Top Picks: Best Nespresso Machines Right Now!
A Nespresso machine is your best friend for getting an adrenaline kick of richly flavored caffeine. Pod in, press a button—no mess, no fuss—a frothy, fresh brewed blend gurgles into your cup, delivering that perfect shot of espresso or cappuccino to fuel your day. Having said all that, if it sounds like we’re smitten, that’s because, well, we are. But this is a no judgment zone, and we admit our caffeine obsession with open arms, and maybe a slight twitch in one eye when we see a good coffee machine. But we’re getting away from point, which is what Nespresso machine had our toes curling with satisfaction? Slow to wake up on a Monday morning, we propped open our eyelids and got down to the serious business, that of brewing the first steamy hot mug of concentrated grounds of the day.
One sip later, the aromatic caffeine fired up our senses, and suddenly, we were ready to take on the world, or at least our deadlines. To that end, we’ll be testing temperature control and brew consistency, pausing only to compare the milky froth between mugs. The goal is to finish this post before we’ve consumed enough espresso to have us bouncing off the office walls. Hopefully, we’ll take the adrenaline surges in our stride—after all, that’s what we’re here for. Hearts beating heavy, taste buds buzzing, we open with the Nespresso Creatista Plus, damson blue selected to match our dark canteen furnishings.
Top 5 Nespresso Machines On The Market Now!
Nespresso Creatista Plus by Breville
Steamed excellence – A clean stainless steel finish that radiates polished appeal in premium kitchens. Taste bud massaging Breville micro foam milk technology. Auto steam wand cleaning feature. Fast heating ThermoJet element. Barista loving 6.7 by 15.5 by 12.1 inch form footprint. Weighs 12 lbs.
A solid choice for the would-be barista, the Nespresso Creatista Plus surely identifies as an industry leading, Italian style coffee maker. The integrated steam wand is what caught our review team’s attention first, emitting a soft hiss as it maintained a rich-bodied froth level in all our brews. By the numbers, a 3 second heat up time, courtesy of the ThermoJet heating element and 1500 Watt power rating, meant never having to stand around awkwardly, talking to a junior staffer who would have preferred a warm Pepsi.
We also found that the Creatista Plus never once stayed with a boring pod machine coffee making routine. With 8 adjustable froth texture levels and 11 precise milk temperatures, it let us customize our hot beverages and create anything and everything a shop on a plaza in Rome would have, including lattes, espresso, and high-intensity macchiatos. No lukewarm watery mess with floating grounds here, just velvety smooth textures and bold flavors, complete with a dash of froth. The Nespresso Creatista Plus also provides that tough, easy to clean stainless steel exterior, a removable drip tray, and a color display. It’s programmable for different cup sizes, built to hold back 19 bars of pump pressure, and it oozes quality.
The final sip – Small kitchen owners, and small budgets as well, are going to suffer from sticker shock when they browse over to this machine. It’s expensive and bulky. However, if you absolutely must have an authentic Nespresso experience, there’s none better.
Nespresso CitiZ Machine by De’Longhi
Steamed excellence – Fast 25 second heat up time. Includes a foam bulking milk frothing Aeroccino 3. Elegant and compact design. 1710 Watts of power. Fourteen aromatic pods in the box. Automated flow stop, avoids messy spills. Chassis is a thin but tall 9.3 by 14.6 by 10.9-nches. Weighs 10.1 lbs.
Our first review machine from De’Longhi was their cleanly designed Nespresso CitiZ. Still wide-eyed from a shot of hot brewed caffeine from the previous model, we quickly rallied. The form factor was tall to the eye yet remarkably slim, slotting between a microwave and toaster in the canteen of our office annex. It looked like a miniature skyscraper for very sophisticated coffee beans, a wacky image that really only goes to prove that some of our staffers can’t handle their espresso. At any rate, the integrated Nespresso Aeroccino boosted froth appeal, lending our hot and cold milk foamed beverages a hint of sophisticated flavor.
