Delonghi Magnifica Evo Next Review

Introducing the Magnifica Evo Next

The Delonghi Magnifica Evo Next is a superautomatic espresso machine, meaning that the machine does everything for you, at the push of a button. It grinds, compacts, extracts, and ejects the puck. It also froths the milk automatically, too. In this article, we will review the Magnifica Evo Next, and see where it fits in the Delonghi lineup.

Essentially, the Magnifica Evo Next sits right in between two famous models, the Magnifica Evo, and Magnifica Plus. The Evo is known as Delonghi’s best selling mid-range machine, while the Plus is my favorite of the higher end range.

The Magnifica Evo Next sits price-wise right in between the Evo and Plus, and functionally it does, too. It has a colored screen, 13 drink options, and can grind up to 9 seconds. It is built in Romania (at least my model is).

The Looks and Features of the Magnifica Evo Next

The Magnifica Evo Next’s main feature is probably its HMI screen. From the screen, you can choose between 13 different drinks, from Hot Milk, to Cappuccino, to Espresso, Coffee Crema, Long, and more. The Doppio+ is my favorite espresso option, because it gives me the strongest drink. I also really like the Coffee (Crema).

Setting the bean amount is really easy. First, just choose a drink, such as Espresso. Then, use the buttons below the screen to set the number of beans. I normally choose 5 beans, to get the most intense drink possible.

The machine grinds a different amount for each drink type. So far, I’ve found out that Doppio+ and Coffee Crema grind the longest when set at 5 beans, equaling 9 seconds (this gives 13.5 grams of espresso). For reference, 13.5 grams is a good dose. Nespresso for example only has 5.5 grams in their capsules.

Something else really nice that the Magnifica Evo Next includes are Profiles. You can choose between 3 different profiles, so that each person in your household can save the bean amount and volume of his or her drinks, and that will be under their profile. Nice touch!

This is great if you have a person in your household like me, who wants the strongest drink possible, but also a person who wants a milder drink. This way, each person can personalize their drink recipes as they want, without overwriting someone else’s settings.

The Build of the Magnifica Evo Next

Other than the HMI screen, I’d say that the Magnifica Evo Next is quite a standard Delonghi superautomatic machine. It comes with a nice large 1.8 liter water tank, and venting on the sides, to allow the hot pucks to dissipate their heat after extracting.

The body panels are built of solid molded plastic, and fit together nicely. They are created in contrasting colors of beige-gray in the front, and black on the sides and top. The drip tray is made out of stainless steel, as are the grinder burrs.

On the left side of the machine, you see a milk canister for making milk drinks. It is made out of robust plastic, and can be washed in the dishwasher.

See the video at the end of the article to see how the Magnifica Evo Next does for milk drinks. I’d say it does pretty good, better than Philips for sure, and similar to the Jura E8 I recently tested.

Looking below, you will see the bean hopper and cup tray. You can place cups on the ribbed section of the machine, although the space is not large. If you notice the flap in the middle, you can put pre-ground coffee in there, if for example you want to bypass the grinder for a decaf shot.

On the sides and back of the machine, you will also see some heat slits, which help with heat and puck steam dissipation, after a coffee or espresso has been extracted. This will help to air out the brew group area.

Even so, I’d suggest pulling out the grounds catch tray, and cleaning and drying it on a regular basis. I also suggest emptying the grounds catch tray every couple of days, to avoid too much moisture in the machine, as the spent pucks do hold moisture.

So how does the Magnifica Evo Next perform for Espresso?

The Magnifica Evo Next does quite a good job for espresso. If you choose the max bean amount, grind at about 3-4, and use fresh beans, you should get a nice intense espresso with thick crema on top. I would say the Magnifica Evo Next does a better job with espresso than the cheaper Magnifica Evo and Magnifica Start, but not quite as good as the Magnifica Plus.

That being said, the espresso/coffee comes out pretty well balanced, and with above average body for a superautomatic. There is a fair bit of crema offered, especially when using fresh beans. Using beans with at least 20% robusta will also help a lot in getting crema.

