Nespresso has become a household name for anyone who enjoys good coffee.
It’s the most convenient way to make café-quality espresso and cappuccino in the comfort of your own home, as conveniently as if you’re making instant coffee.
In 2018 alone, an estimated 12 billion Nespresso pods were sold worldwide, showing just how popular the convenience coffee market has become.
So, how much is a Nespresso, anyway?
In this article, we’ll look at a range of Nespresso machines (yes, not all Nespressos were created equal) so that you can get a feel for what you want and how much it would cost you.
This includes original machines and Nespresso compatible machines.
Original Machines:
Best Budget:
Nespresso Essenza Mini
This sleek and compact model offers you the best espresso or lungo, every time, with just the press of a button.
Known for its small size, the Nespresso Essenza Mini will fit into even the tiniest kitchen, creating barista-quality drinks right there in your own home.
It weighs only 5.1lbs so you can cart it around wherever you want without any hassle.
You can pick the size of your drink by pressing the espresso (small cup) or lungo (large cup) buttons on top of the machine.
Couldn’t be simpler!
The Nespresso Essenza Mini gets your water to the perfect temperature in just 25 seconds and gets every drop of flavor from your Nespresso pod with its 19bar pressure pump.
After three minutes of inactivity, it switches to the eco mode and after nine minutes, it automatically powers off to conserve energy.
The coolest part (literally), is that you can place ice in your cup to brew the perfect iced coffee.
Perfect! As an added bonus, you Essenza Mini has space for five to six used pods, so you don’t have to clean it out in between cups if you’re brewing them back-to-back.
The removable water tank has a capacity of 0.6 liters so you can brew quite a few cups per session.
It’s also super easy to clean.
With each purchase, you get an awesome selection of fourteen complimentary Nespresso pods as a welcome gift, allowing you to taste their unique aroma profiles.
Strengths:
· Easy to use.
There are only three buttons – couldn’t be simpler!
· Easy to clean.
The water tank is removable for ease of cleaning.
· Takes up very little space.
It’s one of the smallest espresso machines on the market.
Weaknesses:
· Inconsistent pour volume.
At times, the machine only pours a small amount of coffee.
You then have to hold in the brew button until your cup has been filled.
· Tends to drip and leak.
If you’re looking for a compact, budget-friendly espresso machine, the Nespresso Essenza Mini is the product for you.
Best Compatible:
Mueller Espresso Machine
You love Nespresso and want a high-quality espresso machine that’s compatible with your favorite pods.
Look no further than the Mueller Espresso Machine.
Its small footprint will hardly take any space in your kitchen, allowing you to brew the perfect espresso or lungo, even if you have a tiny home.
This sleek silver and the black machine will heat water from the 0.8-liter water tank to the perfect temperature in just 25 seconds.
After ten minutes of inactivity, the intelligent energy saving mechanism will automatically power off, saving you the hassle of remembering to switch it off yourself.
We all know it’s hard to remember such things before you’ve had your first cup in the morning.
Mueller incorporates a premium Italian pump into their Austrian machine, delivering 20 bar pressure for the perfect cup of espresso.
Add this to the two-button easy operation and you have a no-nonsense, awesome machine that’s a dream to use.
The removable water tank is dishwasher safe.
So is the removable drip tray, so cleaning is also a breeze.
After brewing your perfect, barista-style cup, the Mueller Espresso Machine will automatically eject the empty pod for your convenience.
As an added bonus, your Mueller Espresso Machine has a two-year guarantee.
Strengths:
· Heats up in no time
· Great customer service
· Great taste – high quality brewing
Weaknesses:
· Defective units are common
· Inconsistent brewing
· Noisy
The Mueller Espresso Machine is perfect for the Nespresso aficionado looking for a Nespresso compatible countertop espresso machine.
Best Travel Nespresso:
Wacaco Minipresso NS
You like traveling, especially outdoors.
You also like high-quality coffee and kind of need it to function.
