Structured UK machine comparison · reviewed 24 Jul 2026
Sage the Barista Express ImpressvsDe'Longhi La Specialista Touch
Both are current integrated-grinder portafilter machines that add guidance to puck preparation. Sage uses lever-assisted tamping and manual milk; De’Longhi uses a touchscreen with guided tamping, automatic or manual milk and cold recipes.
This is an editorial inference, not a direct manufacturer comparison. The current De’Longhi promotional observation is lower despite broader automation; prices can change, and neither route has an independently tested advantage in drink quality or reliability.
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Option 1
Sage · BES876 / SES876
the Barista Express Impress
Buyers who want a visible portafilter workflow but would value repeatable dosing and assisted tamping
Current recorded price
£729.95
Published footprint
42.2 cm · manufacturer-published W × D × H order W × 36.7 cm D
Checked 22 Jul 2026 · direct retailer link · no commission enabled
The useful decision
What does the difference actually buy?
Both are current integrated-grinder portafilter machines that add guidance to puck preparation. Sage uses lever-assisted tamping and manual milk; De’Longhi uses a touchscreen with guided tamping, automatic or manual milk and cold recipes.
This is an editorial inference, not a direct manufacturer comparison. The current De’Longhi promotional observation is lower despite broader automation; prices can change, and neither route has an independently tested advantage in drink quality or reliability.
Interactive evidence table
Compare the whole ownership route.
Change the priority lens, detail level and ownership assumptions below. A highlighted fit is evidence for one selected priority—not an overall winner.
Select two or three complete machine routes2/3 selected
Lowest known starting basketDe'Longhi La Specialista Touch£499.99 including a connected grinder where required · delivery excludedNarrowest published widthDe'Longhi La Specialista Touch31.9cm conservative width · depth still mattersMost complete recordDe'Longhi La Specialista Touch91% complete · not a quality score
Decision lens
What matters most to you?
Choose one priority to surface the strongest evidenced fit. This changes the explanation, never the underlying data or table order.
Best evidenced fit for this priorityDe'Longhi La Specialista Touch
Lowest known starting basket at £499.99. A connected grinder is included where required.
This is a single-priority signal, not an overall winner or CoffeeScore.
Machine: Sage the Barista Express Impress (£729.95)
Machine: De'Longhi La Specialista Touch (£499.99)
Current retailer context
£729.95 · Sage UK · verified delivered · exact model verified
£499.99 · De'Longhi UK · verified delivered · exact model verified
Known starting equipment
£729.95
£499.99
Machine type
Espresso machines
Espresso machines
Capsule ecosystem
Not applicable
Not applicable
Checked pod-cost example
Not applicable
Not applicable
Daily effort
Medium
Medium
Milk workflow
Manual steam wand
Auto LatteArt or manual · 4 temperatures, 5 foam levels
Built-in grinder
25 settings
Yes · 15 settings
Best for
Buyers who want a visible portafilter workflow but would value repeatable dosing and assisted tamping
Buyers who want café-style espresso and milk drinks with on-screen guidance, but still want to handle a portafilter
Main trade-off
This is not a one-touch machine: the owner still transfers, locks and empties the portafilter and textures milk manually. Intelligent dosing is correction based on the previous grind, not a built-in weighing scale. Sage publishes the dimensions as 42.2 × 36.7 × 31cm W × D × H; check the exact worktop placement because the order looks unusual. Taste, milk, noise, energy and reliability remain independently untested, so no CoffeeScore is published.
This is not one-touch bean-to-cup: you grind into a portafilter, tamp, move it to the group, brew, empty the puck and wipe the milk wand after every use. Published data also conflict: the manual says a 180g hopper and 46cm depth, while Currys says 250g and De’Longhi's sales specification says 36.7cm depth. Measure for the manual's larger footprint and treat nine-versus-ten recipe wording as marketing variation, not an extra drink. Independent taste, milk, noise and durability tests are pending.
Change the assumptions to match your household. Pod machines use the same editable capsule figure for a like-for-like scenario; the table above shows when an exact checked system example exists. Other machines use bean cost and dose. A connected grinder is included where the machine needs one.
2,190 coffees
Sage
the Barista Express Impress
Starting equipment
£730
Coffee beans
£841
Known maintenance
£0
Estimated total
£1,571
Known cost per cup
£0.72
De'Longhi
La Specialista Touch
Starting equipment
£500
Coffee beans
£841
Known maintenance
£0
Estimated total
£1,341
Known cost per cup
£0.61
Planning estimate only. It includes only maintenance with priced, model-specific cadence. It excludes milk, water, electricity, repairs, optional accessories and delivery. Recorded equipment prices can change; always check the retailer’s final price.