In a busy, coffee-loving household, an automatic machine that can do more than simply brew espresso can make a real difference. The De’Longhi Magnifica Evo (ECAM29083TB) and Eletta Explore Silver (ECAM45065S) both happily tackle the work of grinding beans, brewing coffee and texturing milk — although one gives you considerably more ways to enjoy it.
Both machines are a step up from a basic coffee maker, with one-touch menus for a range of coffee-shop favourites and De’Longhi’s LatteCrema technology for automatic milk foam. But the Eletta Explore earns its flagship status with a broader menu of hot, cold and cold-brew drinks, plus more ways to tailor each cup by way of Wi-Fi connectivity and support for the De’Longhi Connect app. For some households, it could be the only at-home coffee machine they ever need.
More than a morning coffee machine
Think of a coffee machine. You may conjure an image of a simple unit that brews a single or double espresso shot and it might have a steam wand for texturising milk. The De’Longhi Magnifica Evo and Eletta Explore offer so much more than that in the way of functionality.
The Magnifica Evo includes seven one-touch recipes, covering cappuccino, latte macchiato and non-milk recipes, including espresso, to name a few, along with a MyLatte function that lets you tailor the exact amount of milk used in a coffee.
The Eletta Explore takes things to another level with more than 50 hot, cold and cold-brew drinks to explore, such as Latte Macchiato and Iced Coffee. It’s ideal for anyone who has ever been tempted by a café menu but stuck with their usual order — with the Eletta, you can try something different without having to explain it to a barista first.
Hot, cold and cold brew at the touch of a button
(Image credit: Future)
If you take milk with your coffee — whether you enjoy a frothy cappuccino or a classic Australian flat white — the De’Longhi Magnifica Evo and Eletta Explore will be invaluable companions.
Both machines utilise De’Longhi’s LatteCrema Hot milk-foaming system to deliver hot milk foam without you having to lift a finger. The Eletta Explore, however, goes a step further with a separate LatteCreama Cool carafe, designed to create cold milk foam for iced lattes and other chilled drinks, perfect for the Australian summer.
For serious cold-coffee fans, the Eletta Explore also integrates De’Longhi’s Cold Extraction Technology to make cold brew in under five minutes — far quicker than the traditional long-steep method.
If you’re a black coffee drinker, you’ll get a fantastic brew every time you make a cup no matter which De’Longhi machine you choose, as the grinding, tamping, puck and extraction remain consistent.
Put simply, the Magnifica Evo has everyday hot milk drinks covered, while the Eletta Explore gives you far more scope to switch things up and, well, explore new coffee varieties such as when the weather — or your order — calls for something cold.
The essentials are shared
While the Eletta Explore might offer more for adventurous coffee drinkers, the Magnifica Evo still covers the things most households will realistically need and want from an automatic coffee maker. Both machines grind fresh beans, brew coffee at the touch of a button and can automatically create milk foam.
In other words, the Magnifica Evo isn’t missing out on the core coffee experience. It’s certainly the more-affordable choice if your routine revolves around hot espresso, coffee, cappuccinos and latte macchiatos; the Eletta Explore makes its case through its more extensive menu, cold-drink capability and added convenience.
More control, less effort
Beyond its huge drinks menu, the Eletta Explore earns its flagship status by making all of those options easier to navigate and tailor. Its 3.5-inch colour display uses clear touch icons, so choosing a recipe feels more like ordering from a menu than working through a row of buttons.
Bean Adapt Technology is designed to help you get the best from different bean varieties by guiding and adjusting the coffee-making settings to suit the particular blend you’re using. Whether you’re a complete novice or you like to experiment with switching between lighter and darker roasts, this technology takes most of the guesswork out of the whole process, meaning fewer beans go to waste.
The Eletta Explore also connects to De’Longhi’s Coffee Link app over Wi-Fi, opening up a whole new world of coffee customisation. With the app, you can browse over 100 further recipes to make with the Eletta Explore, as well as do things like add profiles for specific bean types, so you’re guaranteed the best results each time. And if you have a cup or mug placed on the machine’s drip tray, you can even start brewing a coffee while you’re sitting on the sofa (or even still in bed!).
Add its To-Go function — which accommodates travel mugs up to 16cm tall — and it becomes a compelling choice for anyone who wants a coffee-shop-style drink before heading out the door. The Magnifica Evo also has an adjustable coffee dispenser and can accommodate cups up to 14cm in height. The other major difference with the To-Go function is the ability to save drink recipes for specific-sized cups, reducing the chance of over- or underfilling a larger mug.
Because of its extra capabilities, the Eletta Explore (ECAM45065S) carries a small premium over the Magnifica Evo (ECAM29083TB) so you’ll need to consider if those features are worth the extra outlay.
This is especially the case since both make a very good everyday coffee — both machines grind fresh beans, prepare one-touch drinks and automatically foam hot milk.
Ultimately, the De’Longhi Eletta Explore is for households that will genuinely make use of its greater versatility. Its huge menu of hot, cold and cold-brew recipes, dedicated cold-milk carafe, Bean Adapt Technology, Wi-Fi connectivity and To-Go function make it far more than a machine for a morning cappuccino. If your household will regularly switch between hot lattes, iced coffees, cold brew and various other drink types, the Eletta Explore will likely be worth the investment.
If you tend to stick to espresso, cappuccinos, flat whites and long blacks, however, the Magnifica Evo remains the more sensible buy. It delivers the core bean-to-cup experience and automatic milk foam without asking you to pay for features you may rarely use. The choice comes down to whether you want an excellent everyday hot-drink machine or an all-season coffee station with the flexibility to replace several gadgets.
Which De’Longhi is right for you?
Choose the Magnifica Evo if fresh-bean espresso, coffee and automatic hot milk drinks are all you need. Choose the Eletta Explore if you will genuinely use its 50-plug hot, cold and cold-brew recipes, cold-foam system, extra personalisation and travel-mug-friendly To-Go function. The Evo is the more straightforward everyday choice; the Eletta is the machine for households that want to make coffee at home an all-day, all-year ritual.
The De’Longhi Magnifica Evo (ECAM29083TB) and De’Longhi Eletta Explore (ECAM45065S) are exclusively available at De’Longhi Australia. For more information on either machine, click the links below.
If you’re considering picking one up, also note that for a limited time you can save 15% on your purchase of either machine using our exclusive De’Longhi Australia promo code.
