Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine by Breville, Piano Black

I specialize in kitchen reviews. Of the countless gadgets I’ve evaluated, none gets more use than my superb Nespresso Essenza Mini. We’re coffee connoisseurs and get 99% percent of the quality we used to from time-consuming fiddling with my high maintenance Saeco Classico espresso machine. But is the Original Line as good as the more recently introduced Vertuo? Can Keurig complete with these European wonder machines? Read on to learn more:First, if you are going to order an Original Line machine, this Essenza Mini is THE ONE to get. Don’t let its diminutive size scare you. It’s so small you can leave it on the counter or conveniently store it and effortlessly use it daily with wonderful simplicity. Everything about this machine is FANTASTICO—ease of use, simplicity of cleaning, and no maintenance whatsoever.Second, if you are reading this review, may have a Keurig and possibly find its results mediocre. We sure did. The Nespresso gives you all of the convenience of Keurig, great coffee varieties, yet flavor worth of any expensive high end coffee house. Even the better Keurig coffees are simply not up to the flavor excellence of the Nespresso machines.ORIGINAL LINE VS VERTUO: DOES IT MATTER?So what about Original vs. Vertuo lines? It’s no secret that Americans like a big cup of java and Nespresso developed the Vertuo solely for the American market. Compared to Nespresso’s original line, the Vertuo claim to fame is the variety of drink sizes it offers. If dainty little Ristretto’s are not your thing, you can choose coffees that make cups of quite large sizes. For example, big mama Alto XL Intenso is the Mac truck of Nespresso coffees, yielding a giant 14 ounce cup.But the downside of Vertuo is that it utilizes a different extraction method. While the Original is 99% undetectable from old school ground espresso that’s hand tamped (a pain let me tell you!) the Vertuo is more about convenience while still giving a very fine tasting cup. Time and time again, professional reviews give a slight nod to the Original machine’s flavor, though.With the original system like with the Essenza Mini, you do get three size settings, tiny Ristretto which we never use, Espresso, and the largest volume Lungo. Although Nespresso makes lungo-specific pods with 20% more coffee, we like the Lungo setting while still using the regular sized pods. Compared to ploddingly slow Keurig machines, your amazing espresso (on any size setting) is ready in under 40 seconds!WHICH TYPE OF CAPSULE IS MORE ECONOMICAL?This was the deciding factor for us: The OriginalLine patent ran out some years ago and there is now a wonderful variety from competing brands, too. Some swear only true Nespresso-branded coffee is worthy of the machine and I am here to counter respectfully with one word: “Bunk!” I’ll admit that Nespresso’s coffees are consistency wonderful, yet they can be double the price of another famous brand we have found at our supermarket, Lavazza. Try the Deciso. It’s a 10 intensity roasted in Italy—fantastic and sometimes on sale as a BOGO at our market.Another great brand found here at Amazon is Cafespresso. It’s half the price, or less, than Nespresso coffee. We have only tried the 6 intensity Medosto and it rivals any mid strength coffee from Nespresso at only .37 a pod! Truly wonderful.One downside of Vertuo is that it is still under the patent. Unless you want the tedious habit of buying a contraption to tamp your own pods, you must use only Nespresso branded Vertuo at a fairly high cost, depending on size selected.I PREFER A BIG CUP OF COFFEE: DOES THAT MEAN MY CHOICE IS VERTUO?Nah! This machine, and any Original Line machine can knock out a double in less than 90 seconds! Just put your cup under the machine, add the capsule of your choice, brew. And QUICKLY repeat. Now, even with two capsules used, you have a cup as large as the Vertuo machine that remains very reasonably priced.DO I NEED A MORE EXPENSIVE MACHINE WITH A FROTHER?No! It is far better and cheaper to get a separate simple to use frother. We drink cappuccinos and lattes almost exclusively. The Nespresso Aeroccino frother is sometimes bundled with this machine but is quite overpriced. I’ve reviewed several frothers and highly recommend the Miroco ones. I use mine every morning. It’s half the price of the Aeroccino and easy to clean. In terms of quality froth and easy of use, the Nespresso Aeroccino and Miroco are equally good. Don’t bother with those cheap wand stick frothers. They are inferior and a pain to use. Here’s a link to Miroco’s stainless model review if this has frothed your interest:https://www.amazon.com/review/R3E10Y90RV2IZ0/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07HH9BHL1WHAT ABOUT NESPRESSO’S DOLCE GUSTO POD MACHINES?Before Nespresso developed the Vertuo line, it tried another pod system for the American market called Dolce Gusto. Think of it as Keurig-deluxe but no where near the quality of either of its Original or Vertuo lines. Nespresso is no longer marketing Dolce Gusto consumers but instead to the professional market of businesses, etc. Pods are only available through Amazon and each pod is expensive. We have a little used Dolce Gusto and abandoned it in favor of this magnificent Esssenza Mini.Jumpin’ Java! This sure has turned out to be a long review. Hope it has been of some help. Now time for good cup of coffee, for sure!HAPPY BREWING!

