L’OR Barista coffee machine review: new design for a tried and tested format

When it comes to drinking great coffee, I still think the best bean to cup coffee machines are the way to go. However, there’s more time involved in the actual coffee-making part, so the perfect alternative is picking a capsule coffee machine. The L’OR Barista coffee machine is a brand-new addition to the swelling ranks of capsule appliances and, if you’ve got an eye for style, you’ll notice it’s a little different.

This is because the L’OR Barista coffee machine, whilst being based on an already best-selling format, features a signature pleated design that follows the Italian Alessi Plissé collection theme. The look is certainly stylish, which is unsurprising as the theme was designed for Alessi by renowned architect and designer Michele De Lucchi. Aside from the cream-coloured exterior, mind, this is still very much a capsule coffee dispenser.

There’s certainly plenty of choice when it comes to rivals too, with our guide to the best pod coffee machine being a great place to start looking, as well as the best Nespresso machine. As I say, I prefer a bean to cup option for fresh coffee using freshly ground beans, though it’s a more expensive route to take. Here, then is how I’ve been getting on with the more budget-focused L’OR Barista coffee machine.

L’OR Barista coffee machine review: Price and availability 

The L’OR Barista coffee machine was initially available from John Lewis, Alessi.com and lorespresso.com for the suggested retail price of £159.99. However, shop around and it's highly likely that you’ll be able to get the coffee machine from somewhere like Amazon too and, possibly, for less money. It’s a very competitive marketplace, especially when it comes to these appliances, so discounts are frequent and common.

L’OR Barista coffee machine review: Unboxing and set-up

My appliance was supplied with a beefy box of L’OR Barista coffee capsules, although these do need to be purchased separately unless you have some compatible spares at hand, including Nespresso ones by the way. These slot into the angled opening that pops up when you lift the lever up on the top of the unit. Spent capsules then drop down into a concealed container that will need emptying from time to time.

One of the best things about portable coffee machines is their ease of set-up and limited requirement for reading the manual. This extends to the L’OR Barista coffee machine, which is almost ready to go right out of the box. Most of it is pre-assembled, with only the drip tray to slip into place under the nozzles. It is a good idea to give everything a wash first of course, save for the electrical parts of the machine.

L’OR Barista coffee machine review: Design and features 

Anyone in the market for a coffee machine that looks a little different will warm to this appliance. It’s got the styling taken from the Alessi Plissé collection, which adds a touch of sophistication to the exterior lines. My model was finished in cream-coloured plastic, which made it a decent variation on the more usual black theme that most of my other coffee makers are finished in. Dimensions are 276 high x 157 wide x 402mm deep, so it's fairly compact.

This is a very practical design too, with very little to do in the way of preparing it to make a coffee or two. The water tank is located at the back and can be slipped off its mount and filled with water or for cleaning. Alternatively, it can be topped up in situ. A row of three buttons sit along the rear of the unit, right up on top, so it’s super easy to work when it comes to bleary-eyed early mornings.

Convenience is a big pull factor when it comes to using this coffee maker. It can handle L’OR Espresso single shot capsules and L’OR Barista double shot capsules, as well as Nespresso Original units too, along with most third-party compatible capsules. That’s a handy consideration, especially if you’ve got an existing machine that might have reached its end of life but you still have some capsules to use up.

I’m not too keen on the drip tray, which sits at the front of the machine and comes as a two-part assembly, with a plastic lower and metal upper section. I found it easy to budge this and the two components can easily separate, which could mean coffee slops going everywhere on the way to emptying in the sink. A minor point, though.

L’OR Barista coffee machine review: performance 

I got supplied with a chunky box of 40 aluminium capsule coffee samples with my review unit (they’re not included). This gave me plenty of options, with Risteretto, Colombia, Ristretto decaf and Lungo Profondo to choose from. The 19bar performance was exactly as expected, mainly because this appliance is a variation on the theme used on other machines in the range.

Pop the capsule into the slot, put the handle down, press the button at the back and, pretty instantaneously, the coffee is in the cup at the front. It can produce coffee sizes between 20ml and 270ml and delivers two cups of espresso or, alternatively, a double espresso in a single cup due to the double nozzle design.

There’s very little to complain about with this model. The performance follows such a tried and tested path that it’s highly unlikely you’ll experience any issues. That said, it’s worth emptying the spent capsules sooner rather than later as if the bin fills up it can cause loading issues. This is a two-second job, however. Aside from that, the water tank is good for supplying a few shots and the capsules themselves deliver very decent coffee.

One of the downsides of needing coffee capsules to make a cup of Joe is the inevitable waste that comes with it. I guess the fact that this machine uses L’OR Barista XXL capsules, containing a double dose of coffee, could be seen as helping to reduce that, but the spent capsules are still waste. Hence my preference towards the bean-to-cup machines, which produce better coffee too.

L’OR Barista coffee machine review: Verdict

If you’re after a new or replacement capsule coffee machine and fancy something with a little more style, the L’OR Barista packs some flair on the design front. Underneath, this is very much a standard issue capsule coffee machine, that works using the same format as other models from L’OR. Nothing wrong with that, but the main appeal is the versatility and size of the capsules it can handle. For me, that’s where the real value lies.

L’OR Barista coffee machine review: Alternatives to consider 

Alternative options for capsule coffee machines are many and varied, although I think the Nespresso Vertuo Plus and Vertuo Next are decent enough. They're both particularly great if you're looking for a larger machine to suit a sizeable family.

Another great pod coffee machine model is the Smeg Lavazza A Modo Mio. It has an ample 0.9-litre water reservoir and a large capsule bin so you should be able to make about ten espressos without heading for the sink or the recycling bin. Just like this model, you just lift the hatch, pop in a Lavazza pod and tap either short or long shot. It takes only a minute to warm up but the extraction is completed in about 30 seconds.