Nespresso D121-US-BK-NE1 Citiz Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Milk Frother, Black

I started out getting my spouse a manual espresso machine and burr grinder as a gift, but it quickly became obvious that we weren't going to use them very often because of the time and number of steps involved in making espresso, cappuccino, and lattes by hand -grinding beans, brewing, steaming milk, multi-step cleanup. Weekday mornings are hectic, and who has time for all that?

So the manual machine and grinder went back to the store, to be replaced by the Nespresso CitiZ with Milk. Think of it as a Keurig machine for espresso shots. It's simple to use -just insert a prepackaged espresso capsule from Nespresso and push the button for a small or large shot. This machine is a 19-bar pressure-driven espresso maker, and when combined with the high quality grinds available from Nespresso it brews a very nice cup of espresso with surprisingly rich crema.

The CitiZ with Milk also includes a built in milk heater / frother unit that can either produce hot thick milk for lattes or foamed milk for macchiatos and cappuccinos. The frother is easy to use just select the mixing attachment you want (one for un-frothed milk, one for foamy frothed milk), add some milk, pop the cover on, and press a button. The frother heats the milk and optionally froths it, then turns itself off when it's done. Pour the milk over your espresso (or vice versa) and you're done.

One area where the machine could stand improvement is the temperature of the milk. The aeroccino accessory only heats milk to around 150 degrees, so your coffee beverages aren't very hot. They're not as hot as using real steamed milk, so if you like your cappuccinos and lattes hotter than this you'll need to microwave them for a few seconds before drinking.

The only other downside is that you have to buy the capsules from Nespresso, and in many areas they're only available online, so you have to plan ahead lest you run out. At $0.60 per capsule they're more expensive than grinding your own beans, but considerably less expensive than going to Starbucks every day. A wide variety of beans is available in a range of strengths with different characters, but only 3 of the 16 varieties are decaffeinated. If you're a decaf drinker you'll wish you had more options.

Other than that, we've been delighted with the Nespresso so far.

I received this Nespresso machine as a gift and loved it so much, I bought an identical unit for my office. The quality of the end product whether expresso, latte or cappuccino, is very good.

The problem began 6 months later when the built-in frother began to malfunction. I got online and found recommendations about not placing the unit back in place after using it, not keeping power turned on except when in use, etc. After trying this, the frother began to work again. However, several months later, it no longer works and nothing has seemed to work. If you can find a number or place to return these machines to Nespresso, you are better and more patient than I. Not only do I not have the box to ship it back in, nor do I want to forego my morning expresso for weeks on end, but I can't find a place to contact. Customer service is definitely lacking. Eventually, I bought a new stand-alone frother to carry me over. Eventually, the expresso part will die and I'll be forced to purchase a stand-alone of that.

Buy Nespresso D121-US-BK-NE1 Citiz Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Milk Frother, Black Now

I love this machine! The espresso it makes is delicious every time, and is very fast and mess-free. There are a variety of flavors Nespresso makes to try (buying from their club is the most cost-effective way to get your capsules) and I have enjoyed trying them all in order to find my favorites. I have had my Citiz Espresso Maker about a month and have loved every minute of getting to know it!

You should be warned: the Aeroccino Milk Frother does not make the milk particularly hot. Now, don't be mistaken I love it. I think it makes beautiful foam, and heats milk to a temperature that I consider to be *immediately drinkable* but if you like your latte to be HOT, you should skip the Aeroccino and just get the espresso maker on its own. I hated having to steam milk on my old espresso maker I found the process loud, messy, and the spout hard to keep clean. The Aeroccino is super easy to clean (I rinse with water after each use), super easy to use, and I don't mind WARM versus HOT milk, so I am very happy.

Also, I am going to mention (because it was a big concern for me as a non-dairy person) that it will warm AND froth/foam both SOY and ALMOND milk perfectly. The foam is lovely with both, and the "milk" is warmed and smooth. It has no problems with the slightly thicker consistancy, and comes out beautifully.

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Pros:

I loved the weight of this machine, it was well packed, easy to setup and really enjoyed the ease of use. I really like the attached milk frother (Its heats up just enough milk and the magnetic frother works great).

The machine is super easy to use , you lift up, drop the pod, close and push the button. couldn't be easier. It has an auto shut off too so if you forget to turn off it's not an issue.

Cleaning the milk from the frother was a breeze. Cleaning the pod catcher after they drop into it was simply and well thought out.

Now for THE CON:

My goal was to use this with the refillable pods and not only the Nespresso pods. I purchased the ones that seemed to me to be the best, the CoffeeDuck Refillable Coffee Capsules For Nespresso 3 Pods These Espresso Cups fit all Nespresso machines from after October 2010 and those turned out to be a disaster (they melted after a few uses). I did more research and realized that I was not the only one to have those issues, so I ended up returning the machine as i was not willing to drink $5-$6 worth of pods a day ( to me that beats my purpose)

In conclusion, if you want an espresso here and there this is ideal, if you are hoping to replace your coffee maker with this think again . There doesn't seem to be a refillable pod at this point in time that will allow to do this without melting after a few uses.

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This is an easy review as it is the second Nespresso Citiz I have purchasedone for home and one for office. A great cup of espresso and easy milk frothing with these machines. While the capsules are pricey, the end result is wonderful and would be hard to match without spending a great deal more and losing convienance.

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