DeLonghi Magnifica Duo vs. Magnifica Evo: Which Should You Buy?

The Same Size of Machine, Different Menus

On De'Longhi's own spec sheets, the Magnifica Duo (ECAM330.80) and the Magnifica Evo (ECAM290.8x) are almost the same machine. Both have the same 60.87 oz water tank, 8.82 oz bean hopper, 15-bar pump and 5.46 in maximum cup height, in a body of about 24 x 44 x 36 cm. The difference is what you drive it with.

The Duo has a display, three user profiles, a cold drinks menu and De'Longhi's Cold Extraction Technology for cold brew. The Evo has a simpler button-and-light panel and a shorter drinks list, with "Over Ice" as its one cold coffee.

We've left out prices, which change weekly. Everything below is from De'Longhi's instruction books and US product pages.

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Side by Side, From De'Longhi's Own Documents

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What the Duo Adds

Cold milk drinks. The Duo's LatteCrema carafe has a froth dial with separate Hot and Cold recommendations. MIN froth, for example, is for a Latte or Hot Milk, and for an Iced Latte or Cold Milk. The cold menu includes iced cappuccinos, flat whites and latte macchiatos.

Cold Extraction Technology. For Cold Brew drinks you choose Original or Intense, and the machine tells you how many ice cubes to put in the glass. The book calls it "a slow extraction: therefore it will take some minutes". Before serving cold brew, it says to empty, rinse and refill the tank with fresh water.

Ice and Extra Ice. For iced coffee drinks you choose "Ice" or "Extra Ice", and the machine suggests the number of ice cubes before it delivers.

Three profiles. Each profile saves its own drink settings: quantity from S to XL and intensity from 1 (extra-weak) to 5 (extra-strong).

A settings menu on screen. Maintenance (rinse, descaling with a counter bar, water filter, machine cleaning, milk carafe, empty water circuit, water hardness), Preferences (auto-off at 15 or 30 minutes or 1 or 3 hours, beep, energy saving, coffee temperature, a grinder tutorial, language, default values) and Info.

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What the Evo Keeps Simple

Fewer drinks, fewer menus. Six hot recipes and Over Ice, chosen from buttons. Coffee temperature is in its settings menu (hold the menu button for 5 seconds, then LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH).

Lights instead of a display. The Evo's alerts are indicator lights: filter, water, a general-alarm triangle, grounds container and descale. Our De'Longhi error codes guide explains what each light pattern means.

Lower wattage. 1250 W against the Duo's 1450 W, on De'Longhi's US pages.

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What Both Share

• The same tank, hopper, pump and cup height on paper.
• Pre-ground coffee option and a double shot, on both spec sheets.
• Water filter and programmable water hardness, on both spec sheets.
• De'Longhi descaler only. The Duo book warns that unsuitable descaler, or descaling not done properly and when required, can cause faults not covered by the guarantee.
• No green, caramelised or candied beans. The Duo book warns they can stick in the grinder and make it unusable, as De'Longhi's other bean-to-cup books do.
• Hotter coffee on both: rinse first, warm the cups, raise the coffee temperature.

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Living With Each One

Our Magnifica Duo troubleshooting guide and Evo descaling guide go into each machine's maintenance.

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Which One to Buy

Buy the Magnifica Duo if you drink iced lattes, cold foam drinks or cold brew, or if more than one person in the house wants their own saved drinks. The display, cold drinks menu, Cold Extraction and three profiles are the whole reason for the upgrade.

Buy the Magnifica Evo if you mostly drink hot espresso, coffee and cappuccino. On De'Longhi's figures it's the same size of machine, with the same tank and hopper and a simpler panel.

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FAQ

What is the difference between the Magnifica Duo and Magnifica Evo?

The Duo adds a display, a cold drinks menu with iced milk drinks, Cold Extraction for cold brew, and three user profiles. The tank, hopper, pump and cup height are the same on De'Longhi's spec sheets.

Does the Magnifica Duo have two milk systems?

Not according to its instruction book. It describes one LatteCrema carafe whose froth dial has settings for both hot and cold drinks.

How long does cold brew take on the Magnifica Duo?

De'Longhi doesn't give a time. The book says Cold Extraction is "a slow extraction" that "will take some minutes".

Can the Magnifica Evo make iced coffee?

Yes. Its US spec sheet lists Over Ice as its cold coffee drink. It doesn't list the Duo's iced milk drinks or cold brew.

Are the two machines the same size?

On De'Longhi's US pages, yes. Both are about 24 x 44 x 36 cm, with a 60.87 oz tank and an 8.82 oz hopper.

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Related De'Longhi Guides

• De'Longhi Magnifica Duo Not Working
• Magnifica Evo Descaling Guide
• Magnifica Evo vs. Dinamica Plus

Sources: De'Longhi Magnifica Duo ECAM330.80 Instructions for Use; De'Longhi Magnifica Evo ECAM29X.6Y/29X.8Y instructions; De'Longhi US product pages for the ECAM33080SXB and ECAM29084SB.