Nespresso’s best machine ever reinvents in-home Cappuccino,October 4, 2011

By

Michael Fortson (Bay Area, CA) – See all my reviews

Nespresso has long been known for their espresso makers, especially in Europe (where you see them everywhere). They’ve had separate gadgets for making milk-based drinks like cappuccino and lattes, too, and for the last couple of years we’ve owned one of those coffee-making duos, the Nespresso Citiz and Aeroccino Plus. They were big hits at home, especially when guests visited. So after seeing their new combo unit, the Latissima+, we had to give that a try. This review will primarily look at the device as an upgrade over those two separate components, since the integrated milk steamer is such a big part of this machine, but it should also help people just starting out with Nespresso or anyone upgrading from an espresso-only model.

Pros:

Just One Button for Cappuccino/Latte

This makes a huge difference, which is a bit surprising. After all, we had a perfectly good milk frother in the Aeroccino Plus. The problem was that even though it was fast and cleanup was easy, using a separate gadget to heat and froth the milk added enough steps to the process that we just didn’t do it very often, despite our best intentions. Now with the Lattissima+ it’s just a single button, and we use it almost every time.

Real Steamed Milk

Say what you want about the clever heated+frothed milk in the older Aeroccino models; it still wasn’t quite the same as freshly steamed milk froth. That’s what you get in the Lattissima+ — pure steamed milk. Huzzah. You have full control over the level of foaminess with a simple knob on top.

QUIET!

Steaming milk at home is usually loud enough to wake the dead; it’s just not something you do if you expect anyone to remain asleep anywhere in the house. The Lattissima+ changes that — it’s genuinely quiet when steaming. It’s not silent, mind-you, but you probably won’t wake someone in another room with it. The only time you hear a loud-ish steam noise is when cleaning it, which you can safely put off until a little more noise is acceptable.

Easy Preparation & Cleanup

Nespresso really nailed the ease-of-use with the detachable milk unit: add milk, make your beverage, and toss it in the fridge until next time. A single press of the “clean” button blows steam through the milk nozzle for a few seconds to clean it out before you put it away. Brilliant. The container is dishwasher-safe, too.

Tidy Design

Not quite as tall as the older Citiz, this stylish compact cube is about as small as one could expect a combination unit to be. The footprint is smaller than the combo Citiz + Aeroccino models, and the cord stores neatly under the base. The used-capsule container seems to be a bit larger than the one in the Citiz, and it is less fussy to empty since the retractable coffee cup pedestal is separate. It’s Italian-made, and it runs more quietly than our Swiss-made Citiz, with less of a buzzing noise coming from the 19-bar pump. It’s an elegant design overall.

Capsules

I won’t go into too much detail here since there are lots of other places to read about the Nespresso capsules, but in brief: surprisingly good espresso, real crema every time, good selection, and fast & easy online or phone ordering & delivery. If I call before 4pm, my order shows up the next day. Great service from the Nespresso Club.

Cons:

Water Container Size

The new water container is ever so slightly smaller than the one in the Citiz (0.9 vs 1.0 Liters), but you’ll be using it both for espresso/coffee and for milk steaming, so it runs empty pretty quickly. Mitigating this is the handy combination lid+handle, making it easy to grab the unit and refill. The container is wide and narrow, and it doesn’t rise above the back of the unit the way the previous models do, so if you are accustomed to pouring in the water without removing the container, that will be more of a challenge. Removal and replacement are easier than before, though, so it’s not much of an issue overall.

Overall: It’s fabulous.

I’ll update this review as we get more experience with our Lattissima+.

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Upgrade from the first batch of Nespresso machines,September 14, 2011

I’ve been using the old Nespresso C101 with the Aeroccino Milk Frother. It is a great machine, and there is no question that the Nespresso capsules are the closest thing to great coffee you can get from an pod-type machine. However, my main issues were that it took so long to clean the milk frother. If you didn’t clean it thoroughly, the milk would bake on the bottom and lead to pretty bad cappuccinos the next time around.

When I first saw the Latissima+, I was pretty excited since the milk container is built in and had an auto clean button. After using it for a couple of days, I can definitely say this is an upgrade. Its quick to start up, can auto shut down, and most of all its a breeze to clean up. While not zero work – you do have to press a “clean” button for about 10 seconds every time you finish your morning batches of coffee if you use the milk – this is a lot easier than the old Aeroccino. And due to this, I find myself making coffee a lot more often.

A couple other things I wish I knew. The entire milk frother attachment is dishwasher safe (although you have to take it apart). The manual suggests cleaning it this way at least once a month. Like the older machines, you can also program how much coffee and also how much milk is added for each of the four buttons.

To me, this machine is a good upgrade from the earlier machines, and if you are in the market for a first Nespresso machine – this is the one to beat.

