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Nespresso has been around for over 30 years but it is only in the last 10 years that it has taken the world by storm and is the preferred choice of millions of people worldwide.
They are second only to Delonghi in terms of worldwide coffee machine sales and are extremely popular for a very good reason, their coffee machines provide ultra convenience and the coffee tastes great.
At any one time there are approximately 17 different Nespresso machines to choose from so how do you know which one to go for and what the difference is between all of them?
That’s what we are here for. A little secret that Nespresso does not make you aware of unless you ask them because they are in the business of making money is this:
All Nespresso machines no matter how cheap or how expensive produce exactly the same cup of coffee. They all have a 19 bar pump, they all take the same pods (original or virtuo) and the coffee extraction process is the same for each of the pod types.
You can pay below one hundred for a Nespresso machine or over four hundred if you want to. So if they all produce the same coffee why would you go for anything other than the cheapest version?
The answer is – add on’s and features. The more expensive ones can froth your milk automatically barista style like the Nespresso Creatista Plus and others will even add the milk for you automatically like the Nespresso Lattissima Touch.
This review is for Nespresso’s basic entry-level Essenza coffee machine. When it comes to the Nespresso experience, it does not get any cheaper than this.
You have full access to the same coffee as someone that chooses one of their top of the range machines so let’s try and help you understand if you should be going for their budget coffee machine or whether you should consider one of the more expensive ones.
We have reviewed all of the best Nespresso coffee machines so you can browse them at your leisure.
Let’s take a look at the Essenza
Overall Score 9.8/10
Design 10/10
Without a doubt, the most striking thing about this coffee machine is its size.
When you look at it the first thing you will think is – is that it??
There is literally nothing to this coffee machine. It is sooo slim and soooo small that you will think that it cannot possibly produce a decent cup of coffee
It is difficult to actually comment on this from a design perspective because there is not much design going on.
Available in a range of different colours, this particular review is for the black version which is black all over with Nespresso resisting adding some kind of chrome band somewhere to try and make it look a bit funkier.
We actually quite like the pure simplicity and it almost goes unnoticed wherever you choose to place it.
I have actually had one of these sat on my bedside table for the last 12 months so that I can grab my first coffee as soon as I come out of the shower and before I even leave the bedroom. I normally have a book beside it and to give you an idea of how small it really is, it’s about as wide as a 500 page hardback!
At just 8.4cm wide, 20.4cm deep and 33.0cm tall it’s the smallest and most compact coffee machine that we have come across.
Functionality 9/10
This is no-frills coffee at its best.
Two buttons give you everything that you want.
They both sit on top of the machine. To turn the machine on just press any button. Both buttons will flash for around 25 seconds and when the flashing stops you are good to go.
Firstly, make sure you have water in the water tank at the back and then lift the lid and pop in a pod.
One of the buttons is for Espresso (short coffee) and the other is for Lungo (long coffee).
Don’t choose the Lungo button if you have inserted an espresso pod and vice versa. You will impair the quality of coffee if you do so.
Nespresso understands the right amount of water to push through each capsule for the optimum flavour and that is 40ml for espresso and 110ml for Lungo.
Press the appropriate button and after about 20 seconds your coffee will be ready for you to drink. No manual intervention required.
That really is Nespresso in a nutshell. From turning on to coffee in a cup in less than 1 minute with no mess and no hassle. How’s that for convenience?
You don’t even need to worry about turning it off as it will do that on its own as well after 9 minutes.
Pretty much the only two things you have to do is keep enough water in the water tank and empty the used capsule container that holds up to around 11 used coffee pods.
Ease of use 10/10
This can only really be a 10 out of 10. No other coffee machine makes it easier. Coffee in a cup in one minute with no mess.
Quality of coffee 9/10
This where Nespresso come into their own as a coffee machine is only as good as the coffee you use.
Nespresso is well aware of that and source their coffee from all over the world to ensure that you get very best available for the money.
You know that Nespresso holds their coffee in the highest regard because they call it “grand cru”, giving it the same generic name as the finest wine.
A choice of 25 different types across all strengths and differing palettes ensures that there really is something for everyone.
I have owned a Nespresso machine for many years and never get tired of the high-quality coffee that they provide
Value For Money 10/10
If you have never owned a Nespresso machine before then this is the ideal way to start. It won’t cost you an arm and a leg and you get to try out all of the same coffee as someone that has paid five times this price.
It will also work well as a second machine, say the bedroom for example.
Remember, when you buy a Nespresso coffee machine you do pay more for the capsules than for say ground coffee for a filter coffee machine but there is a strong argument that the ease of use, convenience and hassle free coffee more than make up for that.
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Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
