De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro EC9885.M: café-style coffee at home, without the hassle

Many people are drawn to portafilter espresso machines but put off by the separate grinder, tamper, scale and endless recipe tweaking. The La Specialista Maestro EC9885.M is built for exactly those people. It is a semi-automatic machine with a portafilter, and the grinder, tamper and steam system all sit in one body. You keep control over flavour, but the prep is far less messy.

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Key specifications

Compared with the previous EC9665.M, the main differences are the cold drinks and a few extra grind steps. If you already own the EC9665.M, it is hard to justify upgrading for those alone.

How to use it

The workflow mirrors what a barista does, with fewer steps:

1. Fill the tank with fresh filtered water and add beans to the hopper. It is better not to fill it to the brim; keep enough for a few days.
2. Choose your drink with the dial and pick the portion size: a one-cup or two-cup basket.
3. Place the portafilter under the grinder outlet and start grinding. A dedicated dial sets the dose.
4. Tamp with the lever on the Smart Tamping station. The pressure is the same every time.
5. Lock the portafilter into the group head, pick a temperature and press OK.
6. Watch the pressure gauge. If the needle stays in the optimal zone, your grind and dose are about right. Too fast and weak means grind finer. Too slow means grind coarser.
7. For milk, use LatteCrema (automatic) or the steam wand (manual, if you want to pour latte art).

Expect a few days of dialling in. That is normal: the machine will not memorise the perfect taste for you, but it helps you repeat it.

Which coffee to use

The grinder is good, but it is still a home grinder, so the beans you choose affect both taste and the lifespan of the mechanism.

• Fresh roast. Aim for beans roasted within the last 4–6 weeks. Fresh coffee gives dense crema and a steady flow.
• Medium and medium-dark roasts. These are the safest choice for espresso and milk drinks: rounded flavour without sharp acidity.
• Light roasts. Good if you enjoy fruity or berry notes. The beans are denser, so expect to grind finer and use a higher brew temperature.
• Very oily dark beans. Avoid them: oil builds up on the burrs and channels, so you will need to clean more often.
• Flavoured or glazed beans. Skip them, as they quickly foul the grinder.
• Cold Brew. Use fresh beans and fresh water. Before making a cold drink, empty the tank, rinse it and refill.

How to look after it

Common problems

• A learning curve. In the first days the coffee may swing between sour and bitter. Change one variable at a time: grind first, then dose, then temperature.
• Coffee flows slowly or not at all. Usual causes are a grind that is too fine, a clogged basket, a tank that is not fully seated, or limescale. Start by grinding coarser and checking the tank.
• Milk foam stops early. Some owners report that LatteCrema stops heating before the milk is hot enough. Use very cold milk and watch the fill level in the jug.
• The machine will not start brewing. If only the hot water light is on, check that the tank is full and seated properly, that beans are loaded and that the portafilter is not blocked. If that fails, contact a service centre.
• Size and weight. This is a large machine. Measure your counter and the clearance under wall cabinets before buying.
• Price. This is a premium model, and some features, such as Cold Brew, are not needed by everyone.

Who it is for