DeLonghi Magnifica XS ECAM22110 Review: Does this Effortless Marvel Measure Up?

Last updated on April 23rd, 2023 by Jules Winnfield

So you’re in the market for a new espresso machine. Maybe this is going to be your first big boy automatic machine.  

The good news: welcome to the wonderful world of espresso at your fingertips from home! 

The bad news: there’s a ton of machines to choose from and the science and art of espresso can be intimidating.  

Not to worry. Enter the DeLonghi Magnifica XS espresso machine.  

Not only does this fully automatic machine carry the quality and function you expect from the DeLonghi Italian brand, but it has positioned itself as a reliable, compact starter machine. But is it truly right for you? 

In this quick straight to the gist DeLonghi Magnifica XS ECAM22110 review, we answer the question and give our overall rating to help you decide.

Last update on 2024-04-18

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DeLonghi Magnifica XS Review and Rating

Build/Quality (8.7/10)

What is it made of?	Plastic exterior; But looks nice and sleek on your kitchen counter tops
How durable is it?	If kept maintained, you’re looking at 5-10+ years of service. Not bad considering how much you save from going to the coffee shop in that time!

Performance (9.1/10)

What brew modes does it have?	Coffee and espresso brewing. Makes twin shots to share with a friend.
Pressure?	15 bars
Strength control?	Yes, 5 settings; extra mild to extra strong. Use the dial to find the right setting for you.
Temperature control?	Yes, 4 settings from low to high
How fast does it brew one cup or batch? Heat up time?	Heats up quickly, within 60 seconds. From grind to brewing to finished cup, you’re looking at about a few minutes.
How many cups does it make?	Makes coffee and espresso in 4 cup sizes with default size:  Espresso: 1.35 oz.   Long coffee: 4 oz.
Steam wand for frothing?	Yes, comes with a Cappuccino System frother to make easy rich thick milk foam for your latte or cappuccino; Level of foam is also adjustable; Works best with cows milk for a more rich denser froth, but plant based milks is possible too.
How quiet is it?	The grinder may be a little loud, but past that, noise level is pretty standard for what you would expect from a machine of this caliber.
How is the taste and flavor?	Practically everyone agrees the rich full bodied espresso with crema you get from the Magnifica XS is literally better than the coffee shop;  Be sure to run 4-5 cups of coffee through the machine the first time you use it so you get the best taste.

Ease of use/Maintenance (9/10)

How big is it?	At 9.4 in. wide, 17 in. deep, and 13.8 in. tall, the Magnifica XS is fairly compact compared to most automatic machines with grinders
How heavy? Portable?	Weighs 20 lbs., so it may be difficult to move around.
LCD display or push buttons or both?	Easy press buttons and dial knobs
How easy is it to use?	There is a bit of a learning curve to using the Magnifica XS but it’s pretty easy to operate once you get the hang of it.   Simply pour in your coffee beans, select a grind, then select a dose strength, choose between a single or double coffee or espresso, select a temperature and your brew is on its way.  If you want a cappuccino or latte, then foam some milk and voila! You got yourself a delicious espresso beverage ready to be served.
Maintenance reminders?	Yes, comes with indicator lights for – full grounds container – not enough water in tank – and time to descale
How easy is it to clean?	Cleanup is what you would expect, not difficult but involved: Simply clean out the drip tray, ground waste container, coffee spouts, water tank, and infuser.   Also clean out steam wand by breaking it down and washing with soap and water.  Does come with an automated heating and rinsing function before and after each use.

Design/Features (8.6/10)

Does it use pods or ground coffee or both?	No pods; But does take either whole beans (oily beans are questionable) or pre ground coffee. But if you’re going to use an automatic machine, might as well grind fresh each time!
Heating mechanism	Single boiler thermoblock
Built in grinder?	Yes, built in burr grinder with 13 settings  Bean hopper capacity is 8.8 oz.
Programmable autostart?	No autostart. But can program the volume, temperature and dose settings for quick reference later.
Auto shut off, energy saving mode?	Yes, can be set to auto turn off between 15 min and 3 hours of non-use.
Removable water reservoir? How big?	Yes, 60.8 oz
Come with accessories?	Does have a cup warmer
Can it dispense hot water?	Yes, comes with a hot water spout
Drip tray removable to accommodate larger mugs?	Yes, and can accommodate a mug up to 5.5 in. tall
Any other unique features?	Water hardness settings – helps customize when you should descale based on your water hardness  Water softening filter – for the best tasting coffee
Come in different colors?	No, just silver and black.
Pricing	Retails for about $899.95

User Satisfaction (8.4/10)

Warranty?	2 year warranty
Specific customer feedback, good AND bad	Based on customer feedback, most absolutely love the delicious quality espresso coffee the De’Longhi Magnifica XS makes. Most found it easy to use and maintain, and appreciate the compact size, and customizations.  Only complaints were the initial intimidation factor which doesn’t last long once you get started using it!

