Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine by Breville with Milk Frother,20.3 fl oz, Piano Black

I had previously let the cup-by-cup coffee pod craze pass me by, but after using this machine at an Airbnb where the host provided free coffee, I was hooked. I ordered one as soon as I came home. I have retired the big drip coffee maker and don't miss it at all. The packaging is nice, it makes great coffee, and it's very fast. You get a promo code with the machine for $10 off your next purchase.I do wish the Nespresso pods were more widely available, like Keurig pods are in grocery stores. You have to find what may be the lone Nespresso store in your state--if there even is one, or order online. You'll pay approximately $0.70 per pod, with a minimum order of 10 per sleeve, plus shipping--which is free if you order $35 or more. The pods are recyclable, with free mail-in bags you can order that have a shipping label on them.I don't do espresso--I like what they would call an "Americano" cup of coffee. It's easy to reprogram the Lungo button to make the exact amount of coffee I want, so I don't have to dilute it with hot water. This breaks a taboo for coffee purists, who say this makes the brew bitter. I haven't noticed this alleged problem, but perhaps my palate just isn't that picky, or I'm such a lightweight, preferring pods at the lower end of the intensity scale (which ranges from 4-12). I ordered the bundle package that came with the "Aeroccino" frother, but have not used that yet, as I prefer powdered creamer--another *gasp* departure from purism. Making a coffee with frothed milk would greatly increase the time to get a cup of coffee, and I like how quickly I can be drinking one doing it the way I do it, so buzz off coffee Nazis.My Essenza Mini was a bit long for the tray I use, so I put a block under it to allow it to sit above the ledge of the tray. Save yourself some money and skip buying any of those pod holders on the Nespresso site or even here on Amazon. I also got a very inexpensive clear plastic container form the grocery store to hold some pods on my coffee tray.Finally, I highly recommend the "OriginaLine" vs. the "VertuoLine" for these reasons:1) Pods are less expensive ($0.70 per pod vs. $1.20)2) Coffee is produced in a completely different extraction way, pump-pressure on Original vs. centrifuge for Virtuo. Some say pump-pressure makes a more authentic espresso. YMMV.3) The Virtuo machines only use bar-coded pods, preventing hacking.4) You can make a "Gran Lungo - Americano" on the original machines by reprogramming the Lungo button, as mentioned above.5) The entry-level OriginaLine machines are less expensive--and simpler, since there are only two choices of coffee: Espresso (1.35 oz) and Lungo (3.7 oz) per factory settings, which can be changed.6) The OriginaLine Nespresso pods have 3rd party varieties for sale right here on Amazon (disclaimer: I have not tried any--yet). The VertuoLine is much newer, so there are currently NO 3rd party options--almost certainly the main reason it was launched.7) There does not appear to be ANY reason to expect Nespresso to discontinue the OriginaLine pods, as they have very deep market penetration, especially in Europe and would leave way too many customers in the lurch.

In my opinion, all Nespresso machines have the same 'guts.' They all take 25 seconds to heat up, and 9 minutes of non-use before they shut down and save energy. They all handle a Nespresso capsule to the height of its flavor. So, regardless of the brand, or size, you will get the same cup of java. The differences come in all the features: digital readouts, big water tanks, large hoppers for spent capsules, frothed milk abilities, and looks. And the prices go up accordingly. All these features can be helpful, but realize the coffee doesn't get any better the more you pay... it is good from every machine Nespresso sponsors. You figure out how much feature you want to pay for. That being said, I opted for this little Breville Mini-Expresso. I've had it a month, and it makes excellent espresso. The only drawback is that it doesn't do 'ristretto,' size... which is smaller than an espresso! It only offers espresso and lungo sizes, which is fine with me. Sure, I have to fill the water tank about every 5 espressos, and empty the spent capsule container after 6 uses, but for the price, I can live with that. And it has 2 buttons: either will turn the unit on, and one is for espresso, and the other for lungo. Simple. And this unit is smaller than a one slice toaster. I'm amazed that something this small can produce a cup of java so delightful. I purchased this bundle for about 150, which includes the Aeroccino frother. The frother is a separate unit that works very well, and allows you to graduate into lattes, cappuccinos, and such. My wife loves it. It can heat your milk, froth your milk, or do both, in about 50 seconds. It can't go in a dishwasher, but cleans out easily by hand. My regimen is to start with the frother. Then I turn on the Nespresso and draw an espresso. The milk is ready when the espresso is done, which has taken less than 60 seconds. It doesn't get any faster than that. Recommend.

