Comparison · Bean-to-cup machines
De'Longhi PrimaDonna Soul vs Eletta Explore: which premium model?
De'Longhi PrimaDonna Soul vs Eletta Explore: a bigger tank, five profiles and Bean Adapt against hot and cold milk drinks and cold brew. UK prices, differences and who should pick which.
If you’re weighing up the De’Longhi PrimaDonna Soul vs Eletta Explore, you’re choosing between two of De’Longhi’s premium touchscreen bean-to-cup machines that solve different problems. The PrimaDonna Soul ECAM610.75.MB is designed around a large 2.2-litre tank, a 500g hopper, five user profiles and Bean Adapt through the Coffee Link app, and De’Longhi UK lists it at £1,379.99, checked 3 Oct 2026. The Eletta Explore ECAM450.86.T is designed for cold drinks and cold brew as well as hot coffee, and it was £899.00 at Hughes, checked 3 Oct 2026. We haven’t tested this in person. This comparison is based on De’Longhi UK’s product pages, Hughes’ listing and UK prices checked 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.
We’ve already covered each machine on its own in our De’Longhi PrimaDonna Soul review and our De’Longhi Eletta Explore review, so this page sticks to the differences that should decide which one goes on your worktop.
De’Longhi PrimaDonna Soul vs Eletta Explore: the short answer
Choose the PrimaDonna Soul if several people in your home drink coffee every day and you want fewer refills plus saved profiles. De’Longhi UK lists a 2.2-litre tank, a 500g bean hopper, a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen and up to five user profiles, with recipes you can build yourself in the Coffee Link app.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who mainly wants iced lattes and cold brew. De’Longhi lists LatteCrema Hot milk and an Over Ice coffee option on this model, not a dedicated cold-milk carafe or cold brew function.
Choose the Eletta Explore if iced drinks and cold brew are part of your week, not an occasional treat. De’Longhi UK lists LatteCrema Hot and Cool milk technology, cold brew via Cold Extraction Technology and more than 50 hot, cold and cold brew recipes. On the day we checked it also cost hundreds less than the PrimaDonna Soul.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who drinks hot coffee almost all the time and wants the biggest tank and hopper De’Longhi puts in this tier. You’d be paying for cold-drink hardware you won’t use.
What they cost right now
These are the prices we found on 3 Oct 2026, from De’Longhi UK’s PrimaDonna Soul page, De’Longhi UK’s Eletta Explore page and Hughes’ Eletta Explore listing:
- PrimaDonna Soul ECAM610.75.MB: £1,379.99 at De’Longhi UK, checked 3 Oct 2026. The page showed it as out of stock.
- Eletta Explore ECAM450.86.T: £899.00 at Hughes, checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Eletta Explore ECAM450.86.T: £999.99 at De’Longhi UK, checked 3 Oct 2026.
On the day we checked, the cheapest Eletta Explore we could verify was £480.99 less than the PrimaDonna Soul at De’Longhi UK. John Lewis and Currys didn’t return usable product pages when we checked, so they aren’t included. Prices can change, and because the PrimaDonna Soul was out of stock on De’Longhi’s own shop, check other UK retailers and the ECAM610.75.MB model code before you buy.
Cold drinks: where the Eletta Explore pulls ahead
This is the clearest split between the two. On the Eletta Explore, cold drinks are part of the design. De’Longhi UK lists both LatteCrema Hot and LatteCrema Cool milk technology, so there’s a way to make cold milk foam as well as hot. It also has what De’Longhi calls Cold Extraction Technology: the machine grinds and tamps the coffee, then steeps it in room-temperature water to make cold brew on demand. De’Longhi’s page describes more than 50 hot, cold and cold brew recipes, and a To-Go setting with a 16oz travel mug in the box.
The PrimaDonna Soul takes a different approach. De’Longhi UK lists LatteCrema Hot for automatic hot milk drinks and a self-cleaning carafe. The cold option it headlines is Over Ice coffee, not a cold-milk foam system or cold brew. If iced lattes matter to you, the Eletta Explore is the one built for that job.
Who it isn’t for: if cold coffee is a summer-only thing for you, the Eletta Explore’s main advantage won’t earn its keep. A hot flat white from the PrimaDonna Soul, or a cheaper mid-range De’Longhi, may be all you need.
Capacity, profiles and Bean Adapt
Both machines list Bean Adapt Technology, which De’Longhi says adjusts grinding and brewing settings to suit the beans you’re using, and both tie that work to the Coffee Link app.
Where they differ is everyday capacity and personalisation:
- Water tank: De’Longhi lists 2.2 litres on the PrimaDonna Soul and 1.8 litres on the Eletta Explore, so the Soul needs fewer refills in a busy house.
- Bean hopper: 500g on the PrimaDonna Soul and 300g on the Eletta Explore, per De’Longhi UK and Currys’ earlier listing for the Explore.
- User profiles: De’Longhi UK lists up to five on the PrimaDonna Soul. Ideal Home’s write-up of the Eletta Explore noted four profiles on that model.
- Screen: a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen on the Soul against a 3.5-inch colour touch display on the Explore.
De’Longhi’s drink counts also diverge. The PrimaDonna Soul page headlines 21 drinks while the same page also says up to 18 one-touch drinks. The Eletta Explore page lists 52 one-touch drinks. Treat those as maker figures rather than a guarantee that every drink will suit you.
If you’re choosing beans to start with, our coffee beans guide covers UK options.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who sticks with one simple drink and doesn’t want an app. Without profiles and Bean Adapt, you’re mainly paying for a larger tank on the Soul or cold-drink hardware on the Explore.
Size, milk and everyday running
Both machines list a 19-bar pump and 1,450W of power on De’Longhi UK. The practical differences are size and milk kit:
- Dimensions: De’Longhi lists the PrimaDonna Soul at 262 x 485 x 390mm. Currys has listed the Eletta Explore at about 260 x 450 x 385mm and 11.4kg. The Soul’s 485mm depth is worth measuring against your worktop and sockets.
- Cup height: De’Longhi lists a maximum of 140mm on the PrimaDonna Soul. Measure your tallest glasses before you buy either machine.
- Milk: one LatteCrema Hot carafe on the Soul; separate LatteCrema Hot and Cool carafes on the Explore, which means an extra step when you switch between hot and iced drinks.
Who it isn’t for: if you have a small kitchen, check both depths under your wall cupboards. Neither is a compact machine.
Which should you buy?
The PrimaDonna Soul suits busy households that want a bigger tank and hopper, five profiles and app-built recipes, and who mainly drink hot coffee. At £1,379.99 at De’Longhi UK, checked 3 Oct 2026, it only makes sense if you’ll use that capacity and personalisation every day.
The Eletta Explore suits households where iced lattes and cold brew are as normal as a morning flat white. On the day we checked it was also the cheaper of the two at Hughes.
Consider neither if you mainly drink espresso or black coffee and want to keep spending down. Our De’Longhi Eletta Explore vs Rivelia comparison looks at a cheaper touchscreen option with swappable bean hoppers, and our guide to bean-to-cup machines covers the wider range.
Common questions
Does the PrimaDonna Soul make cold brew? De’Longhi doesn’t list a cold brew function for the PrimaDonna Soul. Cold brew is one of the Eletta Explore’s headline features.
Does the Eletta Explore have a larger tank than the PrimaDonna Soul? No. De’Longhi lists 1.8 litres on the Eletta Explore and 2.2 litres on the PrimaDonna Soul.
Do both machines need the Coffee Link app? You can make drinks from the touchscreen on both. De’Longhi ties Bean Adapt and recipe building to the app, and Ideal Home found some Eletta Explore settings need it too.