We get it.
So does the good folks at Wacaco.
The Wacaco Minipresso NS is a hand-held, no frills, and no fuss espresso machine you can take with you on all your adventures.
Its sleek, modern design looks as good as your coffee will taste.
This black wonder is hand operated and requires no electricity, compressed air or NO2 cartridges.
Perfect!
The little hand pump delivers a sweet 8 bar average pressure with its 70ml water tank.
If you prefer a larger cuppa Joe, you can always purchase the larger water tank separately.
The Minipresso NS weighs only 350g and has dimensions of 175x70x60mm, so it will definitely fit into your hiking pack.
Compatible with Nespresso capsules and most other compatible brands, this one is sure to deliver great-tasting, high-quality espressos.
It also comes standard with a cleaning brush and espresso cup, so you don’t even have to lug extras around.
Sweet!
If you’re serious about keeping your Wacaco Minipresso NS in pristine condition, you can also purchase the protective travel case separately.
As an added bonus, Wacaco is adding a barista towel pack with you purchase.
They’re making it super easy to care for your Minipresso!
Strengths:
· Small and lightweight
· Easy to use
Weaknesses:
· Breaks easily
· Prone to leaking
The Wacaco Minipresso NS is perfect for the adventure loving coffee aficionado.
Best High End
Creatista Plus by Breville
The Creatista Plus is a high-end, brushed stainless steel home barista.
This innovative espresso machine can create almost any caffeinated drink you can imagine in no time.
Using the high-quality LCD display, the Creatista Plus guides you as you choose from a range of options, including espresso, lungo, latte, flat white and cappuccino, to name a few.
Seriously.
The screen prompts guide you in the amount of water, milk, and steam you need in order to make the drink of your choice.
You can even make iced coffee if you brew your drink over ice.
Cool! The milk frother arm is capable of eleven temperature settings and eight texture levels, ensuring the perfect cup, every time.
A barista-style stainless steel milk jug is included with each purchase.
This one has a spout specifically designed to create foam art so you can practice your mad skills at home as much as you like.
A water hardness test strip is also included, allowing you to adjust your brewing accordingly.
The 1.5L removable water tank is large enough to let you brew amazing coffee for all your friends in a single go.
Cleaning up is also super easy, since the steam wand auto-purges after each cup.
No milk build-up there! The cleaning process is fast and automated, leaving your hands free to enjoy that coffee.
It also comes with a two-year warranty.
At 19bar pressure, you’ll definitely get all the yummy flavor out of your Nespresso pod.
Add this to the fast heating time of only three seconds (yup, you read right) and you’ll get your favorite cuppa Joe in no time.
After nine minutes of inactivity, the Creatista Plus automatically powers off, saving energy and giving you peace of mind.
With your purchase of the Creatista Plus, you get a complimentary Nespresso welcome pack containing a variety of sixteen capsules.
Now, you get to sample the amazing aromas before purchasing your favorites.
Strengths:
· Small footprint
· Versatile
Weaknesses:
· Water tank may leak
The Breville Creatista Plus is a high-end, intuitive espresso machine perfect for the luxury-loving home barista.
Best Mid Range
Nespresso Pixie with Aeroccino
You love espressos, but you also like a good cappuccino with just the right amount of foam.
Check out the Nespresso Pixie with Aeroccino.
This avant-garde black and transparent wonder has a small footprint and will fit perfectly into your state of the art kitchen.
With its 19 bar pump it will make the perfect cup every time.
If your morning rush is hectic, don’t worry.
This bad boy heats up in just 25 seconds and automatically powers off after nine minutes of inactivity.
So you get to make your coffee in the go and race out the door.
It takes up very little counter space too, having dimensions of 11.1×23.5×32.6 cm.
You know the coolest part?
You can reprogram the two one-touch buttons on top of the machine to deliver exactly the amount of water you like.
So, your Americano will fit precisely into your favorite travel mug.
