The Nespresso Gran Lattissima has combined De’Longhi’s one-touch fresh milk technology with the premium Nespresso capsule system to let you create barista-quality recipes.
It’s the first machine with nine recipes among other Nespresso Lattissima models. With the one-touch recipe preparation system, you’ll have your foamy cappuccino simply at a touch of a button.
When you purchase the machine, you’ll receive a welcome set including 14 Nespresso capsules. Each of them contains individual aromas, helping you find your favorite.
After reading a lot about Lattissima Gran, I found most users happy with its easy application, tasty coffees, and variety of recipes. However, I can’t say everyone was satisfied.
Pros
- One-touch milk recipes.
- Auto clean system.
- Fast heat up.
- Descaling alarm.
- High-pressure pump.
- Energy-saving mode.
Cons
- One-touch milk recipes.
- Auto clean system.
- Fast heat up.
- Descaling alarm.
- High-pressure pump.
- Energy-saving mode.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Coffee Maker
It’s always a joy to have a decent cup of coffee in the morning, but going to the cafe can take a lot of time and effort. With Gran Lattissima, you can have the same quality coffee in your home without standing in the lines or paying for your coffee every day.
The rapid cappuccino system froths your milk to make the best foam for your drink. However, if you aren’t a fan of milk recipes, there’s no need to spend money on Gran Lattissima. A simpler brewer without frother, such as the Nespresso VertuoPlus, can do the job at a more affordable price.
Gran Lattissima offers a simple-use system with various preset recipes, but if you want more control over your coffee, Nespresso Creatista Plus is a better option. It allows you to adjust coffee volume, milk temperature, and froth level.
Here are a few more questions to consider before buying a coffee machine:
- Do you prefer simple settings over complicated ones?
- Are you okay with spending money on coffee pods?
- Do you mind not having control over temperature, volume, or texture?
- Do you drink milk-based coffee often?
- Is having various kinds of coffee an advantage to you?
- Do you make several cups to serve your friends or family members?
Why You Should Consider Nespresso Gran Lattissima
Design
With a 10.8 inch height and 7.9-inch width, Gran Lattissima fits every kitchen counter. It’s suitable for those who have limited space.
Gran Lattissima comes in only two different colors, black and white. The stainless steel body with matte and high-gloss finishes make it an elegant machine. Also, a glass touch panel adds to its beauty. The machine gets a bit dusty on the top because of its big flat surface, though. This problem is less evident in the white ones.
It comes with a removable milk container, a large water tank, and a big capsule holder. Also, movable cup support is practical for any cup or glass size.
When you don’t need the milk frother, you can detach it and close the sliding cap to cover the steam connector hole and keep the machine’s stylish look.
Ease of Use
Using the Gran Lattissima is straightforward with its super easy one-touch system. Just drop the pod and choose the coffee type.
If you want to choose a milk recipe, fill the milk container to the max level and attach it to your machine. Adjust the milk spout by rotating it up to the center of the cup and turn the milk froth regulator knob to the froth position. Now choose your coffee and let the machine do the rest for you.
Coffee Variants
Nine beverage selections include three coffee variants, ristretto, espresso, and lungo, plus six milk settings available at the touch of a button.
Among the milk options, only four are actual milk-based beverages, including latte macchiato, cafe latte, cappuccino, and flat white.
The two others are just “hot foam” if you want to top up your espresso, and “hot milk,” a relaxing drink or an ingredient for hot chocolate. To receive hot milk or foam, keep your finger on the button and release when the amount is enough for you.
Taste
Because everyone has a different taste in coffee, Nespresso gives you a wide variety of blends to choose from and enjoy your deep, rich, and flavorful coffee.
It creates hermetically sealed and recyclable aluminum capsules to lock in freshness and taste.
More importantly, the 19-bar high-pressure pump means perfect coffee extraction during the brewing process. The result is the delicate flavor and premium aromas of each coffee capsule and consistent dense cream.
Although Gran Lattissima is compatible with different coffee pod brands, using Nespresso Original Line Capsules gets you the best in-cup results. While brewing non-Nespresso pods, the machine may spill a little hot water in your cup before brewing the pod content. So, your coffee may get diluted, compromising its taste.
Ease of Cleaning
Luckily, the rapid cappuccino system components (six components in total) are removable and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning, but it requires a bit of pulling apart and assembly. You can clean the drip tray, cup support, drop collector, and used capsule container in a dishwasher as well.
Disassemble the rapid cappuccino system and put all components in the dishwasher’s upper rack (70ºC or 158ºF).
If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can put the parts in mild soapy water (40ºC or 104ºF) for 30 minutes and wash them manually.
