$179.95
7.9/ 10
Why we love it
The Classic is for someone who wants a latte without learning a steam wand. The wand wears a frothing sleeve with two settings — hot milk for a latte, cappuccino for a stiffer foam — so the sleeve does the aerating that a bare wand leaves to your hand. That makes a cap of foam much easier to get right, and it's the trade: the sleeve won't make the glossy microfoam latte art needs. The shot side is a straightforward semi-automatic — fill, tamp, press single or double — with a Thermoblock heater and a 9-bar pump that stops at a preset dose you can adjust. It's wider and boxier than the Dedica line.
Pros
- Frothing sleeve switches between hot milk and cappuccino foam
- Single and double presets stop the shot for you, and are adjustable
- Thermoblock heater is ready quickly
- Simple four-button panel
Cons
- Sleeve makes airy foam, not latte-art microfoam
- Wider and boxier than the Dedica machines
- De'Longhi doesn't publish how long it takes to switch from steam back to brewing
