Nespresso Vertuo Creatista vs Vertuo Lattissima [Comparison and Buying Guide]

Ever since the launch of Nespresso Vertuo line of espresso and coffee machines, they’ve only been available with a bundled Aeroccino milk frother for milk recipes.

Now, you can get a Nespresso Vertuo with an integrated milk frother with the introduction of Nespresso Vertuo Creatista and Nespresso Vertou Lattissima.

In this post, I will be talking about:

• What Is the difference between Nespresso Vertuo Creatista and Vertuo Lattissima
• What preset coffee drinks do you get in each model
• How to choose the right machine for you

Key Differences

These two releases from Nespresso's partners (Breville and DeLonghi) are both as excellent as all their other machines. But there are some differences to keep in mind:

Budget: Vertuo Creatista is more expensive than Vertuo Lattissima by around $200 to $300 (prices will vary). 

Milk Frother Style: Vertuo Creatista has a steam wand while Vertuo Lattissima has a built-in frother. 

Design: Vertuo Creatista is a larger and bulkier machine, while Vertuo Lattissima is more elegant and slightly more compact (in comparison to the Creatista, at least). 

How To Choose Between Vertuo Creatista and Vertuo Lattissima

Here are the questions you need to ask yourself to help you make the right decision for your own use:

Are you a frequent milk based coffee drinker?

If you mainly make black coffees and espressos, you’ll be more than happy with any other Nespresso Vertuo bundled with an Aeroccino at a fraction of the price of these two expensive machines. But if you plan on making Lattes and cappuccino frequently, you’ll absolutely love having an integrated frother or steam wand.

What milk froth texture do you prefer?

If you want creamy, light micro foam that you can use to create latte art, that can be done only with a steam wand (Vertuo Creatista).

But if you prefer a high froth, Vertuo Lattissima is your machine – you can expect the same quality of froth that comes out of a Nespresso Aeroccino, the difference is, with Vertuo Lattissima, the entire milk recipe is prepared automatically with a press of a button.

Do you mind doing some preparation tasks yourself, or do you want full automation?

Using Nespresso Vertuo Creatista, you have to prepare the coffee recipe yourself. Although the milk steaming is done automatically, you do have to add the pitcher, pour the milk, and adjust the ratio yourself.

With Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima, there are two recipe buttons. One for a cappuccino and one for a latte. All you have to do is add the pod and fill the milk jug. Press the button and the machine will do the rest.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with either of these Nespresso Vertuo models. It all comes down to your personal reference and how you want your coffee prepared.

Differences To Lookout For

Nespresso Vertuo Creatista and Vertuo Lattissima are both made for people who want to make milk based coffee drinks especially. But of course, you can also make other coffee drinks, too.

The biggest difference between these coffee machines is how they prepare milk froth. But the difference is not limited to this… so let’s get started.

Automatic Steam Wand vs Automatic Milk Frother

• Nespresso Vertuo Creatista, made by Breville, comes with a professional-style automatic steam wand.
• Nesprsso Vertuo Lattissima, made by DeLonghi, comes with an automatic integrated milk frother.

So what exactly is the difference between a steam wand and an integrated milk frother?

Nespresso Creatista Automatic Steam Wand

With Nespresso Creatista’s steam wand, you get results that are similar to a professional espresso machine. Steaming milk gives you a beautiful micro-foam that you can use to create latte art.

Traditionally, using a steam wand requires a lot of practice. But with Breville’s Vertuo Creatista, steaming is done automatically, so there’s no room for error. You also get to select from three temperature settings and three froth levels.

However, you still have to use a milk pitcher, place it under the steam wand then pour the milk yourself when it’s ready to be added to the coffee.

So while the steaming is done automatically, adding the milk to your coffee is done manually by you.

Nespresso Lattissima Automatic Milk Frother

Nespresso Lattissima’s integrated milk frother, on the other hand, does it all for you. It measures the milk ratio according to a recipe, froths, and pours it into your cup. All with a single push of a button.

However, this type of milk frother produces a denser, higher foam. It’s not comparable to a steam wand, and you can’t do latte art using milk froth from this type of frother.

A Nespresso Lattissima is a true push-button solution, it’s a perfect pick if you don’t want to do any manual work on your part.

Milk Coffee Recipe Settings

On the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista, there are no preset recipes to choose from. Instead, you have the freedom of endless milk recipes by using your choice of milk ratio to coffee and adding the milk manually to your coffee or espresso.

Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima, on the other hand, has preset recipes for Cappuccino and Latte as well as hot milk. This is possible because of Lattissima’s fully automated milk frothing function which can measure milk ratio, froth and pour in the froth automatically.