Rinse System
The milk container features a simple rinse function, which you need to run after each use. When you want to make several cups in a row, this rinsing system is advantageous because it wipes away froth residue fast and effortlessly.
The clean alert turns orange at the end of each recipe preparation, asking you to clean the Rapid Cappuccino System. Place a container under the coffee outlet, and turn the milk froth regulator knob to the “clean” position. Hot water with steam passes through the milk spout, and the rinsing process stops automatically.
Also, to clean the coffee outlet, lift and close the lever to eject the capsule. Then place a container under the spout and press the “lungo” button to rinse.
Heat Up Time
The fast heat-up system means the machine is ready to prepare your coffee in just 25 seconds. All the buttons start blinking when the device is warming up, and when they’re all solid, you’re ready to go.
Plus, when you attach the milk container, the buttons start to blink for 15 seconds, which means it’s getting back up to temperature. In total, the heat-up time is 40 seconds for making milk beverages.
When it delivers your coffee, the temperature is about 62.8 degrees, so it’s hot enough to drink right away.
Descaling Alarm
Some users complained about getting stuck in the descaling mode. But it wasn’t a common issue.
Durability
Gran Lattissima has a two-year warranty to support you after your purchase. During this period, De’Longhi will either repair or replace, at its discretion, the product for free.
Water Reservoir
Gran Lattissima comes with a removable water tank that sits at the back. It holds 34oz or 1.3 liters of water, allowing you to make several cups of coffee without refilling.
The transparent water reservoir shows you when it’s empty and needs a refill. And with a max line, you know exactly how much is enough to fill the tank.
Rapid Cappuccino System
To make a milk-based coffee, use the rapid cappuccino system, a removable milk container to froth the milk and deliver a foamy texture.
The 16.9oz milk container is detachable to put it in the refrigerator between uses, which means no milk waste.
Unfortunately, several users complained about the rapid cappuccino system, which has stopped working after a while. It couldn’t suction up the milk and just sputtered hot water and steam instead of milk.
Other Features
Energy-Saving Mode
The energy-saving function turns the machine off automatically after 9 minutes of inactivity. So there’s no need to worry if you forget to turn it off.
Cable Storage
If you locate the device close to the outlet, the cord might be too long. To shorten the cable, you can run it around the channel under the machine.
Used Capsule Container
The large container holds 14 used capsules, so you don’t need to remove them after each use. There’s also a drop collector under this part to avoid coffee drops from making a mess all over the place.
Alternatives
If you have any doubts about Gran Lattissima, here are the best alternatives you can check:
Nespresso Creatista Pro
For those who prefer more control over their coffee and don’t mind spending a bit more, Creatista Pro is a fantastic option.
Simultaneous coffee brewing and milk frothing make this model unique. You can customize your drink with adjustable coffee volume, milk temperature, and froth level.
It offers a water reservoir with 67oz or 2 liters capacity and a hot water function to preheat your cup.
Nespresso Lattissima One
Lattissima One is a simple single-serve system with a more affordable price. Despite having fewer options, you’ll get the same coffee quality with this machine.
It delivers espresso and lungo and froths your milk to create the perfect cappuccino or latte. It also has a plastic body, three recipe buttons, and a smaller milk container.
Things to Know About Gran Lattissima
Gran Lattissima doesn’t limit you to Nespresso pods only, and it’s compatible with other brands as well. However, you might experience a slight difference in your coffee taste while using different brands. Some water might come out before pouring coffee into the cup; that’s why Nespresso pods are more trustable on this machine.
Nespresso recommends using the pods only once, but some users reuse the pod to save money. The second cup will taste slightly weaker and a bit watery compared to the first, but if you wish to do that, simply put the pod back into the machine and have it make you another cup.
You should run the descaling process when the alarm turns orange. Eject the capsule and empty the parts as you do before the cleaning process.
Fill the water tank with 100 ml of the descaling agent and add water up to the water tank’s descaling mark.
Take the descaling pipe from the machine’s back and plug the descaling pipe into the steam connector. Now replace the water tank, and the system starts descaling.
Final Words on Gran Lattissima Review
Making a perfect barista-style coffee takes a lot of time and effort if you’re not an expert. But Gran Lattissima delivers various coffee forms in your home with a simple touch.
The fresh-milk technology presented by De’Longhi, together with the Nespresso capsule system, results in high-quality coffee.
Nine beverage settings allow you to choose your favorite coffee form as well as hot milk and hot foam. It offers latte macchiato, cafe latte, cappuccino, and flat white besides ristretto, espresso, and lungo to satisfy every taste.
