De’Longhi Magnifica Start vs Rivelia: which automatic espresso machine should you buy?

Magnifica Start vs Rivelia at a glance

Head to head

The better result in each row is marked. Figures come from De’Longhi and the Amazon listings unless noted; rows without a mark are a tie or a matter of taste.

Design, size and setup

Side by side, these machines look like members of the same family with different ambitions. The Magnifica Start is a tidy silver-and-black box with touch icons on the front.

The Rivelia takes a softer, more decorative approach. It has rounded lines, a bean hopper that sits on top like a small canister and a color touchscreen on the upper surface.

The Magnifica Start is one of the more compact ways to get a fully automatic machine on your counter.

The Magnifica Start is the easier fit. It measures about 9.4 inches wide, 17.3 inches deep and 13.8 inches tall, and it weighs around 19.4 pounds.

The Rivelia is close in footprint at about 9.75 by 17 inches, but it stands about 14.75 inches tall with the hopper fitted. It also weighs about 21.4 pounds.

That extra inch can matter under low cabinets. Swapping a hopper also needs some headroom, so I would measure the space above the machine, not only the space around it.

The Rivelia’s hopper sits on top, so leave some headroom for swapping beans.

Water is where the smaller machine surprises. The Magnifica Start has a 61-ounce tank that pulls out from the front, while the Rivelia has a tank of about 47 ounces on its side.

The Rivelia’s tank can be topped up from above without removing it, which helps. Even so, a busy household making Americanos will refill it more often.

Both bodies are mostly plastic, as you would expect in this category. Neither should be mistaken for a metal-bodied luxury machine, though the Rivelia’s styling does more to hide it.

Counter tip: Measure your tallest cabinet clearance before you order. Allow several inches above either machine so you can refill beans without dragging it forward.

Espresso and coffee quality

Both machines start from a good place. Each one uses a stainless steel conical burr grinder with 13 settings, and each one grinds, doses, tamps and brews on its own.

For straight espresso, the Magnifica Start punches above its class. Published tasting notes and owner reports describe solid body and rich crema, particularly once the grind is moved a few steps finer.

Its dose runs from roughly 0.28 to 0.35 ounces depending on strength. That is enough for a satisfying short shot, but there are only three strength levels to play with.

Espresso is a real strength of the Magnifica Start, especially after a small grind adjustment.

The Rivelia has more headroom. In one detailed published test, it used about half an ounce of coffee at high intensity to pour about one ounce of espresso, a much richer recipe.

Other testers describe its espresso as lively, sweet and chocolatey, with a full body. From the evidence I reviewed, it has the edge if you like a bold, intense shot.

The difference grows with longer drinks. The Magnifica Start’s Coffee button can taste thin at its default length, because it sends a lot of water through a small dose.

You can improve that by going finer, raising the strength and shortening the volume. The Rivelia gives you an easier route with a pulsed long coffee and a dedicated Americano preset.

On the Magnifica Start, a proper Americano takes one extra step, since you brew the espresso and add water from the hot water spout. It is hardly a dealbreaker, but it is less convenient.

The Rivelia’s bigger range of strengths and sizes gives you more room to fine-tune each drink.

My take: if you mostly drink espresso and cappuccino, the Magnifica Start is good enough to make you happy. If you are picky about strength or drink a lot of black coffee, the Rivelia is worth the step up.

Grind tip: On both machines, change the grind only while the grinder is running and move one step at a time. Give each change two or three drinks to show up in the cup.

Bean tip: Stick with fresh, medium or medium-dark beans that look matte rather than shiny. Oily beans can clog the grinder path on either machine.

Bean hoppers, Bean Switch and Bean Adapt

This is the clearest dividing line between the two. The Magnifica Start has one built-in hopper holding about 8.8 ounces, so changing coffee means using up or scooping out what is inside.

The Rivelia comes with two hoppers of the same size, and the whole container twists off. Regular in the morning and decaf after dinner suddenly becomes practical.

There is a small catch. Some coffee stays in the grinder after a swap, and published figures put it between about 0.2 and 0.35 ounces.

The Rivelia’s Bean Switch mode lets you brew that leftover coffee as one last drink or purge it. If someone needs to avoid caffeine, I would purge it every time.

Bean Switch is the feature that sets the Rivelia apart from the Magnifica Start.

The hoppers also share one grind setting. That works well for a regular blend and a similar decaf, but a very light roast and a very dark roast will be a compromise.

Neither hopper is airtight, either. Keep around a week of beans in the spare and leave the rest in a sealed container.

Bean Adapt is the other big upgrade. You tell the Rivelia about your beans, taste a coffee and give feedback, and it steers you toward better settings for that coffee.

The Magnifica Start leaves all of that to you, using the grind dial, strength button and temperature setting. That is manageable, but it assumes you know whether a sour shot needs a finer grind.

Decaf tip: On the Magnifica Start, use the pre-ground chute for an occasional decaf and add only one level scoop. Overfilling it is an easy way to make a mess.

Milk drinks and LatteCrema

Unlike the manual steam-wand version covered in my Magnifica Start review, the model in this comparison has an automatic LatteCrema carafe. That makes this a much closer contest on milk.

On both machines, you fill the carafe, clip it on and tap your drink. Both carafes can go in the fridge between uses, and both have a quick flush to clear the milk path.

The Magnifica Start’s foam gets strong marks for being fine and smooth. Its limitation is that you get essentially one style of foam, adjusted by how much milk you pour.

The Magnifica Start keeps milk drinks simple: fill the carafe and press one button.

The Rivelia’s dial is what I would pay for here. It has hot milk, soft foam and dense foam positions, so a flat white and a cappuccino can have different textures.

You can also stop the dial between positions or change it during a drink. For anyone who cares about milk texture, that is a meaningful upgrade.

