Nespresso Gran Lattissima Espresso Machine by De'Longhi, Fresh White

We purchased our first of two Gran Lattissmo Expresso machines by De’longhi. Absolutely loved it. BUT——yes a BIG BUT—because within one week the frother ceased to work. It spit hot water at us with every attempt, but just water, no milk. We contacted Nesspresso and participated in troubleshooting using Face time on my iPad with an Nesspresso employee watching the machine do a great job spitting water. We reset the factory settings, took the frother apart, as well as a few other-interventions. Nothing worked. So a new frother was sent to us which took several days to arrive. While waiting for it, I had to drag out an old Keurig machine which I was grateful I still had so we could have our morning coffee. I was so hopeful upon the arrival of the new frother, but it performed identically spitting hot water and no milk. So called Nesspresso AGAIN and AGAIN had a very helpful person at Nesspresso walk me through the identical procedures as the first time with no success. . At that point, the faulty machine was boxed up and returned to Amazon for an exchange. New—number two machine arrived. I thoroughly read the manual again, but I also called Nesspresso once more to ask some questions which the manual did not address. I was told to use milk of a high quality which means high in protein. Whole milk, 2%, and skim milk can all be used. The higher the protein, the better the froth. I was using whole milk with 8g of protein. I now have whole milk and 2% milk with 12g of protein which is higher quality. Also, it is important to remove the top of the frother , before placing the frother in the fridge with milk still remaining in it. The frother mechanism should be cleaned frequently by completely disassembling it and soaking all the parts in warm soapy water for 30 minutes. Then, put the parts in the dishwasher on the top rack after soaking. Milk particles can become dry and stuck inside the frother mechanism which will cause the frother, in time, to malfunction . Thoroughly cleaning these parts and using high protein milk, will hopefully keep things working as they should. Also, if you notice milk residue sticking to the sides of the milk container, that is a sign that it may be smart to discard the milk and fill it with fresh milk. The machine is very easy to use and the extra maintenance is worth it. Time will tell if this machine continues to make great frothy coffee. Can’t say enough about the excellent quality of the coffee drinks this machine produces. That is why I am willing to try this again. The Nesspresso customer service is excellent, and so, for the most part, is Amazon. They made it very easy to return the defective machine to exchange for a new one. My husband says he use to drink coffee because it was warm and nice to have in the morning. Now we are drinking coffee a whole lot more because it tastes good. So far, I highly recommend this product, and hope it keeps up its great performance.