Nice!
Your Pixie espresso machine is also smart.
If you forgot to refill the 0.7L removable water tank, a red backlight will automatically light up, alerting you to the issue.
The drip tray is also foldable, allowing you to place your favorite cup for a good caffeine boost.
Spent Nespresso pods are automatically ejected into an internal chamber that you can clear out later.
The machine is easy to clean, so no hassles there either.
The Aeroccino is the best addition to the Pixie, since it froths your milk to the most awesome consistency, just the way you like it.
With each purchase, you receive a complimentary Nespresso welcome kit, containing sixteen different Nespresso pods.
This is a cool way to try new flavors before purchasing your favorites in bulk.
Strengths:
· High quality coffee
· Perfect temperature
Weaknesses:
· Prone to leaking
The Nespresso Pixie with Aeroccino is perfect for the coffee lover wanting an easy, no-nonsense experience.
Vertuo Machines:
Best Budget
Nespresso Vertuo Evoluo
You like high-end gourmet coffee, brewed just right.
We get it.
So does Nespresso.
The Vertuo Evoluo is a budget-friendly gourmet espresso machine that delivers exactly what you ordered.
This high-tech machine with its black finish can deliver anything from espresso to alto and even iced coffee if you pour some ice in your mug before brewing.
Using the patented Centrifusion method, your Vertuo Evoluo reads the barcode of your Vertuo capsule, adjusting to exactly the right settings for that specific blend, offering you the best possible result for your chosen blend.
You can even select one of five cup sizes for your brew.
Here, you simply change the adjustable cup support to the right height for your cup.
This machine is easy to use with its one-touch button, automatic capsule ejection, and easy cleaning.
The large removable water tank holds 1.6L, allowing you an even greater number of perfect cups before refilling.
The used capsule chamber holds 17 pods.
These capsules can be recycled so you can be kind to the environment while enjoying your gourmet coffee.
Smart design allows the water to heat to the perfect temperature in just 15 seconds, while the power saving feature powers off after nine minutes of inactivity.
The Vertuo Evoluo is only suited to use the Vertuo pods; so, unfortunately, you won’t be able to use your regular Nespresso stash.
Don’t worry, though, since you receive a complimentary welcome kit of Vertuo capsules to try out.
Strengths:
· Adjustable cup support reduces splashing
· Perfect temperature
Weaknesses:
· Water tank prone to leaking
The Nespresso Vertuo Evoluo is perfect for the budget-conscious luxury coffee lover.
Best High End
Vertuo Plus Deluxe
The Nespresso Vertuo Plus Deluxe is the ultimate in high-end gourmet coffee in the comfort of your own home.
The Nespresso Vertuo range uses the innovative Centrifusion technology to read the barcode on the Nespresso capsule in order to adjust the brewing parameters to that specific blend.
This ensures the perfect cup, every time.
Added to this, you can choose from five different cup sizes, even adjusting the height of the cup holder in order to perfectly suit your current mood.
With its one-touch operation, this machine is incredibly easy to operate.
Cleaning is also a breeze.
Narrow counters in your kitchen?
Don’t worry, the removable 1.77L water tank can swivel to stand next to the Vertuo Plus Deluxe instead of behind it.
How cool is that?
You never have to wait in line for your morning mocha again.
This bad boy heats up in 25 seconds and its power saving mode shuts it down after nine minutes of inactivity.
Your Vertuo Plus Deluxe is specifically designed for the Nespresso Vertuo capsules so you won’t be able to use any others with this machine.
Sorry! Luckily, they include a welcome pack with every purchase, containing a delectable selection of twelve Vertuo flavors to try out.
Strengths:
· Easy to set up
· Very good quality coffee
Weaknesses:
· Water tank prone to leaking
The Nespresso Vertuo Plus Deluxe is the ultimate in home-brewed gourmet coffee.
FAQs
What is Nespresso?