Pros and Cons

When it comes to Italian made DeLonghi machines, you can pretty much expect high quality and performance as a baseline feature. But the DeLonghi Magnifica XS sets itself apart in the following ways:

 Things I like: 

• Fully automatic machine that is more space saving and compact compared to the Dinamica 
• Comes with built in burr grinder 
  • Not only do you get super fresh espresso coffee each time, but you save space without the need for a separate grinder. 
• Can dial in your perfect espresso with grind, strength, temp, volume, and froth adjustments available.  
• Easy refilling since water reservoir comes out in front 
• Fast heat up and brew time and makes twin shots at a time! 
• Cleanup is easy with the auto rinsing and easy to dump coffee ground pucks 

Things I don’t like: 

• Like most fully automatic espresso machines, takes some trial and error to dial in the right strength, temperature, grind setting to get the perfect tasting espresso coffee for you.  
  • Which means you may go through a few bags of your favorite beans! 
• The automatic heating function is nice but the automatic rinsing before and after each brew can mean refilling the water reservoir more often.  
  • Consider keeping a bowl underneath the spout to avoid an overflowing drip tray 
• Upkeep can be a lot but it’s probably typical for this kind of machine 
• The pre ground chute may not work as well sometimes 
• The frother may not be the most sophisticated, but likely gets the job done 

How Does it Compare? 

To get an idea of how serious business the Magnifica XS is, we decided to compare it to a similar caliber fully automatic espresso machine, such as the Zulay Magia.

Delonghi Magnifica XS vs Zulay Magia Super Automatic  

Both machines:  

• Come with a built in grinder for the freshest coffee espresso 
• Allow for maximum customizations in strength, grind, temperature, volume for the perfect espresso with crema 
• Are easy to use, clean and maintain with built in auto clean systems 
• Are pretty much the same price range 

But the differences are: 

• The Zulay pulls at 19 bars vs Magnifica at 15 bars 
• The Zulay is preprogrammed with 19 different recipes and automatically prepared for you including the milk frothing (hence the super automatic); while the Magnifica wont froth and pour the milk for you 
• The Zulay comes with milk froth adjustments to dial in the right texture microfoam for you; the Magnifica XS uses a manual steam wand 
• The Zulay features a nifty 7 inch touch screen display vs the Magnifica’s easy press buttons and dials 

The winner? 

• If you fancy the idea of a super automatic machine that can make your favorite latte cappuccino, macchiato, flat white or whatever with the press of a button, and cool tech features all for a reasonable price, then you should check out Zulay Magia. 

• If you want control of your frothing, and value the quality and reliability of a proven Italian brand, then the Magnifica XS is your best choice.

Final Verdict 

What can we say, the DeLonghi Magnifica XS is well…magnificent! From a streamlined easy to use bean to cup experience to customizable grind, strength, temperature, and volume settings, this fully automatic espresso machine makes newbies look like seasoned baristas.  

Compared to the Dinamica, the Magnifica doesn’t pack as much pressure or multi boilers. But it does brew fast, flavorful full bodied twin shot espressos with an easy to use frother for the occasional latte or cappuccino. Its self-cleaning features make it easy to maintain and it takes up less space than similar bean to cup machines.  

And while there is a learning curve to figure out the best settings, and it is pricey, if a tasty cup of fresh espresso coffee with either minimum effort or maximum customization with a smaller footprint is what you’re looking for, the Magnifica XS is a great choice. 

The perfect entry bean to cup machine for beginner home espresso brewers looking to peel themselves away from Starbucks!

Last update on 2024-04-18

But if you want more options for super automatic machines that do it all, check out the Eletta machines.

• DeLonghi Eletta
• DeLonghi Eletta Explore

For fully automatics that provide a hands-off bean to cup experience but still give you the delicious coffee house aroma and taste you can’t live without, check out Dinamica or other Magnifica machines.

• DeLonghi Dinamica
• DeLonghi Dinamica Plus
• DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300
• DeLonghi Magnifica Evo ECAM29084
• DeLonghi Magnifica S Smart

For a more semi automatic feel that gives you a little more involvement in the brewing process, consider the La Specialista series.

• DeLonghi La Specialista Arte
• DeLonghi La Specialista Prestigio
• DeLonghi La Specialista Maestro

If you want to keep things more basic, then check out the Dedica or ECP series. These machines are manual semi-automatics that are much simpler with no grinder built in.

• DeLonghi ECP3420
• DeLonghi Icona
• DeLonghi Dedica Arte
• DeLonghi Dedica Deluxe