I had an older model of the Magnifica S that worked wonderfully for 10 years, at which point the display got stuck in “Descale” mode. It would still make the usual drinks, but got tired of looking at it and got a Dinamica Plus as a replacement. The Dinamica makes hotter beverages than the Magnifica ever made! I am firmly in the DēLonghi camp.
Had my 2017 Magnifica 8 years without a hitch and was still working fine when I upgraded to the Magnifica Plus last November. The Plus is right around the upper end of your budget.
I don't switch, I keep them all. I just bought automatic last month for my wife, she don't like to do manual process and she want to change different brand of beans.
Grinder (Delonghi KG89) + Pump ( Delonghi Dedica ) make best Espresso but this involve some works and skill. Next would be Capsule machine (Illy Y3) make really nice Espresso but limit to Illy brand.
Automatic (Delonghi ECAM12) is easiest of 3 but the quality of Espresso is acceptable at best. If you are always mixing espresso with milk, this might work. But for the people who take Espresso raw might not like this.
Automatic machines is very convenient and quick but not for me. I am still stick to my 6.5yo pump. If this pump die, I'll buy new pump.
Delonghi is a pretty good choice. If you manage to find the right settings to suit your taste, it will make great coffee. All-in-all, a little advice, if I may. I don't think I need to tell you that DeLonghi has different models, such as Magnifica, Dinamica, Eletta, PrimaDonna, and so on. And there are variations within each model—e.g. the Magnifica S is considered a basic model, but the Magnifica Evo Plus, for example, offers milk frothing and touch controls. But here's the "trick"—inside, both are the same machine. Same water pump, same grinder, same boiler, and so on. Only the Evo Plus is roughly 30% more expensive than the S. Of course, if you want a milk + coffee drink, the S may not be the right choice (although with a little practice, you can steam milk very nicely with the S's steam wand.) So what I'm trying to say is that you always have to consider what you're buying the machine for, because in my experience, most people think that a stylish milk jug and a colorful touchscreen mean that the machine has some kind of advanced technology—but that's not the case. The technical differences are between the different models, almost never within a single model. Oh, and this stands for most of the brands as well... almost.
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