Temperature is worth a look if you like your latte very hot. Published readings for the Rivelia range from about 140 to 158°F, and some owners find it too mild.

Reports on the Magnifica Start’s carafe describe milk that runs hot. With either machine, a preheated cup makes the drink stay warm longer.

Plant milks are less predictable. De’Longhi says the Magnifica Start’s system textures milk alternatives, but one published Rivelia test got poor foam from three plant milks.

Results depend heavily on the carton, and barista-style oat milk tends to have the best chance. If plant milk is non-negotiable, test your usual brand during the return window.

The Rivelia’s three-position carafe gives each milk drink its own texture.

Milk tip: Use cold milk straight from the fridge and run the quick clean after every milk session. Then take the carafe apart regularly, because residue builds up fast.

Flavor tip: If a large latte tastes too milky on the Rivelia, save the extra shot function into your recipe. On the Magnifica Start, raise the strength a level instead.

Drink menu and iced coffee

The Magnifica Start listing covers five one-touch options: espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato and hot water. It is a short list, but it is also the list many people actually use.

The Rivelia lists 18 presets, including cortado, flat white, Americano, latte, iced coffee and espresso over ice. You can also adjust intensity and quantity, and add an extra shot.

Iced drinks are simple on the Rivelia. It tells you how much ice to add, then brews hot coffee over it, so it is not true cold brew.

Cold milk foam requires the LatteCrema Cool accessory, which is sold separately. On the Magnifica Start, an iced drink is a manual job using a short espresso, a glass of ice and milk from the fridge.

The Rivelia’s biggest menu advantage is variety, including iced presets.

Iced coffee tip: Use full-size ice cubes and fill the glass. Small or half-melted ice waters down hot coffee quickly.

Controls and user profiles

If you dislike screens, the Magnifica Start is a pleasure. There is one icon per drink, a strength button and very little else to think about.

The downside is memory. It saves one volume per drink, so two people with very different cup sizes will end up reprogramming it or settling for the same amount.

The Rivelia’s 3.5-inch color touchscreen is much richer, with large drink images and simple sliders. It also guides you through maintenance tasks step by step.

Four profiles let everyone keep their own version of each drink. In a home with a strong-cortado person and a big-latte person, this may be the most useful feature on the machine.

My one reservation is the screen position. It faces up from the top of the machine, so children, shorter users and people using a wheelchair may find it hard to see or reach.

The Magnifica Start’s simple touch icons leave very little to learn.

Profile tip: Set up each person’s favorite drinks on the first day. People are more likely to use the Rivelia’s profiles when their own recipes are already waiting.

Noise and speed

Noise is the Magnifica Start’s most persistent complaint. One published test measured its grinder at about 76 dB and described the sound as shrill, while owners regularly mention it.

The Rivelia measured about 66 to 68 dB in separate testing. Those tests were not run side by side, but owner feedback points the same way, and its grinder is less of an issue.

Neither machine is silent, and the Rivelia’s open top does not hide its grind sound completely. If somebody sleeps next to the kitchen, however, I would lean toward the Rivelia.

Day-to-day speed is similar for basic drinks. The Rivelia is ready in under a minute and pulls an espresso in around 30 seconds, while the Magnifica Start also gets a shot into the cup in well under a minute.

Noise tip: A thin rubber mat under either machine can reduce vibration through a hard counter. It will not silence the grinder, but it can soften the sound.

Cleaning and upkeep

The routines are nearly identical, which is good news if you choose the simpler machine. Both have a brew unit you can remove and rinse with plain water.

Both need regular emptying of the drip tray and grounds container. The Magnifica Start holds around 14 pucks and the Rivelia about 10, so the smaller machine actually asks you to empty it less often.

The Magnifica Start’s milk parts are dishwasher safe according to its listing. The Rivelia’s carafe also needs regular disassembly, and its on-screen reminders make the job easier to stay on top of.

Both prompt you when it is time to descale. Set your water hardness on day one and use a proper descaler rather than vinegar.

Whichever machine you choose, a short weekly routine keeps it brewing well.

Upkeep tip: Pull out the grounds container and drip tray to air-dry once or twice a week. Damp coffee pucks are where mold usually starts.

The numbers side by side

These figures show where each machine pulls ahead. Noise readings come from separate published tests, so treat them as a guide rather than a direct lab comparison.

Grinder noise, lower is better

Water tank, higher is better

One-touch recipes, higher is better

What owners say

On Amazon, the Rivelia listing I checked has 4.5 stars from 65 ratings, while the Magnifica Start has 4.0 stars from 278 ratings. Both samples are fairly small for these specific listings, so I would not lean heavily on the gap.

Reviews cannot tell you exactly how often a problem happens. They do show you what to check during your return window.

Which one should you buy?

After weighing everything, it comes down to how many different coffees your household wants. If the answer is one or two, the simpler machine covers you. If everyone has their own favorite, the Rivelia earns its place.

Pick the Rivelia for variety, two hoppers and personalized drinks. Pick the Magnifica Start for an easy, compact route to everyday espresso and cappuccino.

De’Longhi Magnifica Start vs Rivelia specifications

From the Amazon listings, manufacturer specifications and published tests. Checked November 9, 2026.

How I researched and compared them

This is a researched comparison built on published data, not a side-by-side test in my own kitchen.

I started with both Amazon listings and De’Longhi’s specifications, then read published test results and owner feedback on each machine. Where sources disagreed, I give a range or favor figures that showed up more than once.

• Coffee: espresso, long coffee, dose and adjustability.
• Milk: foam quality, control, temperature and plant milk results.
• Daily use: controls, profiles, size, tank capacity and noise.
• Ownership: cleaning, maintenance and repeated owner complaints.