Delonghi Magnifica Start Review – Excellent Midranged Superautomatic

Introducing the Magnifica Start

For your money, you get a nice machine in the Magnifica Start. 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 $500-1000 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 is quite simple. There are some “soft touch” buttons on the front angled display panel, for the following drinks:

• Latte Macchiato/Cappuccino (depending on market and vintage)
• Espresso
• Coffee
• Hot water

There are also buttons for various settings:

• Water filter change
• Settings menu
• Aroma (duration of grind)
• Water rinse

More on these settings later in the review.

Magnifica Start vs the Magnifica Evo

People often ask me, “what’s the difference between the Magnifica Start and Magnifica Evo?” Well, they are really the same machine. Same brew group, same grinder, same drink menu. The Start is just a slightly updated version of the Evo, I’d say.

It also has a different look. On the Evo, the HMI display was slanted towards the user, while the new Start has the HMI display directly facing the user. The bodies, the drip trays, and the bean hoppers are all very similar, otherwise.

The Start also omits a photoeye sensor, that the Evo has, which needed to be met in order to get the milk to foam. So, I think Delonghi decided to ditch the sensor to avoid any problems with getting the milk to start frothing, as some users here complained about.

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

Drink Menus between the Evo and Start

As you can see below, the drink menus and HMIs are very similar between the Magnifica Evo (left) and Magnifica Start (right). The main difference is that the Evo makes the “My Latte”, which drains the milk carafe of all the milk. The Start does not have this.

Also, the Evo omits the Coffee Crema button, while the Start has it. At least on the USA models. Please note that these models to have minor drink menu differences, based on the target market (USA, UK, Australia, etc). The newer German version of the Magnifica Evo for example has the Coffee Crema, and even a “Long” coffee.

The Looks and Features of the Magnifica Start

The Magnifica Start 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.

On the top, you’ll find the bean hopper and grinder, which has 13 different settings. I normally run the grinder at 2-3, 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.

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 Start it will dose up to a maxium of 7 seconds, while the Dinamica Plus will dose up to 10 seconds. In fact, I have been able to choke my Dinamica Plus and Magnifica Plus, while I cannot do the same with the Magnifica Start.

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 Start around 2-3 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 Start does surprisingly well for coffee drinks, considering its price point. If using the maximum dose, it comes somewhat close to an actual espresso, but not quite. The Dinamica Plus does much better here.

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 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 Start perform for Milk Foam?

I was pleasantly surprised by the Start 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 Start, and how it is to clean the milk carafe.

Best Accessories for the Magnifica Start?

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 Start?

I like to recommend the Magnifica Start, because it places very well for its price point. Compared to Philips or cheaper Delonghi ECAM models, it makes better coffee drinks, and slightly better milk texture.

What I don’t like however, is how sensitive the buttons are. I have brushed up against them accidentally many times, and started a drink when I didn’t want to. That’s annoying. Also, this would be a slam dunk winner, if it would dose for 10 seconds, to get a nice large 14-15 gram dose like the Dinamica Plus or Magnifica Plus, but it doesn’t. I guess Delonghi doesn’t want to cannabilize sales from its more expensive machines.

Specifications of the Magnifica:

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

– Weight: 19.6 pounds, or 8.9 kilos

– 1450 watt machine

– Build Materials: mixture of plastic and metal

– 1.8 liter water tank

– Available in the colors: gray, black, and white

– Country of Origin: Romania

Competitors to the Start

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 here here: