De’Longhi is an Italian manufacturer of small domestic appliances, internationally recognised for its espresso and coffee machines, as well as products for home comfort, breakfast, and kitchen use. Headquartered in Treviso, Veneto, Italy, the brand serves as the flagship consumer entity of the publicly listed De’Longhi Group. The company combines Italian design with advanced appliance engineering and automated brewing technology to deliver premium home coffee-making solutions.

It is important to distinguish between the De’Longhi consumer brand and the broader De’Longhi S.p.A./De’Longhi Group, which owns and operates a portfolio of brands including De’Longhi, Kenwood, Braun, NutriBullet, Ariete, Eversys, and La Marzocco.

The distinction between the corporate roots and the brand origin is significant: while the De’Longhi family established an industrial-components workshop in the early 1900s, the first household appliance sold under the De’Longhi brand appeared in 1974.

Early Years and Heating Products

Although the De’Longhi brand dates to 1974, its history begins earlier. In the early 20th century, the De’Longhi family operated a workshop producing industrial components, which evolved into manufacturing finished goods for other companies. The decisive shift toward the modern consumer brand occurred in 1974 with the introduction of an oil-filled electric radiator. This product’s success established a pattern of transforming ordinary household functions into sophisticated, design-conscious appliances.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, De’Longhi expanded into electric fan heaters, portable heating, air conditioning, catalytic heaters, and other comfort products, cementing its reputation as a recognizable appliance manufacturer.

The Pinguino Era

In 1986, De’Longhi introduced Pinguino, a portable air-conditioning system that became one of the company’s signature products. Described by the company as iconic, Pinguino helped make De’Longhi synonymous with portable air conditioning. More importantly, it demonstrated the brand’s core strategy: combining functional utility with distinctive design and user-friendly usability—a philosophy that would later define its coffee machines.

Expansion into Coffee

Coffee eventually became the defining category for De’Longhi. The company entered the coffee-machine sector in 1993 with a pump espresso machine, followed by the development of IFD (Instant Froth Dispenser) technology in 1995, an early step toward automated milk preparation.

A major milestone arrived in 2003 with the launch of Magnifica, one of the first major super-automatic espresso machines. Magnifica revolutionised the consumer market by automating much of the traditional espresso preparation process, allowing users to produce high-quality drinks with minimal manual effort. By 2007, just four years after Magnifica’s launch, De’Longhi had established itself as a leader in the super-automatic coffee-machine segment 1. This marked the transformation from an Italian household-appliance company into a global coffee powerhouse.

Nespresso Partnership

In 2004, De’Longhi entered a historic agreement with Nespresso regarding capsule coffee machines. This partnership led to the Lattissima line, launched in 2007. Lattissima combined capsule-based coffee preparation with automated milk drinks like cappuccino and latte, establishing De’Longhi as a key player in the portioned-coffee market 2. Note that this was a licensing arrangement; Nespresso and De’Longhi remain separate entities.

Global Expansion

De’Longhi began international marketing efforts in the United States in the early 1980s, opening its first foreign branch in New York in 1985, located in the Empire State Building 3. Today, the Group supports its presence in more than 120 markets worldwide through over 50 commercial branches and local offices 4.

Corporate Growth and Acquisitions

De’Longhi’s growth involved both internal product development and strategic acquisitions:

• 2001: Acquisition of Kenwood (British kitchen appliances) and Ariete (Italian small appliances). Kenwood strengthened the group’s position in food processors and stand mixers, while Ariete expanded coverage in cooking and cleaning.
• 2001: De’Longhi shares began trading on the Milan Stock Exchange, transitioning the family business into a publicly listed international group.
• 2012: The Braun household-appliance business joined the De’Longhi Group, bringing expertise in food preparation, hand blenders, and ironing.
• 2017: De’Longhi acquired a 40% stake in Eversys, a Swiss specialist in professional automatic espresso machines, marking its entry into the professional coffee sector.
• 2020: Acquisition of Capital Brands Holdings, the American parent company of NutriBullet and Magic Bullet, strengthening the group’s position in personal nutrition appliances.
• 2024: Completion of the combination with La Marzocco, the renowned Italian manufacturer of high-end professional espresso machines. Together with Eversys, La Marzocco positions De’Longhi across the entire coffee spectrum, from home automatic machines to premium professional barista equipment.

