Delonghi La Specialista Opera EC9555 Review and Test

What is the EC9555 La Specialista Opera?

The Opera is a “semi-automatic” espresso machine. This means that it includes a (1) grinder and (2) espresso brewer in one unit, saving space on the counter. It also has an integrated tamper lever on the left side, which makes things easier, and cleaner as well. It has a steam wand on the right side of the machine, operated through the large, round, knurled dial as seen above.

Contrast this to a fully automatic, such as the Magnifica Plus, which does the tamping, extracting and puck ejection itself. Otherwise, one could also buy a separate grinder and espresso machine, but this will create more mess on your counter, and may take up more space.

Anyway, I find that semi-automatics and separate units have the edge when it comes to espresso brewing. See the extraction below, done with Lavazza Decaf beans.

Right out of the box, the Opera has been doing really well for espresso. The above shot is a double shot with 16 grams of coffee powder in, ground at a level of 10 on the grinder, and at medium temperature. Something you’ll notice in the above picture is a newer design of the portafilter spouts: they have a new, nicely curved design, looking more professional than before.

How Delonghi has redeemed itself with the Opera.

When Delonghi first released the La Specialista line a few years back, I have to admit I was slightly disappointed. Here I thought they finally made a machine to compete with Breville’s Barista Express, only to find that it had too few grind settings, originally came with pressurized baskets, and even came equipped with non-professional panarello steam wands.

Since then however, Delonghi has made some nice improvements. Ever since the EC9155 model, they have included a non-burn, proper steam wand and non-pressurized baskets. Even so, the EC9155 came also with just 8 grind settings – too few to properly dial in for espresso.

Fast forward to 2025, and you get a much better machine with the Opera. It finally comes with 15 grind settings on the grinder, a 3 way solenoid valve to take pressure off the puck, and it even comes with a feature I’ve never seen before, but more on that later.

PLUS, the Opera comes with cool drinks: namely a cold brew and a “cool espresso.” I find that these cold drinks do in fact bring out sweeter flavor notes, although at the expense of a lighter texture. These extract around 25-30°C, or about 77-85 °F, making them nice to put over ice.

Design and HMI

It was late 2024 when I walked into my local electronics store, and saw the Opera for the first time. I have to say, I was quite struck with the machine. I am used to Delonghi using quite a bit of plastic on their machines, especially on the fascia. But in the case of the Opera, is is an all metal design – even the fascia is a brushed and non-magnetic grade of stainless steel.

I find that the HMI, or instrument panel, is laid out logically, and fits well to the aesthetics of the stainless fascia. You’ll find the “dose level” dial on the left – essentially a timer for how long the grinder should grind. Then, to the right of that are two push buttons, to select whether you’re grinding for a single or double espresso.

The “OK” button serves as both a button to wake up the machine from sleep, and to start the shot.

Above the OK button is a handsome manometer, with a deep black dial color, adorned with white ticks and a white dial hand to show the pressure. There are no bar markings, but I am guessing that 12 o’clock is 9 bar, as it normally is.

Shifting our focus to the right hand of the instrument panel, we see a temperature selection for low, medium and high. To the right of that is a cup icon. Press this for hot water out of the water spout.

Finally, there is a rotary dial to choose between the drinks:

• Espresso Cool
• Cold Brew
• Espresso
• Americano
• Coffee

Did you notice something about the picture below? The OK button is illuminated blue, instead of white. This is an extra indicator that a cold drink has been selected. Additionally, the temperature button is disabled.

One more thing to notice are the icons the the upper right of the panel. These icons show stati of the machine, such as tamper status, minimum bean volume in the hopper, error or time to backflush, time to descale, low water warning, and steam mode.