An it-just-works approach defined the Nespresso CitiZ drink experience, with one-touch brewing and two programmable cup sizes (espresso and lungo) keeping things casual. Words like casual and sophisticated slip into our review lexicon now as we picture ourselves in Milan or Florence while enjoying a rich brew in some out of the way rustic café while the hum of Vespas and distant chatter fill the air. Back on planet Earth, the CitiZ may not have actually transported us to an old-world Italian café, but its smooth, full-bodied espresso certainly set the mood. Features we enjoyed ranged from the 25 second heat time to the ability to memorize and personalize favorite drinks.
The final sip – A 19 bar pressure extraction system pulls every last bit of flavor out of a coffee pod. Other than that, it’s engineered to be simple to use, its curved spout, Aeroccino and simple controls ensuring a perfect cup, even when red-rimmed morning eyes can’t get to grips with coffee rituals.
Nespresso Lattissima One by De’Longhi
Steamed excellence – Uses a more modern visual aesthetic yet maintains a slim build that’s ideal for smaller kitchen spaces. Removable components, with both the milk jug and water tank coming off for easy cleaning. Dimensions are a slim 6.1 by 12.8 by 10.1-inches. Weighs a featherweight 9.3 lbs.
Staffers have often stopped off at local hole-in-the-wall coffee shops, trying out their finest hipster gear and failing to come off as stylish. They sit in amazement while finishing articles, using the local Wi-Fi hotspot to update their social platforms. It’s not the fast internet that raises their fuzzy little eyebrows in admiration, it’s the mammoth, steampunk-like espresso machines, each played like a musical instrument by experienced baristas. In our own long-winded way, we’re trying to say that the Nespresso Lattissima One, another De’Longhi product, echoes this powerhouse coffee making experience but in a more compact and user-friendly package, its raised and angling spout accommodating different mug sizes.
It doesn’t look like one of those stainless steel wrapped monsters, though, yet the Lattissima One brings that same level of artisanal coffee craftsmanship to your kitchen, its shadow black chassis rejecting all of the usual coffee shop bells and whistles in favor of an understated aesthetic. For specs, it boasts a 33.8 oz. removable water tank and small 4.2 oz. built in milk jug, the front of which is transparent so that you’re never surprised by a low milk message. By the way, there are LEDs incorporated, sending messages when the Nespresso Lattissima needs descaling or general cleaning. Checking to see if all of these lights were extinguished, we brewed up an espresso, followed in quick succession by a tasty macchiato and cappuccino.
The final sip – The specs for this slender Nespresso machine identify it as a mid-range model. We liked the solid build and rounded corners, how the pod slot was hidden by a solid chrome handle but easily revealed with a twist of a hand. We also gave the 28 second brew heat period two big thumbs up.
Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe with Aeroccino by De’Longhi
Steamed excellence – Uses Nespresso’s CentriFusion technology and Vertuo pods. Power saving 1300 Watt capacity. Heats up and ready to pull espresso shots in 20 seconds. Its dimensions are a slender 8.7 by 12.7 by 12.8-inches. Weighs a light 10.1 lbs. Latte friendly Aeroccino 3 milk frother.
Staffers are putting down pressure only espresso capsules and gravitating towards the centrifugal spinning technology used in the Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe. For those not in the know, not plugged into coffee culture at its purest, this shot making liquid caffeine machine uses the latest in Vertuo pod espresso brewing know-how. No pressure mechanism pulling the flavor and grounds out, the so-called CentriFusion system takes its place, reading Vertuo barcodes, adjusting temperature and extraction timing parameters to aromatic perfection, then calling in the Aeroccino 3 frother to get exactly the right foam consistency and texture.