Coffee Machines

Coffee is the core of the modern De’Longhi identity. The portfolio ranges from compact manual espresso makers to sophisticated super-automatic machines capable of grinding beans, brewing, frothing milk, and adjusting recipes.

Key product families include:

• Magnifica: The classic super-automatic range.
• Dinamica: Advanced automatic coffee machines.
• PrimaDonna: Premium range emphasizing beverage customization.
• Eletta: High-end automatic family.
• La Specialista: Manual/semi-automatic range for a “coffee bar” experience.
• Dedica: Compact manual espresso machines for limited spaces.

Recent developments include touchscreen controls, personalized user profiles, automated milk systems, and cold-brew capabilities.

Home Comfort

Before coffee dominated its image, De’Longhi was famous for heating and cooling. The Pinguino portable air-conditioner family remains a recognizable product line. Current offerings include portable air conditioners, heaters, dehumidifiers, and temperature-control products.

Kitchen and Breakfast Appliances

De’Longhi also produces smaller appliances for toasting, breakfast preparation, hot water, and general food prep, emphasising Italian styling and enhanced user experience.

De’Longhi’s positioning rests on four pillars:

1. Italian Design: Products are engineered to look appropriate in modern homes, not just function efficiently.
2. Technology: Heavy investment in automation, including bean adaptation, programmable brewing, and temperature control.
3. Convenience: Reducing the complexity of café-style beverages at home through super-automatic processes.
4. Premium Experience: Emphasising design and performance over low-cost manufacturing. The corporate slogan is “Better every day.”

De’Longhi occupies a unique space between traditional Italian espresso culture and modern consumer electronics. Its automatic machines automate the skills required for traditional espresso—grinding, dosing, tamping, extraction, and milk steaming—making them attractive to consumers who want café-quality results without becoming professional baristas. Simultaneously, the brand offers manual machines for enthusiasts seeking greater control.

While De’Longhi is an Italian-designed brand, its manufacturing network is global. The 2025 annual report identifies household-sector plants in Italy, Romania, and China, and professional-coffee production in Italy and Switzerland. Therefore, “Italian brand” does not necessarily mean “Made in Italy” for every individual appliance.

As of 2026, the De’Longhi Group is a major international appliance company. The 2025 annual report highlights:

• Total Revenue: €3.80 billion 4
• Employees: 10,500+
• Markets: 120+
• Brands: 7 iconic brands
• Facilities: 9 manufacturing plants and 7 R&D centers

The revenue mix underscores the dominance of coffee:

• 55.4% Household coffee
• 12.8% Professional coffee
• 21.4% Nutrition
• 10.0% Other categories

Roughly 68% of Group revenue in 2025 was connected to coffee, illustrating the profound evolution from its origins in heating and air conditioning.

The parent company, De’Longhi S.p.A., is publicly listed in Italy. Despite this, the De’Longhi family remains central to leadership. As of 2026, Fabio de’ Longhi serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, having returned as CEO in September 2022 and becoming Chairman in April 2025.

De’Longhi’s history reflects the transformation of an Italian family manufacturing business into a global premium-appliance group. While it began with industrial components and heating products, it has successfully leveraged Italian design and technological innovation to become a dominant force in home coffee making. Through strategic acquisitions like Eversys and La Marzocco, the De’Longhi Group now participates in both sides of the coffee industry: home consumption and professional espresso equipment.

1. De’ Longhi Group – Corporate Website
2. De’Longhi – Annual Report 2025
3. Informativa sulla privacy | De’Longhi IT
4. De’ Longhi Group – Record Preliminary 2025 Revenues of €3.8 Billion, up 10.4% at Constant Exchange Rates