Lavazza Assoluta Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine review: premium on every level

I know how serious folks get about their coffee, which is obviously why Lavazza has added the Lavazza Assoluta Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine to its product portfolio. A first for the brand. Everything about this machine is premium, from the price through to the quality cups of fresh coffee it produces. There’s another upside too, because the Lavazza Assoluta offers delicious fresh coffee but it’s quick and easy to use. Not all best bean to cup coffee machines are like this.

Lavazza is dangling a carrot for coffee fans to buy this model too, by offering it for half price when a subscription to its coffee supplies is tapped into at the same time. I think this route could make a lot of sense of Lavazza devotees, with a seemingly never-ending source of fresh beans on tap to replenish the Assoluta whenever it’s needed. Granted, it’s a bit of a bulky appliance, but most bean-to-cup machines are, so you’ll know what to expect.

Before I get to giving you my thoughts on the Lavazza Assoluta, our handy guide to the best pod coffee machine is well worth a look if you’re still not convinced by bean-to-cup machines. Meanwhile, if you’ve got a little more budget to play with along with a passion for enjoying fresh coffee using freshly ground beans, the Lavazza Assoluta looks like a prime proposition…

Lavazza Assoluta review: Price and availability 

The Lavazza Assoluta Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine is available now via an exclusive subscription deal through Lavazza.co.uk. The RRP is £699 but customers get 50% off the machine when they sign up to a Lavazza coffee plan. While this approach might not appeal to everyone, it makes a lot of sense because aside from the discount it means you never run out of Lavazza’s roasted coffee beans.

Lavazza Assoluta review: Unboxing and set-up

The Lavazza Assoluta Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine is quite a hefty thing, it has to be said. It weights quite a lot and felt rather bulky as I was lifting it out of its box. Inside said box is everything needed to get started, supplemented by a chunky bag of beans for the coffee-making part of the equation. Unboxing the appliance took me a couple of minutes and there’s not a lot to getting the Assoluta ready for brewing.

That said, I think this has one of the daftest power cable ports I’ve ever seen. I can understand Lavazza designers thinking it would be smart to tuck it underneath the main body, out of sight. But, because this appliance is quite heavy, plugging in the cable is a hassle. I found the easiest way was to put it on its side, but this needs the machine to be rested on a cloth or rug to avoid scratching the exterior. Silly really.

Aside from that, the rest of the Lavazza Assoluta Bean-To-Cup Coffee Machine was good to go. A lot of the main components were already in place, including the water tank, the brewing unit and the coffee grounds container. The drip tray, with its chrome grill on top, plus a dedicated Lavazza glass coffee mug need to be positioned in place, but aside from that it was just about ready for business.

Lavazza does include a leaflet of instructions that cover the Quick Start options, plus machine setup, information on beans, a daily use guide and customisation. There is also some detail on cleaning and descaling. However, I would suggest downloading the manual via the supplied QR code as the printout I had in my box was really hard to read with light text on a brownish background.

Lavazza Assoluta review: Design and features 

I must admit, I quite like the look of the Lavazza Assoluta, even though there are slightly more exquisite examples of the bean-to-cup machine out there. This appliance almost looks like a pod coffee machine in many ways, from the design of the main body through to the minimalistic button interface that sits above the coffee dispensing spout. My example was finished in a sort of metallic copper plastic, with everything else being shiny black plastic. The only real contrast was the chrome drip tray.

Considering the sizable price tag, I’d say the Lavazza Assoluta does look like a premium machine although it’s not quite the conversation piece that I’d hoped for. In fact, I reckon friends who might be borderline coffee snobs might look at the Lavazza Assoluta and feel a little bit sniffy about it. However, the upside in all this is that the Lavazza Assoluta is big on convenience, which is not always something people associated with bean-to-cup coffee machines.

Much of the convenience factor is derived from the way the Lavazza Assoluta has been designed and operates. There’s an opening for the beans on the top, there’s a water tank at the back and some clever internal workings that do all the hard work. These bits can be accessed via removable panels on the side of the unit, which is handy for maintenance. The rest of the operational stuff is done via the control pad on the front of the appliance. It’s all rather slick, I think.

Lavazza Assoluta review: performance 

The Lavazza Assoluta was easy to set up and I was similarly impressed by how straightforward it was to use. A latte, for example, just needs milk to be poured straight into the supplied mug and the attached frother does the rest in situ. Bean-to-cup machines make great coffee but they can be more labour intensive than pod machines. The Lavazza Assoluta strikes a nice compromise between the ease of a pod machine but while still maintaining quality. I used the bag of beans supplied with the review unit, popping some into the top receptable.

After filling the water tank at the back of the main unit, I moved to the control panel to get underway, The Lavazza Assoluta boasts a well-rounded selection of coffee-making options, including espresso, lungo, lungo XL, free dose, cappuccino, cappuccino XL, latte macchiato and a frothed milk option. Above and below these core drink options are a range of lights and indicators that tell if things are going to plan, or if they’re not. I liked the simplicity of the operation.

As for the coffee, I thought the Lavazza Assoluta was impressive in its capabilities. There’s some inevitable noise when the beans get ground, and some more when the machine is brewing. Overall, though, it got the job done swiftly and without fuss. The coffee was good, but then, the beans Lavazza gave me were decent to begin with. The milk frother worked well too, which is an area that I find some machines struggle with.

Lavazza Assoluta review: Verdict

I rather liked the Lavazza Assoluta, although I’m not sure I like it enough to sign up for a subscription package. I guess for anyone who is mad keen on getting their beans from Lavazza, and using Lavazza kit to brew on, this could be a dream machine. There are some niggles that I didn’t like, especially that power cable attachment and the slightly less than premium feel of the some of the components.

Nevertheless, anyone with a regular craving for quality fresh coffee, but with the added convenience delivered by pod-style design thinking, will warm to this appliance. The supporting app will have appeal for some who like to have a bit of tech as part of their caffeine ritual, although I was quite happy using this machine without it. That discounted offer might perhaps be the deciding factor for many too.

Lavazza Assoluta review: Alternatives to consider 

Bean-to-cup coffee machines are quite plentiful, so if you're a fan of fresh brews then the likes of the De'Longhi Riveliaor the Sage Barista Touch Impressare unlikely to disappoint. Similarly, the De'Longhi Eletta Explore is a recent arrival that has had us, here at T3 Towers, salivating over the quality of its coffee production.

Elsewhere, the De’Longhi La Specialista Opera or the Dualit Espressivo Pro feature in our guide to the best bean-to-cup coffee machines and are therefore also very worthy options to consider.