Breville vs DeLonghi coffee machines: Which is best for you?

If you live for your daily coffee injection and you’ve decided to invest in a manual coffee espresso machine, choosing the right machine is vital – especially if you’re looking to spend hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of dollars. 

The right coffee machine can mean the difference between a coffee-making experience that will bring you joy and caffeination in equal measure, and one that could leave you disappointed and dissatisfied – and headed straight back to the cafe. 

Breville and DeLonghi are two of the most prominent mainstream brands making manual and semi-automatic espresso machines.

Both have plenty of models available with various specifications and different price points, so they’re likely to crop up frequently when you’re researching coffee machines to buy.

Terminology explained

Manual and semi-automatic coffee machines are for people who want the hands-on experience of making their coffee exactly the way they like it, from tweaking the settings of the grind, to frothing the milk themselves for that perfect silky pour. 

Semi-automatic machines will automatically cut off the flow of coffee once a pre-set amount has been poured into the cup, while a manual machine gives you total control, requiring you to stop the flow of coffee yourself.

Breville vs DeLonghi: Which brand is best?

The best coffee machine for you depends on many things, such as your skill level, budget, and preferences for certain features. 

But you should also consider factors about the brand such as:

• how reliable their machines tend to be overall
• their track record in customer service and customer satisfaction
• typical extras their machines generally include, such as cleaning kits and stainless-steel milk jugs.

CHOICE Best Brand espresso machine

Each year, we use our test results, along with feedback from our members about satisfaction and reliability, to determine the best espresso machine brand.

The Best Brand espresso machine for 2025 is DeLonghi, but Breville is hot on its heels, and has been named Best Brand multiple times in previous years.

DeLonghi has the highest proportion of models recommended by our experts compared to the number of models tested, by a fair margin.

The two brands are neck and neck across a number of metrics: Breville is ahead on average test scores and customer satisfaction, while DeLonghi takes the lead (just) in terms of reliability.

Overall brand vs individual model

It’s important to bear in mind that in CHOICE testing, performance of specific models may vary quite significantly. So don’t assume that just because one product from a brand is good, that all their products are.

Ideally check the results of individual models in our espresso machine review before you buy.

Range and price

Generally speaking, Breville has a wider range of manual and semi-automatic espresso machines to choose from.

With a range that is always evolving, the brand currently has around 16 machines, from cheaper options such as the Breville Bambino ($399) and Breville Duo-Temp Pro ($429), up to the $3499 Breville Oracle Touch and the Breville Oracle Dual Boiler at $4349 (for serious home baristas!).

DeLonghi’s La Specialista range includes six main machines (the Arte, the Arte Evo, the Arte Evo with Cold Brew, the Touch, the Maestro with Cold Brew and the Opera), ranging in price from around $500 to around $1400. 

DeLonghi also sells more compact semi-automatic coffee machines (the Maestro Plus, the Dedica Duo Dedica Maestro, Dedica Arte and the Stilosa), ranging from around $150 to around $350. 

Features: What to consider

When comparing machines and brands, consider the features that are most important to you. 

For instance, would you like pre-programmed coffee recipes you can select at the touch of a button, with automatic milk frothing? 

Or would you like complete control of the process, including frothing your own milk, just like the barista at your local cafe?

Would you like to tamp your coffee with a hand tamper or a built-in tamper? Do you fancy making cold-brew coffee? 

Read more about the features to look out for in our coffee machine buying guide.

But CHOICE tester expert Adrian Lini says you shouldn’t base your decision solely on features.

“With coffee machines, the fancy gimmicks and features really can’t mask a machine that doesn’t function well.

“To get a good espresso, you need accurate and consistent pressure and water temperature. If you don’t have those then you won’t get a good coffee, no matter what.”

Adrian has put dozens of manual and espresso machines through their paces in the CHOICE labs.

“My experience is that the Breville machines are often easier to use – their controls are more intuitive and it takes less time to make a good espresso.

“I certainly know you can get a good coffee with a DeLonghi machine, but it may take a little more time to learn how to get the best out of the machine.”

Espresso machines $1000–$1500

• Breville The Barista Touch ($1499)
• Breville The Barista Pro ($1049)
• DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro with Cold Brew ($1399)

If you have a budget from around $1000 up to $1500, you may be considering one of these three machines. 

The Breville The Barista Pro ($1049) and Breville The Barista Touch ($1499) are similar machines – the main difference is that the Barista Touch has more automatic functions, including a touch-screen display with pre-programmed coffee menu and automatic milk frothing. 

The DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro with Cold Brew ($1399) is a manual machine that also gives you the option of eight pre-programmed coffee recipes, including cold brew, as well as preset temperatures to suit different coffee varieties.

It has 15 grind settings (The Barista Pro and The Barista Touch have 30 grind settings), and a manual steam wand. Here’s how the three models compare.

Espresso machines under $800

• DeLonghi La Specialista Arte ($649)
• Breville The Barista Express ($769)

If you’re looking to spend less than $800 but you still want to flex your barista muscles with a customised coffee experience, these two machines are probably on your radar. 

Both have been tested by CHOICE experts, who say they rank similarly when it comes to how easy they are to use, but Breville’s The Barista Express comes out on top in other respects (read detailed product reviews).

There are a few differences between the machines. The La Specialista comes with one 51mm pressurised filter basket, whereas The Barista Express comes with both one-cup and two-cup (single-wall) filter baskets. You can compare other features below. 

We’ve also tested Breville’s The Barista Express Impress, which costs slightly more ($949) but has an auto-dose and built-in tamper that our experts say is very easy to use and lets you make coffees quickly. 

Here’s how the two cheaper models compare.

Is Breville’s The Oracle Touch coffee machine worth it?

