The full story
By the Espresso Rated editors · Published Nov 12, 2026 · Updated Nov 13, 2026
The Magnifica Start is De'Longhi's entry-level automatic: a conical burr grinder, touch buttons for 5 drinks and, on this version, the LatteCrema milk carafe. The praise goes to the coffee, the foam and the price. The complaints are about grinder noise, a weak factory espresso setting and the settings you cannot reach at a glance.
More depth than the old Magnifica S, after you shorten the factory shot8.6/10
The espresso is the strongest part of the machine and is consistently praised. Coffeeness found that against the Magnifica S it replaces, "the coffee now has way more depth".1 Tom's Coffee Corner describes a balanced shot with a chocolate note under a thick crema, and the long coffee recipes are liked for a fuller taste without bitterness.
The factory settings do it no favors. Home Coffee Expert found the default espresso ran too long out of the box, giving "weak and bitter coffee" until the volume was cut.2 The grinder has a second limit: Coffeeness calls the finest settings "pretty much useless", so the middle of the range is where it works best.3
Temperature is where accounts differ. Dave Cooks got a "piping hot cup of espresso", and others also found it hot.4 Coffeeness found the coffee "a little on the cooler side".5 If yours runs cool, raise the temperature setting and warm the cup first.
Silky LatteCrema foam at a fixed amount, with milk some want hotter7.9/10
The LatteCrema carafe is widely liked and, for some, the reason to buy this machine. The foam is fine and close to microfoam, thick enough for a traditional cappuccino and still smooth. It works with cow's milk and plant-based alternatives alike.
“It's really tasty, silky, light on the tongue. It's a nice milk foam.”
The carafe has markings on the side showing how much milk each recipe needs, so little is left over. It can go back in the fridge between drinks. What you cannot do is change how much foam a drink gets, which Mr.Coffee Reviews flags as the main thing to know before buying.6
Two smaller caveats. The milk is not as hot as some would like. And the automatic clean button is less thorough than it sounds: Mr.Coffee Reviews notes it "only cleans the milk spout", so the carafe still needs a proper wash.7
Touch buttons learned in a morning, an adjustment routine that is not, and a shrill grinder5.6/10
Daily use is simple, and everything past daily use divides opinion. Pressing a drink button does the rest, and Coffeeness calls the interface "about as intuitive as it gets".8 Saving your own drink volume is a matter of holding the button until it blinks.
The deeper settings are less friendly. Mr.Coffee Reviews found the adjustment process and the advanced menu the machine's weaker points, out of step with how clear the rest is.9 There is no changing strength or size on the fly while a drink is being made, an Americano takes an extra step on the LatteCrema version, and only espresso can be doubled for a pair of cups.
Then there is the noise. The grinder is loud, and Coffeeness describes "an unpleasant shrill sound with every grind cycle".10 It is the complaint most likely to matter in a small flat early in the morning.
A few practical notes. The machine rinses itself at switch-on without being asked, so keep a cup under the spout. The tank holds 60.87 oz, which is plenty for a day of coffees. The bean hopper is not airtight, so store spare beans elsewhere.
A brew unit that slides out behind the tank, and a sink's worth of hand washing7.9/10
Upkeep is widely liked for being simple, even for a first automatic. The machine prompts you when cleaning is due, and the brew unit lifts out from behind the water tank for a rinse under the tap. Descaling is an occasional job that gives little trouble.
The split between dishwasher and sink is the catch. The drip tray and the milk carafe can go in the dishwasher. Home Coffee Expert points out that the water tank and the used puck container have to be cleaned by hand, and the brew unit is rinse-only too.11
Milk needs the most attention. After the automatic rinse, residue stays in the rest of the milk system, so take the carafe apart and wash it after use.12 Do not leave it in the machine overnight.
Heavy, well-fitted black plastic, under an unsealed hopper that rattles8.0/10
The body is mostly plastic with a metal drip tray, and it is put together better than that sounds. Home Coffee Expert found that everything fits well and nothing feels flimsy or likely to break.13 It is heavy for its size, and cups stay put on the tray instead of jingling while the pump runs.