Incredible machine. So easy to use. DELICIOUS coffee. I use Evian water to brew. Don’t use tap. At $179.00 it was pricey yet worth it. There’s a lengthy review by a food critic that swayed me to finally purchase one. Very informative & worth the time to read. And it does make some noise yet no at all like one lady says. Maybe it’s her countertop. Heats quickly & brews really fast.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT.

I’ve had this machine for 5 1/2 years and it works as flawlessly now as the first day I used it!VERY small footprint on my counter, solidly made, easy cleanup. A professional-style machine is capable of a stronger shot, but marginally so. Not worth the extra space and cleanup time.I’m also thrilled to have so many coffee producers offering pods for this machine. Current favorites are Lavazza, Illy, Starbucks and Nespresso. I have used espresso pods made of plastic before and do not recommend them, especially since the aluminum podscan be recycled.I also have a DeLonghi Inissia machine that I bought in 2017. It’s ok, but it’s noisy & bleeds off too much water for each espresso shot. That said, I understand the pump in all espresso machines endorsed by Nespresso use the same pump, so performance and reliability in any of the machines should be top quality.I highly recommend this machine and the Nespresso Original line format.

I got this on sale (around $50) so it was an impulse buy for me. I saw the commercials and really liked the idea of having espresso in an instant/Keurig type of method. Well, I was surprised at how good this is.PROS:1) Super small! Fits right next to my Keurig without having to rearrange my countertop. I mean this thing is small and narrow.2) Heats up super quick. You can pull a short or long shot one after another without any wait time.3) Pods go to an internal compartment - you don't have to worry about removing one to make another one. It is small and will fill up quick but is still convenient.4) Taste is probably 85% of what a really good espresso is. I'm not an espresso everyday, remake it - it's not perfect coffee snob. I'm just a regular guy trying to make my way in the galaxy. But I do know what good espresso is Jenny. This is great tasting espresso without all the work and equipment (grinders, tampers, machine, etc.).CONS:1) Pods are somewhat hard to find. Amazon has them but the variety isn't there like Keurig. Some stores don't have them (like Target). Pod terminology can be confusing to those that aren't schooled in Nespresso. My local grocery store has a store brand "works with Nespresso" pods and they are great and far cheaper.2) Can't fit a regular coffee mug in the pour area. You can either hold on to it and tilt it (which is a pain) or remove the drip tray and slide it under it. Either way isn't ideal but is doable. Of course the design isn't meant for coffee mugs but rather a demitasse/espresso cup. Not a deal breaker but don't expect to fit a 20oz cup in there.OVERALL:Even not on sale, this a great "get your feet wet" machine. Although apparently there is a new model (ain't there always?) that is called Vertuoline which takes a different type of pod than this machine. It's hard to say how long the original line will be popular for - Keurig had the same type of evolution as well. Is it worth the money? Maybe if espresso type of drinks are your thing. But if you're more of the bigger is better in the coffee area - you might be better off with a Keurig.