De’Longhi Magnifica XS vs Start vs Evo: which Magnifica?

Magnifica XS vs Start vs Evo at a glance

Head to head

The best result in each row is marked, based on my testing and De’Longhi’s specs. Where machines tie, both are marked.

The tally is not my verdict. If you never drink milk, the milk rows won’t matter to you.

The Magnifica names explained

De’Longhi’s naming confuses a lot of buyers, so here’s the short version.

The Magnifica XS is the long-running original, with buttons, a rotary strength dial and indicator lights instead of a screen. The Magnifica Start is the simplest touch-panel model; the version I tested has a steam wand, and De’Longhi also sells a version with the LatteCrema carafe.

The Magnifica Evo is the step up, with a touch panel and the LatteCrema carafe. Under the skin, all three share the same removable brew unit and grinder, which is why their espresso is so close.

Our tip: Check which Start you’re buying before you order, because the steam wand and LatteCrema versions are very different machines for milk drinkers.

Design, size and build

All three are slim, front-loading machines about 9.4 inches wide, which makes them easy to fit beside a toaster or under a cabinet.

The XS is about 17 inches deep and 13.8 inches tall, and about 20 lb. The Start is about 17.3 inches deep and 13.8 inches tall, at about 19 lb. The Evo is about 17.3 inches deep and 14.2 inches tall, at about 21 lb.

The tank, grounds drawer and drip tray all come out from the front on every model, so none of them needs to be pulled away from the wall.

The XS looks its age, with indicator lights that feel dated. The Start and Evo have a cleaner, flat touch panel that wipes down easily.

The Magnifica XS is slim, simple and front-loading.

Height on the counter

All three fit under standard wall cabinets.

Build and finish

All three are mostly plastic, as you’d expect at this level, but none of them felt flimsy over four weeks. The panels didn’t flex, and the drip trays and grounds drawers slid in and out cleanly every day.

The XS has the most traditional look, with a silver front and chunky buttons. The Start and Evo look more modern, with a flat black touch panel that hides fingerprints better than I expected and wipes clean with a damp cloth.

The Evo’s LatteCrema carafe adds width when it’s attached, so leave a few inches to the side if you’ll keep it on the machine during milk drinks.

Setup and the first week

Setup took about 15 minutes on each: rinse the tank, fit the water filter, set the water hardness with the included test strip and prime the circuit.

The Start and Evo heat in about 40 seconds with a thermoblock. From a cold start, the Evo was ready in about 38 seconds, including a short automatic rinse.

On all three, the first few drinks were weaker while the grinder settled, so I didn’t judge anything until the fourth cup. By the end of week one, I had the grind one or two steps finer than the factory setting on each.

Our tip: Throw away the first three or four drinks after setup on any Magnifica, because the grinder needs a few cycles before the coffee tastes right.

Controls and buttons

The XS uses physical buttons, a rotary strength dial from mild to extra strong, and indicator lights. It works, but the warning lights are cryptic without the manual. I kept the quick guide in a drawer for the first week.

The Start and Evo both use a flat touch panel. The Start keeps it to Espresso, Coffee and Americano, with three strength levels and four coffee temperatures. The Evo adds Cappuccino, Latte Macchiato, MyLatte, Over Ice and Hot Water, with three dose levels of about 9, 12 and 15 grams.

None of the three has a screen or user profiles, so everyone shares the same settings.

Our tip: Keep the quick guide for the XS somewhere handy for the first week, because its warning lights are hard to read without it.

Grinder and brew unit

This is what makes the Magnifica range such good value.

All three grind with steel conical burrs✕Conical burrsTwo cone-shaped grinding parts, one inside the other. Beans are crushed between them, and the gap sets how fine the coffee is. with 13 settings, and all three use essentially the same removable brew unit✕Brew unitThe part that presses the ground coffee into a puck, holds it while water flows through and then ejects it. De’Longhi puts in models costing two or three times as much.

The brew unit slides out from the side. On every model, I rinsed it under the tap once a week, with no tablets needed.

The grinder is the loudest part of each machine, and on the XS it was loud on every drink.

Our tip: Only turn the grind dial while the grinder is running on any Magnifica, because turning it with the burrs stopped can jam beans.

Espresso quality

Because they share a brew unit and grinder, these three pulled very similar espresso, and all of it was good.

The XS scored highest at 8.6. Its espresso was rich and full, and very close to what you’d get from a much pricier De’Longhi.

The Evo scored 8.5. At its top 15-gram dose, the espresso had real body and sweetness, and it was the most repeatable of the three. The Start scored 8.4, with rich espresso from the same brew unit.

The weak spot is the Start’s 2x button. It grinds only once for two drinks, so both cups came out weak.

