De’Longhi Magnifica Start Automatic Espresso Machine
The De’Longhi Magnifica Start Automatic Espresso Machine is an ideal solution for those who want professional-level espresso without the hassle of complex settings. Designed for convenience and consistency, it features three one-touch recipes, a conical burr grinder with 13 grind settings, and a traditional steam wand for creating creamy milk foam. Whether you’re in the mood for espresso, a classic coffee, or a homemade iced latte, the Magnifica delivers quality results with minimal effort.
It’s built with user-friendliness in mind — from its intuitive touchscreen panel to removable, dishwasher-safe components. Perfect for beginners and experienced espresso lovers alike, this fully automatic machine combines precision, flavor, and ease in one sleek package.
Product Highlights & Features
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✅ Three One-Touch Recipes
Brew espresso, coffee, or Americano instantly with programmable strength preferences. -
✅ Built-In Conical Burr Grinder
Features 13 adjustable grind settings for optimal extraction with any bean type. -
✅ Manual Milk Frother
Create velvety foam for cappuccinos, lattes, or iced drinks using dairy or milk alternatives. -
✅ Fresh Coffee, Every Time
Grinds beans just before brewing to preserve full aroma and flavor. -
✅ Compact & Stylish
Silver finish with a streamlined footprint — fits easily under cabinets. -
✅ Easy Maintenance
Detachable parts are dishwasher-safe; includes an auto-cleaning function for hassle-free upkeep. -
✅ User-Friendly Display
Touch controls simplify brewing and customizing your drinks. -
✅ Energy Efficient
Auto shut-off feature helps conserve power.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | ECAM22022SB |
| Brand | De’Longhi |
| Coffee Type | Whole Beans or Ground (via bypass chute) |
| Grinder Type | Conical Burr, 13 Settings |
| Milk Frothing | Manual Steam Wand |
| Water Tank Capacity | 60 oz (Removable) |
| Power Consumption | 1250 Watts |
| Voltage | 120V |
| Dimensions (DxWxH) | 17″ x 9.25″ x 14″ |
| Weight | 19.62 lbs |
| Color | Silver (Manual Frother) |
| Special Features | Auto Shut-Off, Programmable Settings |
| Included Accessories | Measuring Scoop, Water Hardness Test Kit |
Final Verdict
The De’Longhi Magnifica Start Automatic Espresso Machine ECAM22022SB stands out as an excellent choice for anyone looking to elevate their at-home coffee experience. It offers all the essentials — freshly ground beans, customizable brews, and a classic milk frother — without overwhelming the user. Whether you’re starting your day with an espresso or treating yourself to an iced latte in the afternoon, the Magnifica delivers consistency, convenience, and full-bodied flavor.
For its price point, especially when compared to higher-end machines, it strikes an impressive balance of value and performance. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use, feature-packed espresso machine that doesn’t cut corners on taste, this is a strong investment for your kitchen.
Randal A. DonnellyRandal A. Donnelly –
Still Luv’n it after 3 months
I’m still luv’n my De’Longhi Magnifica Start after 3 months of daily use. This espresso machine is my first venture into the home espresso brewing world. I decided to go with an automatic machine because after watching tons of YouTube videos of folks using manual machines, I just couldn’t see myself spending all that time and energy just to pull a shot of espresso…lol.I like that it has a built-in, adjustable grinder. Saves on the expense of having to buy a standalone grinder. The hopper holds plenty of beans. I find that I only have to refill it once a week, and this is with one shot of espresso and two coffees per day.I haven’t measured the temperature of my shots or coffee, but it is sufficiently hot for my taste.The manual frother does a good job at producing a nice textured froth for when I have a hankering for a cappuccino or latte.It produces a nice, tasty crema about 0.25” to 0.50” thick, depending on the beans and the grind that I use.My only con I have is the size of the water tank. It is rather on the smallish side, holding only 7 cups of water, and I have to refill it after 2 espressos and 2 coffees. It’s easy to refill, so it’s not that big of a deal.After 3 months and one week of use, the descaling light came on. I use filtered water and have a filter installed in the water tank, so 3 months isn’t bad. The descaling process went without a hitch, and took roughly 30 minutes to complete the process start to finish.The machine is super easy to clean only taking a few minutes.So far I haven’t experienced any problems with leakage as some of the other reviewers have suggested.I would highly recommend the De’Longhi Magnifica Start to any rookie who wants to experience a great tasting espresso or coffee to start their day.
15 people found this helpful
Kyle Puckett –
Favorite purchase of 2025!