I purchased the machine for myself as a birthday present, and I've had it for about 6 weeks. We have a Pavoni espresso machine, which my husband loves for his espressos, but I think it's a pain for making lattes: grinding the beans, tamping down the pod, "pulling" the lever (which will be really hard if you tamp it too densely), steaming the milk, and then cleaning the steaming wand, not to mention what a pain to refill the water chamber (turn off, wait till pressure is gone, then you can refill). Why am I listing all of these steps? Because that's what you don't have to worry about with the Lattissima! Here are my steps now: turn on the machine, get the milk container out of the fridge and plug into the front, put an espresso capsule in the top, stick a mug under the spout, and push the Latte button. Done. You do need to clean the frother, which is just putting another cup under the spout, turn the milk to "clean" and let it clean, then you can remove the milk container and stick it in the fridge. I clean the milk container once a week, soaking all the pieces in a bowl of hot soapy water for a few hours. What I like: it tells me what to do next - "turn milk to clean", and "put milk back in fridge". It is easy to clean, both the base and the milk container. I like the milk container situation - I think what they've done to keep it clean ensures there's no moldy/yukky stuff sticking around anywhere. Holds enough water for the week, and easy to refill water. It makes perfect foam! I have it on the lowest foam setting and it's still a lot of foam for me. It's not too loud (I've used Keurig and Tassimo - they are louder!) It's mostly simple to use (I did read the manual first). It seems sturdy and well-built. You can make hot water (which I honestly haven't used yet). You can recycle the capsules (I think Sur La Table accepts them). And last, the espressos are just as good as what I can make on my Pavoni! What I don't like: as others have mentioned, the frothed milk is not that hot (the espresso is hot). That's one thing I do miss from the Pavoni - really hot milk. Also, the pre-programmed milk volume is not that much, 5oz. You can change the programming to increase to a max of 6.8oz but instead I just have a second Latte. I probably will change the programming at some point (when I go through my first batch of capsules and have to buy more!) Overall, I'm very pleased with this machine. Was it worth the $$? I think so (I got it on sale and didn't pay full price). Would I have paid the original price of $599? Probably not - DeLonghi did lower the price to $499, then some retailers offered additional discounts. So if you want the convenience of a capsule system with great tasting espressos, and are fine with not-super-hot milk, and can justify the cost, this is a great buy. Update 6/6/2015: After several months of perfect lattes, I had the following experience. I usually clean the milk carafe every 1 to 2 weeks - I take all the pieces apart and soak them in a bowl of hot, soapy water for several hours. While putting it back together yesterday, the top milk froth regulator knob would not go back in place. I futzed with it the whole day, unsuccessfully. I soaked it multiple times for several hours in hot soapy water, I took a fork and tried to play with the spring-loaded receptacle, I searched the web for answers as well to see if I could just buy a carafe by itself (nothing and no), I stopped by the local Williams Sonoma so I could look at another carafe and see how it worked (they didn't have any in stock). I was just getting ready to call the Nespresso support line, when I thought I would run it through a dishwashing cycle. While still very warm from the cycle ending, I tried again, and this time whatever was stuck became unstuck. Whew. I can't believe how much it bothered me that this $$$ machine would have mechanical problems so soon, and how much time I spent on it! So, a few thoughts after my day of frustration: 1) De Longhi needs to sell carafes separately (one for soy and one for milk?) 2) Hasn't anyone else had this problem? Why couldn't I find anything else about it on the web? and 3) I'm pretty pathetic if I let this bother me and consume my whole day! By the way, the manual does recommend dishwashing every week, but soaking in hot water for several hours is also okay if you do not have a dishwasher. I guess I wasn't soaking it often enough? Update 6/8/2016: Over a year later, still VERY happy with my machine. One minor nit-pick though, and this would be the same for either of the Lattissima machines, is the clean function. While I usually only have one or two lattes a day, when you have company and want to make several right at the same time, having to clean after every cup is not very efficient. How about cleaning after the last one? I haven't yet tried to pull the milk carafe off and put it back on and see if that resets the clean...

I definitely don't consider myself a coffee connoisseur. I simply enjoy coffee, whether it be from a coffee shop like Starbucks or from my machine at home. For me, as long as the coffee tastes good, I'm happy. I was able to pick up this machine for $437 during some sale here on Amazon. I still would consider it worthwhile at the current asking price of $585. You buy this machine for three main reasons: convenience, consistency and speed. If you want a coffee quickly before heading to work, you don't even need to read the rest of this review. Buy this machine, you will not be disappointed. For those who are interested in hearing why I bought this machine and what my thoughts are, read on. --Pros-- - Fast This machine is seriously fast on startup. I turn it on, grab my milk frother from the fridge, and before I know it the machine is ready to go. Not only that, The frother itself is the fastest I have ever seen on a machine. It instantaneously froths milk as it passes through into the coffee cup. - Simple At work we have a $1500 espresso machine that grinds the coffee automatically, has a frothing wand that lowers into the cup and froths your milk automatically for you. I find myself preferring to use my machine before work. Why? Because this crazy machine we have at work sometimes doesn't froth properly, or doesn't grind the coffee properly and you end up with a cup of warm milk. The De'Longhi is amazing in that it is simple, there is so much less that can fail. - Quick Now wait a second Alex, you already said it was fast. Where are you going with this? So what do I mean by quick? The machine is intuitively easy to use. There are six quick and easy presets to choose from. There is no need to go digging through the mass of menus like the crazy machine at work has. The De'Longhi is like the race car of espresso machines. Not only does it start up quickly, the use of this machine is fast and responsive. - Fresh Coffee This one is pretty self explanatory. You get the freshness of beans coupled with the convenience of pre-ground coffee with the Nesspresso pods. --Cons-- - Expensive Pods This is the Achilles heel of this machine. The pods are not cheap. There are off brand pods, however these are not guaranteed to be the same level of quality of those from Nesspresso. Personally, I think this is a compromise that is well worth it. - Difficult to self service Like any automatic machine, if this one breaks it will have to be sent back unless you are comfortable opening it up to see what makes it tick. - Not for everyone I imagine the espresso connoisseur would raise his nose in disgust at this machine. However, this machine is a constant source of delicious coffee and happiness for me. If you simply enjoy coffee for both the taste and as a wake up in the morning, this bad boy is for you. --Conclusion-- By no means is this a full review. I consider myself a terrible writer and a very forgetful person. However, I hope this pushes a few people who are on the fence into buying this machine because I promise you you will not be disappointed. I have only owned this machine for a few months, but it has performed flawlessly during that time. Good luck fellow shoppers, let you make the best of decisions. Alex

