I tested one of the cheapest De'Longhi superautomatic coffee machines — and it's almost as good as a $2,000 model

The new De’Longhi Magnifica Duo goes where only a few automatic coffee machines have gone before: below $1,000. Yes, this superautomatic machine with hot and cold milk carafes is less than a grand. By 5 cents, sure, but still under a grand.

Even though $999.95 is still an objectively large amount of money, especially in 2026, it’s actually pretty affordable for an automatic coffee machine. Other De’Longhi models go for up to $2,500 (coughElettaExplorecough) with, honestly, not that much difference in performance.

So, is the Magnifica Duo one of the best espresso machines in 2026? It depends on what you’re after. Want something that can make you a fresh, hot (or cold) beverage in seconds without you lifting a finger? Then it’s definitely a contender. To find out more, keep reading this De’Longhi Magnifica Duo review.

De'Longhi Magnifica Duo review: Specs

De'Longhi Magnifica Duo review: Price & availability

The De’Longhi Magnifica Duo is $999 from Amazon U.S. and £699 from Amazon U.K. While this is a lot to swallow, most other automatic espresso machines will set you back almost double that. For example, the De’Longhi PrimaDonna Aromatic, the KitchenAid KF8, or the De’Longhi Eletta Explore, which are $2,500, $2,000, and $2,000, respectively.

If you want to save as much money as possible but still want an automatic machine, the Magnifica Duo would be your best bet. The De’Longhi Magnifica Evo is $100 cheaper, but it can’t make iced drinks. I’ve also tested the De’Longhi Rivelia, which is still my favorite automatic espresso machine, but it’s a little pricier at $1,499.

For an automatic espresso machine capable of brewing hot and cold drinks, the Magnifica Duo is actually reasonably priced. I hate writing that about a machine three times the price of my first car, but it is what it is.

De'Longhi Magnifica Duo review: Design

Just like other De’Longhi automatic espresso machines, the Magnifica Duo is effectively a huge metal/plastic box. This one is particularly massive, too. It’s almost 18 inches deep and 14 inches tall, so ensure you have enough space in your kitchen before purchasing. I test a lot of espresso machines, and my first thought upon unboxing was, “Wow. That’s huge.”

In terms of looks, it’s also average. The brushed silver exterior is a pretty nice touch, and there’s a well-lit LED screen on the top. I do wish the machine was either less plasticky or smaller, though. As it’s so large, your eye is automatically drawn to it. Then all you can do is notice the plastic embellishments.

If you value looks over cost-effectiveness, I’d recommend checking out the aforementioned De’Longhi Rivelia, which comes in an array of pretty colors and is a touch smaller. It’s around six inches shallower than the Magnifica Duo, but the same height and width. Even so, every little helps, and in the grand scheme of things, the Rivelia is still smaller.

Now, the LED screen. Like the De’Longhi Rivelia and the De’Longhi PrimaDonna Aromatic, the Magnifica Duo has a nice little LED screen for selecting drinks, maintenance, and everything in between. While it’s smaller and a little less detailed than the PrimaDonna Aromatic’s, you are saving $1,500, so I really can’t complain. The Magnifica Duo’s screen still manages everything you’d want it to: 20-drink selection, customization, and even walks you through tutorials if necessary.

De'Longhi Magnifica Duo review: Espresso

As mentioned earlier, the De’Longhi Magnifica Duo makes a whopping twenty drinks. This includes hot and cold beverages: you can make a flat white or iced cappuccino in one click. Just like other De’Longhi automatics, the Magnifica Duo is incredibly easy to use. You only need to press one button for a super speedy drink.

However, it’s not all perfect. Like other De’Longhi automatic machines, there’s no low water warning. This means the machine will sputter out halfway through making a coffee, leaving you with a half-full mug or simply abandoning the espresso extraction altogether. Yes, this wastes beans.

What I’d like to see is for the machine to warn you before making a beverage. If this machine knows its water is below the minimum amount, why does it let you proceed with making a coffee?

Alright, now let’s get into the most important thing: taste. How does the De’Longhi Magnifica Duo actually taste?

