Are you looking for the perfect espresso machine to adorn your kitchen counter? To brew you some good stuff and charge you for the day? Then you have indeed come across the two brands – De’Longhi and Breville.
While the Nespresso De’Longhi vs. Breville debate is often grounded in personal preferences, here we bring to you a research-based analysis of the two and an overview of how they compare and which one fits your needs the best.
Nespresso De’longhi vs. Breville: Understanding the Difference
First, Nespresso is a propriety coffee making system designed and owned by the Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation, Nestle.
What is Nespresso?
Nespresso machines use coffee capsules or pods to brew coffee and espresso. Coffee pods contain a fixed amount of grounded coffee beans, made for one-time use for a single cup.
These are pierced in the Nespresso machine, and heated water is coursed through them at pressure. This way, water is heated for only one cup and flushed through a coffee capsule to acquire flavor and make a shot of espresso.
For production, Nestle relies on its manufacturing partners, which vary across regions.
For North America, primarily two companies manufacture Nespresso – De’longhi and Breville. Before moving on to the espresso machine models produced by each of these, let us first examine how these companies came to be.
What is Breville?
Breville, founded by Bill O’Brien and Henry Norville in Sydney, Australia, in 1932, grew in popularity throughout the 20th century after its inception. It especially gained attention and more significant sales with the introduction of the toaster in 1974. It has now become a pronounced brand in the coffee industry.
Its presence in over 40 countries, including the US, Canada, China, Israel, and Brazil, and its production of the popular Nespresso machines have made it a key name among small appliance manufacturers.
What is De’longhi?
De’longhi was created in 1902 in Italy by the De’Longhi family as a minor industrial equipment manufacturing unit. It became a corporation in 1950. It eventually expanded to the production of heating appliances and air conditioners. It gradually became involved in manufacturing a range of home appliances, from gelato makers to coffee machines.
Mostly recognized for its Artista Series espresso machine models, the De’longhi brand stands out because of its commendably distinctive designs.
Is there a difference?
The question we often here is if there is a difference between the Breville and De’longhi Nespresso machines? The answer is, although both brands have licensed the same technology from Nestle, they combine it with different combinations of features and designs. This feature makes their products differently-suited to various users.
The process of how a Nespresso works remain the same regardless of which brand manufactures the machine. It means the coffee produced by a Breville machine and a De’longhi machine is precisely the same.
The internal apparatus of these machines is also identical, right down to the water tanks. The only difference, therefore, lies in cosmetics and designing, other than any additional features.
When it comes to aesthetics, some find the Breville machines’ artistic style more palatable, while others prefer the sleek, straightforward design of the De’longhi machines. From the convenience point of view, Breville machines come with button interfaces, making them more user-friendly for some.
Further in the article, we look at the different Nespresso models produced by the two brands and compare them. We also examine the models they manufacture that are not found in the other’s line.
Nespresso De’longhi vs Breville: Models Comparison
Here we compare the Nespresso models manufactured by Breville and De’longhi to see which fits your needs the best. Read on to find out which of the two offers more suitable features and performance.
Nespresso VertuoPlus
This model of the Nespresso machines can brew five types of coffee, namely, Gran lungo, Alto, coffee, espresso, and a double espresso. The VertuoPlus machine works well with Nespresso’s latest technology and coffee capsules.
The machines produced by the two brands are compatible with both sizes of coffee pods. If you are someone who prefers their coffee cup a bit on the larger side, this Nespresso machine was made just for you. It was specially designed to cater to North America’s market, where people like their coffee in more generous servings.
A feature that makes it the perfect brewing device for rushed weekday mornings is its rapid heat up under half a minute. It has been thoughtfully programmed to turn off on its own after a short period of not being in use, usually about 9 minutes.
Similarities and Differences
The basic design of the Breville and De’longhi Nespresso VertuoPlus is essentially the same. They are both cylindrical and tall, with a transparent water tank beside the body of the machine.
