The world of automatic brewing systems has reached a near science fiction level of technology and capability. If you’re looking into something a little bit far removed from the mundane aspects of the Keurig then the Nespresso coffee makers should be the perfect match to your expectations.
Now you’ve got to understand that this leads us to a very complex subject matter in of itself.
The Nespresso automatic brewers are impressive feats of engineering that are responsible for creating a varied array of coffee creations. So finding the one for you depends on a variety of factors.
Today, we’re comparing two of the most impressive automatic brewers that feature the Nespresso pods, the Nespresso CitiZ and the Latissima Plus, so strap in.
The Nespresso CitiZ
One won’t find the CitiZ to be a tremendously complex brewer from a user interface standpoint. It’s one that features fewer moving parts with a drop-and-done loading system. This is of course equipped with the famous Nespresso brewing system, which features a super quick 25-second heating time and 30-second brew time, giving you the beverage you need in around 1 minute.
That’s hard to compete with.
There’s a larger reservoir that doesn’t feature a warning light, it will be one that you’ll end up re-filling less and less as time goes on. The ease of cleaning this thing is also a standout feature. Rinsing and descaling are all you must concern yourself with. It’s easy enough to clean the reservoir with a pull of water just by activating the brewing process with no capsule inserted.
The CitiZ is one of Nespresso’s top-of-the-line OriginalLine machine, standing above the other models because it’s the only one with both of these features:
- 34 water reservoir
- Built-in Aeroccino Frother
Combine that with the ease of cleaning and you’ve got the cornerstone of automatic brewing.
The Nespresso CitiZ features an energy saving auto-off mode which powers the machine down after 9 minutes of inactivity, to satisfy your concerns about power usage. It’s further customizable when you select either 9 or 30 minutes by pressing and holding the espresso brew button for 3 seconds while the machine is off and pressing it once more for 9 minutes and twice more for 30 minutes. When you’re done, press and hold the lungo button to lock in your setting, and it’s done. Simple as that.
You don’t need to wait the full 9 or 30 minutes, though. Press both the espresso and lungo buttons at the same time to power the machine off on command.
Performance-wise, the only serious complaint about this machine is how noisy it can be. One could expect with an espresso machine or professional-style coffee grinder. So you’re likely not going to worry much about this aspect of the brewing unless you’re making coffee early in the morning, and fear waking up your roommates or family of sleepers.
This is hindered slightly if the brewer isn’t positioned in a corner, or anywhere that the acoustics aren’t being amplified.
Though the CitiZ is one of the larger brewers in the line of Nespresso machines, if you enjoy the design, and appreciate the convenience of a large reservoir as an added advantage, then you’ll find the espresso to be completely worth the counter space. There is a small version like the Pixie, which we’ve compared up against the CitiZ here as well, but the true question remains about how it’s espresso product delivers compared to the Lattissima Plus.
Let’s dive into that brewer next…or you can see the comparison of it to all of the best Nespresso machines sold today here.
The Lattissima Plus
If you’re concerned with making delicious espresso drinks immediately with the Lattissima Plus. You can easily prepare latte or cappuccino with the patented “Single Touch” system, which includes the milk portion of the beverage too. This is a great, and unique feature, but we will cover that later.
We can all agree that there’s nothing like a fresh espresso beverage made from scratch, but what about the time it takes to prepare that, not to mention the equipment. So the Lattissima Plus eliminates the mess and tedious measurements with Nespresso’s easy-to-use patented coffee capsule system. Simply load the capsule into the machine and push the button. The machine automatically ejects the capsules after brewing is complete. The convenient illuminated control panel buttons allow you to choose your favorite drink with ease, with 3 milk and 2 coffee selections.
As we focused on the benefits of size when discussing the CitiZ, it’s a must to mention that the Lattissima has a rather large water tank as well. On a similar note, the Lattissima also has a relatively large used capsule container. This is an added benefit because one will not have to empty the spent capsule grounds as often compared to a CitiZ.
Making high-quality coffee doesn’t get much simpler than with a Nespresso Lattissima. Its approach to black coffee is much like any other pod-based system – you put the pod in the top slot and you’re good to go – but the milk dispenser makes producing milky drinks far simpler than normal. It heats up and froths the milk too, automatically dripping it into your cup at the right point.
The milk module can easily be removed, letting you store it in the fridge overnight to avoid it turning into cheese. Official Nespresso blends are of high quality, and a few third-party companies make their own compatible blends too.
As all the grounds stay within the pod, there’s very little upkeep needed – and the pods end up in a bin within the machine.
The patented Single Touch system easily prepares latte or cappuccino. Simply side the milk tank onto front of the machine and press a button. No more mess or measuring with Nespresso’s easy to use patented coffee capsule system. Simply load the capsule into the machine and push the button. The machine automatically ejects the capsules after brewing is complete.
Convenient illuminated control panel buttons let you choose your favorite drink with ease, in the dark or in the sunrise of the morning.
The Lattissima is the only fully integrated, automatic, milk–based coffee machine. Further, the integrated milk frothing solution is better than the Aerocinno because of the reduced cleanup times, and higher customisability to the frothiness of the milk.
For those that are crazy about their milk-based coffee drink, but don’t care for the hassle of a large machine, the Lattissima has a small footprint, despite its large water tank. It can even dispense hot milk on the fly.
Nespresso Machines for Speciality Coffee?
If you’re not interested in the latte and the latter don’t fret, as the Lattissima is more than capable of producing a piping hot cup of coffee sans froth. For those that are trying to decide whether to go for a Nespresso machine or an espresso machine, see Nespresso Vs Espresso.
