Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima coffee machine review: easy, delicious coffee at the press of a button
I'm a huge lover of coffee, yet I still wouldn't go as far as grinding my own beans each morning. If, like me, you too want a delicious fresh cup of joe in the morning and throughout the day, but deep down, you're a little lazy - no shame here - then the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima machine is absolutely perfect.
I've found that it's the ultimate low effort, high reward coffee machine, because it just does exactly what you want it to. It doesn't come with lots of separate parts, so it's easy to set up and once you're ready to go with your favorite choice of Nespresso Vertuo coffee pods, this machine does all the hard work for you. The auto pod recognition means this machine creates either single espresso, double espresso, Gran-Lungo, carafe or mug-sized coffees - without you having to do anything extra.
It's perfect for the bleary-eyed morning folk like myself who just want tasty coffee in two simple steps: put the pod in, hit the brew button. And just like that, my apartment is filled with the sweet smell of freshly brewed coffee, I have my hot tasty elixir of life, and there's no mess to clean up afterwards - the used up pod is simply jettisoned back into the machine, ready to be emptied later. Nice.
Of course, there is the addition of the milk frothing carafe - the 'Lattissima' element of the machine - which is perfect for when you want a frothier experience. Just fill with milk, connect it to the body of the machine and hit one of three buttons for either creamy latte, hot foam, or frothy cappuccino - it's really as simple as that.
If what I've just described sounds like the ideal coffee user experience to you, then keep on reading for more detail on the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima coffee machine, which is available in the US and the UK, then head to our best coffee maker and best espresso machine guides for comparisons and even more great coffee maker options.
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine: Product specifications
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine: Price and availability
The Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima (in the color matte black & glossy, which is the exact model I tried out) is available directly from the Nespresso website, where it's currently on sale, down from $499.00, to just $374.25. It's also available in a different colorway, matte white and glossy.
For the same price, you can find this machine in both colorways at Best Buy, and on Amazon (although at the minute there are weird buying options at play on Amazon so the price isn't listed.) It's on De'Longhi's website too, also for $374.25.
For those in the UK, it can be found on the UK Nespresso website for £379.00, on Amazon UK for £349.00 - the white one is the same price at very.co.uk too - and also at John Lewis for £379.99 and Argos for £350.00.
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine: First impressions
This was my first time testing a coffee machine for Top Ten Reviews, however my family have owned two Nespresso coffee machines in the past, so I'm used to using this particular brand.
I was sent the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine with detachable milk frothing carafe, a selection box of 12 different strength and flavor Vertuo coffee pods, and two additional boxes of Vertuo coffee pods, in the variations 'melozio' and 'bianco doppio'. The pods arrived separately to the machine; I was impressed by the amount of cardboard packaging and lack of plastic components involved. As per usual, the Nespresso branded packaging looked high quality and so did the machine itself, so I was stoked to get it set up and to try out some coffee flavors.
The Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine is quite large and heavy, however I didn't struggle to lift it onto my countertop or find space for it. It fit in snuggly beside my microwave and although my other appliances are white, this coffee machine stands out in a good way, due to it's modern design and matte black colorway. As the machine is fairly large and projects quite far forward, due to the milk carafe in front and the water tank at the back, I recommend clearing some space for it, certainly making sure it's not hampered by shelves or cabinets above it, as this machine uses a mechanism that lifts up in order to reveal the coffee pod receptible.
All I had to do was plug it in at the wall and follow the user manual to get started. You have to connect to your machine via Bluetooth by downloading the Nespresso app, (I already had an account, but you'll need to set one up if you don't,) there's a QR code to scan on the box that takes you straight to your phone's version of the app store. If like me, you're super impatient and want to get going, then this manual has incredibly helpful QR codes that you can scan with your smartphone, to access convenient set up videos on the Nespresso YouTube channel, that show you how to set up your machine, how to wash it out during the first rinse and how to set the water hardness.
Like most coffee machines, this one needed a thorough rinse before first use. I gave the water tank a good rinse, before filling it to the max line and attaching to the machine body. I put a travel coffee mug under the coffee outlet and turned the machine on by pressing the main coffee button on top. The light blinks while the machine heats up, but this only takes roughly 30 seconds; you aren't kept waiting long. When the light glows ready, the machine is ready to use. Honestly, this machine has so few buttons that setup was pretty self-explanatory, especially if you've owned a Nespresso coffee machine before, as they all work in a similar way.
