DeLonghi Magnifica Duo Review: The Best Magnifica Yet?

In case you haven’t been paying attention, DeLonghi has been pumping out new fully automatic espresso machines at a rate of knots over the last couple of years. In today’s DeLonghi Magnifica Duo review, I’ll be taking a look at the Italian manufacturer’s latest release.

As it happens, I’m particularly excited about the Magnifica Duo, seeing as it comes with some innovative features. In my opinion, this could prove to be the best machine in the Magnifica lineup, so let’s jump right into my DeLonghi Magnifica Duo review.

DeLonghi Magnifica Duo

Yet another Magnifica machine to love

There brewing technologies

Hot and cold milk foam

Straightforward operation

Compact footprint

Great value

Lots of plastic

CHECK PRICE

All specifications

DeLonghi Magnifica Duo
Manufacturer	De’Longhi
Model number	ECAM33080SXB
Product category	Super automatic espresso machine
Removable brew group
Housing material	Plastic with stainless steel parts
Color options	Silver
Milk frother	Integrated carafe
User interface	Color TFT with buttons
App
User profiles	3
Removable water reservoir
Water reservoir capacity	60.9 fl oz / 1.8 l
Number of boilers	1
Pump pressure
Maximum cup height	5.5 in / 14.0 cm
Minimum cup height	3.3 in / 8.4 cm
Grinder	Stainless steel conical burr grinder
Grind adjustment levels	13
Bean hopper capacity	8.8 oz / 250.0 g
Pre-ground coffee bypass
Grounds discard container capacity	14
Specialty drinks	20
Pre-infusion
Adjustable coffee temperature
Adjustable milk foam temperature
Adjustable milk temperature
2-cup function	Yes (non-milk drinks only)
Pot function
Hot water function
Hot milk function
Milk foam only option
Water filter
Power consumption	1250 W
Weight	20.8 lb / 9.4 kg
Dimensions	14.0 x 9.5 x 17.5 in 35.6 x 24.1 x 44.5 cm
Warranty	3 years
Notes	Included Accessories: Coffee scoop, cleaning brush, cleaning supplies, water filter, hot water spout, hot milk carafe, cold milk carafe
Current price on Amazon	$999.95
All specifications

DeLonghi Magnifica Duo Review Overview

Coffeeness Medium Roast Espresso

Well-balanced with chocolate & hazelnut notes

Freshly roasted in Brooklyn

Very low acidity

To the Coffeeness Shop

Regular Coffeeness readers will know that I tend to get annoyed by new espresso machines that seem unnecessary. In saying that, I’m referring to the fact that manufacturers sometimes launch a fully automatic machine with a tiny upgrade, then talk big about how new and life-changing it is.

With DeLonghi’s Magnifica series, that is sometimes the case. But for the most part, each new machine builds on the success of its predecessor and the asking price is always fair for what you’re getting.

In terms of its appearance, the new DeLonghi Magnifica Duo is instantly recognizable as a Delonghi Magnifica machine. In other words, it’s compact, streamlined and offers a no-frills design aesthetic. What’s more, the Magnifica Duo includes all the features I’ve come to expect from a mid-range Delonghi fully automatic espresso machine:

But that’s not all, folks. The Magnifica Duo also comes with an improved version of its (already awesome) LatteCrema automatic milk system, with two carafes – one for hot foam and one for cold foam. Furthermore, DeLonghi has really pushed the boat out when it comes to brewing technology.

Of course, I’ll discuss these features in more detail a little later. For now, though, you should be aware that the machine will set you back $999.95 on Amazon. Trust me, by the end of this DeLonghi Magnifica Duo review, you’ll be in full agreement about what a bargain that is.

DeLonghi Magnifica Duo Notable Features

Now that you have a clearer idea of why I’m so excited about the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo, let’s take a closer look at what makes this one of the best fully automatic espresso machine releases of the year.

User Interface

I really appreciate the fact that the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo’s control panel is angled upward, seeing as it cuts down on glare and the need to stoop when you’re selecting a beverage.

Taking up the entire width of the machine, the user interface consists of a 2.4-inch (6-centimeter) color digital display surrounded by soft-touch buttons.

