Delonghi Magnifica Plus Review – Best Superautomatic

Introducing the Magnifica Plus

For your money, you get a nice machine in the Magnifica Plus. It comes with steel burrs, 13 grind settings, several different drink options, and it comes with the LatteCrema attachment as well for milk drinks.

I call this my goto recommendation in the $1000 range, because this makes the best espresso/coffee drinks and milk texture in that price point for me. It certainly outdoes the Philips machines, as they include just a ceramic burr, and only allow small coffee amounts. More on that later.

The interface has been updated. There is now the new touch display on the front angled display panel, for the following espresso and coffee drinks:

• Espresso
• Doppio+ (most instense espresso)
• Coffee Crema
• Iced Coffee (lesser amount of coffee, but no cold extraction)
• 2xEspresso (like the Doppio+)
• Americano (espresso, then hot water on top)
• Long (6 spurts of extracted coffee)
• Iced Americano

And here is a list of the milk based drinks:

• Latte Macchiato (milk and espresso on top)
• Caffe Latte
• Cappuccino (foamier milk with espresso on top)
• Flat White (thinner milk with espresso on top)
• Espresso Macchiato (espresso and a little milk)
• Cappuccino Mix (espresso with milk mixed in)
• Cortado
• Cappuccino+ (cappuccino with stronger shot)
• Hot Milk
• Hot water

There are also menus for various settings:

• Descaling
• Settings menu
• Temperature
• Wate rinse

More on these settings later in the review.

The Looks and Features of the Magnifica Plus

The Magnifica Plus is made of a mix of metal and plastic parts, just like most superautomatic coffee machines. It’s shape is more or less box-like, with a slanted front panel. The water reservoir slides out towards the user for easy filling. My machine is made mostly with black, dark gray and silver colored accents. I like the fact that the fascia is shaped kind of like a toro – I think it looks the coolest of the Delonghi machines.

On the top, you’ll find the bean hopper and grinder, which has 13 different settings. I normally run the grinder at 3-4, by the way. Additionally, there is a little vented flap located below the beans in the picture. You can lift this up, and put in your own pre-ground beans if you wish.

On the front of the machine, you’ll find the height adjustable coffee spouts. Pull these down for espresso, or lift them up for a larger coffee cup.

Unfortunately, this machine does not allow for a larger cup, like a 20 ounce Yeti tumbler. The Eletta Explore does afford that option.

What’s inside the Magnifica?

The main functionality for the Magnifica 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 Plus it will dose up to a maxium of 11.8 seconds in my trials, while the Dinamica Plus will dose up to 10 seconds. For reference, my Magnifica Evo would only dose up to 8 seconds max.

See the table below for reference:

How good is the Grinder?

Honestly, I think the grinder is fine. 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 Plus 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.

So how does the Magnifica perform for Espresso and Coffee?

The Magnifica Plus does surprisingly well for coffee drinks, in fact it’s the best superautomatic I’ve used so far. Whether choosing an espresso with the aroma strength of 5 beans, or the Doppio+, it provides a nice flavorful and intense shot – especially with the latter.

The espresso/coffee comes out pretty well balanced, and with far 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 a hot enough espresso, I would recommend first rinsing the unit (pressing the 2x button for 3 seconds). This will flush the lines of the older cooler water, and replace it with hot water. Also, if you rinse the unit directly into your cup, you can warm up the cup as well (just make sure to dump the rinse water before extracting your espresso or coffee).

I particularly like using superautomatics for coffee crema, and the Magnifica 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 M+ perform for Milk Foam?

I was pleasantly surprised by the Evo 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. I generally use the LatteCrema carafe at a setting of 3/4, to provide the milk texture I want.

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.

Best Accessories for the Magnifica Plus?

You really don’t need any accessories for the Plus, 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 Plus?

This is my new favorite superautomatic, mainly because of the larger pucks its been delivering for me, offering an espresso shot with great body and good depth. But it also has the nice new touch screen, user profiles, and what I think is a handsome design. The build quality is also very good in my estimation – much better than Philips for example.

On the downside, this has become more expensive that its older sibling, the Magnifica Evo. I would say the main downside is the increase in price. That being said, if I had to choose and save up for a superautomatic, it would be this one.

Specifications of the Magnifica:

– Dimensions: 240 x 440 x 360mm

– Weight: 10.5 kilos or 23 pounds

– 1450 watt machine

– Build Materials: mixture of plastic and metal

– 1.8 liter water tank

– Country of Origin: Romania

Competitors to the Plus

If you want to consider something other than the Plus, I’d suggest looking at the Dinamica line, 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.

Find your Magnifica Plus here here: