Coffee may be king in the United States, but in much of the world, you’re far more likely to get a cup of espresso. And while Starbucks might be a worldwide force, as their lines can attest they sell plenty of lattes and espresso drinks alongside regular drip java. It makes sense- after all, you can brew up a pretty solid batch at home through any number of brewing methods. And while Keurig and other systems do a good job of serving single-cup coffee, espresso fans will turn to Nespresso capsules as the dominant single-cup solution for every other type of drink.
But your average Nespresso machine can’t foam milk, and that’s a major block to getting your cappuccino. The Delonghi Lattissima Touch combines the convenience of capsule espresso and one-touch milk foaming into a single machine. That way, you can get your caffeine without having to leave the house, and you’ll be impressed by the quality too. Your local cafe will use a several thousand dollar, enormous machine which can handle it all, but you probably want something small, cute, attractive, and less expensive for your kitchen countertop or office nook.
The Lattissima Touch, the latest generation of machines, is part of a family that includes models both more and less expensive, making this the perfect middle-ground. We’ve seen plenty of Nespresso machines in the past, and the capsules haven’t changed too much- they are consistent, offer quite a bit of variety including decaf options, and are easy to get. With a little bit of experimentation, you can turn out great shots, and build some excellent drinks from them- the machine offers simple buttons for ristretto, espresso, lungo, cappuccino, lattes, and even hot milk.
One of the best parts of the Lattissima Touch is how quiet it is- far less noisy than most other home coffee appliances. We also loved how it can easily be cleaned- it’s mostly plastic, and is dishwasher safe. Plus, it was fairly speedy- some drinks were ready in seconds, other took more than a minute. Nespresso shots are pretty similar across different manufacturers (19 bars of pressure is standard) but the milk was impressive- consistently creamy, with some lovely foam. You will need to be careful with the milk carafe, since you can’t really leave it out, but it can easily be put into the fridge when not in use. If you want to spend a little more, you can get a touchscreen, but we were happy to have a more compact unit that was just over a foot tall. It’s available now for around $499.95 online and in stores.