As I’ve said elsewhere, a control panel like this is, in many ways, more effective than a touchscreen interface, and you’ll find that navigating the menus will be a breeze. There are six one-touch drink options represented by color icons, as well as buttons for accessing other drinks within the menu. And once you’ve selected a drink, it’s easy to adjust parameters like volume and strength.

The Magnifica Duo does a great job of keeping you abreast of what’s happening via the small screen, and it’ll let you know when it’s time to perform any given cleaning or maintenance task. Overall, I’d say that even if you’ve never used a fully automatic coffee machine before, you’ll be able to get going with the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo without having to consult the user manual.

Brewing Technologies

As I mentioned earlier, DeLonghi has done things differently in terms of how the Magnifica Duo brews coffee. In short, the fact that the Magnifica Duo can brew in multiple ways could be seen as its raison d’être.

If you’ve read my reviews, you’ll know that I’m often disappointed by the “coffee” produced by many super automatics. Usually, a fully automatic machine will simply run extra water through the coffee puck, which results in little more than watered down espresso. What’s more, I’ve become tired of complaining about the so-called “cold brew” that many machines churn out.

With all that in mind, DeLonghi has come up with a new way of approaching things.

The Magnifica Duo is capable of brewing in three distinctive ways. So, if you ask for an espresso, the machine will (as expected) activate its pre-infusion function before amping up the pressure during extraction. However, when you select drip coffee from the menu, the machine lowers the pressure and does away with the pre-infusion function. This allows the coffee grounds to “bloom” in a more natural way, resulting in a more classic drip coffee flavor profile.

Finally, DeLonghi has done its best to replicate cold brew by significantly lowering the pressure, extending the extraction time to several minutes and brewing with room temperature water.

I have to say that I’m impressed by what DeLonghi has done here. And the fact that the manufacturer is trying to raise the bar for what an automatic machine can do is very much appreciated. Especially after the false promises I encountered during my KitchenAid KF4 review.

Specialty Drinks

The DeLonghi Magnifica Duo comes with a 20-drink menu, although hot water and cold milk are included as “drink recipes.” To be honest, that doesn’t ruffle my feathers; every manufacturer does the same thing. Besides, the main thing is that you can make adjustments to your cappuccino, americano or flat white.

You’re able to tweak temperature, drink size and coffee intensity, and you can then save your creations in one of three user profiles. This makes the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo ideal for families, seeing as everyone can have a profile and fights won’t break out about who changed the latte macchiato’s temperature.

Milk Foam

Those of you for whom cold foam is the ultimate addition to espresso can now rejoice. That’s because the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo comes with both the LatteCrema Hot and LatteCrema Cool carafes.

To be honest, I was seriously underwhelmed by the cold foam option during my DeLonghi Eletta Explore review. Still, what seemed to me at the time to be a passing fad looks like it’s here to stay. Anyway, if cold foam lattes make people happy, I’m all for it.

In my experience, DeLonghi’s LatteCrema automatic milk frothing system seems to get a little better with each new release. Here at Coffeeness, we feel like it’s one of the best integrated milk systems around. I love that you’re able to choose from three foam density levels by moving the dial on the carafe, and cleaning the thing is a piece of cake. By the way, you can also adjust the foam density if you’re using the LatteCrema Cool carafe, although you’ll get the best results by using non-fat or non-dairy milk.

Getting Started With the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo

As I’ve already pointed out, using the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo will be easy peasy for even the most inexperienced user. With that said, there are a few things to take care of before you can start making delicious coffee drinks.

After unboxing the machine, make sure to rinse all removable parts, including the milk carafes and water tank. Next, you’ll need to fill the water tank with (preferably filtered) water. As with other Magnifica models, you remove the reservoir by pulling it out from the side of the machine, which is incredibly convenient.

Now it’s time to press the power button. Before doing so, make sure to attach the hot water spout and place a container underneath. The machine will perform an initial heating and rinsing cycle, after which you can choose to set your water hardness and install a water filter in the tank. Personally, I always do this seeing as it reduces the frequency of having to descale the machine.

