You know what they say, don’t judge a book by its cover! But in our case, don’t judge an espresso machine by its name. We’re comparing the The DeLonghi Magnifica S Cappuccino features programmable espresso and milk ratios.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_13744" align="alignnone" width="1080"] The DeLonghi ECAM 23260SB Magnifica S Cappuccino Smart is equipped with a simple interface and one-touch technology.[/caption]
Shot
So, just how smart is the DeLonghi Magnifica S Cappuccino? Program the volume of your espresso and milk and the machine will remember it for tomorrow’s cup—better yet, you can program every drink option! It features two espresso buttons, a cappuccino button and a milk menu with four other options to program to your perfect cup. It’s basically like having a barista on call 24/7. To top it off, the Magnifica S Cap also has temperature and coffee strength options for you to change at will. Pretty smart, right?
[caption id="attachment_13632" align="alignnone" width="1080"] With the Magnifica S Cap, you can save different volumes for espresso and milk on each drink.[/caption]
That doesn’t mean the DeLonghi Magnifica S Cappuccino Smart is a dumb machine—far from it! While it may not have programmability, it has five coffee options—including an actual pulse-brewing coffee! The intuitive icons make it effortless for sleepy baristas to make a cup. Use the dial to find the brew you’re in the mood for—espresso or cappuccino, anyone—and just hit brew when you’re ready. While there’s not a customize volume option, you can adjust the strength of our coffee with the two bean icon and—wait for it—
Steam
With the DeLonghi Magnifica S Cappuccino Smart, we can switch up the foaminess of our milk! The Smart features three frothing icons on the carafe. Choose the first option for creamy milk and the last option for fluffy foam. Customize the drink menu and adjust the frothing dial to replicate your favorite drinks like cappuccinos, flat whites or anything in between. The LatteCrema system, as it’s called, makes foam we don't see on carafes, and coupled with the fact that it’s customizable, it’s pretty smart if you ask us!
[caption id="attachment_13746" align="alignnone" width="1080"] The Smart's LatteCrema system has three milk foam options to create creamy lattes or fluffy cappuccinos.[/caption]
While the DeLonghi Magnifica S Cappuccino full of coffee customization, there’s less available for milk froth. It also features the LatteCrema system but with one frothing option. It makes a mean cappuccinos foam, but it couldn’t silky milk that we’d want for our lattes. Like most carafe systems, it’s a one-milk-fits-all deal. You can, on the other hand, program the amount of milk for each drink, so choosing between these two boils down to what features you want more.
Style
Both machines are cut from the same cloth. They are designed to complement home brewer’s kitchen and respect their counter space. The slim build and front-accessible reservoir and grounds bin are optimized for home baristas to slide their DeLonghi next to kitchen appliances. The DeLonghi Magnifica S Cappuccino has a slightly larger footprint and reservoir, but the size won’t be noticeable when you’re brewing. We pulled several lattes before needing to refill. The biggest difference is that the DeLonghi Magnifica S Cappuccino Smart’s menu offers less customization.
[caption id="attachment_13743" align="alignnone" width="1080"] The Smart features an intuitive and user-friendly interface for sleepy mornings.[/caption]
Conclusion
Both the DeLonghi ECAM 25462S Magnifica S Cappuccino and the DeLonghi ECAM 23260SB Magnifica S Cappuccino Smart have some smart features to offer home baristas. While the Magnifica S Cap can save both espresso and milk ratios, the Smart excels in customized foam—a feature that’s not found on a lot of superautomatic machines! What do you think of these two one-touch superautomatic machines? Share your experience with these machines in the comments below.