De'Longhi Magnifica S vs Magnifica Evo: the data compared

Who needs the Evo?

Strip away the fronts and these two share a lot. De’Longhi’s manuals give both a 1.8 l tank, a 250 g bean hopper, a 15 bar pump, the same power, a removable brew group and 14 cm of cup clearance. Both are 24 cm wide.

What separates them is milk.

• Black-coffee drinkers gain little from the Evo. The Magnifica S makes espresso and espresso lungo with the same published hardware.
• Daily milk drinkers are the Evo’s audience. A carafe that froths and pours on its own is the reason it exists, and the reason it sits a price bracket higher.
• Occasional milk drinkers are the real decision. A cappuccino at weekends is a fair job for a steam wand. One every morning before work is where an automatic system starts to earn its place.

Milk first, then the details

Milk system. The Magnifica S has a manual steam wand: you froth milk in a jug and pour it. The Evo described here (ECAM 290.81.TB in our data, ECAM 290.83.TB in the UK) uses De’Longhi’s LatteCrema Hot carafe, which De’Longhi states is dishwasher-safe. A wand is wiped; a carafe must be rinsed or washed after use. Convenience at the button is paid for at the sink, and our cleaning guide sets out what that involves.

Drinks. De’Longhi counts 7 one-touch drinks on the Evo against 2 on the S. The Evo’s seven are coffee, espresso, long, cappuccino, latte macchiato, MyLatte and hot water, so hot water is in the count. The S’s two are espresso and espresso lungo, with hot water on top but not counted. Even inside one brand, then, the tallies are not built the same way.

• De'Longhi Magnifica S ECAM 22.110.B2
• De'Longhi Magnifica Evo ECAM 290.83.TB7

Controls. Buttons and a dial on the S; colour icon buttons on the Evo. Neither is listed with a graphical display.

Heating system. The Evo’s product page names a thermoblock. The Magnifica S page does not state the heating system, so the table shows not stated for it. That is missing information, not evidence of a different design.

Size and weight. The Evo is 36 cm high and 44 cm deep against 35 cm and 43 cm for the S, and weighs 9.6 kg against 8.9 kg. In other words the Evo needs a centimetre more in height and in depth. For both machines De’Longhi’s product pages show heavier weights than the manuals; we use the manuals.

Price bracket. Mid-range for the S, upper mid-range for the Evo. The buttons on this page show the current prices; the cost per cup calculator lets you spread the difference over your own number of cups.

Mind the variant

This is the comparison where the model code matters most.

• The Magnifica S data describes the ECAM 22.110.B, listed on De’Longhi’s UK site.
• The Evo data was read on the ECAM 290.81.TB. In the UK, De’Longhi lists the ECAM 290.83.TB, also with seven drinks, and the ECAM 290.61.SB with five. All have the carafe.
• De’Longhi’s range also includes an Evo with a manual frother, the ECAM 290.21.B. Put that one next to the Magnifica S and most of this page no longer applies: the milk system is the same in principle.
• The Magnifica Evo Next (ECAM 310) is a different model and is not covered.

The two-year guarantee shown for both comes from De’Longhi’s UK care pages, which state a two-year minimum on coffee machines.

What stays open

• The espresso itself. Same stated pressure and power, and no grinder details for either machine: De’Longhi publishes neither the burr type nor the number of grind settings for the S or the Evo. The data offers nothing to rank them on.
• The milk foam. Carafe or wand: which foam you would prefer is not in a spec sheet.
• Noise. No decibel figure for either. It is on our list of planned measurements.
• How much the carafe holds. We have no verified figure.

This comparison rests on manufacturer data only. Our own measurements will follow as we buy machines, and will be labelled as such.

Where to go next

Each machine has its own profile with the source for every figure: De’Longhi Magnifica S and De’Longhi Magnifica Evo. The Magnifica Start sits between them and is included in our De’Longhi Magnifica comparison. If the Evo appeals mainly for the milk, compare it with LatteGo and hose machines in bean-to-cup machines with a milk system, or let the machine finder narrow the field from your answers.