Now you’re free to make whichever coffee drink you’d like. And like I said, you’re unlikely to need the user manual. My recommendation is to just dive right in and have fun! Still, I would adjust the grind setting before adding beans for the first time. As always with DeLonghi espresso machines, I’d recommend starting at around the third-finest setting. To do so, turn the dial located in the bean hopper. Oh, and if you need to make subsequent changes once there are coffee beans in there, make sure to do so only when the grinder is running.

DeLonghi Magnifica Duo vs Other Magnifica Models

Whenever I’m reviewing a new Magnifica model, I feel like it’s important to show how it fits in with the rest of the Magnifica series. After all, simply because the DeLonghi Magnifica Duo is a new release doesn’t mean it’s automatically better than its stablemates.

For the most part, DeLonghi Magnifica machines are incredibly reasonably priced, especially when compared with Jura coffee machines, for example. With that in mind, you can expect an abundance of plastic in a Magnifica machine’s construction as well as an absence of any fancy app or WiFi connectivity. Still, in my experience, most of these machines will deliver very good espresso, and some of them can produce exceptional milk foam.

DeLonghi Magnifica S Review: Simple but Good!Interestingly enough, the DeLonghi Magnifica S is one of my favorite machines on this list. Although it’s now rather dated, this baby is still my reference machine for espresso quality. That’s because it’s the only Magnifica model with a dial for adjusting coffee strength. Seriously, this feature is amazing and I’m surprised the manufacturer abandoned it in favor of preset strength settings.

On the other hand, the Magnifica S has a manual steam wand rather than an automatic milk frother, which will put some folks off. But if you want seriously good automatic espresso, this machine costs just $598.00.

Elsewhere, the DeLonghi Magnifica Plus stands out for its superb usability and generous size. I also really enjoyed the coffee this model produced from my Coffeeness Espresso Blend. And at $1,299.95, the Magnifica Plus is a true bargain.

Comparison Chart

Verdict: DeLonghi Magnifica Duo Review

DeLonghi Magnifica Duo

Yet another Magnifica machine to love

There brewing technologies

Hot and cold milk foam

Straightforward operation

Compact footprint

Great value

Lots of plastic

CHECK PRICE

All specifications

DeLonghi Magnifica Duo
Manufacturer	De’Longhi
Model number	ECAM33080SXB
Product category	Super automatic espresso machine
Removable brew group
Housing material	Plastic with stainless steel parts
Color options	Silver
Milk frother	Integrated carafe
User interface	Color TFT with buttons
App
User profiles	3
Removable water reservoir
Water reservoir capacity	60.9 fl oz / 1.8 l
Number of boilers	1
Pump pressure
Maximum cup height	5.5 in / 14.0 cm
Minimum cup height	3.3 in / 8.4 cm
Grinder	Stainless steel conical burr grinder
Grind adjustment levels	13
Bean hopper capacity	8.8 oz / 250.0 g
Pre-ground coffee bypass
Grounds discard container capacity	14
Specialty drinks	20
Pre-infusion
Adjustable coffee temperature
Adjustable milk foam temperature
Adjustable milk temperature
2-cup function	Yes (non-milk drinks only)
Pot function
Hot water function
Hot milk function
Milk foam only option
Water filter
Power consumption	1250 W
Weight	20.8 lb / 9.4 kg
Dimensions	14.0 x 9.5 x 17.5 in 35.6 x 24.1 x 44.5 cm
Warranty	3 years
Notes	Included Accessories: Coffee scoop, cleaning brush, cleaning supplies, water filter, hot water spout, hot milk carafe, cold milk carafe
Current price on Amazon	$999.95
All specifications

Now that we’ce reached the end of this DeLonghi Magnifica Duo review, I imagine you’ll agree that this new model represents exceptional value for money. It also shows that DeLonghi isn’t resting on its laurels. Rather, the Italian manufacturer is proving itself as a true innovator in the fully automatic espresso machine sector.

From its Bean Adapt Technology (as seen in the DeLonghi Rivelia), to the Magnifica Duo’s multiple extraction technologies, DeLonghi is providing some stiff competition for other brands. Add in the fact that all Magnifica models are competitively priced, and it’s no wonder this manufacturer is so successful.

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