De'Longhi Magnifica Evo vs Gaggia Classic Pro E24

Experience the perfect espresso with the De'Longhi Magnifica Evo, a bean-to-cup espresso machine that grinds your beans to the ideal fineness and froths milk to a silky microfoam. With its advanced features and sleek design, this machine is perfect for coffee lovers who want to enjoy a delicious espresso at home.

The Gaggia Classic Pro E24 is a single-boiler home espresso machine built in Italy, and the current iteration of a design that has been the standard recommendation for entry-level real espresso for decades. It uses a commercial-size 58mm portafilter, meaning baskets, tampers and distribution tools from the professional world fit it directly, and a three-way solenoid valve that releases pressure from the puck after extraction so the spent grounds knock out dry. Being a single boiler, it brews and steams from the same heating vessel, so you wait between pulling a shot and steaming milk. The steam wand is a commercial-style articulating wand rather than a panarello aid, which means it demands technique but can produce proper microfoam. It is also the most heavily modified espresso machine in the hobby, with a large ecosystem of upgrades for temperature control and pressure profiling.

• Perfect espresso every time
• Easy to use and clean
• Built-in grinder and milk frothing
• Sleek and compact design

• Real 58mm commercial portafilter opens up the full accessory ecosystem
• Proper steam wand capable of true microfoam with practice
• Highly serviceable with abundant parts and a huge modification community
• Metal construction that holds up far better than plastic entry machines

• Expensive compared to other espresso machines
• Limited customization options
• Can be noisy during operation

• Single boiler forces a wait between brewing and steaming milk
• No PID temperature control out of the box, so shot temperature drifts
• Steep learning curve; it rewards technique rather than forgiving its absence