Should have given it a zero when I first got it. We're less than 3 years in and let me tell you about this machine - initially got here after a month, broken (the frother didn't work) then they wanted me to ship it back so I can get a replacement. The replacement got here and worked great for 3 to 4 months. Then the saga began. Had to replace a frother, descale the machine every 2 weeks otherwise coffee would not come out and a whole variety of issues. About a year in - the machine started leaking from the bottom. Today, it finally gave up. Save your money, get a simple nespresso like a pixie without a frother bc their latissima line sucks.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve been using the Nespresso Lattissima Pro for a while now, and it’s been an absolute pleasure. It makes consistently rich and flavorful coffee with minimal effort, and the milk frother creates the perfect creamy foam every time. The design looks sleek on my counter, and the touchscreen is simple to use. I love how quickly it heats up and how easy it is to clean. It really feels like having a little café at home — totally worth the investment!

I bought this for my wife who likes cappuccino although I have become a big fan of both straight espresso and cappuccino as well since buying this machine. The quality of the drinks is outstanding - the machine would get 5 stars on the drink quality. Milk froth is very good and the machine consistently produces hot 150F coffee after warming. However, there are some design issues that should not exist in a machine that costs $600. First, the build quality is just OK. The top and front are brushed aluminum, but every other surface other than the tray is plastic, and not very sturdy. The sides and back are noticeably flimsy and rattle loudly when the machine is in operation. It would have really improved the look and feel of the unit if the sides were also metal or at least thicker plastic. The drip trays are solid metal and sturdy, and the milk carafe is very well done. The water tank is pretty flimsy and the rear positioning is awkward if the unit is against a wall. I think it would have been better to have a more square water tank on the side. The rear water tank also adds a lot of depth to the unit which would save more counter space front to back. Operationally, the unit is very easy to use, which is good because the user manual is pretty bad. The manual indicates that the milk carafe needs to be completely disassembled and cleaned every two days which I'm sure no one actually does. Also, there's no mention in the manual, but the drip tray collects a lot of water during normal operation, even when none is obviously spilled into it. It appears that there is a water outlet or overflow that drips into the drip tray right behind the used capsule storage container built into the tray. It's not clear if this is to flush the drippings from the used capsules, or just an overflow, but it almost completely fills the drip tray after making about 4 capsules. If you make a few drinks one after another, this means the drip tray needs to be emptied to prevent overflow. I suppose under less frequent usage, this extra water evaporates, but I found this to be a odd point in a machine that otherwise performs well.

