De'Longhi vs Ninja Filter Coffee Machines

De'Longhi and Ninja both offer espresso and frothed-milk drinks at prices below the premium end of the market. De'Longhi's entries here run from the Stilosa EC260.GR at £127 to the La Specialista Arte EC9155 at £529, with the Gran Latissima EN640.B Nespresso at £419 in between. Ninja ranges from the CFN802UK Prestige DualBrew at £249 to the ES601UKBK in black at £475 and the ES601UK Luxe Cafe Premier at £499.

Ninja's standout feature is the built-in grinder on the Luxe Cafe range, with 25 grind settings on the ES601UK, plus hands-free frothing and a dual froth system for hot and cold milk. Its barista assist recommends grind size and dose. De'Longhi's La Specialista Arte offers eight grind settings, three infusion temperature levels, a steam wand and a barista kit, and the EC9155-MB adds a MyLatte Art steam wand that makes two drinks at once. The Stilosa has a 15-bar pump and a stainless steel boiler, and the Gran Latissima uses a 19-bar pump with a rapid cappuccino system for capsules.

Ninja suits coffee lovers who want barista-style drinks at home without the price of a fully automatic machine, and households that switch between filter coffee and single cups, where the CFN802UK DualBrew does both. The Luxe Cafe models are large, so they suit a kitchen with worktop space. De'Longhi suits people who prefer hands-on espresso with a steam wand and manual control, such as the Arte, or who want quick cappuccinos from Nespresso capsules with the Gran Latissima.

Bottom line: choose De'Longhi if you want a manual espresso machine with a steam wand or fast Nespresso cappuccinos, starting from £127; choose Ninja if you want a built-in grinder, dual froth and guided brewing in one machine at £475 to £499.