10 Tips For Getting The Most Value From Nespresso Machine

Nespresso Coffee Machines

Nespresso coffee makers are small and compact, unlike drip coffee machines. They are black in color and vary in terms of price and complexity. Some come with a milk frother to make Latte art, and they can be connected with an app to manage recipes or receive notifications about descaling.

The simplest machines, like our pick, the Essenza Mini, are simple and affordable, but they leave out features that create more complicated drinks. Other machines can brew bigger sizes of drinks, like gran lungos.

What is a Nespresso Machine?

Since 1986, Nespresso sells single-serve machines which make use of capsules to brew espresso and coffee drinks. The brand has a huge number of loyal customers due to the speed, ease and consistency with which their machines brew up an espresso-like hot beverage. These machines are a great alternative to making espresso at home with a moka pot, both of which require time and care after each use.

A Nespresso machine makes use of pressure to extract the flavor from a pod, then heats water and froths milk to create coffee drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos. Nespresso has a wide variety of coffee and tea blends to suit different moods and tastes such as decaffeinated and flavor options. Their machines are stylish and compact, as well as easy to use and make Nespresso a fantastic choice for those looking to have a quick cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon.

Original Nespresso machines, which brew espresso-style shots from the company's Original capsules were the only machines on the market until 2014 which was when the Vertuo line was introduced. The Essenza Mini is the smallest model in this line. It is small and comes with a tiny water tank and space for capsules that are used. Its easy operation, with just two buttons, one for espresso and the other for a lungo -- makes it easy to master.

Contrary to Keurig machines that require the user to manually add water prior to each use, all Nespresso Vertuo next machine models automatically discard the capsules that are used after making. These machines can store anywhere from four up to twelve pods that have been used, based on the size of their water reservoirs and capsule storage. They are then disposed of in the built-in receptacle each time you open the machine.

Some of the more well-known models also work with the brand's mobile app, which allows you to modify recipes and order capsules from home. This feature was tested on the sleek stainless steel Vertuo Creatista. It also allows you to make hot coffee as well as Iced tea by using a dedicated frother room. The only issue with the machine we test is that it does not support all milk types. You'll need to purchase a separate frothing tool for making drinks with whole almond, 2% or 2% milk.

The Original Line

The Original line of pod machines includes the stylish Citiz Mini and Essenza Mini. Both models penetrate the capsule, then pump hot water under high pressure, and deliver an espresso or lungo. The original machines utilize higher pressure of 19 bars than the Vertuo models, which have pumps ranging from 15 to 18 bars.

The Vertuo machines create a foam that is richer and thicker than the crema produced by the Original machines. The crema isn't just froth. As the Spruce says, it could make up as much as 25 percent of the flavor of an espresso. The Original line also comes with more expensive Creatista and Lattissima models that come with built-in milk frothers to make cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos at the touch of an button.

The Lattissima Line

This line of machines is ideal for those who enjoy milky coffee drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, and need a machine that does it all. It has three customizable recipes and its 4.2 cup milk container can be removed and Nespresso Vertuo Next Machine washed in the dishwasher. It's also light, which makes it easy to move and store in a tight space. However, some users complain that it's not as easy to use as other nespresso krups coffee machine models.

The jug's lines for drinks are that are etched into it, which means you can choose the beverage you want to make while the machine is heating up. It is equipped with a sensor that will stop the steaming automatically when it runs out of milk.

The Lattissima One offers a great value for the price. It's available in four colors including porcelain white, dark gray and silky-white. It's easy to clean and has a minimalist design that won't overwhelm smaller rooms. The machine is also reasonably priced, with a suggested retail price of $385/PS279

It has an automatic drip tray, just like the OriginalLine models. This tray catches any loose ground as you pour espresso. This feature is great for minimizing mess and preventing overflow, which could spoil the taste of your espresso.

The Pro and Gran Lattissima both have a larger water tank than the Lattissima One, allowing them to hold more water before having to refill. Both models also have a faster heat-up time (as little as 15 seconds for espresso and 25 seconds for lungo) and have an enhanced hot water function that can be used to make tea or iced coffee.

The only drawback to the Lattissima line is the difficulty in altering the consistency of the foam you make. The machine is only compatible with skim milk (sorry vegans and those who are lactose intolerant) and the foaming mechanism doesn't work well with vegetable or almond milks. Its frothing wand can also be tricky to clean it, which is a frequent complaint among Nespresso owners. The Lattissima Pro or Gran Lattissima features a self-cleaning function that removes the milky interior of the frother after every use.

The Vertuo Line

The Nespresso Vertuo makes a small but concentrated cup of coffee. It's the perfect choice for those who love espresso. Each capsule has a barcode around its rim that can be read by the machine's system to determine what size beverage it can make. Nespresso's Vertuo capsules are extracted using an innovative technology.

Vertuo Line has a variety of drinks including Ristretto, Espresso, Lungo (mini espresso), Americano, and Cappuccino. The machines also integrate with the Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother to create frothy lattes and cappuccinos.

Each Vertuo Line coffee machine heats quickly and is ready to brew in less than 30 seconds. They use smaller water tanks than the Original Line machines and require less maintenance. There are a variety of models to choose from, meaning you'll be able to find one that fits your style and budget.

Vertuo Line machines can also brew regular filter coffee, unlike Original Line machines that only can brew Nespresso. This is done through the spout, which is located at the bottom of machine.

VertuoLine machines come with a revolutionary brewing technique that makes use of centrifusion to extract gently espresso and coffee. This allows the creation of natural crema that protects and enhances the coffee's aroma. The VertuoLine System also has an intelligent recognition feature that can adjust the extraction parameters according to each Grand Cru blend.

Each VertuoLine machine comes with a manufacturer's warranty and includes a starter pack of 10 free Nespresso capsules. The company offers a subscription service that delivers new Nespresso capsules each month.

While there are many different VertuoLine machines to choose from but the Nespresso VertuoPlus is our pick as the top overall machine. It's simple to operate and heats up quickly and comes in several colors. It can make five different sizes of espresso and coffee, including a flat white, ristretto, and lungo. It also makes a latte macchiato and is able to be used with the Aeroccino milk frother to make a cappuccino or Latte.

The only downside to the VertuoPlus is that it takes longer to make a cup than other machines, specifically when making an Americano. In comparison, for instance, to the Bunn Fastbrew, which brewed an 8-ounce Americano in just 42 seconds, the Nespresso VertuoPlus took 1 minute and 51 seconds. You can speed up the process by selecting an automatic mode.