New Dual Boilers from Magister

Magister is a relatively new entrant to the espresso industry, starting back in July 1997 in Casorezzo (Milan), Italy.

We started business with them in 2012, by bringing in the Stilo line. These were HX machines serviceable in both the home and commercial environments.

Although they performed decently on their own, this model lacked some key features. One simple feature was the steam wand. It operated on a swivel, not multi-directional. Also, the wand itself was not anti-burn, but there wasn’t a rubber grip or any piece to safely put your fingers on.  The hot water wand was very short and in a fixed position. This was a big drawback, especially on this model, which accommodated tall cups.  You would have to hold your cup to the wand to avoid splashing. There was No E61 grouphead or PID controls, which was not a huge deal, but usually features that potential owners look for. One huge drawback was that you had to choose between two models: a tank model or a direct-connect model.

Even though they were a tough sell, we continued selling Magister machines up until 2017, when we decided to stop bringing them in. We never completely write off a manufacturer. Our managers and owners always give their input on what works, what doesn’t work, and what customers (especially ours) look for. When we previously carried the Magister line, a common question from customers was “Do they have a dual boiler model?”

After years of R&D, Magister contacted us in 2024, letting us know of their new dual-boiler machines, the Stella line. As with any new models, we like to wait to bring them in until after the first few batches produced by the manufacturer (to let any issues air out). We brought in our first batch of the Magister Stella in July 2025. They came out with 2 versions. The Magister Stella has a traditional E61 lever. The Magister Stella ES has an electronic touchpad. Most of the “issues” from the previous Magister Stilo model have been addressed in the new Stella models: E61 grouphead, check; PID controls, check. Both wands have been upgraded to multi-directional. Best of all, they now use a rotary vane pump, which allows you to switch between operating with a tank or a direct water line connection.

Most espresso machines with PID controls usually consist of a simple display and 2 buttons, like the Lelit Bianca or the ACS Minima. Using these 2 buttons combined with short delays, you cycle through the machine settings, go into a particular setting, adjust that setting, and save it. All must be done without hesitation; otherwise, you will be automatically removed from the menu. The PID controls on the Stella have extra buttons, an “Enter” (which looks like a right arrow) and a “Power” button. This allows you to take your time going through each setting without feeling like you are under pressure to save the settings.

There are 2 different menus in the Stella dual boiler espresso machines: DISPLAY/PROGRAMMING menu and TECHNICAL menu. Pressing the “Enter” button while the machine is on will toggle the steam boiler on or off, serving as an energy saver if you are only making straight espresso.  Holding the “Enter” button for 5 seconds lets you enter the DISPLAY/PROGRAMMING menu. Once in the DISPLAY/PROGRAMMING menu, pressing the “Enter” button cycles through all the settings: coffee/steam boiler temperature, temperature unit of measure (°C or °F), ECO mode, ECO coffee/steam boiler temperature, and a shot counter. Pressing the “Power” button goes into the selected setting. Using the “+” and “-” buttons changes the value of the setting. Pressing the “Power” button saves the setting. To exit, press and hold the “Power” button for 3 seconds.

The TECHNICAL menu is accessible while the machine is in “idle” mode, which is different from ECO mode. To get to the TECHNICAL menu, while the machine is on, hold the “Power” button for 5 seconds. Then hold the “Enter” button for 10 seconds. This will enter the TECHNICAL menu. In this menu, you will find: language, water supply (tank or direct connect), chrono function (shot timer), boiler refill/heating priority, the individual P.I.D. controls, password option, service cycle option & filter replacement, preinfusion time, and the times for each dosing button (last option is for the Stella ES model only).

Overall, we are impressed with this new line. So many options are available in the PID controls, some we haven’t seen in other models. Things like ECO mode temperature settings and boiler refill/heating priorities help reduce wait times and conserve energy. Also, the extra buttons help navigate the menus more easily.

As with other models & manufacturers, we always like to provide our input. Their decision to use copper boilers is one we like. The overall performance in thermal conductivity and temperature stability is superior to stainless steel. However, most customers tend to lean towards stainless steel boilers because of the lower chance of limescale buildup. We sell other copper boiler machines like VBM, so it’s not a 100% deal breaker. Also, rotary knobs for steam/hot water are something we prefer, as they give control of the intensity. On the other hand, most of our customers prefer the quick action of the joystick knobs. The build of both models is almost identical. On the Stella ES version, they decided to put the electronic dosing button above the grouphead. As a result, the lowered the grouphead in order for the dosing button housing not to stick out and potentially add height to the machine (much like the ECM Elektronika). It is not possible to add a flow control on the Stella ES model, and with the lower grouphead, most flow control paddles would not be able to rotate as they will hit the front panel.  We will have to test out all our flow control kits to see which will work on the Stella.

As we learn more, we will update the product pages for the Stella and Stella ES. If you are interested and want to learn more, please bookmark the page. If you have any questions, please use the Q & A found on each page.