Choosing a winner in the Delonghi Magnifica S vs Eletta battle is arduous as both are great espresso makers. So I’ve spent a long time testing it out and decided to give the winning ticket to Delonghi Eletta, though both models come highly rated for various reasons.
Both are praised for ease of use, texture/quality of coffee, ease of cleaning, and more. But the Eletta won for its frothing system that can make creamy, rich milk foam. So it can produce the ideal smoothness and richness that many other machines cannot.
The Magnifica S also has various features that make it a popular choice among users globally. It provides many adjustable settings like the Eletta, letting you create double shots in one or two cups per brew session. Moreover, this barista-style modern espresso machine allows you to do anything at the touch of a button.
Delonghi Magnifica S vs Eletta: Comparison Chart




Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Delonghi Magnifica S Vs Eletta: KeyDifferences
The Eletta wins by a score of 4-1 against the Magnifica S. The former can consistently make great espresso cups with little or no effort, as almost everything is automatic, from frothing milk to rinsing the milk carafe. Yet, the Magnifica S is also worth considering for some good reasons. Let’s explore!
MILK SYSTEM

The Winner: Delonghi Eletta
Both Magnifica S and Eletta sport an excellent milk frother, which is good news for those who prefer delicious milk-based drinks. But the Eletta won this round because it has a more advanced frothing system and milk storage.
Just press either the cappuccino or latte button, and it will generate an adequate quantity of milk. Moreover, it allows you to customize the quantity of milk and foam with three settings.
The Magnifica S has a manual milk frother that creates a rich and creamy froth for your cappuccinos and lattes by mixing milk and steam. It doesn’t have an automatic milk frother like its counterpart, but it is also easy to use. All you need to do is switch on the steam button, position the cup of milk under it, and turn the steam knob. The rest of the process will then be automatic.
Regarding cleaning, the Eletta also has the upper hand thanks to an auto-rinse function, while cleaning the Magnifica S is a bit more complicated. You can clean its milk carafe by soaking it in a cleaning solution and hot water for approximately half an hour or just placing it in the top rack of a dishwasher.
CUSTOMIZATION
The Winner: Draw
Both the Magnifica S and Eletta have some value-for-money features that allow you to customize your chosen coffee drink to your liking, and we have a tie for this category.
The Eletta has five settings for the strength of your coffee, ranging from extra mild to extra strong. Moreover, you can choose one of these four types: short, standard, long, or extra-long coffee.
The Eletta has a handy “My Coffee” feature, which enables you to customize and save your favorite coffee. It will help you save different drinks with various attributes and let you pick them whenever you want, and you can also customize the water’s temperature easily.
On the other hand, the Magnifica S gives you control over the strength and amount. It sports four options that let you add water to your coffee to make it milder or stronger, including 40 ml, 80 ml, 120 ml, and 240 ml.
Also, it delivers 13 different levels of fineness for the beans and can make two separate cups for each brewing session thanks to its double spout.
SIZE & CAPACITY
The Winner: Delonghi Eletta
The Magnifica S has a dimension of 230 x 430 x 340 mm, whereas the Eletta measures 260 x 460 x 360 mm. The Magnifica S is shorter than the Eletta and has a narrow frame, making it a good fit for tight-on-space kitchens.
The bean hopper capacity of Delonghi Magnifica S and Eletta is 8.8 and 14.1 ounces, respectively. So the latter can produce more espresso cups than its counterpart for every filling of coffee beans. That is why it completely win this round.
Apart from the larger bean hopper, Eletta’s water tank is also larger at 67.6 ounces, while its competitor has a 60-ounce one. As a result, the Eletta is, no doubt, the ideal choice for those who make coffee regularly.
CLEANING
The Winner: Delonghi Eletta
The Eletta has live indicators that will remind you when to clean your machine. I recommend rinsing it once every seven days to keep it clean and ensure the espresso taste is always at its best. It may seem like a time-consuming task, but it can be completed faster than you expect.
Cleaning the milk carafe of the Magnifica S is a bit more difficult. The truth is that I had to clean it more often than its counterpart. You can use bottled water to clean the milk carafe. But if you want to clean it thoroughly, I suggest soaking it in warm water and a cleaning solution for about half an hour before tossing it in a dishwasher.
Delonghi Magnifica S vs Eletta: Similarities
EASE OF USE

No one likes to struggle with a machine that is difficult to operate, navigate, or requires a lot of effort to use, right? Fortunately, the Magnifica S and Eletta are easy to use, but I prefer the touch-controlled panel of the latter as it simplifies most processes to a one-touch operation.
If you want your milk-based drinks to be prepared automatically, the Eletta is the way to go. But if you are willing to learn and experiment with some techniques from YouTube videos, the Magnifica S would be a good fit.
Quick Rundown Of Delonghi Eletta
- Fresh Espresso for every cup the integrated burr grinder with adjustable settings grinds fresh beans every time to ensure maximum freshness. You can also use pre-ground in the second chamber – your choice of regular, specialty or decaf.
- The de’longhi lattecrema system creates perfectly layered Espresso beverages, with dense, rich, long-lasting foam in every cup from start to finish.
- Consistent brewing every time Each cup is automatically brewed to the perfect temperature, richness and density. And, you can customize the settings to ensure it’s always just the way you like it.
- Maintenance: de’longhi machines require half the cleaning time of other brands, unlike competitor machines, which require chemical cleaning tablets monthly.
- Warranties may not apply to purchases from an unauthorized retailer.
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown Of Delonghi Magnifica S
- 15 bar pressure for brewing excellence and consistent results, with integrated silent burr grinder
- Select steam milk or froth milk with the hot milk/cappuccino selector
- Saves up to 77-percent energy with energy-saving switch and single boiler system
- Removable 1.8 litre (60 oz) water tank with water level indicator
- Long coffee function allows you to enjoy drip style coffee, plus a hot water spout for tea or hot chocolate
Last update on 2023-05-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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References:
Delonghi Eletta: https://www.delonghi.com/en-us/eletta-automatic-espresso-machine-cappuccino-maker-ecam45760b/p/ECAM45760B
Delonghi Magnifica S: https://www.delonghi.com/en/ecam22-110-b-magnifica-s-automatic-coffee-maker/p/ECAM22.110.B

I am Ralph Mason and I am a passionate coffee drinker. I worked as a barista for a few years and since 2012 I have been trying to convince as many people as possible of good coffee.
I started writing on the barista blog on RepublikCoffeeBar in 2018. It was a pure hobby site and I tested coffee products like coffee machines, beans, mug, and other accessories. After the first year, my blog is becoming a well-known coffee site with about 100 thousand visits per month.
In 2019 I decided to focus on RepublikCoffeeBar only. I became a full-time coffee blogger and was declared crazy by many.