All that technology packed inside, yet the Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe looks like a tall, elegantly curved capsule in its own right. The cherry red variant we tested had a small drip tray but spills never seemed to be an issue. We kept a small pile of napkins on the counter any way, just in case. This time around, like a shot straight to the heart, we pulled a double espresso, but the Aeroccino 3 could just as easily have whipped up a milky latte, the tastes and textures a tango on our suddenly reenergized taste buds. Then, perhaps for that early morning feeling when the world is still a foggy blur, the automatic machine opener made it a breeze to insert and eject Vertuo capsules.
The final sip – Everything felt effortless while testing. The 60 oz. removable water tank slipped out for cleaning, the 1300 Watt power consumption rating seemed reasonable, and the chrome accents conjured up images of Americana, diners and truck stops dancing in the mind’s eye.
Nespresso Vertuo Creatista by Breville
Steamed excellence – A solid coffee making statement dressed up in stainless steel. Utilizes the Vertuo capsule system. Equipped with wireless connectivity. Big 67.6 fluid oz. Water Tank. Reasonable 1350 Watt capacity. Has a large 8.98 by 16.41 by 12.64 form factor. Weighs a substantial 16 lbs.
The manufacturers over at Breville have dragged coffee making into the 21st century by adding the Vertuo capsule system and wireless features to their Nespresso Vertuo Creatista. Expect to enjoy three level of milk texture, another three temperature settings, and barista-quality espressos at the touch of a button. Again, the Vertuo capsule system reads capsule barcodes, ensuring exquisitely brewed shots of espresso. Wireless connectivity is also in the features list, remarkably, syncing the machine to your smartphone for remote control. Who needs to get on their feet when you can adjust coffee settings from the comfort of your couch? Lazy, of course, but handy after a long day at work.
Stainless steel is an easy to clean metal, never allowing sticky stains to hang around and create hygiene issues. The alloy on the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista is also resilient, easily built to shrug off knocks from busy kitchens. Alongside the self-cleaning steam wand, its sleek, modern design also ensures that it’s a perfect fit for any countertop, adding a touch of sophistication while staying practical. Having said all that, writing up the review while drinking a full-bodied double espresso, we can confidently say that whether you’re crafting a velvety smooth cappuccino or a rich latte macchiato, the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista delivers, justifying its high price tag, at least in part.
The final sip – Granted, it’s a hefty investment. Buy only if you’re addicted to the best Vertuo pod coffees or if you’re running a small coffee shop, using the full versatility of the machine to create latte art swirls and creative foam flourishes.
Brewing Up the Best Nespresso Machines!
It’s not a feature we see showcased often in Nespresso space, but we did have a lot of respect for the cleanliness factor built into these machines. Stainless steel is easy to wipe clean, and the clean lines and curves on the non-stainless models made sure there were no hidden recesses for icky coffee stains to hide. Talking of stainless steel, the two bookending Nespresso Creatista machines are not cheap. They should be considered an investment. Having said that, even a used model will hold its value well, keeping the Creatista name firmly linked to words like quality and durability. We can’t recommend these two models enough, giving extra points to the Vertuo model due to its newer technologies.
The Nespresso CitiZ ranked highly as well. Its 25 second heat time left us scrambling to wash up our cups and pull another shot, its Aeroccino 3 whipping up a creamy froth that transformed each coffee into a café-worthy experience that wouldn’t be out of place in a style-setting Milan café or New York City bistro. Next, the Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe used its cleverly titled CentriFusion technology to good purpose, spinning the capsules at speed to draw out a uniform extraction of coffee grounds. A dropping of the deluxe monicker could also be made, slicing a few dollars off the price. The non deluxe machines simply use a slightly smaller water tank and do away with the chrome accents.
Our tests finished coffee shots consumed, we can feel the caffeine buzz waning. We’re sure one of the machines listed here, covering every budget will satisfy your thirst for tasty, aromatic coffee blends, no matter your preference or space constraints. Whether you opt for the VertuoPlus Deluxe with its CentriFusion technology or one of its more budget-friendly cousins, each machine offers a satisfying brew, consistently full-bodied, richly textured, and indulgently milk frothed.