My wife and I are coffee lovers. We own a Keurig (For drip coffee), an espresso DIY machine (For barista style) & a manual french brew machine in our home. Wanted to try a Nespresso coffee maker for easiness and hence decided to try this. Overall very satisfied with the machine and can say it delivers for the price. I would recommend it to anyone. However, there are a few cons with it too.Here are my thoughts after trying it for a week:Pros:- Espresso quality is really good. Coffee tastes good. It delivers espresso with 19 bar pressure and with crema on it- Froth functionality works great too with aerochino - Machine heats up pretty fast (faster than Keurig). Usually, it is ready between 30-60 seconds - It can make espresso and lungo coffee- It is not at all bulky and lightweight too making it a great option to carry around while traveling- Reasonable price in the competition Cons:- It is tiny in dimensions and hence impossible to fit any cup other than a small espresso glass- Machine drips a lot after each use. It definitely needs frequent drip tray cleaning in this machine compared to my other machines- The compartment for the used coffee pods is very small & hence needs to be emptied frequently - I wish the milk frother had a dedicated space on the machine to avoid any accidental fall of the milk tumbler - We use a humidifier in the home and due to that I can see this machine turning white dusty from the fog making it look dirty and hence needs frequent wipe too- No LCD and all functionality with 2 hard-pressed buttons makes it less modern - Water tank capacity is small & would need a frequent refill - Machine does not descale or clean automatically, so detailed cleaning is needed for the internal parts over the period of timeConsidering all the cons, I decided to return this machine and get a larger version Citiz model that can hold bigger cups at least while making cappuccino or lathe.

I returned the Neooresso Innisia that I originally bought from Amazon. It appeared used (though billed as new) and it was quite loud when brewing. It is also discontinued- though still widely availableI replaced it with the Essenza Mini. The Mini emits the same type of sound as the Innisia, but is quieter. It came in new packaging. It has a small footprint and is very easy to use. It takes original capsules- which makes it compatible with not only Neopresso capsules, but a variety of third party ones from L'OR, Peets and others. The overall Amazon pricing is very competitive given that it is bundled with the Aeroccino3. The Neopresso maker also comes with a $10 Neopresso store coupon.It comes with a sample pack of 14 expresso capsules. The expresso it produces is very impressive as is the variety available. The frother makes it easy to prepare lattes.What struck me the most was how much more interesting the flavors were when compared to the standard offering of local coffee shops. With the variety of available expressos, each drink is a new flavor experience- where you can also control the levels of milk, amount of water, etc.I greatly appreciate locally owned coffee shops, but during Covid, sitting in a coffee shop with loud conversations and crowds is problematic for me. Neopresso gives me the ability to get at least part of that experience back.There are also aluminum capsule recycling options available on the Neopresso and L'OR web sites.

I'm no barista, but my family is from Cuba and I grew up with some idea about quality espresso, then lived in France where i was introduced to Nespresso first-hand by local families and the boutique stores... and this company has a very good product concept overall. At home I like it simple, so the convenience of the Nespresso system and the range of options from many coffee producers is very strong. As to the machines themselves, I've bought and used the three value priced (under $250) Nespressos - Pixie, Essenza and Citiz - over the past 10 years. The Citiz is the best and would get a 5 star review as the most durable and highest quality build for a longer term use without any issues, I've had mine for a decade. This Esssenza Mini i bought for work/office, and is not going to be quite as durable and easy to use (the Pixie I would not buy again, it just doesn't feel quite up to the task of handling a lot of use with the plastic circular handle not as reaussuringly strong to handle a lot of work over time). Essenza, like the others, brews great espresso shots so the engine is great; same two button features with auto or manual control for strength and water use. But the trays, drawers and overall build quality is not as high or as convenient. It's priced lower than the Citiz, so decide whether you want to splurge a bit more based on how much you will use it. That said, this is the first time to use an Aeroccino and it's a great little appliance! Virtually silent, it heats milk while you prepare your shots on the coffee maker... 90 seconds it's done. Fill it halfway with whole milk and use the spring-blender and you'll get hot milk and foam so creamy you'll want to batter a cake. Fill it all the way, remove the coily spring and just heat the milk for perfect lattes. Add sugar and cinnamon to the milk before heating and it's perfectly integrated. Cup is easy to clean. I frankly prefer this device to a steam-driven frother attachment on a bigger espresso machine, the output is fantastic. Who knows one day maybe I'll learn how to do a fancy tulip design, but not necessary -- my wife is happy I can make her a great real coffee drink!