De’Longhi Magnifica Start Automatic Espresso Machine

Name: De'Longhi Magnifica Start Automatic Espresso Machine - Expert Reviews
Brand: De'Longhi

3.9

(6)

Verdict

Choose the Magnifica Start if you mainly drink espresso, black coffee, or long coffee and want the lower entry price. You get the same core coffee results as the Evo, but milk drinks rely on the steam wand and take more skill to get great texture.

Pros

Espresso & beverage quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.3
Milk, steam & frothing ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.2
Design, ergonomics & footprint ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.1
Cup, tray & carafe handling ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.1
Water system, maintenance & descaling ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.0
Build quality & durability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.0
Capacity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0

Capacity and layout are practical, with a front-access water reservoir, a top bean hopper shared with the Evo, and a passive cup warmer that fits about three to four cups.
Value & Price ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.0
Overall user experience ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.0

Daily use is straightforward with a simple front touch panel for espresso, lungo and steam, but it feels basic versus the Evo and offers fewer one-touch drink choices.
Brewing performance & consistency ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.8

Brewing improves with basic tuning of strength and beverage volume, and the machine can feel more cohesive than older models; response timing is slightly sluggish, so consistent results come from dialing in and letting the machine repeat settings.
App, connectivity & smart control ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 3.8

Cons

Grinder, hopper & dosing system ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 3.5
Warranty & Customer support ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 3.3
Accuracy of marketing claims ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.9

Marketing around drink count is a bit overstated, effectively counting hot water as a recipe; in practice it offers four coffee drinks plus a tea/hot-water option, with recipe variety tied to the LatteCrema version.
Design flaws ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.9

Key annoyances include overly sensitive soft-touch buttons and a capped dosing capability that limits how close it can get to higher-end machines. Milk texture is strong for a superautomatic but still won’t match a traditional espresso setup.