The footprint is the practical win. At 13.8 x 9.9 x 17.3 in, it suits a smaller kitchen.
The weak spot is the bean hopper. It has no sealed lid, and ECS Coffee found it "a little bit rattly" as a result.14 Evidence on how the machine holds up over years is thin; the confidence here comes from how solid it feels, not from long service.
Strong at $799.95 with the LatteCrema carafe, and no case for the manual-wand version8.3/10
At $799.95, value is consistently praised. Recipes and touch controls that used to sit higher in De'Longhi's range have reached the entry model, and Coffeeness judges that "the price and performance levels are completely on point".15
Check which machine you are buying. Several different models are sold under the Magnifica Start name, some with a manual frother in place of the carafe. Coffeeness sees no reason to buy the manual version, since the automatic foam is what sets this machine apart.16
The box is fairly complete: a water filter, a water hardness test, a scoop for pre-ground coffee and a spare frothing part have all been found inside. No descaling product was included in one account, so add that to the first order.
Our verdict
Buy the Magnifica Start if you want good espresso and silky cappuccino foam from a compact, simple machine at a sensible price. Skip it if grinder noise is a problem in your home or you like to adjust every drink as you go. Make sure the box says LatteCrema, then shorten the default espresso and set the grind in the middle of its range. In the shop, ask to hear the grinder run before you decide.
5 sources quoted in this story (16 notes)
- 1coffeeness.de · written review “But the inner workings of the machine have apparently been improved: the coffee now has way more depth. Well, the espresso anyway.”
- 2homecoffeeexpert.com · written review “Straight out of the box, we ran into issues with the default espresso being too long resulting in weak and bitter coffee.”
- 3coffeeness.de · written review “As with the Magnifica S, the Start’s finest grind settings are pretty much useless.”
- 4Dave Cooks · 4:59 “there's a piping hot cup of espresso fresh ground coffee very very strong very good I like it”
- 5coffeeness.de · written review “That said, I did notice that coffee is a little on the cooler side.”
- 6Mr.Coffee Reviews 🇺🇸 · 7:14 “The container includes markings that indicate the ideal milk amount for each recipe, making it easy to use just the right amount without leftovers.” but “One important thing to keep in mind is that the latte crema system on the Magnifica Start does not allow you to adjust milk foam quantity.”
- 7Mr.Coffee Reviews 🇺🇸 · 7:31 “the Latte Crema system does include an auto clean function, but honestly, it's not very useful because it only cleans the milk spout.”
- 8coffeeness.de · written review “I have to say that the [De'Longhi Magnifica Start] user interface is about as intuitive as it gets.”
- 9Mr.Coffee Reviews 🇺🇸 · 4:45 “It works well and [music] isn't complicated, but given how intuitive the rest of the machine is” but “In this case though, the adjustment process isn't very intuitive, and this is probably one of the machine's weaker points.”
- 10coffeeness.de · written review “I measured 75.9 decibels (the Magnifica S produces 71.1 decibels) and noticed an unpleasant shrill sound with every grind cycle.”
- 11homecoffeeexpert.com · written review “The drip tray is also dishwasher safe, but sadly you need to clean the water tank and used puck container by hand.”
- 12Mr.Coffee Reviews 🇺🇸 · 7:39 “If you've never owned a super automatic coffee maker before, don't worry. The process is very simple.” but “As you can see, milk residue remains in the rest of the system, so you'll need to clean it manually or in the dishwasher.”
- 13homecoffeeexpert.com · written review “Everything fits together well and feels well-made. Whilst it’s mostly made of plastic, that’s to be expected at this price and nothing feels flimsy or likely to break.”
- 14ECS COFFEE Espresso & Coffee Gear · 2:05 “it doesn't come with a sealed Bean Hopper both them it's a little bit rattly because of that”
- 15coffeeness.de · written review “Ultimately, the price and performance levels are completely on point. You get the best of all affordable DeLonghi worlds without making it too complicated.”
- 16coffeeness.de · written review “There is no reason to buy the manual milk frother DeLonghi Magnifica Start.”
