Nespresso Lattissima Coffee Machines
Nespresso, Lattissima and DeLonghi Explained
Home coffee machines have become increasingly popular in the last few years and Nespresso is a name that is at the forefront of building these machines for home use. With the territory, however, comes an increasingly confusing world of lots of different lingo! So before we delve any further into specific Lattissima machines, I want to take the time to explain the precise difference between the brand names Nespresso, Lattissima and DeLonghi.
Nespresso is, to put it simply, the brand name of a coffee machine. Other brands are available but Nespresso is one of the largest in the world. Typically they include coffee capsules (also known as coffee pods) to be inserted into the machine in question.
Lattissima is a specific range of Nespresso machines and represents a product line under the Nespresso brand. Typically, Lattissima machines refer to Nespresso machines designed milk-based espresso coffee (the clue is in the name – think latte!). They almost always have a milk tank clearly visible in the front of the machine by default. Some other Nespresso machines also have room to make milk based coffee, sometimes with the addition of an Aeroccino add-on. However, the Lattissima range explicitly has this as its signature selling feature.
DeLonghi is a third party manufacturer of Nespresso coffee machines. They are not unlike Krups and Magimix, two other brands that also manufacture certain ranges of Nespresso machines. DeLonghi makes a particularly large range of Nespresso’s Lattissima range in both North America and Europe, and are generally regarded as being quite reliable.
The Two Types Nespresso Lattissima Coffee Machine
Lattissima Nespresso machines are designed to be both elegant and easy to use. They will be your ideal partner for when you prepare delicious coffee recipes, both with and without milk.
Generally speaking there are two popular types of Nespresso Lattissima coffee machine. These are the Lattissima Pro and the Lattissima Plus.
Nespresso Lattissima Pro vs Lattissima Plus
There are two typical sub-brands of Nespresso Lattissima coffee machine, ignoring the occasional one-off model. The two types are the Lattissima Pro and the Lattissima Plus.
The Nespresso Lattissima Pro is the luxury version of the Plus model, where it has a more refined metallic finish as well as a blue illuminated light to make the machine look nicer on your counter-top. The biggest difference when using day-to-day is a touch screen display.
The Nespresso Lattissima Plus uses regular buttons as opposed to a touch screen display, and does not have a backlight. In terms of practical function the two are quite similar. However, for those wishing to froth their own milk as well for example we would recommend the Pro version which comes with its own milk frother and an auto-clean function which could come in handy for long-term maintenance. Of course, this comes at a cost and the Lattissima Pro is more expensive than the Lattissima Plus.
For consumers on a budget we would actually recommend the Lattissima Plus – however, there is no denying the Lattissima Pro is the top-of-the-range model and we think looks better as well, so it’s up to you as an individual to decide which of these you would prefer to have at home.
What Coffee Can I Make with a Nespresso Lattissima?
Nespresso Lattissima machines are typically designed with milk-based coffee in mind, hence the addition of the milk tank. However, it is obviously not all that they can do. Regular non-milk coffee is also possible, and the pre-set drink menu on the Lattissima Pro contains six options:
- Espresso
- Lungo
- Ristretto
- Hot
- Milk
- Cafe Latte
- Cappuccino
There are five as opposed to six options on the Lattissima Plus model. The Pro version also has both an auto-clean feature and a milk frother, for enthusiasts who prefer to prepare their own milk based drinks.
Finally, note that the Lattissima Pro has a much larger water and milk tank capacity. In the Pro it’s 44oz and 17oz water and milk respectively. In the Plus it’s 30oz and 8oz respectively. The capsule capacity of the Lattissima Pro is 16 capsules and in the Lattissima Plus it’s 12 capsules.
So Do I Buy the Lattissima Pro or Lattissima Plus?
This depends entirely upon your preferences. For milk based coffee or a variety of drinks that includes milk based coffee, the Nespresso Lattissima range is an excellent choice in general. The Pro version is better in general, having nicer looking aesthetics, touch screen, milk frother, larger capacity and an auto-cleaning button. If these features are important to you, we would suggest that the Lattissima Pro is the better choice.
