If better coffee at home is on your wish list — or you already have a machine but feel ready to step up to something more capable — De’Longhi likely has an automatic option worth considering. The Magnifica Start (ECAM22061W) and Magnifica Evo (ECAM29083TB) are two of its most popular options; both grind fresh beans, prepare one-touch coffee and use De’Longhi’s LatteCrema Hot system for automatic milk foaming, so both ably tackle the core bean-to-cup experience.
The difference between these two espresso makers largely comes down to how much variety you want from your daily coffee routine. The Magnifica Start is the more approachable choice, covering the essentials with four one-touch drinks. Step up to the Magnifica Evo and you get seven, including Cappuccino, Long Black and MyLatte — an personalised option designed to use the exact amount of milk you pour into the carafe.
Pick the drinks you actually drink
The De’Longhi Magnifica Start is built around the everyday classics — espresso, coffee, latte macchiato and hot water for long blacks or tea, for example. This will likely make it ideal for most households, particularly if you want quick, consistent coffee without scrolling through a long menu.
If you do want a longer list of preset drink recipes to choose from, the Magnifica Evo deserves your attention. It adds dedicated options for cappuccino and long black, alongside a MyLatte function, to its seven one-touch recipes. As a result, it makes the Magnifica Evo a more flexible machine for households with different coffee preferences — especially if one person wants a stronger long black while another prefers a milk-based drink. The MyLatte function could prove particularly useful for anyone who likes changing the milk level from cup to cup, and is perfect for odd-sized mugs or travel cups, as it’s designed to use the specific amount of milk you add to the carafe, whatever that may be.
Which design suits your kitchen?
The design and footprint of a coffee machine can have just as much influence over its appeal as its feature set, because a machine that can perform every function you could ever need is no good if your kitchen can’t actually accommodate it.
The Magnifica Start is the more compact and upright-looking De’Longhi machine of the pair, making it the easier choice for smaller kitchens or anyone with limited bench space. Its controls sit on a more vertical front panel, which keeps the overall design simple and straightforward — ideal if you prefer to walk up, press a clearly marked button and get on with your morning.
It also stands out, not just compared to the Magnifica Evo, but in the wider De’Longhi machine lineup, by being available in white. The majority of De’Longhi machines are either black or finished in a gunmetal or titanium colour, and white may better fit your kitchen decor.
The Magnifica Evo, as mentioned, has a titanium-black finish which could be argued looks more premium. It’s a broader machine, with an angled control panel positioned across the top-front. The extra space available means each drink preset not only gets its own button, but a coloured picture too to help identify the drink you can expect to be made. It is still a sensible countertop machine, but its design is geared more towards people who want a little more interaction and choice from their daily coffee routine.
Neither approach is inherently better. The Magnifica Start makes more sense if a compact footprint and uncomplicated controls matter most; the Evo is the more appealing option if you value its broader menu and prefer the look and access of its angled touch panel.
The bean-to-cup essentials are shared
While the two De’Longhi machines may differ on feature set, the way they actually make coffee is virtually identical. Both the Magnifica Start and Magnifica Evo grind fresh beans for every coffee, use the company’s LatteCrema Hot system to automatically texture milk and they let you adjust the strength of your drink to suit your taste.
In this regard, it means the decision is less about which machine is capable of making the better coffee and more about how much choice you want at the touch of a button. Add in the fact that both feature a 250g bean hopper and 1.8L water tank, and it further highlights how your buying decision should be influenced by the coffee-based drinks you actually want to make.
What does spending more get you?
The De’Longhi Magnifica Evo costs more than the Magnifica Start — AU$799 vs AU$629 at the time of writing — but it is important to be clear about what that extra spend buys. Both machines deliver the same straightforward promise of freshly ground, one-touch coffee and automatic milk foam, so you are not paying to access the fundamentals.
Instead, the Evo’s premium is for greater choice and a slightly more elevated everyday experience. Its seven one-touch drinks give it the edge in a household with different coffee preferences, while additions such as Cappuccino, Long Black and MyLatte make it better suited to anyone who likes to vary their order from day to day. Its angled touch panel and more design-led finish also help it feel like the more premium machine on the kitchen bench.
The Magnifica Start, meanwhile, is the more sensible pick if your coffee routine is predictable. If espresso, coffee and latte macchiato are all you regularly reach for, its smaller footprint, simpler controls and lower price mean you are not paying for buttons you may never press.
Which De’Longhi Magnifica is right for you?
The answer to this question is one only you can answer. To summarise, however, the De’Longhi Magnifica Start is the one to choose if you want a fuss-free, compact route into bean-to-cup coffee. It gives you all the essentials, including automatic milk foaming, without overwhelming newcomers with lengthy menus or unnecessary features.
The Magnifica Evo is the better choice if you know you’ll value drink variety. The extra recipes and MyLatte feature make it a more versatile option, particularly for busy households with multiple coffee drinkers.
What’s important to remember is that neither machine is ‘better’ than the other. They share the same fundamentals of fresh bean grinding — the right choice comes down to whether you value a compact, simpler machine or will genuinely make use of the Evo’s extra flexibility.
The De’Longhi Magnifica Start (ECAM22061W) and De’Longhi Magnifica Evo (ECAM29083TB) are exclusively available at De’Longhi Australia. For more information on either machine, click the links below. And, for a limited time, you can even save 15% on either machine using our De'Longhi Australia promo codes.