You have to press the main coffee button 3 times within 2 seconds, and the machine will start rinsing through with the clean water from the tank. During this process, the light on top will blink orange to let you know your machine is 'busy' - the whole process lasts roughly 5 minutes. I then disassembled the milk carafe, and gave all 6 separate components a thorough hand washing in warm soapy water - although this can be done in the top rack of your dishwasher (if you're swanky enough to own one of those; me and my tiny apartment could never.) This was the only tedious part of the process for me; in the past, I have owned Nespresso milk frothers like the Aeroccino where you just have to wash out the carafe, heating element and lid - whereas the 6 separate parts on this one made this a fiddly process, and it took me a hot minute to figure out how to put all the parts back together again once dried.
Then things got interesting. In the Quick Start Guide, you'll find a water hardness test strip, which you have to quickly dip into fresh water from your faucet for a second, let dry, and this little slip of paper will tell you how hard your water is through colored squares. This is useful if you didn't already know your water hardness situation, because you have to say how hard your water is when you set your machine up in the app.
Then, you press and hold the hot foam button (that looks like a cloud) until the clean and descale alerts both blink orange together. Then you immediately press the cappuccino button (the smaller coffee cup icon.) You have to do all this within 15 seconds, or else the machine forgets and you have to restart. The Quick Start Guide tells you which of the three buttons on the side to press, to indicate how hard your water is, and the machine will remember this input; the main coffee button on top blinks three times rapidly to confirm. The machine then goes back into ready mode and is ready to use.
I however, found my machine didn't do this last step - blinking three times to confirm - perhaps because I already input how hard my water is in the app. This was the only step of setup I found a little confusing. I still did it, but to this day, I'm not sure if I did it right, despite attempting it several times. Hard water affects coffee machines over time, so I'll be interested to see how mine holds up in the future. I've not yet had to descale it though, and my water is very hard, so to me this is a good sign.
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine: Design
With dimensions of 7.4 x 16 x 12.4 in, I found this coffee machine not to be too big, in fact, it was just the perfect size for me to sit it perfectly on my kitchen countertop, snugly next to my microwave. But most importantly, it's not too cramped, even in my tiny galley kitchen, and I feel I have enough to room to reach around the back to remove the water tank for filling. It is weighty, so it's best not to perch this on a shelf or flimsy surface, definitely go for a hard, sturdy surface like a kitchen countertop.
The design is long and sleek; as with most Nespresso machines, it has a stylish, modern design and looks great in the matte black and glossy finish. I saw on the Nespresso website that it's also available in matte white and glossy, which keeps the matte black body and adds a shiny white top to the machine's lid, which would look great in a modern kitchen.
A great little design choice is the silver cup stand that can be removed and inserted into one of the notches at the front of the machine, depending on how large your coffee mug or travel cup is. This means that if brewing a small espresso into a little espresso cup, it won't splash everywhere and make a mess, likewise you can remove the cup stand completely if you want to fit a large travel mug or carafe under the coffee outlet.
Overall, the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima definitely feels like a quality product and is easy to find your way around; I figured out how to use it within hours of setting it up and felt confident using it to create different coffees going forward into the weeks that followed. I'd definitely recommend this machine to someone wanting quality and simplicity.
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine: Performance
From the get-go, I enjoyed using the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima coffee machine. Once I had the setup figured out, which only really took me a morning to rinse out the machine, fill the tank with water, wash the milk carafe and connect everything via my smartphone - I was ready to go. Thankfully, I had been provided with lots of different Vertuo coffee pods to use, so I was stoked to be able to try them out.
Vertuo pods are larger than classic Nespresso pods and come in a different shape. I went left to right across my selection box, going for the strongest pod first. It was as simple as lifting the pod lid by pushing the silver lever on top to the right, inserting the pod into the obvious hole, and closing the lid by pushing down while pushing the lever left into the locking position, clearly marked by a tiny padlock icon on the lid. You'll hear a pleasant 'pop' as the pod inside is pierced and the coffee button in the middle will flash for a moment (roughly 30 secs) while the machine heats up. Once the light is steady, press the button, and it'll whirr into life and brew you a delicious coffee. It only takes a few moments to pour, perhaps a 2-3 minutes, and doesn't splash whilst brewing all over your counter, which is good.
The type/length of coffee you get is dictated by the type of pod you use. The Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima coffee machine has several options for coffee size/length: espresso (1.35 oz), double espresso (2.7 oz), gran lungo (5 oz), mug (8 oz), XL (12 oz) and carafe (18 oz) - and will do so according to the corresponding pod, recognized automatically by the machine. The only thing for you to do is to remember which pod you've used and ensure that your coffee cup is big enough - don't accidentally forget and pour a gran lungo into an espresso cup, an easy mistake to mistake first thing in the morning.
This is perfect for those who want to vary the length of their coffee drinks; you don't have to have mastered the art of being a barista, you simply choose the type of pod you want. And considering there's a wide array of brew strengths and flavors available through the Nespresso app and on their website, you're spoilt for choice if you like to experiment with flavor.