They resemble each other in the design and layout of their drip tray and the spout as well. One thing that does look different is the shape of the top of the machine. While the De’longhi VertuoPlus comes with a flat top, the Breville variant sports a rounded one.
Another slight variation is the difference in the water tank size. Breville’s water tank has a capacity of 60 oz, while the De’longhi tank can hold 54 oz.
As for add-ons, both brands offer an Aeroccino milk frother to go with the Nespresso to widen the range of coffees you can make with the VertuoPlus. With the milk frother, you can also make lattes and cappuccinos.
The machines employ the technique of centrifugation to brew premium coffee. This technology, together with the Vertuo pods designed to keep the flavor fresh, makes it incredibly easy to make barista-style coffee at home.
What’s more, you get as many as 12 variously-flavored coffee pods complementary on the purchase of these machines. Since both the devices can brew up to 26 recipes of coffee, you can have fun experimenting with the capsules that come with these.
Nespresso Citiz
With an elegant, sleek look, the Nespresso Citiz is one of the line’s compact machines. Made to easily fit into a small kitchen or a corner of the tabletop, it also comes in various color choices – white, red, black, and chrome. This variety allows you to choose one that goes with the theme and decor of your home.
The ease of operation is unparalleled. After fitting in the coffee pod, all you need to do is push one of the two buttons to select your coffee preference and sit back as the Nespresso Citiz does its job. What’s better is it does this job fast, heating the water in under 25 seconds.
You also don’t need to watch the machine as it fills the cup. It automatically stops pouring once the preset amount is dispensed. Its water tank capacity is as large as 1 liter, which allows you to fill in more cups of coffee before it’s time to refill the tank. This feature is corresponded to a higher spout level to make it possible to fill a larger cup at once.
To add to its convenience quotient, it has a large capsule capacity of 10 pods, which means you don’t necessarily need to clean the machine after every use. To make them easy to clean, they also come with a removable drip tray.
Another incredible perk is the complimentary capsule bunch of 16 coffee pods of different flavors, letting you sample all of them before you decide which one you want to spend your money on.
Similarities and Differences
This espresso machine model by both brands offers two coffee options, namely, lungo and espresso.
Its high-performance pump of 19 bars allows the machine to reach the level of pressure needed to imbibe the essence from the coffee pod properly. This design makes your shot of espresso with a rich bed of crema on top genuinely enticing.
Much like the previous model, the Citiz also looks similar in both versions. The Breville and De’longhi variants look nearly alike in their appearance, with a minor exception of the spout, which is a little higher in the latter model.
Nespresso Essenza
This model is included in the OriginalLine, and like the Citiz, offers two types of coffee, namely, lungo and espresso. Even with a water tank capacity of over 20 oz, it holds the place of the most compact Nespresso machine amongst all.
One of the smallest espresso machine models in the market, at a base of about 4″ by 8″ and a height of about 13″, can fit into any little nook in your kitchen, taking up next to no space. Its compact design is even a reason it won the Red Style Award in 2017.
Although it comes with a preset amount, it allows you to modify the setting and set your preferred drink volume before operating it.
Like the other Nespresso models we examined, the Essenza also takes less than a minute to heat the water. It is also energy efficient as it lowers power consumption after three minutes of not being used and turns off at the ninth minute.
Similarities and Differences
When we compare the Nespresso Essenza manufactured by Breville and De’longhi, it is clear this model has the most difference in design and appearance than the others we looked at.
The De’longhi version is somewhat boxlike and straightforward in design with two colors, pure white and classic black. On the other hand, the Breville variant is more rounded and curved in its look and comes in two catchy, off-beat colors, red and lime.
Apart from these cosmetic variations, the two brands’ products are precisely functioning and output and even come with 16 sample coffee pods.
