Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine by Breville, Piano Black

Nespresso Original Line vs. Vertuo vs. Keurig: Which is best? Are Nespresso coffees a must?
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!

Perfect size, perfect performance
Fits anywhere. Minimal plastic contact with water. Super easy to use and adjust water output volume. Heats up quickly, dispenses quickly – people don’t get impatient when making sets of drinks for friends. Run two pods for a double shot espresso. Run through a pod twice for a cup of plain coffee. Tastes great. Cute and perfect.

Perfect espresso every time
This little espresso machine is so easy and simple to use. My previous one lasted probably 7+years. Got this exact model at Bed, Bath and Beyond long, long ago. It finally sprung a leak and so I replaced it on Amazon. Works flawlessly.I have had real Italian espresso machines, and to get the perfect espresso and crema, you have to master a lot of variables. This little guy takes out the guess work.

A lot of the Fairmont hotels are switching their Keurigs for the Nespressos so I had a chance to try a few of them. So yummy that I had to get my own. I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to strong coffee; not an issue with this baby cause you just press the button again and it pumps out more water through the capsule. When I want a latte, I just pull out my Bodum french press, put some soy milk in, microwave for 90 seconds (without the metal pumping piece), pump it a few times to get the froth and voila – a perfect latte. I still use my Keurig at home but when I want to really enjoy my cup of coffee, this baby gets used. A real treat!Update: have had machine for 3 months and it stopped working properly. Pods just drop down instead of being held up to make the coffee. Nespresso customer service was fantastic! Within 3 business days, I had a loaner machine and am shipping mine back. Amazing service! I figure I have already made back the money I spent on this thing making my own soymilk lattes with flavoring at home every day. I just use my Bodum French Press to pump air into the soymilk for froth (heat it for 90 seconds first in microwave).

When you take an espresso and dump it in a keurig coffee, you get a legit coffee experience. Also tastes great in homemade ice cappuccinos as an extra kick.