Breville Barista Express vs De'Longhi Magnifica Evo

These two machines both have a grinder inside and both make milk drinks, which is why people compare them. Beyond that they are opposites. The Barista Express is a semi-automatic: Breville's spec page lists a 16-setting conical burr grinder, a 54 mm portafilter, a PID-controlled thermocoil at 200 degrees F, low-pressure pre-infusion ahead of 9 bar, a pressure gauge and a manual steam wand. You do every step by hand, and every step is a variable you can change.

The Magnifica Evo is a super-automatic. De'Longhi lists a 13-setting conical burr grinder that feeds an internal brew unit, seven one-touch recipes and, on the ECAM29084SB, the LatteCrema carafe that froths milk automatically. There is no portafilter, no tamper and no gauge. You choose a drink and a strength, and the machine does the rest, then rinses itself.

The reviewers line up accordingly. CNET names the Barista Express its best espresso machine overall and Tom's Guide gives it an Editor's Choice. TechRadar's tested verdict on the Magnifica Evo is that it is a great bean-to-cup machine that makes an americano super easy, with the caveats that it is huge and slow to brew espresso. Whole Latte Love calls the Evo line an introductory super-automatic for people who want an alternative to daily café trips.

The Barista Express makes better espresso, and it is not close if you put in the effort. CNET measured a balanced 18.6 percent extraction and total dissolved solids up to 12.4 percent, and the PID and pressure gauge let you see and fix a bad shot. Its weak point is the built-in grinder, which Wirecutter calls adequate and Home-Barista members recommend replacing, but even that grinder gives you 16 steps and a real tamp.

The Magnifica Evo makes consistent, decent espresso with a good crema. TechRadar found the crema reformed even after stirring sugar in, and Whole Latte Love's reviewer dialed the grinder in to fix under-extracted shots using De'Longhi's own extraction illustrations. But you cannot tamp, cannot weigh a dose, and the brew unit runs a fixed pressure profile. TechRadar timed a shot at 41 seconds including grinding, against 28 seconds on a Breville Bambino in the same test.

If you drink your espresso straight or as a flat white where the shot carries the drink, the Breville's control matters. If your espresso disappears under milk and syrup, the difference shrinks and the De'Longhi's consistency starts to look like the better deal.

The Barista Express has a manual single-hole wand. Tom's Guide got creamy microfoam from it once the reviewer learned it, and because the thermocoil switches to steam quickly there is no wait after the shot. The catch is that word learned: steaming milk by hand takes a few weeks of practice, and the result depends on you every morning.

The Magnifica Evo with LatteCrema removes the practice. You fill the carafe to a marked line, press cappuccino, and Whole Latte Love found the froth light, airy and not burnt, with the drink matching the icon on the button. The trade-off is that you cannot adjust the density of the foam, so latte art and a thin flat-white texture are out. The cheaper ECAM29043SB version has a manual steam wand instead; TechRadar's test unit was that variant and it steamed a cappuccino's milk in about 20 seconds.

For a household where several people want different milk drinks with no skill involved, the De'Longhi is the obvious choice. For one person who wants to learn to pour a rosetta, the Breville.

The Magnifica Evo with LatteCrema sits a tier above the Barista Express at list, and the manual-wand ECAM29043SB lands closer to it. What you are paying for is automation and a longer warranty: De'Longhi gives two years plus a third on registration, Breville one.

What you give up is upgradability. The Barista Express can be fed by a better external grinder later and still uses standard 54 mm accessories. The Magnifica Evo is a closed system; when the grinder or brew unit wears, it is a service job, and TechRadar notes it needs 78 decibels of grinding for every drink. Both need descaling; the De'Longhi ships with a water-hardness test and descaler in the box.

Buy the Breville Barista Express if you want to make espresso rather than have it made, you are willing to learn to steam milk, and you might upgrade the grinder one day. It is CNET's best espresso machine overall and Tom's Guide's Editor's Choice, and it is the machine our best espresso machine guide recommends first.

Buy the De'Longhi Magnifica Evo if the goal is a cappuccino at 7 a.m. with one press and no cleanup, especially for more than one drinker. Get the ECAM29084SB with LatteCrema if you drink milk drinks; get the ECAM29043SB if you would rather steam by hand and save. Measure your counter first: TechRadar calls it one of the biggest machines it has tested, and you need clearance above the bean lid.

If you are torn, ask what you will do with a bad shot. If you would rather adjust the grind and try again, you want the Breville. If you would rather not know, you want the De'Longhi.