Favorite purchase of 2025. Coffee is the perfect temp, freshly ground, and delicious. It’s a bit noisy but that’s the only negative. I’ve used the espresso, americano, and coffee settings. Milk steamer also works very well. I’m not a fan of iced coffee so I haven’t used that but everything else I great!
ErosEros –
Delicious 😋
I owned a De’Longhi Magnifica about 20 years ago, and it lasted a good 10 years.This newer model of Magnifica, (Evo) is nothing short of perfection.Ok, on to the functions….being German myself, I use a German brand of coffee beans, and since I prefer my coffee strong, I always use Espresso beans. The unit itself is a bit noisy, but thats to be expected, given that it has to grind the beans, heat and filter the water and extract all into a cup once all the grinding and mixing is complete. The coffee can’t be more fresh than with freshly ground beans right then and there. I like the new features of selecting the type of drink you’re making….as well as doubling up on the quantity by a simple press of the “X2” button. My old machine had none of that. You can select between many different types of beverages….Espresso, Coffee, Long, Americano or Over Ice. Steam for Cappuccino can be used for milk as well as frothing up your coffee, for those whom prefer a more crema coffee. Overall, I am VERY pleased with this unit, and it’s worth every penny. The water capacity is also great, and I suggest, to those new to this unit, to clean it daily, if used daily. This prevents any water slime, coffee ground disk rot, and keeps the unit running like a champ. You can also use already ground coffee, if you prefer, but as a matter of preference, I use whole beans, for added freshness.I posted images of the ground coffee beans disks ejected into container within machine after brewing is complete, to share with you what I do with those disc’s after I clean the tray holding these disks. In winter, I collect them in a zip lock bag, and place them into the freezer, to use in spring and summer for my plants, bushes and trees. Those work wonders for your plants.I have nothing negative to say about this unit, it’s SUPERB !!
39 people found this helpful
BreBre –
Like having a barista at home
This espresso maker is our absolute favorite! My cousin has a Jura that I loved, but we didn’t want to spend $2k on a coffee maker, so we gave this one a shot. No regrets! It’s just as easy to use and makes just as good of espresso. We’ve had it for a year now and are still loving it (and using it multiple times a day).The frothing wand works well, and my husband has been able to do some latte art.It’s very easy to take care of and has warning lights when any attention is needed. Once turned on, it really is just a one button push for the espresso you want (with some extra steam work if you want a latte). It’s a little loud when steaming or grinding beans, but not any louder than others would be I don’t think.We had a manual Delonghi before this, and it’s so nice to not have to tamp the grounds or clean it every time now. AND we get fresh ground espresso every time.We got the warranty as well just to protect our investment in this wonderful machine. And it looks great on our counter!
3 people found this helpful
AlisunAlisun –
1 year later and we still love the Magnifica!
12 month update: We still absolutely love the De’Longhi Magnifica. No issues whatsoever. Guests all rave about how simple the machine is to use, no one needs to clean a portafilter, and drinks taste wonderful. Price has dropped over the past year, it’s totally worth it!3 Month Update: Still loving the De’Longhi Magnifica. Zero issues using it. It’s fast, straightforward, and worth every penny.Here’s my coffee journey through many, many years: Mr. Coffee –>mini-espresso–>French Press–>pour over—>Keurig–>Breville–>De’Longhi.I LOVE this De’Longhi Magnifica! If I had to narrow it down to one reason, it’s that I do not have to wash a portafilter each time I make espresso! Honesty, this is worth every penny. We make 2-6 espressos or coffee nearly every day and some days I would just skip the drink if I have to wash everything again.Not only does this Magnifica deal with the portafilter for me, I can make a plain cup of coffee, tea, or use other grounds to make any drink.You can make espresso drinks (hot/cold), coffee, tea, froth milk. So many options in one machine with very little clean up.At first I was a bit overwhelmed with the buttons, but a little practice and it was a cinch! The espresso taste great and the options are outstanding.One complaint (which is really minor): the water reservoir is small and must be added to often (lack of water can disrupt a pour). Every night, after my tea, I fill the water reservoir and the beans to be ready for the morning. I dump the grounds every 3-5 days (the machine will notify you) and wash everything that needs it.When you turn on and off the machine, it will run a quick clean cycle. Place a small glass or pitcher underneath and then the tray won’t fill up as quickly.My first espresso machine was the Breville, which I have loved for years. I’ve retired it for this one and I love the Magnifica!*This machine does not come with a milk pitcher.**The first machine we got had an issue with the steam/water. Anytime we used the steam/water, the machine would freeze for 20-30 minutes! I requested a replacement and that issue did not come up with our new machine.Review for De’Longhi ECAM29043SB Magnifica Evo Coffee and Espresso Machine, Silver
