t weigh, tamp, and purge the steam wand daily, don’t buy a Specialista just because it looks more “pro.” The cheaper automatic will make better coffee in that case because it will actually be used correctly.
FAQ
Which is the newest DeLonghi espresso machine I can actually buy in the US?
Rivelia and La Specialista Touch are the latest wide US releases, with La Specialista Opera and Dedica Maestro Plus right alongside them. If a retailer is still selling Magnifica Evo or older La Specialista Arte as “new,” it’s previous-generation stock, often discounted.
Is the Rivelia worth the extra cost over a Magnifica or Dinamica?
Only if you value quieter grinding, more drink presets, and the swappable hoppers. Shot quality is similar – all three use the same core brew unit. If you drink straight espresso or Americanos, the cheaper Dinamica Plus makes the same coffee and is often $300-$400 less.
Can these DeLonghi machines make real cold brew?
No. They make a cold extraction or low-temp espresso concentrate that is designed to be served over ice or with cold milk. It tastes smoother than hot espresso poured over ice, but it is not steeped for hours like true cold brew. If you want true cold brew, use a separate cold brew pitcher.
Do I need to buy DeLonghi’s descaler and water filters?
You don’t need the branded descaler, but you do need a proper espresso-machine descaler (citric/lactic acid based, not vinegar) and you should use the filters if your water is hard. Vinegar damages internal seals and sensors. Use filtered water regardless to extend time between descaling.
Ready to decide? Our #1 pick for 2026 is the Rivelia EXAM44055.
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