My espresso scores

My scores out of 10 for body, crema, flavor and consistency, same medium-dark beans.

At its 15-gram top dose, the Evo’s espresso had real body and sweetness.

Consistency over four weeks

Because all three share the same brew unit, consistency was excellent across the board. Once I had the grind set, each machine made almost the same espresso every morning for a month.

The Evo was the most repeatable of the three, which I put down to its three fixed dose levels. On the XS, the rotary strength dial is easy to nudge by accident when you wipe the front, so I checked it now and then.

On the Start, the only inconsistency came from the 2x button. Single drinks were reliable every time.

Coffee and Americano

This is the Start’s best category.

Its one-touch Americano pulls an espresso and then adds hot water, so the cup stays clean instead of bitter. It made a sweet, full long cup, and it was the best big black coffee in the Magnifica range.

On the XS, I made Americanos by hand with water from the steam wand. On the Evo, I pulled an espresso and added water with the hot water button. Both worked, but it’s an extra step every time.

All three also have a one-touch long coffee, which pushes more water through the grounds and tasted thinner than an Americano.

Big black coffee, side by side

Relative body and sweetness from my side-by-side tasting.

Our tip: Make big mugs as an Americano rather than a long coffee on any Magnifica, because it tasted fuller and less bitter every time.

Milk: steam wand or LatteCrema

This is the section that decides it for most buyers.

The XS and the Start version I tested both use a Panarello-style steam wand✕Steam wandA metal pipe that blows steam into a jug of milk to heat and froth it. A Panarello-style sleeve pulls in air for you, which makes it easier for beginners.. You froth in a jug, which takes practice. In week three on the Start, I took the sleeve off and started practicing proper microfoam.

The upside is cleaning. There’s no carafe with tubes and small passages, just a wand you purge and wipe.

The Evo’s LatteCrema carafe plugs into the front, draws cold milk up through a pickup tube and pours dense, hot foam straight into your cup. Milk came out at about 140°F, right where research on cappuccino milk finds it tastes sweetest. The carafe is fridge-safe and runs an automatic Clean cycle.

My milk drink scores

My scores out of 10, weighing convenience and consistency as well as foam.

The Evo’s LatteCrema carafe makes dense, hot foam at one touch.

The Evo’s MyLatte button uses exactly the milk you pour into the carafe, so any size of milk drink is one press. The one gap is a hot milk button, which needs a workaround.

Our tip: Put the Evo’s LatteCrema carafe straight back in the fridge after the automatic Clean, so the milk stays cold for the next drink.

Drink temperature

Temperature is adjustable on all three, but in slightly different steps.

The Start has the widest range, with low, medium, high and maximum. I used maximum for Americanos and high for espresso. The Evo has low, medium and high, and the XS lets you adjust brew temperature in its menu.

The Evo’s LatteCrema milk came out at about 140°F, which is hot without tasting scalded. On the steam wand machines, milk temperature is up to you; I stopped steaming when the jug got too hot to hold for more than a second or two.

The one weak moment on all three was the first drink of the day, which came out a little cooler while the machine warmed through. A rinse cycle and a pre-warmed cup fixed it.

Our tip: Run a short rinse and warm your cup before the first espresso of the day, because the first drink on any Magnifica comes out a few degrees cooler.

Iced coffee and hot water

Only the Evo has an iced coffee button. Over Ice brews a coffee designed to be poured over a full glass of ice.

On the XS and Start, I pulled a strong espresso straight over ice and topped it with cold milk or water.

For hot water, the Start and XS dispense it from the steam wand, and the Evo has a dedicated Hot Water button.

Our tip: Fill the glass to the top with large ice cubes for iced coffee on any Magnifica, so the drink stays strong as the ice melts.

Cleaning and upkeep

All three are easy to keep clean, because the brew unit slides out and rinses under the tap with no tablets.

The Start scored best for cleaning at 8.5. With a steam wand instead of a carafe, there are no milk tubes, and hot water comes straight from the wand for rinsing. The XS was close behind at 8.4.

The Evo scored 8.0. Its LatteCrema carafe runs an automatic Clean cycle and is fridge-safe, but it’s still more parts to wash than a wand.

My cleaning scores

My scores out of 10 for daily effort, parts and prompts.

Our tip: Rinse the brew unit under the tap once a week on any Magnifica, because coffee oils build up fast and it takes less than a minute.

Noise and speed

These are not quiet machines while grinding, and the XS was the loudest, with a grinder that announces every drink.

All three heat quickly with a thermoblock. The Start and Evo were ready in about 40 seconds, and the Evo’s first drink of the day came out a little cooler while the machine warmed through.