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Best automatic espresso machine under $1,200…,October 13, 2011

Being lazy and on a budget we’ve been using Keurig for a few years for morning coffee, and a simple Makineta on the weekends for a real espresso taste. The Keurig is not really coffee, but it is fast and easy. The Makineta produces exceptional espresso, but it is hard to setup and clean, only creates two shots at one cycle and you have to froth the milk separately. Bottom line – not a practical solution on weekday mornings when you need to get the kids to school, feed and walk the dog before heading out to work. When we came back from a trip to Europe this summer we couldn’t even look at the Keurig machine anymore, and we shifted our search for a fully automatic espresso machine to high gear. I’ve been following the Nespresso machine for a while now, but never got one because I wanted a machine that does it all. The only other machine I was considering was the Jura, but I could never get myself to pay over $1,200 for an espresso machine. The day I saw a video online featuring the Nespresso Latissima I knew that my prayers were finally been answered. The first chance I got I went to the Sur-La-Table store in DC to see it in action and to get a taste. 10 minutes later I was carrying a nice red one back to the car with a big smile on my face. I took a leap of faith because I usually wait to see more than 2 reviews for a product before purchasing it, but everything about this machine seemed right.

Two weeks later we couldn’t be more pleased with the results – we LOVE it!!! The box comes with a variety of samples that were gone really fast, and we are into our second order from the online store – we can’t stop using it… I don’t like buying capsules – I prefer to buy and grind my own coffee and I know I’m paying more for the capsule system, but I can live with it because of the speed, the ease of use, the cleaning and the taste of course. From the moment I turn the machine on to the time I hold a cup of an amazing latte in my hands it takes about five minutes, and the next cup will take about two minutes. When you are done you use the rinse button, and simply take the milk container and place it back in the fridge. What really surprised me was the quality and the consistency of the frothed milk – it is very thick and creamy, almost like whipped cream. The milk volume can be adjusted on the go with a dial, and if you are really picky, then you can use the programming buttons to tweak the modes (we didn’t see a need to change anything). One more word about the capsules – You can only buy them online from Nespresso, or at specific Bloomingdale’s locations. I don’t like this because it requires planing ahead, but on the other hand they deliver in two business days, and I guess this is their way to keep the capsuls fresh and under tight control.

Bottom line – I still think that the Jura is a better machine in terms of freshness(instant grind), but the Nespresso Latissima is going to give it a good run for the money coming in at about 1/4 of the price with almost as good results. Who would think that I could just walk out of my house every morning with a fresh Cappuccino or Latte that is better than Sta***ks and took under 5 minutes to prepare with no cleaning afterwards? I’m happy!

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One of the Best Super Automatics Out There for the Price,May 11, 2007

I have the EAM3200, which is the previous model version. The differences are slight but noticeable to the newer. These machines are the best in class for price and performance, produce a great espresso, and are maintainable in ways that other manufacturers models are not. The coffee from the Delonghi is just as good as from Jura and even some manual models such as Expobar and Rancillo. It is very close to what you find in Italy – not quite, but for the price it is worth it. Great crema, hot temperature, rich flavor. And the best part is you can pull out the brew mechanism and clean it – VERY key. This will ensure sound operation and function for many years.

In order to keep this machine is fine working order, you need to do a bit of upkeep each week and use the right beans.

1. Only use non-oily, 100% Arabica beans. If you use oily beans it will clog frequently and attract rancid flavors. It will also shorten the life of the machine. I use Illy, but any espresso will do (I actually get the Illy dark roast – it has more flavor when brewing a larger “americano” cup).

2. Clean the brew mechanism once a week. Just snap it out and run it under hot water.

3. Use spring water instead of tap water. This will keep any weird flavors from your tap entering the coffee. It may build up minerals, but…

4. De-calcify the machine when it asks for it – don’t wait.

I, for one, would rather have manual controls over coffee amount, strength, etc. You are not losing out on anything by not having digital controls – other than not being able to have the machine automatically on and ready to go when you first wake up. As for the other models ability to do milk-based drinks at the touch of a button – how often do you really want a cappuccino? If it is every day, then get the 3500. If you are like me and need real coffee in the morning, then get this model. The milk canister can only sit in the fridge for so long. If you are planning to serve cappuccino at dinner parties, then you are committing Italian heresy – cappuccino is only served in the morning.

CONS

1. The cup warmer does not work very well, but get double walled cups and the temperature of the product will not be an issue.

2. You can’t have it turn on automatically at a certain time. But it only takes a few minutes to get up to temperature.

3. It is NOISY.

My espresso settings – coffee amount at 10 o’clock, strength at 3 o’clock, single cup dispense. Super double espresso in an espresso cup. I may have 2 of these on a saturday.

My wife’s “americano” settings – coffee amount at 3 o’clock, strength at 3 o’clock, double cup dispense. Full cup of rich coffee in a normal cup.