To be sure to get the hottest espresso possible, I suggest going into the settings menu, and choosing the hot temperature. Also, warm up your cup, by letting the machine put hot water in it. This will be a big help in getting a nice hot drink.

I particularly like using superautomatics for coffee crema, and the Magnifica Evo Next does a good job here as well. Again, when using fresh beans with some robusta, you can achieve a fair amount of crema on your coffee crema. It’s my goto drink in the mornings.

So how does the Start perform for Milk Foam?

I was pretty pleased by the Evo Next for milk texture. It textures the milk creamier than does the Philips LatteGo, albeit not as good as with a traditional espresso machine. That being said, for a superautomatic, it’s good. It could perhaps be just a little hotter for some people, but it’s hot enough for me.

Another important aspect to consider is how the milk carafe is to clean. Thankfully, the Magnifica does rinse the milk carafe after use, and it is also easy to disassemble for a deeper cleaning. Make sure to do this on a regular basis. See the video below, for a hands on review of the Magnifica Evo Next, and how it is to clean the milk carafe.

How good is the Grinder?

Honestly, I think the grinder is pretty good. It’s a steel conical grinder, which will last much longer and do a better job with particle distribution than a ceramic grinder, as found in Philips and other superautomatic coffee machines.

The dial ranges from 1 to 7, with half steps in between, allowing for a total of 13 steps. I normally run the Magnifica Evo Next around 3-4 to try and get a nice fine grind. A finer grind directly affects the pressure of the extraction, so the finer the grind, the higher the extraction pressure.

What about the Infuser (Brew Group)?

The main functionality for the Magnifica series comes from its brew group, pictured below. As far as I know, this brew group is universal among Delonghi’s superautomatic lines. What does differentiate the machines however is the AMOUNT of aroma, or ground coffee that is dosed into the brew group.

For the Magnifica Evo and Start, it will dose up to a maximum of 7 seconds, for the Magnifica Evo Plus it maxes out at 9 seconds, while the Dinamica Plus, Eletta Explore and Magnifica Plus will all dose up to 10 seconds.

See the table below for reference:

Magnifica Evo Next vs the Magnifica Plus

To be honest, the Magnifica Evo Next and Magnifica Plus are super similar. But, the Plus has some nice advantages. First of all, the screen on the Plus is a touch screen, while the Evo Next’s screen is not touch controlled. Instead, you have to use the navigation buttons below the screen.

Secondly, the Magnifica Plus comes with a nicer milk carafe, where you can adjust the milk texture. The Magnifica Evo Next only has one setting for the milk foam texture.

Finally, the Magnifica Plus can grind up to 10 seconds, which is longer than the Evo Next, resulting in more intense coffee drinks.

Both of these machines are made in Romania, at least mine are. I bought both of mine, myself by the way.

Anyway, pictured below are the two models, side by side. Which do you think looks better?

Best Accessories for the Magnifica Evo Next?

You really don’t need any accessories for the Start, but I would suggest using a filter, and I would also suggest using some nice fresh beans. I will include a few recommendations below.

Pros and Cons of the Magnifica Evo Next?

I would say the Evo Next is a solid machine, and if it’s a fair amount cheaper than the Magnifica Plus, then go for it (prices do fluctuate a lot). It’s better than the original Magnifica Evo. I kind of wish it had a touch screen, but the screen, even not being touch, is great for tutorials, such as descaling the machine.

Specifications of the Magnifica:

– Dimensions: 9 1/4″ wide, 17″ deep, 14″ high, or 240 x 440 x 360mm

– Weight: 26 pounds, or 11.9 kilos

– 1450 watt machine

– Build Materials: mixture of plastic and metal

– 1.8 liter water tank

– Country of Origin: Romania

Competitors to the Evo Next

If you want to consider something other than the Evo, I’d suggest looking at the Dinamica line, or the brand new Magnifica Plus (a wonderful machine) or possibly an offering from Jura, but both of those are going to be a fair bit more expensive. For a cheaper option that doesn’t do milk (if you just want coffee drinks), consider the Tchibo Esperto.

Find your Magnifica Evo Next here here:

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