Absolutely awesome. Absolutely no regrets with this purchase, and I'm absolutely addicted to this product. If I were to roll back time, the only thing I would do differently is use distilled water from the start. I noticed 'rings' in the transparent plastic water tank that attaches to the back of this unit after about 1 month of usage. That was completely my own fault because I was using tap water. After carefully cleaning the tank, I started using distilled water and never had the issue reoccur. The company also sells a cleaning solution to run through the machine but I have not done that yet, after about 4 months of ownership. When I enjoy an espresso from this machine, I am reminded of my travels to Italy. The visions of those trips flash through my mind as I enjoy a drink from my De'Longhi. YES, it is that good, and NO I have not been paid to say that. I have no affiliation with the manufacturer, Nespresso, whatsoever. BTW - "Coffee" in Italy is what Americans call "Espresso". The concoction that we Americans call "Coffee" is called "American Coffee" in Italy, or in some cases "Lungo". A Lungo is basically just an Espresso with 2x-3x the water during the brew. Nespresso uses the term "Lungo" and if you choose that drink from the touch-panel, the machine will default to using 2x the amount of water as compared to an Espresso (but you can increase or decrease that ratio based on your own preference). The espresso/lungo/cappuccino pods are on the expensive side but nothing beats it without spending 2-3X on a commercial machine and sourcing your own beans. Nespresso also routinely offers special/limited-time blends that are quite good. These specials cost a bit more, but they are a real treat. The first limited-time blend I bough was with much reservation because I had a hard time paying extra for those pods. It was the Brazil-origin pod. I bought two "sleeves" (a Nespresso "sleeve" is a cardboard box with 10 pods in it). Now, many weeks later & after the Brazil pods are no longer sold, I find myself saving the remaining pods for special occasions. Nespresso even offered a Cuba-origin pod when the American-Cuban embargo was lifted. I regret not buying a pod or three. YES, it is that good! WARNING: If you are currently addicted to Starbucks, you will loose your desire to shop there. Perhaps if you are away from home and in jam you will pass through in an attempt to fill a void... but you will be longing for Nespresso. For absolute & full transparency, I do have one concern about this machine: The espresso/coffee/cappuccino pours from an output nozzle attached to the machine, above your cup. That means your espresso has contact with the equipment, albeit briefly. As evidence, when your done brewing your cup, and after you have ejected the used pod (coffee capsule) from the machine, the nozzle will still continue to drip a few times. Those drips are from coffee/espresso draining from the physical machine (not the coffee pod). In an ideal situation your brew would not come in contact with the machine. Any contact at all means residue can build up and/or mix with prior brews, and even attract contaminants like bacteria. Some other machines like the Flavia solve that problem (the Flavia is awesome for "American Coffee" but sucks for espresso and cappuccino) and others suffer the same fate (Keurig does the same thing, but much worse.. even gross). Nespresso has a 'cleaning cycle' that they suggest you use to overcome this concern. The cleaning cycle is run with regular water but with no coffee pod inserted. However, it's a real inconvenience (you have to use a 2nd cup for the runoff, and go through a procedure) so I doubt most owners do it after each cup brewed. BUT IT DOES MATTER: When I run my De'Longhi in "cleaning mode" on any given day with NO coffee pod inserted, it will produce brown or gray water. That is decisive evidence that contamination is present. In fact, the water wont turn clear until I run the cleaning mode for 3-5 times consecutively. Despite this one concern, I have found nothing better for practical home use. I would buy again in a heartbeat!

I have been using the Latissima Plus for over a year and a half. My main gripe with that machine was that the lattes didn't come out hot enough. I had to microwave my lattes for about 15-20 seconds after they were made with the Latissima Plus. It doesn't sound like a big deal but it becomes a pain when you have to do it everyday, not to mention the coffee's taste definitely gets altered a bit when you do that. The whole reason I got the unit was to REDUCE the steps it took to create the perfect latte at home and not have to fork over $5 at Starbucks/other coffee shops every time I wanted a latte. I was crossing my fingers when I ordered this unit as there were mixed answers to the golden question: Does the coffee/latte come out hot enough or just somewhat hot/warm like the Latissima Plus. Well I can now safely say I'm glad I took the chance and gave this new unit a try--it definitely is hot enough and hotter than the Latissima plus! No more microwaving! Finally I can get the perfect latte at home with minimal steps. As usual Nespresso's pods provide a good variety and quality is spot on. The unit itself looks a lot more substantial and premium than the Latissima Plus. Putting the two side by side, the Latissima Plus looks like the Pro's kid brother. I love that the milk and water container have a bigger capacity. The digital display also makes it really easy to use and program everything to your preference. The one thing I wish I could do is set the milk volume higher. It has a limit of about 6.8 oz. Not a huge deal though. Here's the max programming volume for each of the settings in case you were wondering: Water volume can be programmed from 50 to 400 ml (1.7 to 13.5 oz). Milk volume can be programmed from 30 to 200 ml (1 to 6.8 oz). Coffee volume can be progammed from 25 to 200 ml (0.85 to 6.8 oz). Overall this is the perfect unit and I'm glad I caught it at a great deal on Amazon. Keep an eye on the product page for this unit on Amazon, price for this unit seems to fluctuate frequently. I bought it at $485, but 1 week earlier it was $449, and now it's $599 just a few days later. The $100 Nespresso offer, sweetens the deal even more. The fact that you can make several different types of coffees/lattes/cappuccinos at home so easily makes this machine worth its cost. After taking into account the cost of milk, the capsule, syrup flavoring, and all the little things, you can make a perfect latte for about $2 or less. Starbucks charges like $4-$5 for a small cup, so it's easy to see that you will recover the cost of the machine fairly quickly. If you are debating between buying the Latissima Pro or Latissima Plus -- BUY THE PRO, it is significantly better and the difference in price is justified in the long run. If you are on the fence between upgrading or keeping your Latissima Plus for the Pro -- UPGRADE, it is a significant upgrade. Hope this helps.