Bean grind at 5.

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Great coffee, build quality problems,April 20, 2009

By

Moore Paul Patrick “ppmoore” (Antwerpen Belgium) – See all my reviews

[This review applies to the Magnifica 3200, this is the same as the 3300 with slight cosmetic differences.]

I bought this machine in 2006 after an almost-endless trawl through the internet reading owners’ reviews – after all, we are talking about the search for the perfect expresso here!

The coffee quality is indeed great. The only misgivings I would have about using it are that the knobs have no user markings, which means that if there are several people in the house using the machine, it is impossible to select the previously-selected individual settings. Also, the time before the machine performs an auto-switchoff is fixed at about three hours. I couldn’t find the power comsumption in the user manual when in “idle” mode, but I think it must be substantial since it keeps the boiler/cup-preheater hot during this time. Not that the preheater is any use – I warm my cups by first wetting them and then putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

More seriously, I have had the machine for three years and in this time it has broken down four times – the first time after six weeks, the second time after about 18 months, the third time after about 30 months, and again most recently last week. The first two times, the machine was fixed under guarantee, without any quibbles. I think the problem is that the environment these machines have to work under is probably the most severe to be found in the home: high-pressure boiling water, grinding, and the transport of the coffee grains within the machine. Maybe the build quality of the cheaper machines is such that they cannot cope?

While waiting this last time round for it to be picked up and repaired, I decided to open it up to check its build quality (I’m an engineer). De Longhi has used thin plastic wherever possible. The coffee transfer path is not well isolated from the rest of the machine – as a result coffee powder had dropped into the moving motorised assembly at the back of the machine (I think this was the reason why the machine ultimately had failed).

Others here have commented on the machine’s coffee-making ability. I agree, it makes great coffee. It’s a pity that, in my experience at least, it was let down by poor engineering.

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Nearly perfect.,November 30, 2007

By

Dale Botkin (Omaha, NE USA) – See all my reviews

This is an update after three years of using our Magnifica.

We bought our Magnifica after using a similar machine while visiting friends in Germany. We have been using it for over 3 years now, and are still quite happy with it. My wife and I both drink a lot of coffee — tall Americanos most of the day. I am a full time telecommuter, so I will average 3-5 a day in winter, 2-4 in summer. We also love being able to fill a couple of 16 oz. insulated cups before leaving on a road trip. I would say this machine probably gets more use than the manufacturer intended.

The unit has been fairly trouble free. We have noticed a few occasions when water leaked from the tank where it connected to the machine, leaving a puddle on the counter. After a cleaning and more carefully aligning the tank, it ceased being a problem. We have run the de-liming process when the machine asked for it. So far no other problems. I would strongly recommend a complete, thorough cleaning inside and out every month or two, though. Use a brush and a vacuum.

The cup warmer seemed like a great idea; in reality it doesn’t do much. I was going to disconnect it to save electricity, but as it turns out it’s just a metal plate over the hot water tank — it doesn’t use any additional electricity. They just made a feature (cup warmer) out of an area where plastic would have probably warped and cracked by now.

It doesn’t get any quieter with age. Once you push the button you can pretty much forget any ideas you had about conversation until your coffee is done (I am always sure to offer a cup to the in-laws when they visit). I finally removed the covers and added some Dynamat left over from my truck stereo installation to the areas that seemed to be vibrating; that helped a little but it’s still pretty raucous.

I’m sure the guys who grind, tamp, press and adjust the pumps on the chrome semi-autos will turn up their noses at a machine like this, but it’s such a huge step up from the typical drip coffee maker (and ground Folger’s). If you’re a coffee lover you really do owe it to yourself to try a machine like this. The price tag made the purchase a tough decision — still 5x what we paid for the best drip machine we’d ever had — but we’re glad every day that we took the plunge.

Below is my original review, written a couple of months after we got it:

*****************

I wish I could give it a 4.5. As others have noted, it is a bit on the noisy side. We went from a Bunn drip machine (best drip coffee maker by far) to this after being blown away by the one our hosts had in Germany. It’s been worth every penny. Speaking of pennies, a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond is the ticket for low price and a VERY good return policy.

We have used Starbucks and Pears beans, and will continue to try others probably. Cleaning is a snap, my only real gripes are the water reservoir – obviously designed with coffee-sipping Europeans in mind, not us coffee-DRINKING Americans. Still, we haven’t used the Bunn since we plugged in the Magnifica.

Likes:

Superb coffee!! Great crema, better than coffee houses

Easily adjusted cup size & coffee strength

FAST warm-up

Easy to clean

Everything works perfectly

Dislikes:

A little noisy.

No automatic timer (not a big deal, since it warms up fast)

Cup warmer not of much use, and no way to shut it off

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