De'Longhi Magnifica Evo, Bean to Cup Coffee and Cappuccino Maker, ECAM292.81.B, Black

Product Information

What’s more, brewing into a decent sized travel mug shouldn’t pose any problems – you’ll have around 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) of headroom when the spout is all the way up. Warranty The world hasn’t been waiting for this machine, but it is comparatively affordable and it performs really well. If you’re after a longer coffee, however, then you may not always find the coffee and long coffee presets are to your taste. Where pricier machines pour an espresso (or two) and then add hot water to create a longer coffee, the De’Longhi simply passes more water through the ground coffee. The upshot is that it has a tendency to taste bitter. It’s essential to adjust grind size and tweak the strength dial to suit different coffee beans, but it’s easily done once you get the hang of it and, in any case, it’s something you’d need to do on any machine to obtain the best results. I like to complain a lot. Usually about half-baked “new releases” in my super automatic espresso machine guide 2023.

In addition, I have to report that the cappuccino isn’t too pretty – at least according to fully automatic standards. The foam cap is a bit puny, even if the mouthfeel is creamy and delicious.Take a little time to get the settings just so, and the Magnifica S Smart rewards with consistently tasty coffee with the bare minimum of fuss. Factor in the handy strength dial, smart looks and good-quality build, and De’Longhi is onto a winner. Start by filling the water reservoir and adding coffee beans to the hopper. Once you’ve turned the machine on, you’ll need to enter your water hardness. You’ll also have to wait for the machine to go about its business. This involves preheating, rinsing and filling the water circuit. What’s more, there are 13 grind adjustment levels, which means you have plenty of room to maneuver when you’re dialing in your espresso. Just remember to always make adjustments when the grinder is running! Ground Coffee Bypas As I was installing the milk carafe, I suddenly realized where I’d already seen this combination of sensor touch display and compact milk frother.

A sensor detects when the milk is used up and then stops the machine. However, a small amount of milk always remains in the container. I guess the system isn’t completely perfect, but it’s not a big deal. Specialty Drinks Spend a little time optimising the grind size, coffee temperature and the amount of espresso and milk used for each drink, and you can get better results but you can also make things worse, so there’s no harm in just leaving it at the default settings. Whereas the Magnifica S Smart needed tweaking from the off, I’d be happy to just leave the Evo One Touch alone.The advantage is obvious: no matter how big your cups or glasses are, you’re able to fill them. The carafe is too small to fill two latte macchiato glasses, but you’ll be able to get a couple of decent sized cappuccinos. I guess what I’m saying is do yourself a favor and spend a little more on the model with the LatteCrema automatic milk system! DeLonghi Magnifica Evo vs Philips 4300 LatteGo One final minor quibble is that it’s not possible to adjust the milk temperature at all. I suspect that many people prefer their coffee steaming hot, but the De’Longhi is a tad too hot in my opinion. In my direct comparisons, steamed milk from the De’Longhi didn’t taste as sweet and creamy as when I manually frothed it on a manual espresso machine, and this suggests the milk is being overheated enough to change its flavour. Anyway, what really matters is that the Philips 4300 LatteGo is an awesome automatic espresso machine that really impressed me during my review. So, when you’re trying to decide between the two, maybe a coin toss would be the best solution!