Review: Nespresso Lattissima One: automatic espresso, cappuccino & latte machine

I’m a coffee nut and a wee bit of a coffee snob. I start the day with a double espresso. Then there’s often another one mid-morning or a decaf espresso late in the day or after supper. I’ve recently been experimenting with Nespresso pods and have been trying different Nespresso machines to see what each one offers. Today I’m looking at the Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One.

Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One review

This machine differs from some other Nespresso machines out there in that this one will also steam milk automatically and means you can make lattes, cappuccino, or espresso macchiato. It uses the Nespresso Original pods in the machine.

I got to spend a couple of weeks with the Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One; I’ll tell you about my experience with it, what it can do, how it works and the pros and cons after having it in my home for a week.

Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One: what do you get?

Let’s take a quick tour of the machine; there’s a big 1L or 34 oz, low profile water tank in the back. Around front there’s a moveable riser and drip tray, pod receptacle in behind. The milk cup is removable. Out of the box, this machine will brew a 1.3 ounce single shot or a nearly 4 ounce luongo.

You can adjust the default sizes of your shots if you want to. Check out how to adjust Nespresso drink sizes in this blog.

How to set up Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One

The set up of this machine is virtually non-existent; plug it in and power on. It’s ready to go immediately. The kit I bought also included a sample pack of Nespresso capsules, which was a nice way to try some different coffees.

How much pressure does Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One use?

When it comes to the specs, this machine gives you 19 bars of pressure from its high pressure pump

Brewing espresso drinks with Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One

Brewing an espresso is as simple as turning the machine on and waiting for it to heat up, which takes less than 20 seconds. I’m impressed with how fast this is. If you’re heating up milk for your morning up, that takes about another 15 seconds… and we’ll get to the milk-based drinks in just a sec…

Then you pop in a capsule, close the lid and choosing your size.

My single shot brews in about 15 seconds and the double in about 25.

One of the things I like about the Nespresso machines is that the espresso comes out nice and thick, it’s not watery. It ends up with a nice crema on top, and it’s actually good and hot, definitely hot enough for me.

Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One: milk drinks

Let’s move on to the milk drinks

As I noted up front, this machine will make only three milk based drinks: lattes, cappuccino, or espresso macchiato. It also won’t work with alt milks and is only designed to work with cow’s milk.

The milk container is labelled and will show you how much milk to add for each drink; you have to add the right amount manually and it will use all the milk in the jug so it’s up to you to measure correctly.

Easy to use… but foam & heat lacking in quality

The operation of the machine when adding milk to drinks is basically foolproof. When you add milk, it will heat the milk first, add it to your cup, then pour the espresso.

When it comes to the heat level and the foam, I was not impressed at all. The milk is basically warm, certainly not hot, and there’s not really any foam to speak of. While this machine will warm and dispense milk that’s basically it. In my opinion the milk features of this machine aren’t worth it. You’d be better off with a straight up Nespresso espresso maker and a different milk solution.

I took the temperature of the milk right out of the spout and it topped out at about 125 F. Most baristas would tell you the ideal milk temperature is between 155 and 165F.

There is an Automatic milk cleanup feature but this too is lacking… the machine will rinse the milk jug for you with hot water if you press the milk button after it’s done with the drink and you’ve ejected the used capsule. But the water gets everywhere… spilling out over the drip tray.

You’ll also need to finish cleanup of the jug either by hand or by putting the pieces in the dishwasher.

From what I can tell about this machine and other Nespresso machines, you can;t adjust the brew temperature (it comes from the factory set to about 83-86 degrees, according to Nespresso). Nespresso says it’s supposed to be at a hot but drinkable temperature so you can have the espresso right away, and recommends if it’s not hot enough, to pre-heat your cup.

Some folks might not appreciate that you can’t adjust the water temperature, but I was definitely okay with the factory setting.

Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One: Additional features

Other features worth making note of… there’s automatic shut off to save energy, and the water tank holds more than enough water for 17 doubles before it needs to be refilled (34 oz), you can use the cup riser or remove it to brew a bigger cup, and the pod bin holds about 10 discarded pods. All the pieces are washable.

Is Nespresso Lattissima One noisy?

The Delonghi Nespresso machine is a pretty quiet brewer, and you could easily make your morning coffee without waking anyone.

What to know about Nespresso pods: environmental impact and cost

I’ve talked in other reviews about the environmental impact of coffee pods so I’ll just recap quickly here. Nespresso has a pod recycling program and even pays the shipping. Pods cost about 70 cents to a dollar per pod which I find reasonable given coffee shop prices.

When it comes to the coffees and their taste, there’s lots to enjoy. I find the coffees, packaged in their little cups to be fresh, and with the huge number of different roasts, tastes, flavours and options, you’re certain to find some you love. Bottom line here, the coffee is good.

Overall review: Nespresso by De’Longhi Lattissima One

Overall there’s some things I like about this machine and some major downsides.

It’s small for a coffee and milk-capable device, I really like the white colour option and the modern, sleek design which helps it blend into my kitchen better. I also love the huge one litre tank.

The espresso it makes is delicious, hot, thick and with a beautiful crema, and I love that I can customize the sizes so it’s perfect for me.

If there are any downsizes to this machine, for some it might be that you can’t adjust the water temperature, but for me this was not an issue. For me the biggest downside is the lacklustre milk heating and foaming. If you drink cappuccino you aren’t getting them from this machine – there is really no foam to speak of. You’re really just getting different amounts of warm milk.

If you want a top quality espresso machine, this works, but the high cost of adding the milk system which doesn’t perform means I don’t recommend this machine. Instead I’d choose the Nespresso Pixie or Essenza Mini… (pause) you can see both those reviews here on the channel.

The Breville Nespresso Lattissima One sells for about $449 CAD.

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