Verdict

Pros

• Good value for a milk and pod machine
• Fresh milk foam
• One-touch drinks

Cons

• Tricky to fill water tank
• Regular cleaning needed for milk unit
• Restricted to compatible pods

What is the DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima Touch?

The latest in a line of Lattissima machines, a range that launched in 2007 and has been going strong since, the Touch is a one-stop shop for the milky coffee drinker. Like its predecessors, it’s compact, uses Nespresso pods and comes with an automatic milk foaming carafe that connects to the machine when needed and can be stored in the fridge when it’s not.

Living up to its name, making cappuccinos, latte macchiatos, espressos, ristrettos, lungos and frothy warm milk can be done with a single touch of one of the six preset buttons, while all of the drinks settings can be modified.

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DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima Touch – Design and Features

There’s something about the Lattissima Touch that’s appealingly neat. Not only has its signature curved coffee outlet been integrated into the body of the machine, the milk carafe sits on its own platform, so that it’s flush with the side. Other features, such as the used capsule container and additional drip tray, slide discretely inside, meaning its outer appearance is incredibly sleek. It also comes in choice of colours – Glam Red, Glam White or Glam Black – so it can coordinate with your kitchen.

There’s a lot about the design that’s well thought out, too. A one-metre power cable with a flex store below gives the option of siting it close by or far from a socket, while its additional sliding drip tray doubles up as a platform for espresso cups. It’s also relatively light at 4.5kg with a minimal worktop footprint and is rich in improved features – from a speedy thermoblock heat-up time of around 25 seconds and an auto switch-off to cleaning alerts for the milk carafe and descaling.

DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima Touch – What’s it like to use?

The Lattissima Touch has a few quirks that take some familiarisation. The first is the water tank. It’s wide with a slim depth and a hinged lid that doubles as a carry handle – but this also means that it’s awkward to fill from a tap, plus the lid gets in the way. We found that it’s easier to fill with a jug.

It switches on via a push button towards the back and the drinks symbols flash while it’s heating up. However, they’re sensitive and hovering over them can mean you end up pressing the wrong one. Some of the symbols also look similar to each other, so it’s a good idea to keep the instructions handy until you’re familiar with the functions.

We started by making an espresso. Dropping the pod in the slot at the top and closing the lever to hold it in place, we pulled out the additional drip tray so that the cup could be closer to the spout and selected the espresso button. The coffee was dispensed quickly and the amount suited the size of the cup.

Moving onto milky drinks, the carafe attached easily, slotting into the steam connector – which has its own door that closes when it’s not in use – and took a few more seconds to heat up. The spout of the carafe folds in for storage but needs to be angled towards the cup when making drinks – forget to do it and it’ll dispense anyway. However, making a drink only required one touch of the latte macchiato or cappuccino button for warm foamy milk, then coffee.

The carafe’s spout spurts a bit when dispensing, and also when using the cleaning cycle afterwards. After each milky drink is dispensed, the machine alerts that it needs cleaning, but fortunately there’s no need to do it each time. Cleaning requires a button to be held down while steam runs through so you can’t walk away, plus the carafe has to be disassembled and cleaned every couple of days. It’s dishwasher-safe, but washing by hand is more of a chore.

DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima Touch – How good’s the coffee?

Thanks to a maximum of 19 bar of pressure, dedicated coffee drinkers won’t be disappointed by the Lattissima Touch’s beverages. The lungos, espressos and ristrettos all have a good, strong aroma and smooth taste with plenty of depth of flavour. The froth from the machine is also excellent, with a creamy consistency and volume (turning the wheel on the carafe allows you to select how frothy you want it to be). In terms of coffee choice, there’s large variety of Grand Crus in the Nespresso range, including decaf and caramel and chocolate-flavoured pods, so while the capsules provide a standardised drink, there are multiple combinations.

Should I buy the DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima Touch?

Idiosyncrasies aside, the Lattissima Touch is a good value, feature-packed machine. It’s probably not worth investing in if you mainly drink espressos, but the carafe opens up a world of drinks that basic capsule machines don’t offer, so you’re bound to get more use out of it. Be sure to try the Nespresso pods beforehand to make sure you like the coffee.

Verdict

If you’re looking to save on your monthly café costs, the Lattissima Touch is one of the most affordable and convenient ways to do it.

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