Dalla Corte Studio: Minimalistic Design That Leaves You Breathless

Tired of researching Della Corte Studio reviews and reading feedback from owners? After putting in a lot of effort, you could find only a limited amount of information. But the good news is that your search is over—you’ve finally made it! 

I spent seven months testing this machine to discover credible features and factors that could be improved. Dalla Corte Studio is a great upper-range home coffee machine designed to help you become a true-home barista!

Summary: The Dalla Corte Studio

• Eight color choices to match your space
  
• Commercial grade group head
  
• Optional fixed-line plumbing

I have always been attracted by Dalla Corte machines and this one seems to be a great addition to their offers.

– guydebord

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Dalla Corte Studio Review

Dalla Corte set out to create the best espresso coffee machine for home and professional use. It should come as no surprise that the company’s motto is: “Be your own barista” (1).

Let’s see how.

Dalla Corte Studio Review

• Design
• Brewing capacity
• Coffee flavor
• Cleaning and maintenance
• Value for money

4.4

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Design – 5/5

Dalla Corte Studio is a beautiful and compact machine. Measuring just 12.6″ x 15.4″ x 15.7″, it is designed to fit comfortably even in small kitchens. But it still weighs 60 pounds, a testament to the quality of materials used. The major machine parts are made from stainless steel and galvanized zinc. Metalized plastic, including the bottom edge, is used only for the shiny grouphead cover. All the metal materials are powder coated and built to last.

It is a sleek and elegant addition to your home, office, or cafe. You can express your style personality by choosing one of eight colors, from basic black to funky red to retro mint green.

Brewing Capacity – 4.5/5

Dalla Corte Studio is a double boiler espresso machine with a 1.5-liter steam boiler and 0.5-liter brew boiler. You can pull a shot and steam milk at the same time, and temperature accuracy and stability are improved versus a heat-exchanger design. The boilers are relatively small for a machine of this price and size. It seems like Dalla Corte has prioritized a larger water tank, which holds 4 liters.

It takes about 15 minutes for Studio to heat-up once you’ve turned it on. From there, you can control the machine with a rotary knob and a single button. Plus, there’s even a USB drive for updating firmware.

On the right side, a display shows the temperature of two boilers, brewing time, and grams per second. Once you’ve pressed the knob just beneath the display, you’ll see different functions that allow you to:

• Enable the steam boiler
• Set steam boiler temperature
• Select the group head’s temperature
• Set espresso doses
• Control the led light
• Control the timer functions

I prefer brewing in manual mode because I enjoy being in complete control of extraction, and the display is handy for viewing the quantity of brewed coffee grams per second. But the automatic modes are useful on busy mornings.

Dalla Corte Studio features a commercial-style group head, but it doesn’t offer any means of flow control. With flow control, you adjust extraction pressure as you pull a shot – a fun variable to tweak in the quest for espresso perfection. The more common E61 group heads can be modified with flow control valves, but that isn’t an option here.

Dalla Corte’s 54 Portafilter: What Is So Special About It?

Dalla Corte uses a 54mm portafilter rather than the standard 58mm. You do lose some flexibility in third-party baskets and portafilters (2). But what is the difference between 54 and 58 portafilter?

A smaller basket size requires less coffee and less pressure for extraction (3). And that means that with a smaller basket, you’ll avoid channeling.

The coffee puck will be taller when the same amount of coffee is poured into the 54 mm portafilter. Coffee will taste richer and more flavourful as hot water drips through ground coffee more slowly and with less pressure. My personal opinion is that the smaller diameter makes it more forgiving because the water flows through it more freely, yet you can increase extraction with less coffee.

Note: This machine requires basic knowledge of espresso extraction, the dialing-in process, and milk steaming.

Milk Frothing – 4/5

The 1.5-liter steam boiler is plenty large enough to generate the steam power needed for a delicious latte or cappuccino. You can always use the display to crank up the heat for more power. The pressure gauge in the lower left of the machine monitors steam pressure, though I was a little dissapointed that there wasn’t a second gauge for brew pressure.

The steam wand features a silicone insert that keeps the exterior of the wand cool. This is great for avoiding unwanted scaldings, but it results in a slightly wetter steam versus a standard commercial wand.

Cleaning And Maintenance – 4/5

Use a damp cloth to wipe down all exposed pieces outside of the machine. Studio also has an automatic backflushing program wired into the machine, so all you have to do is:

• pop the backflushing filter in the basket
• add the solution
• start the backflush program (4) 

Value For Money 4/5

The Dalla Corte Studio price is starting to get into the eye-popping range. The single group head in the Studio is the same one you’d find on any commercial models for coffee shops. 

Considering its thermal stability, accurate digital display, powerful steam wand, easy maintenance and the quality of coffee you get—this machine is worth it.

Do Not Buy Dalla Corte Studio If…

• You have a huge budget: Even though the Dalla Corte Studio is up the price range, the La Marzocco Linea Mini is an effective single-group head espresso machine (especially if you are willing to spend extra money).
• You have a catering or mobile coffee shop: The Studio might work too, but the Rancilio Classe 5 has the most configurations regarding group heads and plumbing. In fact, the single group head Rancilio Classe 5 was intended for mobile coffee shops or catering businesses.
• You prefer the old-school look: If the Studio looks too modern for you, the Faema E61 has the opposite old-school vibe that you’ll LOVE. Yet it holds up in terms of espresso quality. For more old-school vibe options, check out Brasilia espresso machines.

The Verdict

The Dalla Corte Studio is a phenomenal machine to soothe your professional soul. The group head is incredible, the digital display is easy to use, and the color options are just icing on the cake.

Overall, the Studio will continue to produce high-quality espresso machines for many years. It’s just a matter of time before all of us will have at least one of their machines at home. And trust me—having that cup of Joe that comes straight from Dalla Corte Studio can be your favorite routine that helps you get the most out of your business day.

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