What is the Vertuo Lattissima?
The top of the Vertuo range, and the only one where the milk is part of the machine.
Nespresso publishes six sizes including 5, 8, 12 and 18oz coffees plus single and double espresso, brewed hot or over ice, one-touch cappuccino, latte and hot foam from a detachable dishwasher-safe 16oz milk tank, a 30 second heat-up, a descaling alert, an adjustable drip tray, and over 40 permanent Vertuo coffees to choose from. It weighs 3.8 pounds and measures 16 by 7.5 by 12.4 inches.
Integrated milk against a bundled frother
This is the whole reason to pay the difference, and it is bigger than it sounds.
The Vertuo Plus Deluxe comes with an Aeroccino: you froth milk in a separate jug, then pour it into the coffee. Two vessels, two steps, two things to wash.
Here the machine holds the milk, doses it and delivers the finished drink into one cup on one press. The tank detaches and goes in the fridge between drinks, which is the part that decides whether a milk system gets used: a machine you have to empty and wash after every latte becomes a machine that makes black coffee.
Dishwasher-safe matters for the same reason. Milk residue in a warm tank is the most common hygiene failure in this whole category, and a tank that goes in the machine rather than under a tap is the one that actually gets cleaned.
Vertuo sizes with milk, which is an unusual combination
Most one-touch milk machines are espresso-based. This one starts from an 18oz coffee.
An Original line Gran Lattissima makes excellent cappuccinos and flat whites because it is built around espresso, and it cannot make a large black coffee worth drinking.
Vertuo's Centrifusion spins the capsule instead of pressing it, so an 18oz coffee is a proper drink rather than a stretched espresso. Add milk to that and you get latte-shaped drinks in sizes the Original line simply cannot produce. If your household wants both a big morning coffee and a cappuccino, this is the machine that covers both without compromise on either.
Vertuo Lattissima vs Gran Lattissima
Same milk idea, opposite coffee systems, and the capsules decide it.
The Gran Lattissima is Original line: better espresso, more milk recipes, and crucially a capsule system with third-party pods and refillable options, so cost per cup can be managed.
The Vertuo Lattissima has larger drinks and total capsule lock-in. Judge it on whether you drink espresso-based drinks or American-sized coffee, and on whether being tied to one supplier for years is acceptable.
Is the Vertuo Lattissima worth it?
Worth it for daily milk drinks. Hard to justify for occasional ones.
It is the most expensive machine in the Vertuo range by a distance, and every pound of that is the milk tank and the one-touch recipes. Somebody making one cappuccino a week is better served by a Plus Deluxe and its bundled Aeroccino for far less.
Nespresso publishes no wattage, no pump pressure, no warranty term, no water tank figure and no capsule bin capacity on this listing, and it carries around 500 reviews. Descaling is required and the machine will tell you, which is more than most admit.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Buy it for a household that drinks lattes daily and large coffees too.
It suits somebody who wants a cappuccino on one press, will actually use the fridge-storable tank, and drinks mugs rather than demitasses.
Do not buy it if cost per cup matters, because Vertuo has no third-party or refillable capsules at all. And do not buy it for espresso quality, where the Creatista Plus and the Original line are the better machines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Vertuo Lattissima have a built-in milk system?
Yes, a 16oz milk tank that detaches, goes in the fridge and is dishwasher safe. It is the only Vertuo with one.
What milk drinks does it make?
Cappuccino, latte and hot foam, each on one touch.
Can it make large coffees as well?
Yes, up to 18oz, which is what Vertuo does that the Original line cannot.
Can you use cheaper capsules?
No. Vertuo is Nespresso only, with no third-party or reusable option.
Does it need descaling?
Yes, and it has a descaling alert to tell you when.
