Start with a prepared buying decision or build your own. We compare the machine, required grinder, checked price evidence, ownership costs, lifecycle and UK repair support—and keep unknowns visible.
9 structured comparisons, each with dated evidence and an explicit limit on what the available information can prove.
The Bambino is the lower-cost manual-milk route; the Bambino Plus adds hands-free Auto MilQ temperature and texture control, a larger 1.9-litre tank and a stainless-steel portafilter.
Open the full comparison →These Magnifica Start variants share the basic bean-to-cup platform, but ECAM220.22.GB uses a manual steam frother while ECAM220.61.GB adds the automatic LatteCrema Hot carafe and one-touch latte macchiato.
Open the full comparison →Both use Philips' two-part LatteGo milk carafe and share the recorded 24.6 × 43.3 × 37.1cm footprint; the 5500 expands the menu to 20 hot and iced recipes and adds four user profiles, while the 3300 offers five coffee recipes plus hot water with no profiles.
Open the full comparison →Both use Vertuo capsules, barcode-led one-button brewing and connected updates. The Pop is the lower-cost, shorter route with a 560ml tank and drinks up to 355ml; the Next adds a 1.1-litre tank and the larger carafe format.
Open the full comparison →Rivelia EXAM440.35.B is the eight-drink manual-frother version; EXAM440.55 adds the automatic LatteCrema Hot carafe and expands the advertised menu to sixteen drinks.
Open the full comparison →Both are hands-on 54mm espresso machines with an integrated 250g grinder and manual milk wand; the Barista Pro adds ThermoJet heating, an LCD workflow display and 30 external grind settings versus the Express record’s 16.
Open the full comparison →Both combine a grinder with a portafilter workflow. The Sage keeps manual dosing decisions and manual milk with a fast LCD-led process; the Ninja adds a built-in scale, Barista Assist recommendations, longer coffee and cold-brew formats, and hands-free milk.
Open the full comparison →Both combine a grinder and portafilter in one body. Sage uses button-and-LCD guidance with manual steam; De’Longhi uses 3.5-inch touchscreen guidance, automatic or manual milk, and cold-brew recipes.
Open the full comparison →Both are approachable automatic-milk bean-to-cup routes with 1.8-litre tanks and removable brew units. Philips lists five coffee recipes plus hot water, a 275g ceramic grinder and two-part LatteGo; De’Longhi lists three coffee drinks plus hot water, a 250g grinder and LatteCrema carafe.
Open the full comparison →Select up to three records, then change the priority lens and ownership assumptions.
Choose one priority to surface the strongest evidenced fit. This changes the explanation, never the underlying data or table order.
Lowest known starting basket at £299.00. A connected grinder is included where required.
This is a single-priority signal, not an overall winner or CoffeeScore.| Compare | De'LonghiMagnifica Start LatteCremaRecord 88% complete | NinjaLuxe Café PremierRecord 93% complete | SageBambino PlusRecord 92% complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model identity | ECAM220.61.GB | ES601UK | BES500 / SES500 |
| Product lifecycle | Current model | Current model | Current model |
| Known starting basket | Machine: De'Longhi Magnifica Start LatteCrema (£299) | Machine: Ninja Luxe Café Premier (£449.99) | Machine: Sage Bambino Plus (£399.95) · Baseline compatible grinder: Baratza Encore ESP (£159.95) |
| Current retailer context | £299 · Currys · verified delivered · exact model verified | £449.99 · SharkNinja UK · verified delivered · exact model verified | £399.95 · Sage UK · verified delivered · exact model verified |
| Known starting equipment | £299 | £449.99 | £559.90 · includes Encore ESP |
| Machine type | Bean-to-cup | Espresso machines | Espresso machines |
| Capsule ecosystem | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Checked pod-cost example | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Daily effort | Low | Medium | High |
| Milk workflow | Automatic LatteCrema Hot carafe | Hands-free Dual Froth · steamed, thin, thick and cold foam | Auto MilQ or manual · 3 temperatures and 3 textures |
| Built-in grinder | Yes · 250g hopper | Yes · manufacturer page conflicts between 19 and 25 settings | No · separate espresso grinder required |
| Best for | One-touch latte macchiato without learning to grind, dose or steam milk | Households wanting several coffee styles and automated milk without giving up the portafilter ritual | Buyers who want hands-on espresso and upgradeable grinding, but prefer repeatable hands-free milk |
| Main trade-off | Only three of the four buttons are drinks involving coffee—Espresso, Coffee and Latte Macchiato; the fourth is hot water. There is no dedicated one-touch cappuccino, flat white or americano programme. Automatic milk rinsing is not automatic ownership: run CLEAN after the last milk drink, dismantle the carafe within two days, and hand-rinse the infuser monthly. The optional £8.99 DLSC002 filter can model at about £54.69 a year if replaced every two months. Independent taste, milk-temperature, noise, energy and reliability testing is pending, so no CoffeeScore is published. | Despite Ninja calling it bean-to-cup, it is not one-touch: you grind into a portafilter, tamp with a separate tool, move and lock the portafilter, empty the puck and wipe the steam wand. Barista Assist recommends settings and adjusts brewing, but it cannot correct stale beans or remove dialling-in entirely. Ninja's page conflicts with itself on grinder count (19 versus 25), dimensions and weight, so measure for at least the documented 33.6 × 34.4 × 37.2cm working body and allow access around its tanks and hopper. Cleaning includes tablets, filters and a roughly 90-minute descale. Independent espresso, filter, cold-brew, milk, noise and reliability tests are pending. | The £399.95 machine is not the full setup: pairing it with the recorded £159.95 Encore ESP makes the practical starting price about £560 before scales or a knock box. Every drink still requires dosing, distribution, tamping, locking the portafilter and knocking out the puck. Automatic milk still means wiping the wand after every use, and after 200 extractions the machine requires a tablet-clean cycle before normal use resumes. Filters replaced roughly quarterly model at about £61 a year at the recorded direct price, excluding tablets and descaler. Independent espresso, milk, noise and durability tests are pending. |
| Width | 24 cm | 33.6 cm | 19.4 cm |
| Depth | 44 cm · allow access space for the removable tank and infuser | 34.4 cm | 36.2 cm |
| Water capacity | 1.8 L | 2 L | 1.9 L |
| Warranty field | 2 years minimum | 2 years | 2 years |
| UK support provider | De'Longhi UK | Ninja UK | Sage UK |
| Unresolved evidence gaps | 5 fields | 7 fields | 5 fields |
| CoffeeScore | Awaiting test | Awaiting test | Awaiting test |
Check Currys · £299 →Direct retailer link · no commission enabled · checked 22/07/2026Open full evidence record → | Check SharkNinja UK · £449.99 →Direct retailer link · no commission enabled · checked 22/07/2026Open full evidence record → | Check Sage UK · £399.95 →Direct retailer link · no commission enabled · checked 22/07/2026Open full evidence record → |
Change the assumptions to match your household. Pod machines use the same editable capsule figure for a like-for-like scenario; the table above shows when an exact checked system example exists. Other machines use bean cost and dose. A connected grinder is included where the machine needs one.
Planning estimate only. It includes only maintenance with priced, model-specific cadence. It excludes milk, water, electricity, repairs, optional accessories and delivery. Recorded equipment prices can change; always check the retailer’s final price.