From the Original line, we chose the Essenza Mini and CitiZ, affordable machines still capable of producing Nespresso’s staple drinks.

We also read a slew of coffee and espresso blogs, Amazon reviews, and heated Nespresso discussions on Reddit before settling on four models to test. To narrow down our list for our original tests, we compared all 14 machines available in both lines at the time, noting features such as heating time, tank size, and brewing options. Nespresso, in contrast, is nearly impossible to screw up.Ĭonsidering all that, we decided to focus our testing efforts mostly on machines from the Original line. You also need to get access to finely ground beans, either by using an excellent burr grinder yourself or by asking a local coffee shop to grind them for you. But it’s typically over twice as expensive as our priciest Nespresso picks and requires brewing knowledge, time, and effort to pull a single shot of espresso. It makes significantly better espresso, and its steam wand produces a dense microfoam that’s perfect for latte art. Making real espressos at home is an expensive and time-consuming culinary craft, and if you want to learn, we recommend this espresso machine for beginners. What you get from a Nespresso machine is not quite espresso but more a thin, ultra-concentrated, espresso-size coffee drink.

An AeroPress has a slight learning curve and multiple pieces to clean. Other methods of brewing concentrated coffee can be more complicated and messy after each use: For example, a moka pot, which can make stovetop espresso, requires a stove and careful cleaning after each use. Nespresso also recommends descaling the machine (video) every three months, which requires a kit that you can buy. If you clean a little less frequently-we are guilty of this-some sludge can build up in the drip tray, but it’s still fairly easy to clean. Nespresso recommends cleaning the machine after every use, which is as easy as rinsing the parts with dish soap. If convenience is your thing, a Nespresso machine is the fastest, most effortless way to make an espresso-like drink. It also has a cavernous water tank that makes back-to-back brewing easy, as well as an accessible interface friendly to first-timers. We don’t like the watery taste of Keurig coffee much, either-and we don’t recommend those machines-but if you want the option to brew K-Cups, the Instant Pod offers the versatility to do both, while taking up less space on your counter than two machines and costing less than the cheapest Nespresso. Nespresso’s line of Vertuo machines ostensibly make espresso and coffee, too, but we found the Vertuo coffee, which is capped with a thick layer of crema, unpleasant. And it can brew 8-ounce, 10-ounce, and 12-ounce Keurig coffees. Made by the company responsible for Instant Pot multicookers, the Instant Pod can make Nespresso drinks in 2-ounce, 4-ounce, and 6-ounce sizes, which are roughly equivalent, respectively, to a Nespresso espresso, lungo, and larger lungo-everything our main pick can brew, except the ristretto. The CatDog of pod coffee, the Instant Pod brews both Nespresso capsules and Keurig K-Cups, making it a good option-and the only option-for households that want both in one machine.

Nespresso pixie lungo cups