97 people found this helpful
Roger XRoger X –
simple reliable good coffee
I have had quite a few espresso machines over the years. I have assembled large commercial machines and used simple Vietnameese fins. I paid full price for this new machine. My last machine was a Gamea Revo and I got almost 20K cups of coffee out of it before it started to fall apart. I was on the fence between ordering the DeLonghi Evo or the Start. The Evo has been around for a while and is more expensive. But it is on sale for half price. The Start is a new machine that is slightly more than the Evo sale price. It has less buttons and bells and whistles. But it has several distinct advantages. First it comes with a 2 year warranty which can be extended to 3 years just by registering the machine. So no need to purchase an extended warranty. I did not opt for the automatic milk frother because my wife and I drink our coffees black. This machine was easy to setup and required only a few test cups to get the brew right. The grinder was set up perfect to begin with. I also programned the buttons for my preferences including strongest coffee setting. Once set it makes consistent great coffee. The crema is about .5 inches. The coffee comes out hot. There is an auto off feature which you can set from 15 min to 3 hours. My last fancy machine had all kinds of programming but no auto off. It is very valuable to save the life of your boiler. It holds lots of beans (1/4 pound) but not too much water (5-6 cups) but is easy to refill the water without removing the water tank entirely. There are visual warnings as well as beeps for any problems (like water low, beans low, tray missing, etc.) but not constant beeping just one beep and a red pictograph of the problem. So, I am very happy with the machine. My wife gets up at 4am and has her coffee before leaving for work. This machine does not have auto on but starts up in less than one minute (if you turn off the energy saving option). She is very happy with this simple to operate esperesso machine that makes great coffe or Americano. The design is excellent with less to go wrong. It is narrow but just as deep and tall as most macines. So it takes up less linear counter space. I hope it lasts as long as my last machine.An update after 3 months of daily use. We make at least 4 large cups of coffee per day. Usually more. Plus the occaisional Americano or Espresso. This machine has performed superbly. I use filtered akaline water which reduces the need for descaling. The descale icon comes up after 2 months of daily use. The engineering that went into this machine is really someting. The brew group is simplified and easier to clean. It has much less moving parts than the traditional brew groups. I am very impressed. The only negatives so far are: 1) If it runs out of water in the middle of a brewing cycle it does not resumme after you add water. It goes back to beginning and you have to manually add water to a half brewed cup of coffee. 2) The dark tint of the water tank makes it difficult to see the water level. Both of these are minor annoyances. But the ease of operation and consistancy of great coffee far outweigh these.
88 people found this helpful
Karla –
Enjoy
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I have so much enjoyed this coffee maker! It’s fully automatic. A month into to using it, I tried to take out the diffuser to rinse it off and it wouldn’t budge. I started to return it but found a video that said you need to let it go through the full process of turning off. Once I did that I could remove it. Was nothing to do with a coffee maker just lack of knowledge on my behalf. Delonghi also has a plethora of videos you can watch on how to care for your magnifica start.I would buy another one!
Chels –
Highly recommend!
I’ve had my DeLonghi for a few weeks now. It’s met my expectations. Former Jura owner.It makes a good cup of coffee, iced lattes and mocha’s. The only downside is it’s hard to find English instructions, however YouTube videos are helpful!
One person found this helpful
TomTom –
Fantastic machine
Absolutely love my Magnifica Start. It is the best investment I have made. If you don’t need all the fancy milk stuff but just want a good quality espresso for a great price this is the one to go with. It is super easy to use. I have had it for almost a year now and love it as much as the day I got it.
One person found this helpful
LeoninTLeoninT –
I finally got my own!