In the past, many coffee critics thought of Nespresso machines purely as mainstream commodity coffee machines for the masses, however, they’re really come a long way since their inception and proved that the drinks they create, though maybe not true espresso, are of a serious quality. Thanks to compatible capsules being offered by an increasing number of sources including free-trade and organic coffee, Nespresso machines are another great and convenient coffee brewing method for specialty coffee enthusiasts and at competitive prices.
The Lattissima Plus is made from patented Nespresso and DeLonghi technology, which are reliable names in espresso and cappuccino brewing world. The brewer also comes with a single-touch milk system, which gives you an automatic creation of milk based drinks with ease. The whole layout of the machine makes it ergonomic and easy to clean. The collaboration of these two giants of coffee technology makes sure that it is tried and true.
What’s The Difference Between the Lattissima Plus and Pro?
If you’re leaning towards the Lattissima models then there are two options for you to consider.
Nespresso Lattissima machines are typically designed with milk-based coffee in mind, hence the addition of the milk tank. However, it is obviously not all that they can do. Regular non-milk coffee is also possible, and the pre-set drink menu on the Lattissima Pro contains six options:
- Espresso
- Lungo
- Ristretto
- Hot
- Milk
- Cafe Latte
- Cappuccino
There are five as opposed to six options on the Lattissima Plus model. The Pro version also has both an auto-clean feature and a milk frother, for enthusiasts who prefer to prepare their own milk-based drinks.
Finally, note that the Lattissima Pro has a much larger water and milk tank capacity. In the Pro, it’s 44oz and 17oz water and milk respectively. In the Plus it’s 30oz and 8oz respectively. The capsule capacity of the Lattissima Pro is 16 capsules and in the Lattissima Plus its 12 capsules.
Between the Lattissima pro and the plus model, there is another decision to make.
This depends entirely upon your preferences. For milk based coffee or a variety of drinks that includes milk based coffee, the Nespresso Lattissima range is an excellent choice in general. The Pro version is better in general, having nicer looking aesthetics, touch screen, milk frother, larger capacity and an auto-cleaning button. If these features are important to you, we would suggest that the Lattissima Pro is the better choice.
Tips for Making The Most of Your Nespresso
Just a very quick tip on brewing the best coffee possible with a Nespresso machine. Most machines boast very fast heat up times, from as little as three seconds with the Sage Creatista plus, and most other machines with 25 seconds warm-up time. Many experts will say, however, that the ideal temperature of the brew produced isn’t up to par. Now we’ve not taken the thermometer into the field and recorded stats, but much like the automatic brewers’ cousin, the Keurig there’s a workaround for this kind of issue.
Let the brewer warm up and then run the cycle, with no capsule inserted. This will leave you with a cup of warm water, and you might see that this is the temperature of your normal brew. now that the machine has warmed up, run a second cycle with the desired capsule inserted in the machine. This second brew should have plenty of heat to it.
It’s worth noting that the brewer is dispensing a lungo shot worth of water, thus cleaning the head and warming the cup, while climbing in temperature just slightly to the perfect temp. It’s important to maintain the hygiene of an automatic brewer, but I would also think that the Nespresso machines are a bit more complex than your average brewer.
For those who are looking for something in the Nespresso range, this Lattissima Plus would offer many of the features available in this technology.
What Kinds Of Nespresso Machines Are There?
Home coffee machines have become increasingly popular and while Keurig seemed to have made a big splash, the Nespresso was always there waiting to take the crown of the top automatic brewers. We’ve also reviewed the Keurig against the Nespresso here. As these brewers have gone under years of critical scrutiny, it’s wise for us to understand the differences between them all and what makes them stand apart from each other.
Let’s break down the three brands that are sometimes used interchangeably and aid to the confusion in the consumer’s mind:
Nespresso, Lattissima, and DeLonghi.
Starting with the name we all know by now, Nespresso is, to put it simply, the brand name of a coffee machine. Other brands are available but Nespresso is one of the largest in the world. Hopefully, the confusion is subsiding.
Lattissima, on the other hand, refers to, like CitiZ, a specific range of Nespresso machines and represents a product line under the Nespresso brand. Typically, Lattissima machines refer to Nespresso machines designed for milk-based espresso coffee. They almost always have a milk tank clearly visible in the front of the machine for ease of cleaning. There are other Nespresso machines also have room to make milk based coffee, sometimes with the addition of an Aeroccino add-on. However, the Lattissima range makes it well known that these are brewers focused on making your favorite selection of coffee and milk-based drinks.
DeLonghi is a company that simply manufactures Nespresso coffee machines. This is very similar to when you see a Nespresso machine manufactured or designed by Krups or Magimix, two other brands that also manufacture certain Nespresso machines. DeLonghi makes a particularly large range of Nespresso’s Lattissima range in both North America and Europe, and are generally well-received among the family of Nespresso coffee makers.
You’re not likely to beat authentic barista-quality espresso with a single serve pod machine but in the universe of capsule-constrained coffee makers Nespresso’s OriginalLine models. You actually get a rich, near-authentic crema, which isn’t reported to be as foamy as Nespresso’s VertuoLine machines, and many report being very pleased with the frother’s performance.
Maybe you’re one step closer to purchasing an automatic coffee machine. If so then we hope this guide has helped. If not, then perhaps it’s time to review the myriad of coffee maker reviews we host. Happy hunting!