The Breville Oracle Touch is one of Breville’s most expensive coffee machines, retailing at $3199. 

One of the reasons it’s significantly more expensive than other Breville machines such as The Barista Touch Impress ($1999) is that it has a dual boiler heating system. This means you can extract coffee and steam milk at the same time (one boiler heats the espresso while the other heats the milk for steaming). 

Cheaper machines have a Thermoblock heating system, which heats water as it passes through a solid metal block, and means you can’t extract the espresso and steam milk at the same time. 

Adrian says: “When comparing coffee machines, look at whether they have a Thermoblock, boiler or dual boiler heating system”.

“While you can get good results from a machine with a Thermoblock, a machine with a dual boiler will generally give you more consistent, precise results that are similar to what you’ll get from a commercial coffee machine.”

Breville’s The Oracle Touch also has 45 grind settings (15 more than The Barista Touch), a hands-free auto grind and tamp feature, and a commercial-grade 58mm portafilter. 

CHOICE experts have tested and reviewed both machines in our labs and noted they both perform similarly when it comes to the taste of the espresso shots they produce, and on milk frothing. 

Head to our expert coffee machine reviews to find out more. 

Other important factors to consider

Bench space

Before rushing out to buy a manual espresso machine, it’s a good idea to look at the dimensions of the machine you’re interested in and measure the space you have available on your benchtop to make sure it’ll fit comfortably. 

Remember, if your machine doesn’t have an inbuilt grinder, you will have to make space for that, too. Plus, it’s good to have a little bit of extra space near the milk frothing wand so you’ve got some elbow room while you’re frothing your milk.

Double boilers or dual boilers vs Thermoblock

As mentioned, one of the features that makes some of the top-tier Breville machines more expensive is their double or dual boilers (the Oracle, Oracle Touch, Dual Boiler and Dynamic Duo machines all have this feature). 

Double boiler espresso machines have two separate heating units: one for steam and one for coffee, so you can make coffee and froth milk at the same time. This is handy if you’re churning out multiple coffees at once – or if you’re just impatient and want your coffee fix quicker! 

They also give more consistent temperature, because the water is held at the correct temperature inside the machine rather than always having to pass through a heating element (such as in a Thermoblock system).

Many Breville and DeLonghi coffee machines have a Thermoblock heating system, which rapidly heats water as it passes through a solid metal block. While this system means you can brew coffee quickly, you can’t extract and steam at the same time and you’ll generally get less consistent temperatures.

Parts, cleaning, and accessories

When deciding between brands, you should look at the ongoing costs and availability of brand-specific accessories, such as cleaning tablets and descaling liquid, as well as the cost and availability of replacement parts.

Fancy a cold brew?

More high-end machines are now including settings to make cold brew coffee. 

The DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro with Cold Brew ($1399) and the La Specialista Arte Evo Cold Brew ($699) include cold extraction technology that allows you to enjoy cold-brew coffee within five minutes.

Breville’s The Oracle Jet ($3399) and The Barista Touch Impress ($1999) also have pre-programmed settings to extract cold brew and cold espresso within three minutes. 

Although we don’t taste-test cold brew coffee as part of our review, Adrian notes that these machines make cold brew differently to a traditional cafe cold brew.

Traditionally, cold brew is made by either steeping coffee grounds or dripping water into coffee grounds for a period of time (usually 24–48 hours) and letting it filter via gravity. 

These coffee machines make cold brew by pushing water through the coffee grinds in the group head at a lower pressure than espresso, but they still use much higher pressure and faster speeds than a traditional 24–48-hour cold brew. Because of this, it won’t taste the same as the cold brew you’re getting from your barista.

Here’s what you need to know about buying a coffee machine with a cold brew setting.

How we test coffee machines

When testing manual and semi-automatic coffee machines, we give scores for each machine based on the taste of the coffee, how easy they are to use, how well they froth milk and the consistency of the coffee temperature. 

Our expert taste-test panel gives each espresso shot a score in a blind tasting (meaning they don’t know which machine made it), assessing:

• colour and thickness of the crema (the tan-coloured foam on the top of an espresso shot)
• aroma
• flavour
• mouthfeel (for example, creaminess or wateriness)
• aftertaste.

Below, we’ve compared similar machines from both Breville and DeLonghi at two different price points to help you choose. 

For full detailed scores and findings from our experts, read our espresso coffee machines review. You can also compare all our test results and more models side-by-side, using our compare all products table.

At the time of writing, the CHOICE espresso machine review includes 13 Breville and six DeLonghi manual and semi-automatic espresso machines, as well as models from other brands including Profitec, Kmart Anko (also available at Target), Aldi, Sunbeam, Rocket, Smeg, Gaggia and San Remo. CHOICE members have exclusive access to our results.

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Pru Engel

Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.  She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.  Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.  Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney. Find Pru on LinkedIn.

Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.  She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.  Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.  Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney. Find Pru on LinkedIn.

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Adrian Lini

Adrian Lini tests home appliances in the CHOICE labs, from espresso machines and kettles to vacuums, lawnmowers, pressure cleaners and more. Adrian studied Agricultural Science at the University of Sydney, focusing on plant genomics and molecular lab work. Adrian applies his love for the scientific method at CHOICE by using a hands-on approach to analyse a large range of products. His role provides critical information to help people buy goods that are worth their price tag. LinkedIn

Adrian Lini tests home appliances in the CHOICE labs, from espresso machines and kettles to vacuums, lawnmowers, pressure cleaners and more. Adrian studied Agricultural Science at the University of Sydney, focusing on plant genomics and molecular lab work. Adrian applies his love for the scientific method at CHOICE by using a hands-on approach to analyse a large range of products. His role provides critical information to help people buy goods that are worth their price tag. LinkedIn