Customizable Coffee Settings

On the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista, you get two customizable settings:

• 3 Milk temperature settings
• 3 milk texture levels

Adjusting the milk texture level helps you adjust the froth density and also helps if you are using alternative milks like Almond milk or Oat milk, it will give you a better froth texture.

Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima, on the other hand, does not have any customizable settings. Milk recipes are preset. But you can always reprogram drink sizes to your liking.

Housing Materials

In true Breville style, Nespresso Vertuo Creatista has a brushed stainless steel housing. But not all parts are fully made of stainless steel, some parts are chrome plated plastic.

Stainless steel housing contributes to the machine’s upscale style and durability.

This Nespresso Vertuo model has plastic housing like most other Nespresso models. It is available in two color tones:

• Black body with a white lid.
• or Full black body and black lid.

Dimensions

Vertuo Creatista is a comparably larger Nespresso Vertuo model, when compared to previous models. It comes at 8.98” x 16.41” x 12.64” (WxDxH).

The addition to the width is understandable. This is because of the steaming function, which takes up half the width of the machine.

The Vertuo Creatista also has a huge 64 oz water reservoir, which sits at the back of the machine, adding in to its depth.

The Vertuo Lattissima model is 7.4 x 16 x 12.4 (WxDxH). It is slightly smaller in size than the Vertuo Creatista, but it still requires some countertop space.

This model’s water tank is also located at the back of the machine.

Similarities You’ll Find in Both Models

These two Nespresso Vertuo models have more features in common than you think. At their core, they are the same, so you should expect a lot of similarities.

Coffee Serving Sizes

Both Nespresso Vertuo Creatista and Vertuo Lattissima offer these serving sizes:

• Espresso 1.35 oz
• Double Espresso 2.7 oz
• Gran Lungo 5 oz
• Coffee 7.7 oz
• XL Coffee 12 oz
• Carafe 18 oz

As you can see, you get access to the new and exclusive serving sizes that Nespresso is only allowing on their latest Vertuo machines.

Related: Nespresso 12 oz pods

Pod Compatibility

Being part of the Nespresso Vertuo family, Vertuo Creatista and Vertuo Lattissima are compatible with Nespresso Vertuo pods only.

Nespresso Vertuo pods are available exclusively from Nespresso stores (online or in-store) only. With the exception of Starbucks Vertuo Pods by Nespresso, which you can find in supermarkets and grocery stores.

Related Posts:

• What Is Nespresso Gran Lungo
• What Is Nespresso Pour Over Style

Brewing Technology

All Nespresso Vertuo machines share the same brewing technology that is patented to Nespresso. It is called CentriFusion, and it works a little differently than your average espresso and coffee machines.

While other pod coffee machines use the force of water through the pod to extract coffee, Nespresso Centrifusion technology works by rapidly spinning the coffee pod as it forces water through it to extract the coffee brew. Adding that spinning action ensures that the coffee grounds are fully saturated to extract maximum flavor.

Automatic Pod Recognition

Another common feature in all Nespresso Vertuo machines is automatic pod recognition.

Each coffee serving size has its own Nespresso Vertuo pod with a special barcode around its rim. As soon as you insert the pod and hit the brew button, the machine’s barcode reader will start to scan the code and adjust the serving size accordingly.

This is why Nespresso Vertuo machines don’t have serving-size buttons, but only a single brew button.

Bluetooth Connectivity

Nespresso Vertuo Creatista and Vertuo Lattissima are Bluetooth-connected. This means you can connect them to your smart device and through the Nespresso app.

This connectivity feature is useful for several things:

• Troubleshoot machine errors.
• View coffee recipes.
• Receive periodic software updates to your machine

Which One Is the Better Pick?

Both Nespresso models can deliver the same quality of coffee. After all, at their core, they are the same coffee machine and use the same pod.

But as I said earlier in this post, it’s a matter of how you like your milk based coffee drinks:

A steam want like Vertuo Creatista‘s delivers a creamier and more deliciate froth. And even though you have the option of increasing the level of froth, it won’t be as froth as Vertuo Lattissima‘s milk system.

Budget wise, Vertuo Lattissima is the better pick and it’s priced in line with Nespresso Original Lattissima machines. Vertuo Creatista seems to be very expensive for what it does, and I would personally go for the Breville Creatista Original instead: you get the same results and expand pod usability for less the price. [Read more about Breville Creatista]

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Dee

Addicted to all things coffee. I keep up with espresso and coffee makers to bring all my knowledge to this blog.

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