De'Longhi sells more automatic coffee machines in Australia than any other brand, and the range runs from a $480 Magnifica to a $3,000 Maestosa across a dozen models whose names don't explain the differences. This is the ladder in order and which rungs are worth stopping on.
The short version: the Magnifica Evo is the value pick for one-touch milk, the Rivelia is the pick for a multi-person household, the Eletta Explore is the pick for cold drinks, and the PrimaDonna Soul is the pick for heavy daily use. The rest are variations.
The range at a glance
| Machine | Price | Pump | Milk | Cold brew | Profiles | Screen | Owner rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnifica | $450–500 | 15 bar | Manual wand | No | No | Buttons | 4.7 (129) |
| Magnifica Start | $600–700 | 15 bar | Manual wand | No | No | Icons | 4.6 (56) |
| Magnifica Start LatteCrema | $700–800 | 15 bar | Carafe | No | No | Icons | 4.4 (38) |
| Magnifica Evo | $700–800 | 15 bar | Carafe, 220ml | No | No | Colour icons | 4.4 (250) |
| Magnifica Evo Next | $900–1,000 | 15 bar | Carafe | No | 3 | 2.4" colour | New |
| Magnifica Plus | $1,100–1,200 | 15 bar | Carafe | No | No | 3.5" touch | 4.8 (92) |
| Rivelia | $1,000–1,100 | 19 bar | Carafe, 500ml | No | 4 | 3.5" touch | 4.9 (62) |
| Eletta Explore | $1,400–1,500 | 19 bar | Hot and Cool carafes | Yes | Yes | 3.5" touch | 4.7 (119) |
| Eletta Ultra | $1,600–1,800 | 19 bar | Hot and Cool | Yes | 4 | 4.3" touch | New |
| PrimaDonna Soul | $1,800–2,000 | 19 bar, dual heating | Carafe | No | Yes | 4.3" touch | 4.7 (257) |
| PrimaDonna Aromatic | $2,000–2,200 | 19 bar, dual heating | Hot and Cool | Yes | 4 | Touch | 5.0 (13) |
| Maestosa | $2,800–3,000 | 19 bar, dual heating | Carafe | No | Yes | 5" touch | 4.5 (26) |
Owner ratings are from The Good Guys. Every machine has a two-year warranty, a removable brew unit, a pre-ground coffee option (except the base Magnifica Start's listing) and a 1.8 to 2.5-litre tank.
The four families
Magnifica: 15 bar, 24cm wide. Six machines that share a 13-setting grinder, a 1.8L tank and a 250g hopper. The Magnifica, Start and Evo climb from manual wand to carafe to colour icons. The Evo Next adds a small colour screen and three profiles. The Magnifica Plus adds a 3.5-inch touchscreen and more recipes. Espresso is the same across all six.
Rivelia: 19 bar, profiles and beans. One machine, two versions (auto-milk carafe or Cool carafe). Four profiles, swap-in hoppers, Bean Adapt, 16 recipes. The Rivelia against the Evo is the most-asked question in the range.
Eletta: hot and cold. The Eletta Explore brought cold extraction and cold foam to the range with an app. The Eletta Ultra adds Silent Technology grinding, a 4.3-inch screen and more than 50 recipes.
PrimaDonna and Maestosa: heavy duty. Dual heating, 500g hoppers, adaptive grinding. The PrimaDonna Soul is the volume machine; the Aromatic adds cold brew and cold foam; the Maestosa adds two bean hoppers and a 5-inch screen at three times the Evo's price.
Which step up is worth it
Magnifica to Magnifica Evo, about $300. Worth it for anyone who makes milk drinks. The carafe replaces the wand and the recipes appear.
Evo to Magnifica Plus, about $400. Worth it for the touchscreen if several people use it without reading the manual. Same coffee.
Evo to Rivelia, about $350. Worth it for profiles and bean switching; better value than the Plus at The Good Guys because it costs the same and does more.
Rivelia to Eletta Explore, about $350. Worth it for cold brew and cold foam. Not otherwise.
Eletta Explore to PrimaDonna Soul, about $400. Worth it for throughput: 500g hopper and a second heating system. You lose the cold modes.
Soul to Aromatic, about $250. Worth it to get the cold modes back on the heavy-duty platform.
Anything to Maestosa. Two hoppers and a 5-inch screen for around $3,000. A lot of money for a second hopper the Rivelia handles by lifting one off.
What they all share
A conical burr grinder with 13 settings, a thermoblock heater (plus a second heating system from the Soul up), a removable brew unit you rinse under the tap, a used-grounds container, a descaling alarm and a two-year warranty. Milk drinks come from a carafe on every model above the base Magnifica and Start; the carafe needs a one-touch rinse after each session, which is the most common complaint in owner reviews across the whole range.
The Good Guys and De'Longhi's own site both sell the range. The Good Guys is often $100 to $200 cheaper on the Magnifica models; De'Longhi's site is closer on the premium ones and occasionally cheaper on the Rivelia.