The passive cup warmer on top of the Evo reached about 100°F after 20 minutes of use, so I warmed cups with hot water instead.

Ready to brew from cold

Timed from switch-on, including the short automatic rinse.

The Start is ready in about 40 seconds.

If someone in your home sleeps late, grind the first coffee of the day with the kitchen door closed on any of the three. The grinder is the only loud part, and it’s over in a few seconds.

Brewing itself was quiet on all three, and the Evo’s milk frothing added only a soft hiss.

Capacity, beans and supplies

Capacity is identical where it matters: all three hold about 60 ounces of water in a front-access tank and about 8.8 ounces of beans.

The Start’s hopper lid has no seal, so beans go stale a little faster. Fill it with only a few days’ worth at a time.

Use fresh whole beans within a few weeks of the roast date, and avoid very oily beans. Spent pucks are great for the compost.

Our tip: Fill the Start’s unsealed hopper with only a few days of beans at a time, so they stay fresh.

A morning with each machine

Here’s what a typical weekday looked like on each, with two of us drinking coffee.

On the XS, I switched it on, let it rinse, set the dial to strong and pressed espresso for me. For my partner’s cappuccino, I steamed milk in a small jug with the wand, which added about two minutes and a wand to wipe.

On the Start, it heated in about 40 seconds. I pressed Americano for my big mug and pulled a single espresso for my partner, then purged the wand for hot water to rinse a cup.

On the Evo, I took the LatteCrema carafe out of the fridge, clicked it in and pressed Cappuccino and then Espresso. After the automatic Clean, the carafe went back in the fridge. It was the fastest milk-drink morning of the three.

Hands-on time for one cappuccino and one espresso

My timings over a typical week, including cleanup.

Mistakes to avoid

All three Magnificas are easy to live with, but a few habits held my coffee back.

On the Start, the 2x button was the trap. It grinds once for two drinks, so both cups came out weak.

On the XS, it was ignoring the warning lights until something stopped. On the Evo, it was leaving the carafe out on the counter instead of putting it back in the fridge.

My four weeks, week by week

Week one was setup and the factory settings. All three needed a finer grind for my medium-dark beans, and the Start’s 2x button taught me to make single drinks instead.

Week two was espresso. The XS pulled the richest straight shot, and the Evo the most repeatable at its 15-gram dose.

Week three was milk. On the wand machines, I took the sleeve off the Start’s wand and practiced proper microfoam. On the Evo, I tried every LatteCrema drink and MyLatte size.

Week four was routine and cleaning: weekly brew unit rinses on all three and the carafe Clean on the Evo.

Real-life scenarios

These are the moments where one machine clearly pulled ahead during my testing.

For most homes, the Evo’s one-touch milk is worth the step up.

My scorecard

These are my own scores out of 10, from my single reviews of each machine after four weeks of daily use.

Overall scores

My overall editorial scores.

The Evo wins overall because one-touch milk lifts its milk and ease-of-use scores well above the others. The XS and Start trade places: the XS makes the better espresso, the Start the better Americano and the easier cleaning.

Which one should you buy?

It comes down to how you take your coffee.

For daily cappuccinos and lattes, the Evo’s LatteCrema carafe is worth the step up. For Americanos and black coffee, the Start is the better machine and the easiest to clean. For straight espresso and classic controls, the XS is still a great machine. For the wider picture beyond this matchup, see my guide to the best De’Longhi super-automatic machines.

For more matchups, see my Magnifica XS vs Magnifica Evo and Magnifica Evo vs Magnifica Start comparisons.

Living with them long term

All three share the same removable brew unit, so long-term care is the same: a weekly rinse, descaling when prompted and fresh beans. The Evo adds a carafe to wash and refrigerate; the XS and Start add a wand to purge and wipe.

What I would change: clearer warning lights on the XS, a 2x button that grinds twice on the Start, and a hot milk button on the Evo.

For most homes, the Evo is the Magnifica to buy.

Magnifica XS vs Start vs Evo specifications

From manufacturer specifications and my own testing.

How I tested and compared them

I used each machine as my everyday coffee maker for four weeks, making espresso, long coffee, Americanos, cappuccinos, lattes and iced coffee. A second HouseholdMe tester shared the machines, and we wrote the notes together.

I adjusted grind, strength and temperature, frothed whole and oat milk with the steam wand and the LatteCrema carafe, measured milk temperature with a probe and timed heat-up from cold.

I rinsed every brew unit weekly, ran every prompt and then checked my notes against De’Longhi’s specifications and owner documentation.

• Coffee: espresso, Americano, crema and consistency.
• Milk: steam wand vs LatteCrema, foam and temperature.
• Workflow: controls, drinks and heat-up.
• Ownership: cleaning, capacity, noise and footprint.