The catch
Gaggia Magenta Plus
You have to steam milk by hand for milk drinks.
Side by side
Gaggia Magenta Plus vs Magenta Prestige: Prestige does the milk, while Plus lets you practice
Quick verdict
If you want the machine to handle the milk part of a cappuccino, the Magenta Prestige fits. The Magenta Plus fits better if you enjoy steaming milk and practicing latte art while the machine takes care of grinding and brewing. The 8.8-inch width and 1.8 L tank are the same on both, so the real decision is the milk workflow.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Adding automatic milk costs nothing in published body area
The rectangular footprint is about 150.5 square inches on both. That compares body dimensions and leaves out the space needed to swing a wand or handle a carafe.
Where this comes from
8.8 × 17.1 = 150.48 in² for each. Working clearances come on top of that.
The catch
Gaggia Magenta Prestige
Household members get no separate user profiles.
Gaggia Magenta Plus
- Why pick it
- Texturing milk with a manual wand is what you want
- A simple coffee menu with no milk carafe is your preference
- The catch
- You have to steam milk by hand for milk drinks.
Gaggia Magenta Prestige
- Why pick it
- Cappuccinos and latte macchiatos should be made automatically
- Cleaning and refrigerating a removable milk carafe is fine with you
- The catch
- Household members get no separate user profiles.
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What this page compares
Magenta Plus RI8700 and Prestige RI8702 weighed on milk technique, carafe cleanup, recipe choice and the narrow bean-to-cup body they share.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
I'd like a cappuccino without having to learn steaming
Milk is prepared automatically by the Prestige.
- Gaggia Magenta Plus
- Depends
- Gaggia Magenta Prestige
- Better fit
Pouring latte art and controlling texture is something I enjoy
The Plus has a manual wand and no fixed carafe routine.
- Gaggia Magenta Plus
- Better fit
- Gaggia Magenta Prestige
- Depends
The counter slot measures less than nine inches across
Before working clearance, each body is 8.8 inches wide.
- Gaggia Magenta Plus
- Good
- Gaggia Magenta Prestige
- Good
Several people should each have their own profile
Separate user profiles are missing on both selected Magenta models.
- Gaggia Magenta Plus
- Caution
- Gaggia Magenta Prestige
- Caution
In practice
Differences you will notice
Adding automatic milk costs nothing in published body area
The rectangular footprint is about 150.5 square inches on both. That compares body dimensions and leaves out the space needed to swing a wand or handle a carafe.
How we worked this out
8.8 × 17.1 = 150.48 in² for each. Working clearances come on top of that.
Coffee adjustment counts stay the same
Five grind positions and three brew-temperature levels are listed for both. The Prestige’s advantage lies in milk automation. It has no more documented coffee-adjustment positions.
How we worked this out
5 - 5 = 0 extra grind positions, and 3 - 3 = 0 extra temperature levels. Equal setting counts do not prove identical cup results.
A 0.5 L carafe holds two 200 mL milk portions and still has room left
Say your recipe uses 200 mL of liquid milk. The nominal carafe then holds two such portions, with 100 mL left over. The manual still governs actual usable fill and cleaning routines.
How we worked this out
500 mL / 200 mL = 2 complete portions, remainder 100 mL. This is capacity arithmetic done before frothing and makes no claim about the machine’s latte recipe or minimum fill.
Option A
Gaggia, RI8700/46
Magenta Plus
A proper manual steam wand sits alongside automatic espresso preparation, for buyers who still like pouring milk.
- Best for
- Bean-to-cup coffee where you texture the milk yourself
Facts we checked
- 14 inches high, 8.8 inches wide and 17.1 inches deep
- Five recipes for coffee or hot water, and a 1.8 L water tank
- Three temperature levels, five strength levels and five grind positions
- Manual steam wand in a commercial style
Option B
Gaggia, RI8702/46
Magenta Prestige
Direct settings for familiar café drinks come with an automatic milk carafe, all in a body under nine inches wide.
- Best for
- Automatic milk drinks from a machine that is not wide
Facts we checked
- 14 inches high, 8.8 inches wide and 17.1 inches deep
- Removable 0.5 L milk carafe and a 1.8 L tank
- Three temperature levels and five grind positions
- The verified Amazon version has 12 recipes
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Gaggia Magenta Plus | Gaggia Magenta Prestige | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk method | Manual commercial-style wand | Automatic removable carafe | With the Plus you learn texture technique, whereas the Prestige automates the drink. |
| Recipes on selected version | Five coffee or hot-water choices | 12 recipes on the linked Amazon generation | Automatic milk choices come with the Prestige and do not need a wider body. |
| Body size, W × D × H | 8.8 × 17.1 × 14 inches | 8.8 × 17.1 × 14 inches | The main body dimensions match exactly. |
| Reservoir | 1.8 L | 1.8 L | Water capacity does not improve with the Prestige. |
| Grind and brew settings | Five grind positions, three temperatures | Five grind positions, three temperatures | Both have the same core adjustment counts. |
| Milk storage | Your steaming jug | 0.5 L removable carafe | A dedicated container to store and clean is what the Prestige adds. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Gaggia Magenta Plus
- Separate user profiles do not exist, so drink settings are shared.
With Gaggia Magenta Prestige
- The linked Amazon version lists 12 recipes, so do not assume it includes newer over-ice features.
Decision guide
How to decide
Go with the milk method you want to use every day. A more expensive-sounding name does not get you a larger coffee machine.
A fully manual espresso machine is not what the Plus is
Grinding, dosing and brewing still happen internally on the Plus, and the milk is what it leaves to you. Someone who enjoys steaming but does not want to prepare a portafilter puck is well served by that combination. The Prestige turns the milk into an automatic carafe workflow. Choose between those two levels of involvement, and do not assume Plus means beginner and Prestige means expert.
Cleaning tasks shift rather than vanish
After steaming on the Plus, you wipe and purge the wand. On the Prestige, you look after the carafe’s milk-contact parts and run the required milk-cleaning routine. Regular brew-group and tray attention is needed on both. Automatic milk saves technique during the drink, yet the ownership work afterward remains.
Be careful with the newer over-ice revision
An updated Prestige menu with over-ice drinks is advertised on Gaggia’s current site, but the selected Amazon listing still describes 12 recipes. This comparison does not give the newer feature to that older listing. If iced presets decide it for you, ask the seller to identify the exact version instead of relying on the shared Magenta Prestige name.
What this page can’t tell you
- Nominal milk portions are illustrative capacity arithmetic and not a measured drink yield. The older 12-recipe Amazon version is assessed conservatively.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the espresso machines we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
How many fit
None of the 62 models checked meets all of “One tap should be enough to brew my coffee”, “I want milk textured automatically”, “I want to work on my latte art”, and “I don't have much counter room”, so the pick goes to the closest practical compromise.
0 models fit, out of 62 checkedShow the facts and the math
How we countedThe count uses each product's current fit ratings for “One tap should be enough to brew my coffee”, “I want milk textured automatically”, “I want to work on my latte art”, and “I don't have much counter room”. A need with no documented match is not counted.
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaggia Magenta Plus |
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| Gaggia Magenta Prestige |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Gaggia Magenta Plus
Texturing milk with a manual wand is what you want
See price & reviews on AmazonGaggia Magenta Prestige
Cappuccinos and latte macchiatos should be made automatically
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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