1. Tamper lever is ajar, and prohibts grounds from reaching the inserted portafilter
2. Bean hopper is empty or has too few beans (checked with photoeyes)
3. Reminder to backflush
4. Reminder to descale
5. Fill up the water tank
6. Steaming active

Special Features

I was really surprised by two things on the La Specialista Opera. First of all, the shots have been smoother and sweeter, better balanced than I was expecting. I mean, they are surprisingly good. Secondly, the machine is really quiet. I think they either dampened the vibratory pump inside, or they dampened the metal panels, to reduce reverberations.

Now here is the brand new, surprising feature, I’ve never seen before. This machine includes photoeyes in the bean hopper, to make sure you have enough beans! It doesn’t stop you from grinding, but it will warn you that you won’t have enough for a full dose – awesome!!

Another BIG surprise is the inclusion of a 3 way solenoid valve! This means that the pressure is diverted off the puck, into the drip tray after the extraction, so that you can quickly remove the portafilter after brewing. That’s awesome, and something that has been omitted from previous Delonghi machines.

Something else I really enjoy is the fold away espresso tray, that attaches magnetically to the back plate of the machine when not in use. Very slick.

So how does the Opera perform for Espresso and Cold drinks?

As I mentioned before, I am seriously positively surprised by the smoothness and balance of the drinks. Espressos are done with excellent crema and texture, with enough depth of flavor, and even with some sweetness. But it’s the balance that most impresses me. I’ve done shots with both caffeinated and decaf beans, and both have been excellent.

I’m honestly surprised that I liked the cold drinks, too, considering that I am not really much of a cold drinks guy. But when I’ve extracted a “Cool Espresso” or “Cold Brew”, the machine makes a nice sweet drink, without bitterness. Of course there isn’t much body in these cold drinks, but that’s the nature of the drink.

Milk Drinks

The steam wand on the La Specialista Opera is a non-burn type, meaning that the steam wand doesn’t get hot. It’s got a single hole at the tip, making it easier for beginners to work with, in my opinion. It also swivels on a ball joint, so that you can move it into the position you want. Being non-burn, it’s also easier to wipe off after steaming.

The power of the steam wand is quite good – more than enough to get a good roll going, to aid in incorporating the milk. With a little practice, you can get super silky milk, for awesome milk drinks. Just know that it DOES in fact require some effort and practice – but it’s worth it!

What does the La Specialista Opera EC9555 come with?

Thankfully, the Opera finally comes with just about everything you need to get started on your espresso journey. All that is really lacking is a knock box. The machine comes with the following:

• 2 pressurized baskets (single and double)
• 2 non-pressurized baskets (single and double)
• 51mm heavy duty portafilter
• Small milk pitcher
• Grinder brush
• Back flushing rubber insert
• Descaler, cleaning tablets, water hardness
• Pokey thing for cleaning the steam wand
• Directions

Specifications

Here are the specs of the machine:

• 380 mm x 370 mm x 445 mm OR 15 x 14.5 x 17.5 inches (width x depth x height)
• 13.2 kg or 29 pounds
• 1550 Watt thermoblock
• 15 click stainless steel grinder, time based
• 2 liter OR 68 ounce water tank
• 20 second start up time
• 3 way solenoid valve
• Made in China

La Specialista Opera vs Breville Barista Express Impress vs Ninja?

I am sure people must be wondering which of these machines is best. Honestly, I like them all. The Express Impress is my wife’s favorite, for keeping the counter clean, and for its aesthetics. I love the Ninja Luxe Cafe for its super low price and flexibility in drink making. But I am also really liking the Opera.

I think you really cannot go wrong with any of these machines. You should probably choose one based on your aesthetic preferences, and which one fit your budget the best. They are all quite solid in my book.

Pros and Cons of the Delonghi La Specialista Opera

I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised by this Opera. It’s much better than the other La Specialista models that came before it. But it does have both pros and cons.

Verdict

I honestly think this is the best La Specialista release up to date, and that includes their more expensive Maestro line. This one, I really think is worth the money, at just under $1,000. Oh, and just for transparency, I bought this myself, at about $800 on an Amazon sale.

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