The Nespresso by De’Longhi Gran Lattissima EN640.W is a premium pod coffee machine aimed at people who love barista-style drinks but don’t want the faff of a traditional espresso set-up. It combines Nespresso’s capsule system with De’Longhi’s dedicated milk unit for quick cappuccinos, lattes and more at the touch of a button.
With 9 automatic drink programmes, integrated milk frother and a rapid 25‑second heat-up, it’s clearly designed for busy households that still want café-style coffee on weekday mornings. The 19‑bar pump and 1400 W heating system promise consistently strong shots.
A user rating of 4.6 out of 5 from a very high number of reviews suggests owners are broadly delighted with the ease of use and drink quality, even if you are paying a premium compared with basic pod machines.
The Gran Lattissima EN640.W is ideal for anyone who wants proper milky coffees without learning how to steam milk by hand. If you live on cappuccinos, lattes or flat whites, the dedicated milk container and one-touch recipes will suit you far better than a standard espresso-only pod machine.
It’s a strong fit for small to medium households, where one or two people drink coffee daily. The 1‑litre water tank and single-cup design aren’t built for serving a crowd, but they’re perfectly adequate for regular home use.
In terms of budget, this sits in the premium end of Nespresso pod machines rather than as a bargain option. You’re paying extra for the integrated milk system, fast heat-up and generous selection of automatic drinks, so it makes most sense if you’ll actually use the milky options regularly.
It’s also a great choice for beginners or those upgrading from a basic pod machine. Touch controls, self-cleaning functions and dishwasher-safe parts mean you don’t need barista skills or lots of patience to get very good results.
The built-in Rapid Cappuccino System is the star here. It takes the guesswork out of milk frothing, so you get hot, velvety milk for cappuccinos and lattes with a single touch instead of juggling a separate frother.
With 19‑bar pressure and 1400 W of power, the machine extracts pods properly and heats up in just 25 seconds. That means you can go from bleary-eyed to holding a drink in under a minute, which is ideal on workday mornings.
Nine pre-programmed drinks, including espresso, lungo, flat white, latte macchiato and hot milk, make it simple to pick your favourite without tinkering endlessly with settings. It feels very much like a press-and-go coffee bar.
Ease of cleaning is another big plus. The milk container and other removable components are dishwasher-safe, and there’s a self-clean function to rinse out the system, which helps keep milk residue and odours under control.
Finally, the compact footprint (around 20 cm wide) and clean white finish make it a stylish, space-efficient option for modern kitchens where a full bean-to-cup machine would be overkill.
The premium price will be a sticking point if you only drink the occasional espresso. You’re paying for the milk system and automation, so if you mainly make black coffee, a simpler Nespresso machine would offer better value.
The 1‑litre water tank is fine for one or two daily coffee drinkers, but heavy users will find themselves refilling quite often, especially when making larger milk-based drinks.
There’s no height-adjustable spout, which can make it tricky to fit taller glasses under the coffee outlet without angling them or removing the drip tray.
The warranty is only 1 year, which feels a bit short for a premium-price small appliance. You may want to consider additional cover if you plan to use it heavily.
Finally, like all Nespresso machines, you are locked into using compatible capsules, so ongoing pod costs and recycling will need to be factored into your decision.
Day to day, the Gran Lattissima is very straightforward to live with. The touch controls are clearly labelled, so selecting a drink quickly becomes second nature. There’s no fiddling with grind settings or tamping – you simply insert a capsule, attach the milk container if needed and press the relevant drink icon.
The 25‑second heat-up means there’s very little waiting around. For most people, the time it takes to grab a mug and a pod is about all the warm-up time the machine needs. The 19‑bar pressure gives a satisfying crema on espressos and lungos, so pod coffee feels closer to a café shot.
The integrated milk container clips on and off easily. After making milk-based drinks, you can trigger the self-clean function to flush the milk circuit, then either store the container in the fridge or pop removable parts in the dishwasher. That’s a big improvement over faffing with manual steam wands and jugs.
The compact dimensions mean it doesn’t dominate the worktop, though the height (around 36.7 cm) is worth checking if you have very low wall cupboards. Noise is typical of Nespresso pump machines – there’s a short burst when brewing, but it’s over quickly and unlikely to disturb the household for long.
Routine care mainly consists of emptying the drip tray and used capsule container, topping up the 1‑litre water tank, and descaling when necessary. With the self-clean and dishwasher-safe parts, it’s a low-effort machine to keep in good condition.
At the heart of the Gran Lattissima is a 19‑bar pump and 1400 W heating system. This is more than enough pressure and power for Nespresso capsules, producing strong, aromatic espressos with a dense crema. The fast heat-up is especially handy in the morning or when making back-to-back drinks.
The drink selection is a real highlight. With 9 automatic programmes covering ristretto, espresso, lungo, cappuccino, flat white, latte, latte macchiato, regular coffee and hot milk, there’s a button for most popular café drinks. One-touch cappuccino and flat white options remove guesswork, making it ideal if you’re not confident with manual milk frothing.
De’Longhi’s Rapid Cappuccino System handles milk heating and frothing automatically. By drawing milk from the included container, it delivers hot, foamy milk directly into your cup, matching the chosen drink type. This setup is far less intimidating than a steam spout and gives more consistent results for non-experts.
Practical features are well covered. There’s auto power-off to save energy, self-cleaning functions to rinse internal parts, and a removable drip tray and milk container with dishwasher-safe components for easy maintenance. Indicator lights help you know when attention is needed, such as refilling the water tank or cleaning.
With Nespresso compatibility, you have access to a wide range of capsule blends and intensities, including decaf options. While you can’t tweak grind or dose like on a bean-to-cup machine, the combination of capsule variety, high pump pressure and one-touch programming gives a very reliable, repeatable coffee experience for everyday use.
This is clearly positioned as a premium Nespresso machine rather than an entry-level model, and the price reflects that. If you compare it with simpler pod-only machines, it will look expensive, but you’re gaining a fully integrated milk system and a wide range of automatic drink recipes.
The feature set – 19‑bar pump, 9 programmes, rapid heat-up, self-cleaning and dishwasher-safe parts – goes beyond what you typically get on cheaper capsule machines. For households that make milky coffees daily, the time saved and consistency delivered by the Rapid Cappuccino System can justify the higher upfront cost.
Running costs will include Nespresso capsules and occasional descaling, which is standard for this type of machine. There’s no requirement for special cleaning tablets beyond typical maintenance.
Given the strong 4.6/5 user rating from a large number of reviews, it appears owners generally feel they’ve got what they paid for. If you’re a regular coffee drinker who values convenience and milky drinks in particular, the Gran Lattissima offers good value within the premium pod segment. If you mainly drink americanos or espresso, a cheaper model without the milk system may be a smarter spend.
The Nespresso by De’Longhi Gran Lattissima EN640.W is a polished, premium pod machine that shines when it comes to milky coffees. Its one-touch drinks, rapid heat-up and integrated milk system take almost all of the effort out of making cappuccinos, lattes and flat whites at home.
It’s not the cheapest option and the 1‑litre water tank and single-cup design are best suited to smaller households rather than big families or heavy entertainers. The 1‑year warranty is also on the modest side for the price.
If you want bean-to-cup flavour with absolute control, this won’t replace a full manual or automatic espresso machine. But if you’re a busy coffee lover who wants consistently good, café-style drinks with minimal fuss, this machine is a very strong contender and justifies its premium positioning for the right buyer.