I have used this automatic coffee machine many times at the house of my friend in Ireland, who has had it since 2017, and I always liked it a lot. So I looked at it when health benefits were claimed for drinking coffee in the morning. But pay $500 for a coffee machine? Are you crazy?? So I e-mailed my friend for advice. She wrote back in English:”It looks like my coffee machine. I’ll ask Jane Doe the number, she bought the same as mine, after tasting my coffee.”and in Dutch (we use both):”Hij is wat prijzig, dat doet pijn bij aanschaf, maar je hebt altijd heerlijke koffie! En de prijs vergeet je al na een maand.”which roughly translates to”It is a bit expensive, which hurts when you buy it, but you always have great coffee! And you will forget about the cost after a month or so.”So I ordered the machine, and I have not regretted it at all. It is so convenient to just press a button to get great coffee. My handyman loves it too; the first thing he does whenever he comes in is make a cup of coffee.One warning: read the manual! Do not try to wing it; you could damage the machine if you do it wrong. It is a complex machine. I am not at all surprised that there are relatively many one-star reviews. You may also take a hint from the length of this review. :)For example, while the machine is really intended for whole-bean coffee, when I first got it I wanted to finish off my remaining ground coffee. I had seen in the instructions that the machine provides a special duct for ground coffee (which presumably bypasses the burr grinder), and I threw the allowed maximum scoop of ground coffee in that duct. However, I had missed/forgotten that you need to *activate* (with the front top-left button) the machine before throwing the scoop in. As a result, the coffee fell right through the machine, to places where it should not be, and the machine refused to make coffee, saying it had no ground coffee to do so. Since the manual says the stray coffee might damage the machine, I had to carefully remove it all, with help of the provided long brush.Conversely, you may want to make sure that the machine is *de*activated when adding whole-bean coffee, because you would certainly not want whole beans to bypass the burr grinder and go on to the brewing process unground. Now the ground-coffee duct has a cover to prevent whole beans to enter, but any whole beans, or slivers of whole beans, that manage to get in anyway better fall through the machine than proceed to the brewing apparatus unground.Which reminds me, there is one very confusing thing all over the manual. The machine has a *power* on/off button at the rear, which is practically equivalent to plugging the machine in, or pulling the plug out again. The machine also has an *activation/deactivation* button at the front top-left which tells the powered-on machine to get ready for doing something, or to deactivate itself again. The manual refers to using either button as “turning the machine on/off” although they do completely different things. That is likely to cause problems.Indeed, apparently Jane, in trying to clean the “infuser” (see in the manual what that is), took the instruction of the manual to “turn the machine off” to be to “turn off the power switch” (or pull the plug). That was done, but without first deactivating the machine. Now there was a big problem: the infuser to be cleaned had disappeared! An extensive search was initiated by Jane and my friend, but the infuser could not be found *anywhere*. So a new infuser was ordered from DeLonghi, but when it was attempted to install it, the old infuser had reappeared?! This thing would not have happened if the manual had clearly said “de-activate the machine, then pull the plug” instead of “turn off the machine”.Another one from my friend, translated from the Dutch: “If you do not clean the infuser regularly, it can become stuck. That is scary, but once taken out of the machine, you can just clean it carefully.”Fortunately, the machine is not intuitive at all for guests who have not read the manual. At my friend in the past, if pressing the button did not produce my desired double espresso but instead a mystery display of lights, I just waited for my friend to fix it. I had no clue.But to be safe, if you have guests that are early risers, during the preceding evening you may want to make sure that the machine has enough coffee and water in it.To be sure, the coffee bean compartment holds about half a 12 oz pack of coffee beans, which lasts a reasonable time and may be OK.But the water compartment runs out very quickly. The machine is quite liberal in using water. And if the water runs out while brewing, you might get only half your cup of coffee. The water compartment is transparent, so you can see the level, and refilling water is trivial. (But there might be other issues. At my friend, the water of the kitchen sink is drinkable, but that of the bathroom sink is not. I tend to forget that. And at my own place, I throw “Zero-Water” filtered water in my machine, instead of tap water, to improve taste and prevent scale build up.)As another warning, as you can barely see in the picture, my machine is just below a kitchen cabinet. This makes refilling coffee awkward, scattering stray coffee beans all over the place. So to refill coffee, I pull the machine forward clear of the cabinet. (This also allows me to clean the area where the machine normally sits.) Something to keep in mind when selecting a location for the machine.Note in the picture that the stainless cup (to catch the waste water produced during activation and deactivation) and the black stone cup with stir sticks do not come with the machine, but I think they fit in well with its black and metal. The stainless cup and stir sticks come from Amazon, and the stone cup from a cheap department store.I changed a number of settings in the machine. First, I and my handyman felt that the coffee was not really that strong using the default settings. So I rotated the big knob on the front of the machine from the default vertical setting another 90 degrees towards the maximum (see pic). This should increase the amount of coffee the machine uses. I also