Nespresso Lattissima machines by De’Longhi
The Nespresso Lattissima is an espresso machine exclusively manufactured by De’longhi. It comes in a compact, space-efficient size that doesn’t crowd your kitchen counter.
It takes under 30 seconds to achieve the ideal temperature and only another 17 seconds to dispense the freshly-made coffee. It pours it out hot and strong, with a thick layer of crema on top, making it all the more delicious.
You will find the coffee’s taste thus made to be rich, intense, and evolved with a balance of sweetness and woody bitterness, which leaves a subtle, pleasant flavor on your tongue. The milk frother that comes with it has clear indicators of a quantity, which allows you to pour out exactly the amount you need, preventing dilution from extra froth or wastage.
Another thoughtful inclusion is a strip for testing the water hardness of your home water supply. The results of this test are fed into the system. This unique feature allows the machine to take this factor into account and impacts how often it needs to be descaled.
What is also added to the package is a combination of 14 differently-flavored coffee capsules.
Ease of Operation
You can operate the espresso coffee machine easily using the touch screen interface on top of it. It offers various combinations of drinks. Three are only coffee, namely, espresso, lungo, and ristretto; two come with milk, namely latte, and cappuccino, and one is exclusively for warm milk, ideal for hot chocolate. There is also an option for only hot water, which you can use for tea.
You will find other controls on the top panel as well alongside a display that pops up helpful reminders, such as to return the milk carton to the fridge other than indicating when the water is heated up.
It comes with pre-programmed default settings but allows the user to customize them. You are free to adjust the quantity of all liquid ingredients that are added.
Nespresso Creatista machines by Breville
The Nespresso Creatista, exclusively manufactured by Breville, is moderately sized with a base of 6.7″ by 16″ and a height of a little more than 12″. With a 19 bar high-performance pump pressure and a large removable water tank of 50 oz, it has a sense of completeness.
Made of stainless steel, it comes in a sleek, attractive design in three different color options, namely, sea salt (white), smoked hickory (grey), as well as black truffle (black).
To make it energy efficient, it has been incorporated with an automatic turn-off setting that works after 9 minutes of non-use. So no worries about forgetting to switch it off amidst the rush of your hectic weekday mornings.
Together with an inbuilt 12 pod capacity, it meets all your brewing needs with ease. It also comes with a sample pack of Nespresso Capsule. What’s more, it is protected with a two-year warranty.
Ease of Operation
It offers an impressive array of brewing options, including the choice of 3 different cup sizes, 11 milk temperatures, and eight texture levels. Using these, you can make a lungo, espresso, ristretto, caffe latte, latte macchiato, cappuccino, and lots more with the simplest of programming changes.
It takes a remarkably less time of just 3 seconds to heat up, owing to the ThermoJet element used for heating. This heating speed puts it at the top of the list if your choice is guided by concerns about your fast-paced morning needs.
Is Nespresso Made By De’longhi or Breville?
Thus, the answer to this question is simply that both make it. However, the technology isn’t owned by either. The technical blueprint has been licensed by Nestle, the original designer, and owner of Nespresso.
Both Breville and De’longhi do the manufacturing of various models of Nespresso machines. Since the method and apparatus they use are the same, you don’t need to worry about any differences in the quality or type of coffee they produce.
Thus, the only tie-breaker becomes the designing of the machines and the other selling points the brands can add to their respective products.
Nespresso De’Longhi vs Breville – Wrap Up
We hope this in-depth analysis of the various Nespresso machines offered by both Breville and De’longhi helped you gain clarity about the complex range of similar models.
While the internal functioning and technology are entirely the same for both brands, the difference in design, size, and additional features serves as a tie-breaker.
The choice between is two ultimately needs to be navigated, keeping in mind your personal needs and preferences regarding coffee. Now that you are all aware of the differences between the two, it’ll be easier to make a decision.
You must consider your likings and requirements when you opt to buy any coffee maker. Hopefully, you coffeeaficionados had fun exploring both of these stunning brands with us!