Essenza Nespresso

I was initially reluctant to buy this based on the fact that they use proprietary pods. Had that reluctance stuck with me, I probably would've spent a few hundred more on a high-quality manual espresso machine, or over a thousand on an automatic machine. $.52 a cup is reasonable when you consider that grinding your own works out to about $.30 a cup, but yields a greater mess and requires more soap and water for cleanup each time. With two little kids at home - who has time to clean? I was absolutely giddy the first time I used both the machine and the frother. Separately and together, both machines match or rival what all too many of us pay $3-5 for from the local coffee shop. I'm convinced that our friends will like us more if we decide to share some of this with them. I bought this at Williams-Sonoma based on loyalty as I had sampled it 3 times over a two week period and finally couldn't take it anymore. I had to have one! Consumer reports also ranks this machine highest in its... Read more

After a lot of research and knowing how tasty the Nespresso espressos are (free sample at a store a year ago that I fondly remembered), I bought the Nespresso C100 on Amazon in September 2009 for an anniversary present to ourselves. In four months, we have made about 180 cups of cappuccino or espresso for my husband and I and an occasional guest. We make about 2-3 cups during the weekday and more on the weekends.

- Very fast and easy to make, with no mess. Fill up the water dispenser, turn the machine on, pop a colored pod in the maker and close lever. Wait for buttons to stop blinking to show it is heated, then push the button. Enjoy the smell! Very easy to clean - run water through by pressing the button and dump out/wash the tray where the overflow grill is and the basket that catches the many pods.

- Aeroccino froth maker is soooo much easier than trying to use the steam nozzles that most cappuccino maker's have (no splattering and nice, consistent... Read more

Why pay for a more expensive Nespresso machine? This one does what all the others do - namely makes great coffee! Looks cool and sleek in office or at home.

It may not cause you to forget your favorite Italian or French cafe espresso, but this machine comes pretty close, without the airfare and hotel. Easy to use, the Essenza pumps out crema-laden coffee time after time. With a $130 price tag and the capsules that go for $.55 each, you're even financially with Starbuck's after 100 cups, and from there the savings mount up. (A back-of-the-envelope calculation is that if you buy this machine and drink roughly an espresso a day during the first year -- versus going to Starbuck's for the same thing -- you will save over $300.) Moreover, the quality of Essenza's espresso is more consistent than espressos I've had at Starbuck's, Caribou, etc. The only question now is the machine's durability, but for now, after a month of use, I'm definitely sold!

I worked in an office that had one of these and I just loved the coffee it made. So, I bit the bullet after spending five years making French Pressed coffee and purchased one of these sweet little coffee/espresso makers for my home. I will still make the French Press every once in a while, but this is so great for every day that I don't miss the French Press at all.

To be helpful, the reasons I love this little machine are below:

1) The size is perfect for small counters. It takes up very little space and fits great in the corner where it's out of the way.

2) It comes assembled, so all you need to do is wash the water dispenser, run some plain water through the machine a couple of times and then add the coffee capsule

3) The milk frother is THE best thing ever! It's so simple to use. Add milk up to the minimum or maximum line, put on the lid and press the button and then let it do its thing. It makes the PERFECT milk for... Read more

The coffee tastes really good. Don't let snobs and wannabes tell you that Nespresso is nowhere comparable to espresso brewed with a Rancilio or a Gaggia. Nespresso makes excellent espressos, and the capsule system is very convenient and clean. However, the Nespresso machines made by Nestle feel cheap. They are made of low-quality plastic all around. Nespresso could charge a bit more and offer the same Essenza models in metallic casing, instead of cheap plastic.