Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker

I have experienced a holiday 2009 embarrassment of riches. I purchased a DeLonghi EC155 espresso machine as a gift for my wife after much research and we have used it for for 2 days with much pleasure. As a total surprise, we received a Nespresso D110 as a family gift during a party, and we could not refuse it. It will be interesting to compare the $83 DeLonghi (with another $20 rebate in the mail) to, if I have the price right on Amazon, a $279.00 Nespresso D110.

First of all, the Nespresso D110 is really beautiful--as much a work of art as a functional machine. The "winter white" is more of a cream color and the machine itself reminds me of an art deco juke box from the 1950s, if that makes any sense. It is very slim and looks beautiful on the counter top. The DeLonghi is much more utilitarian, with obviously less expensive materials (again, the price difference makes sense). If I use a PC analogy, the D110 is a Mac (elegant, incredibly simple to use, and expensive). Just as there are vocal supporters of MacWorld--I think the Nespresso D110 will have equally vocal supporters if you can justify the price...or better yet, receive as a gift :)!

Initial impressions: it took about an hour and several tries on the DeLonghi EC155 to get the proportions right for a nice espresso with the ESE pods. With the Nespresso D110, it literally took about 5 minutes--and 3 minutes of that was reading the directions. 1-button operation. The crema on the espressos we produced from the Nespresso capsules were better the first time than we have been able to produce from the DeLonghi after several iterations.

My biggest complaint: the Nespresso machine does not have a milk frother whereas the DeLonghi EC155 does. Though I am not a designer, because the design is pump driven--it seems like having a frother would have been relatively easy and could have been incorporated with the elegant D110 design without altering its sleek appearance. Finally, a quick Amazon search tells me that the capsules that are to be used with the Nespresso line are proprietary, so there is not the competition like there is with the ESE pods used by other machines. A quick perusal tells me that the capsules are over $0.60 each, in bulk, while ESE pods can be found for closer to $0.40 online. The lack of frother and the proprietary capsules needed have me taking away 1-star.

Finally, this espresso machine is beautiful, elegant, very quick (you can crank out multiple espressos for a gathering quickly), produces excellent crema, has a small footprint, and is extremely easy to use. You pay a price for all of this and will continue to do so with the proprietary capsules. Again, the PC vs. Mac analogy is a good one.

I would not have thought I would be alive long enough to see a "Jetsons" reality. (I guess Raymond Kurzweil was right when he said technology will grow exponentially) This is truly a futuristic dream come true. The Nespresso produced coffee is the best. Perfectly intense without bitterness. I cannot imagine how someone could invent something so easy to use without compromising even a fraction of quality.

I purchased the bundle, Citiz and Aeroccino Frother and together they make an incredible latte.

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I bought this machine as an x'mas present for my mother who loves her coffee but is afraid of the steam from traditional espresso machines, hates the hassle of French Press, and dislikes drip coffee.

This product was an instant hit. Just switch the machine on, run it through once to rinse the machine & heat up the cup, then insert the capsule and press for a tasty cuppa. Repeat for a second cup. So simple a four year old did it too.

Added benefit is that this particular machine has a slim footprint and the water tank holds enough water for quite a few cups so the machine itself can be placed wherever you would like your coffee. So far the machine has been 1. in the kitchen, 2. upstairs in her bedroom on Sundays for a luxurious breakfast in bed 3. out tailgating plugged into the car inverter 4. in various hotel rooms during her spring roadtrips.

The folding cup tray, enables you to use either a cup or mug directly under the spout.

The CONs of this product are:

1 pod makes 1 Nespresso Cup = 4oz = 1/2 US Mug.

A mug of coffee requires 2 pods.

(An espresso shot is standard and is 1oz 1.5oz. The above 4oz refers to the "coffee"'/long-shot option)

No frother attachment. Milk has to be heated and frothed separately.

Addictive: this machine is so quick and simple to use that my mother has actually increased her daily coffee consumption.

Highly recommended for those who want to but cannot make a decent cup of coffee for any reason.

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Coffee extracted at atmospheric pressure can be drinkable, but to truly experience all of the flavor nuances, a high pressure extraction is necessary. The Nespresso CitiZ (all Nespresso machines use the same pump and block heater) pumps steam through the sealed coffee capsules at 19 bars, about 275 lbs. per sq. inch.

Temperature is important too. Do you enjoy the wonderful aroma coming from your drip coffee maker? You can actually sense it from other rooms of your house. That smell is actually volatile chemical components of the coffee that are lost to the air and not in your cup!

I started with a Nespresso C100, which I recently sold to a friend. I bought the CitiZ because the footprint is perfect for my modest kitchen.

The capsules are proprietary, but they're essential to making this system as great as it is. Even a $2000 machine would produce terrible coffee if you used bad beans. All Nespresso models come with a sample pack of capsules, so you can order your favorites right away.

While this machine is marketed as an "espresso machine", it can actually make any kind of coffee drink you can imagine. Wonder why you can't replicate Starbuck's drinks with your drip coffee maker? It's because they use espresso shots as a base for their overpriced drinks. Two programmable buttons allow for a ristretto (short) or lungo (long) shot. If you eject the capsule and hit the button again (this takes 2-3 seconds), you'll get hot water for dilluting your espresso shot to an Americano. But why would anyone want to do a silly thing like that??

The espresso comes out of the machine at a perfectly hot, but still drinkable temperature. This should be a no-brainer, but if you use a room temperature ceramic cup, the laws of physics dictate that the cup will steal heat from the coffee. Either pre-warm the cup using a hot water cycle, or use a thin-walled glass insulated tumbler (Bodum and Nespresso sell them).

In the summer, I love serving iced coffee drinks to my friends and family. Two pumps of flavored syrup (vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, etc. I like Torani or Ferrara), 4 oz cold milk, and three ice cubes. Put this under the spout and pull a ristretto shot using your favorite capsule variety. The hot espresso shot floats on the cold milk, and the espresso crema floats on the top of the drink. Elegant, dramatic, and delicious. Zero bitterness, minimal dilution from melted ice, and impossible to do using drip coffee.

If you get an Aeroccino milk frother, you'll have everything you need for making the best cafe lattes and cappuccinos you've ever tasted.

Personally, I mainly use this machine in the mornings to wake me up and get me going. I prefer a lungo shot or three, black and unsweetened. I take my time, and savor every delicious sip.

This machine will change your life if you let it. The best coffee drinks in town come from my little kitchen.

Stop wishing and start drinking real coffee!

Want Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker Discount?

This machine is excellent because it can be used with both small and large cups (Latte Macchiato, for example). The user can program how much water to use for each of the two programmable cup sizes.

CON: you need to warm the cups before using otherwise the coffee will be less than perfect. You can wam the cups by adding hot water to it and waiting for 15 seconds or so. You can do that by running the machine with no capsules in it.