increased the grinding fineness just a little bit (which must be done with the coffee grinder already running, so the first cup is not really representative of the result; taste the second cup). We like the results. (But watch it, if you make the blockage too big by using too much, too finely ground coffee, you will apparently clog the machine and the coffee will come out a drop at a time.)Next, I changed the amount of coffee produced by the double americano button to match the size of the cup I use for that. See the manual on how. (Apparently, if you press a button within three second after delivery, it adds more coffee. I must remember to tell my handyman that.)Also, the machine has a counter inside that periodically reminds you to descale the machine by running its automatic descaling routine. But I use Zero Water in my machine, which is essentially purified water that leaves no scale behind at all. So I reduced the frequency of the descaling cycle to the minimum the machine allows, and after over four months, I have not yet been prompted for a descaling. Somewhat of a relief, I hate wasting time and money; the DeLonghi descaler is about $4 a go. (But once in a half year or so would be OK, I guess, to waste $4 and whatever time.)Writing this review reminded me that I had never cleaned the infuser since I got the machine 4 months ago. And the manual says that it must be cleaned at least once a month! So I did it immediately. My friend does it as part of a complete cleaning job whenever the descaling light comes on. But since I changed that setting, I may need to do it more frequently than that.Coffee aficionada generally agree that you want to use water close to boiling for the best coffee. So I increased the brewing temperature to the maximum (minimum is apparently 190 F, maximum 205 F, boiling would be 212 F).But be careful here. I make my morning double espresso in a small carton cup as seen in the picture, and by the time the coffee is in the cup, after some cooling down while going through the spouts and while falling towards the cup, it is still at about 175 F according to my oven thermometer. That is worse than 165 F, which already produces *instant* burns. Now I am not that fond of poached tongue, if it is *my* tongue. And the carton cups are surprisingly insulating (for one, because their bottoms do not touch my cooling quartz countertop, and for another, because the coffee is so low in the cup that evaporation is really reduced). It takes about 5 minutes for the temperature to go down to 150 F, which becomes somewhat drinkable. No big deal for me, because I am cleaning up the breakfast stuff at the same time.But some guest may be unaware of how hot the coffee is. So I used my label printer to put “WARNING”, “coffee comes out too hot to drink” labels on the metal plate of the drip drawer, see picture.My handyman has no problems, as he throws lots of half and half in his double Americano. But it was somewhat of a pain for my own evening double Americano in a stainless insulated cup, even with a bit of Irish accent from the fridge added to the coffee. But on thinking this over while writing this review, I replaced the cup by a stone one. That is much better, the excess heat now goes quickly into the stone of the cup and the coffee is actually already becoming somewhat too cool for me near the end. I may put some cover over the cup to reduce evaporation while I am still drinking it, maybe just a paper towel.When you activate the machine, it blows some hot water through the machine to bring it up to temperature for brewing your coffee. If further unused, the machine will deactivate itself automatically after some time (while blowing some cleaning water through the system). I reduced that time to the minimum of 15 min, to force the machine to reheat itself before making the next cup.Apparently some people have the opposite problem as me: their coffee is too cool. I would bet that is because they brew the coffee into a big heavy stone cup or similar without warming the cup first. (Warming the cup can be done using the hot water or steam from the milk frother.) The “Get Started” guide talks about a “cup warmer shelf”, but I have no clue what that means. It seems to be the metal-covered plate on top of the machine; however this does not do any cup warming as far as I can see. Maybe the guide means the “*warmed cup* shelf” instead. Even so, I would not know how effective this “shelf” is in delaying the cool-down of any warmed cup. The metal would conduct heat away. Using a pot holder to put the cup on seems to make more sense to me.(To be sure, I think the translations of instructions from Italian into English are still better than those from Chinese into English that I have seen. Not unexpectedly.)Neither my handyman nor I use the “milk frother” that can be used to make cappuccino and such. I drink my coffee black, and my handyman just throws in a lot of half and half. But my friend loves cappuccino, so I asked her. She told me that she only uses the frother for hot water, as she will forget to perform the 6 step cleaning procedure of the frother immediately after each use with milk (which includes a minutes long wait for the frother to cool down after flowing hot water through it, among others). So she is afraid that the frother will become unhygienic.Seems reasonable to me. So, in case I get any guest who likes cappuccino or similar, I ordered a couple of battery-powered separate milk frothers from Amazon, one for $10 and another for $2.50 (cheap, but they do not last long). You can simply flush these frothers clean below the faucet. And a couple of cooks informed me that all you have to do for a cappuccino is warm the milk to 150 F in the microwave and then use such a milk frother on it. Seems like a much better idea to me.For those who really want to use the steam frother anyway, the instructions to take it apart were unclear to me. I eventually figured out that you are supposed to take the shiny metal part and rotate it a bit counter-clockwise (looking *from the top down*), after which you can pull it down.Gee, did I warn this would be a long review?
20 people found this helpful