This great coffee pod auto recognition technology means that the only other settings for you to think about are the milk settings. There are three buttons: a cloud-shaped icon for hot foam, a larger cup indicating a latte, and a smaller cup for a cappuccino. Simply fill the milk carafe with your choice of milk, attach it to the coffee machine, turn the dial on the milk carafe to 'milk' and select one of those buttons, and your choice of milky coffee will be made in mere minutes. You can use the carafe without a coffee pod too, in case you wanted to foam hot milk for a hot chocolate.
Once finished, the 'rinse' icon will light up orange to let you know you need to rinse out the milk carafe, turn the dial on the milk carafe to 'rinse' and hot water from the tank will run through the outlet that the milk came from, ensuring that outlet stays clean throughout the day if you plan to make more than one cappuccino for example. After rinsing, you can even detach the milk carafe from the coffee machine and keep it - and any unused milk inside - in the fridge ready for the next use.
As this machine is single serve and I live alone, I found that I could have several cups of coffee before having to re-fill the water tank and empty the pod container, perfect for a lazy soul like me. This couldn't be easier, you simply lift the tank off the back, take the lid off and fill it with water from the faucet, before putting the lid back on and replacing it onto the body of the coffee machine. You'd probably only need to do this once a week, but of course that depends how much coffee you drink and if you use any extra water by cleaning the milk carafe, etc. Because I like lattes, I was refilling the water tank once a week.
The machine itself never really needs cleaning, except for emptying the used pod compartment and washing/wiping out the accompanying drip tray - I did this about once a week too. It'll need descaling every six months, too. But other than that, the machine looks great on the countertop and I'd only ever need to wipe it down if I thought it looked a bit dusty. The little silver drip tray that doubles up as the cup stand will need cleaning, but only rarely, as this machine doesn't really drip unless you pull the cup away before it has quite finished.
Overall, this machine is super easy to use and get used to, and it doesn't require lots of maintenance or cleaning, but it still makes high quality coffee.
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Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine: Taste test
For me, the coffee this machine made was delicious, but then again, you can hardly go wrong. As it uses pods, the coffee can't get scorched or overheated during the brewing process, the same way that freshly ground beans can. I found that I preferred the flavor of some pods more than others, for example, some of the stronger pods were a bit too bitter/strong for me, whereas pods in the mid-range of the strength scale were perfect.
Although you can't control the temperature, I found that the coffee was hot enough to drink right away and I never scalded my mouth on it. To get the perfect temperature, I recommend using the milk carafe as this heats the milk too, rather than pouring cold milk into your gran lungo or mug-sized coffee, as unless you select a milk option, the machine assumes you're having your coffee black and makes it to the perfect temperature; adding cold milk could ruin this.
If you have concerns about the pods, try and use a different type - there are so many Vertuo pods available, some in limited edition or seasonal flavors, that you're bound to find your favorite. My personal favorite pod to use was the 'bianco doppio', as this pod is specifically designed to be used with milk to create a frothy drink, and has a beautiful creamy texture and a 'vanilla custard pie' flavor. You can even make a selection of barista coffees with the Nespresso machine. I think the beauty of this coffee maker is that you feel you have full customization over your drink, without having to mess around with lots of settings or buttons on the machine.
Should you buy the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How does the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine compare?
If you want a coffee machine that has a more retro-modern design and is lower in price, then could you could try the Vertuo Titan, the machine that launched the Vertuo range. This cool-looking machine is cheaper than the Lattissima at $164.25, as it doesn't include a milk carafe, however you can add a milk frother for about $50 and this bundle will still be cheaper.
However, if you want to go really fancy, you could opt for the Vertuo Creatista, which is currently selling for $561.75 on Nespresso's website. Available in striking stainless steel, this coffee machine has an integrated milk wand for barista-style coffee at home, without the clean up needed for a milk carafe.
How I tested the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine
Used the machine to make a coffee every morning and afternoon for two weeks
Used every single type of Vertuo pod provided, meaning I made espresso, double espresso, gran lungo and mug-sized coffees
I didn't make a 'carafe-sized' coffee, as although this is an option according to the box the machine came in, I didn't have any pods that would provide that amount of coffee, nor did I need it as I live alone.
Used the milk frothing carafe to create hot foam, lattes and cappuccinos.
I tested the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima Coffee Machine for just over two weeks in my apartment in Bath, UK. I made a coffee at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, using all the different Nespresso Vertuo coffee pods provided, and using the milk frothing carafe to create frothy, milky drinks. I also made coffees for guests that came over to get their opinion on the taste - they loved it too.
Read more here about how we test
First reviewed: November 2023