In short, Nespresso is a single-serving espresso, packaged in a specifically designed pod for home brewing and consumption.
These pods are best brewed in a Nespresso machine, which is a home-use, countertop espresso machine.
The idea is that you don’t need training as a barista or even a high-end, complicated espresso machine to enjoy a good espresso or cappuccino in the comfort of your own home.
Nespresso takes the wait and sweat and mess out of making espressos – they’ve made making good coffee something that anyone can do.
Original Line vs Vertuo Line. What are they? How are they different?
Original Nespresso is the delicious espresso capsules that we’ve come to know and love over the past years.
Original capsules can be used in Nespresso machines or Nespresso compatible machines, whichever one you happen to have at home.
Most machines allow you to choose the size of your cup and thus the strength of your brew, irrespective of the coffee blend in the pod you’re using.
Here, you have a range of flavors to choose from – anything from just your normal cuppa Joe to vanilla and honey, dark roast or even decaf (don’t frown, some people can’t do caffeine).
Vertuo is a new innovation from Nespresso.
This line is a selection of gourmet coffee blends.
These pods can only be used with the Vertuo machine – there are currently no compatible models on the market.
The Vertuo machine reads the barcode of each pod that you insert then selects the brewing process specifically suited to that particular blend of coffee.
This includes the size of the cup, thus how much liquid to use, the ratio of milk and water, the amount of foam needed and even the temperature of the water.
The idea is to have indulgent, barista-style gourmet coffee in the comfort of your own home, where you would otherwise have to travel to a specialized coffee shop in order to enjoy this specific blend.
How Do the Capsules Work?
Each plastic capsule contains a blend of ground coffee, packed inside filter paper and sealed with foil.
When you place this pod inside your machine and press start, the foil is punctured to allow access for water – you can’t have coffee if you don’t have water.
The water is heated to just below boiling point, usually around 90°C and forced through the coffee blend in the pod under high pressure, releasing the flavor of the coffee.
From here, the water runs into your cup, giving you awesome coffee/espresso/whatever setting you chose.
High pressure is created by forcing the water through a thin needle, which enhances the amount of flavor extracted from the coffee blend in the pod.
The filter paper in the pod prevents the ground coffee from falling into your cup – no one likes those grounds at the bottom of an otherwise perfect coffee.
What are the alternatives to Nespresso? What other big brands of pod coffee are there?
Pod coffee has become all the rage and there is a wide range of brands available.
Here are some of the names to look out for (this is not an exhaustive list)
· K-Cup
· Tassimo
· Senseo
· Dolce Gusto
· K-Fee
· Caffitaly
· Lavazza
· Milex Café Barista
· Ese Coffee Pods
· Caffenu
Who makes Nespresso Machines?
There are quite a few companies that manufacture Nespresso machines – specifically affiliated to Nespresso – and a whole host of compatible machines.
Compatible machines are not officially affiliated to Nespresso, but these machines are compatible with standard Nespresso pods.
Here’s a list of companies that manufacture Nespresso machines:
· Breville
· De’Longhi
· DecoBros
· Café Avianté
· Keurig
· KitchenAid
· Wacaco
What are Nespresso Compatible pods? What are some of the most popular brand and why would you choose them?
Nespresso is a specific brand of pod coffee.
There are other pod coffee brands manufactured to the same dimensions as Nespresso, which can be used in your standard Nespresso machine.
These are usually a bit cheaper than Nespresso since Nespresso is supposed to be the Rolls Royce of pod coffee.
Some people don’t like Nespresso compatible pods since they complain that the quality isn’t as good, while others have no problem with these alternative brands.
You will have to judge this one for yourself.
People usually go for the alternative brands due to cost – let’s face it, Nespresso is expensive and if you make a whole lot of coffee in a day, it can quickly eat a hole in your budget.
Here are some popular Nespresso Compatible brands:
· Keurig
· Roastesso
· Caffé Gallo
· Illy
· Café Agga
