Gaggia Magenta Prestige vs LeLit PL042TEMD Espresso Machine

Buy the Gaggia Magenta Prestige if you want one-touch drinks and a milk carafe that cleans itself; buy the LeLit PL042TEMD if you want to learn manual espresso and steam milk yourself. The Gaggia is the easier machine: 13 programmed drinks, a color touchscreen and an integrated carafe, and owners call it simple to set up and quiet. The LeLit is a hands-on semi-automatic with a 38 mm conical burr grinder feeding a 58 mm portafilter, a stainless steel body and a single boiler, so it rewards technique but demands it. On build, the LeLit's metal chassis and standard portafilter feel more substantial; the Gaggia's plastic-heavy body and 5-step grind adjustment are its weak points.

• Choose the Gaggia Magenta Prestige if you want café-style milk drinks and iced coffee at the push of a button without learning to dial in a shot.
• Choose the LeLit PL042TEMD if you want to grind into a real portafilter, steam milk with a wand and grow into manual espresso.