Well, like every other automatic machine. Unfortunately, there’s really no distinction between this machine, the Rivelia, the PrimaDonna Aromatic (the list goes on). Some people will love the taste-versus-ease tradeoff; some would rather have more power over their final brew.

As an automatic machine, the Magnifica Duo uses relatively high pump pressure (15 bar) and dual-walled (pressurized) portafilters, so you’re not going to get as much nuance or complexity as you would with a manual machine. This isn’t a Magnifica Duo issue, but an inherent flaw with this kind of coffee machine. Is it for you? I can’t tell you. It’s not really for me, but I have a Breville Bambino Plus and a hand grinder, the Comandante C40 MK4.

Here’s a shot of espresso brewed on the Magnifica Duo.

As you can see, it’s a little pale, and the crema is relatively aerated. Again, this won’t impress coffee nerds, but it’s decent for how little effort it required. This shot tasted quite acidic, but not bitter at all. As stated earlier, automatic machines naturally remove most nuanced and delicate flavors due to the pressurized extraction process, so this shot didn’t taste as it would on, say, a De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro.

My colleague Harry said the coffee tasted a little weak, but it wasn’t bitter or unpleasant. However, my colleague Nikita couldn’t taste the coffee at all. I thought my oat flat white was acceptable, with a delicate coffee flavor and good milk texture, but it didn’t do the $50 coffee beans any favors.

The Magnifica Duo can also make iced drinks, so of course I made a cold brew. Here’s a photo of said cold brew.

This cold brew was… interesting. In a bad way. It tasted overly acidic and weak simultaneously. I wouldn’t recommend using the cold brew setting at all. The rest of the cold drinks from this machine are decent, though.

De'Longhi Magnifica Duo review: Milk

One of the best things about the De’Longhi Magnifica Duo is milk texture. The machine comes with both hot and cold milk carafes: De’Longhi’s LatteCrema and LatteCrema Cool. Both milk systems create gorgeous milk texture, with delicate bubbles or smooth micro(ish)foam. Sure, this doesn’t replicate a skilled barista, but that’s not the point of this machine.

Here’s a close-up of a flat white made on the Magnifica Duo.

As you can see, the bubbles are controlled and smooth. My colleague Harry said the dairy texture was “nice and creamy”. I thought the plant-based milk was also great; soft yet dense, like perfectly whipped egg whites (gross image, but you get the gist).

The LatteCrema Cool also makes a gorgeous milk texture. Here’s a photo of a cold brew latte.

As you can see, the texture strikes the balance between cold foam and plain milk really well. The drink is layered beautifully without an overwhelming amount of froth.

De'Longhi Magnifica Duo review: Storage & maintenance

As mentioned above, the Magnifica Duo is large. Please make sure there’s enough space in your kitchen before buying; it’s one of the deepest machines I’ve ever tested.

Thankfully, both milk carafes are dishwasher-safe and force-purge after every use. This is great for easy, mindless cleaning. The machine also comes with a water filter and cleaning tablets — replacements are $20 from De’Longhi and $15 from De’Longhi, respectively — and walks you through cleaning cycles when required.

De’Longhi offers a two-year warranty as standard, which is the same as Ninja and Breville and better than Casabrews’s measly one-year. Even so, none of these brands can match SimplyGoodCoffee or Moccamaster — both give you a five-year warranty by default.

De'Longhi Magnifica Duo review: Verdict

The De’Longhi Magnifica Duo is a decent automatic coffee machine. Is it revolutionary? No. Does it make award-winning coffee? No. Is it supremely easy to use? Yes. Does it make coffee in seconds, with zero input from you? Also, yes.

At $999, this is on the cheaper end of automatic coffee machines (yeouch), so I’d recommend it over the De’Longhi Eletta Explore or De’Longhi PrimaDonna Aromatic. If you can part with a little extra, though, I’d go for the De’Longhi Rivelia as it looks prettier, takes up less space (and can also make cold drinks with an extra $129 purchase).

As far as automatic coffee machines go, the Magnifica Duo is relatively affordable. It’s not life-changing, but if you want a decent amount of bang for a (somewhat) lower amount of buck, I’d go for it.