Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi, 1150 watts, 110ml, Black

I bought this for 2 reasons. My coffee area in my kitchen is too small for a whole big espresso machine with grinding packing and brewing. 2nd reason was the the Vertuo machines are too big AND dont have the variety of different Espresso roasters that the original Nespresso machines have. I adore Illy Classic and Illy Intenso, I love the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Bali Blue Mood pods. The Vertuo System isn't open to lots of other roasters pods. They have their own capsules and Starbucks and thats about it. I wish the tank held a bit more water, but other than that it's a nice machine that pulls regular and lungo shots well with lots of crema. Feels solid and fits in the coffee counter of my kitchen. Easy to set up and use.

For many years I have confused Nespresso with Nescafe. I thought it was some sort of quality instant coffee. Then at Thanksgiving I had my first experience with a Nespresso coffee making machine. I love it! It's very easy to use and it makes, I think, some the best tasting espresso and coffee that I've ever had. It was very surprising to me. I bought this Essenza for the smaller footprint. It fits very neatly on my kitchen counter. It gets the job done and makes not only espresso (about 1.4 oz) but also what they call espresso lungo which is about 4 oz. I have been grinding my own beans and making pour-through coffees for ages BUT in comparison I really think this method is tastier, much faster, super convenient and I rather enjoy the sound the machine makes. About pods: This machine is what they are calling an "Old Line" machine. The new-line machines use differently shaped pods. The pods are not cross compatible. The new line pods are more expensive as there are fewer companies making and selling them. Whichever type you buy there are espresso pods and also what they call Lungo pods. Lungo pods are more coffee-like strength-wise. A neat trick I picked up is to push the espresso button to make an espresso and then when its done also push the lungo button to add another 4 ounces of hot water through the pod. It's a way to make an Americano (a watered-down espresso). It has so much more flavor than most cups of brewed coffee. Lungo is a different pod.

I am a coffee snob. I roast my own green coffee beans, and have a lot of money in coffee brewing gadgets. I have spent hundreds of dollars on fancy espresso machines, only to get mediocre results. I decided on a whim to give this a try. I was tempted by the convenience of it ... a small machine, not having to finely grind beans for espresso, not having to drag out a bulky espresso machine, load the filter, tamp the grounds, and then go through all the post-brew clean up. But how good would a Keurig-type espresso maker be? Well, I'm pleased to report that this coffee snob thinks it produces a very good brew. I have only tried the Nespresso brand capsules, so I cannot comment on others, but the ones I've tried thus far have resulted in a very smooth and delicious espresso. The shot has a nice layer of dark crema on top, and the espresso has a good, rich flavor. Of course, it's not going to be quite on the level of a hand drawn shot from a top of the line machine, but it's certainly better than most of what I've tasted from the average consumer grade espresso machine. The convenience is great. In literally 2 minutes I can have a double shot pulled and ready to go. Clean up involves dumping the spent capsules into the trash. Occasionally, they do recommend that the machine be cleaned, but even that process is simple enough. If you are looking for a small, fairly inexpensive espresso machine that produces a good quality shot, IMO this is a good choice. The capsules aren't cheap, but neither is a double shot from a coffee shop. The nice thing is, it's quick and easy, and you can have your espresso before running out the door in the morning.

I've had coffee. Coffee shops, specialty shops, coffee chains, and mom-and-pop shops. My favorite was a Portuguese Coffee Shop that was in town for just a short while. They made Thee Best coffee, ever. People would order espresso at lunch-time. I would do hair at our shop a few doors down. They used ILLY coffee. They had their machine set at perfect. I've bought espresso machines over the years (lower cost ones), learning them, but never learned the curve for excellence. I saw a lady on You-Tube that had her machine 6 years and still loves it. That's what got me to finally take the plunge on this one. I need small, this has 19 bars pressure (whoosh) and no needing to care for a high-end coffee bean grinder (and keep it clean to run smoothly) when you can buy pods. These pods keep the coffee so fresh! This Nespresso heats up in about 30 seconds. Pop your cappuccino mug into the microwave with milk to heat up the milk and the mug. Take out and whisk with battery operated hand-held frother. Pop frothed milk mug under machine and press the button. With-in 2 minutes, from heating milk to the last drop of espresso dripping into your mug, you are sipping on a cloud of heaven. I bought these mugs (perfect) for anything from espresso up to espresso latte/cappuccino. Konitz Coffee Bar Amore Mio No.4 Cappuccino Cups/Saucers, Set of 4 With heating the milk first, then add the coffee, these mugs stay nice and warm the whole time while drinking. I tried the India pod thinking I would like it the least. I had it 3 days in a row and it's really good. Just tried Rome and the flavor seemed flatter than the India which popped in my tastebuds, lots of flavors bursting with that one. I am appreciating coffee so much more as it's so much better than the large mugs of watered-down brewed coffee. The espresso is such a treat. I always thought it was all hype, coffee is coffee....not so. *Tried the Purple Color Decaf pod as espresso and it was delicious! Just espresso and 2 brown sugar packets. Heavenly. ***Update Apr/5/08: The BEST espresso/coffee maker I've ever owned. So easy, so delicious. I've tried almost every coffee flavor they have and they are all delicious, each has a subtle difference but they are all good. The best part...I'm now drinking my cappuccinos without sugar or any sweetener. I've never had unsweetened coffee before and now I prefer it. If this machine ever breaks I will replace it. The coffee tastes so fresh, even the decaf is delightful. Guests try the espresso (they've never had it before) and love it. ***Update June/16/2022: Still going strong! Not only morning espresso, but afternoon and evening as well. I've descaled the machine twice and it continues to work great. I've used all different brands of pods now and never had any problems. I would definitely buy another if this one ever gives out. Call their customer care number to help you through descaling, or resetting your machine.

Very tiny, works very well good espresso!

This machine makes coffee better than any cafe. The build is super sturdy and the machine arrived in a very good condition with double carton packaging. This machine extracts the exact flavour notes of the coffee and it tastes super delicious. Super easy to use and doesn’t require much effort to extract the coffee shot. If you are coffee fan and want your coffee to taste a certain way every time you consume it, then this machine is for you. I use nespresso and Starbucks capsule, all of their flavours and their taste are amazing.

the machine was as expected, packed well and delivered on time is a topline product

Fallen in love with this, love the coffee , easy to use, easy to clean. Only one thing , the coffee is not piping hot, I heat for 5 sec or so in microwave

The Essenza Mini is top-recommended by Consumer Reports. Our last machine died 2 years after admittedly heavy use (and no, I hadn't descaled until recently). I will take more care with this one. Oddly, it was not available on the Nespresso site itself, but I was able to get it through Amazon. It is small, so you have to refill the water and empty the capsule container often, at least if you have as much coffee as we do!