I wanted to purchase this machine a while ago, but couldn't find coffee capsules that I liked. That's changed.I took a second look at Nespresso when the Pixie came out, but after using the Pixie in the store on multiple occasions, I wouldn't purchase it. (Please see my Pixie review). I instead purchased the Citiz.
It's a great machine, producing consistent quality coffee from cup to cup with a lovely crema at the top. When you test the coffees, read the descriptions, and look for the intensity numbers (which can be found in the descriptions and on the sleeve which contains the capsules). If you can get the brochure with a wheel on the back page, it gives you acidity and bitterness ratings for each blend. I found that I do not like the "citrus" and "flowery" blends, but prefer the more intense blends which are still not bitter.
A couple of tips:
if you want more of an Americano, brew as directed for the different varieties, then eject the capsule and do another shot of just water. If you attempt to put too much water through the capsules, you will increase bitterness of the coffee.
don't forget to preheat your cups.... run a shot of just hot water through the machine and use it to warm your cup. Doing this will also prime the pump of the machine which will give you a hotter first cup of coffee.
In case you are curious: my favorite blends: Roma, Arpeggio, Fortissimo Longo, Vivalto Longo, Capriccio (lighter for a change, and this was OK with a little more water).
*** Update 12/21/11 ***
The limited edition flavors for this season are: Vanilla Blossom, Dark Chocolate, and Cherry. To my surprise, I liked the Vanilla the best (and I thought it would be the Dark Chocolate). I purchased both the Cherry and Vanilla. They are all worth trying. They are produced in small quantities, so when they are gone, I don't believe they will be available any longer.
Also, if you haven't seen the videos which Nespresso has put on line to advertise the special flavors of the season, they are fabulous!
Enjoy!
This machine does exactly one thing, and does it extremely well; it makes the best darn espresso. There are two buttons one for espresso the other for lungo. Essentially they are two different timers; lungo runs the pump for a longer time. These buttons are easily programmed to longer or shorter delivery times.
In use, there is nothing easier. Lift the black handle on the top of the machine. Drop a Nespresso capsule into the slot. Close the lever down. Press the button for the size of drink. When finished, lift the lever and the used capsule drops in a clear plastic reservoir (seen just behind the cup of espresso in the product picture).
From cold machine to a cup of espresso is roughly 1.5 minutes. Warm up time is around a minute, and brew time for the cup is about 30 seconds. Couldn't be faster, couldn't be easier.
On to the quality. You will never ever drink a better cup of espresso at Starbucks or Caribou, you can't. They make those drinks in paper cups and by definition the espresso can't be as good. There is nothing like drinking from a ceramic cup, it enhances the flavor more than you can imagine. You cannot mess up making the espresso. The capsule is hermetically sealed in aluminum; there is absolutely no air exchange, unlike plastic or paper containers. There is no need to refrigerate or freeze these capsules they do not deteriorate due to air exchange. Nespresso has solved some of the most critical variables in making espresso, fineness of coffee grind, roast time and temperature, preventing air from interacting with the coffee, pressure and temperature of the water, and brew residence time. Each cup tastes exactly the same one after the other.
The espresso itself. Oh my goodness, I have spent a lot of time in Italy drinking espresso at corner cafes. Nespresso is as good as, if not better than, anything I ever had in Italy. It is the rare US or Canadian restaurant that can brew a better espresso. Nespresso has become the gold standard by which I judge espresso when I travel. The crema on these drinks is amazing thick, rich, and perfect.
This machine is a replacement for a six year old Nespresso model D290. This lovely machine made maybe 15,000 espressos, it was incredibly reliable, up until a few weeks ago, it started to act strange not wanting to heat when first turned on. The only maintenance was descaling the machine every 6 months. I expect the CitiZ to last just as long.
Admittedly I am addicted to this machine, the espresso. Two to three espressos per day is my standard, and my wife usually has one or two lungos per day. Hopefully you can understand that I love this machine, and I love this espresso. This is far superior to any other "on demand" coffee makers, this machine makes real espresso.
Noise yes this machine makes noise. The CitiZ is slightly quieter than the older models, but it still makes noise. ALL mechanical espresso machines make noise; there is no way around that problem (you have to pump the water to reach the 90 some odd PSI to make real espresso). To me, this machine makes the most beautiful noise ever. It's a solid heavy pump sound, not some wimpy whiny noise. It's also so beautiful because my mind knows what is coming next, a great cup of espresso.
The real competitor to this machine, the Illy line, and $1000 true ground espresso machines. Here's the huge downside to those machines the Illy machines are well over $750, and the cartridges are paper wrapped (so once you open the can, you need to use all those cartridges quickly air is ground coffee's worst enemy). The ground coffee versions, you have a long warm up time to build heat and pressure in the vessel, you have to grind your own coffee, there's a huge variable introduced in grind size and coffee packing, and you have messy coffee grounds to clean up.
When you compare this machine to the alternatives for real espresso, this is a cheap machine. Add the convenience, and this is a no brainer choice to me. The one downside to this machine and all the Nespresso machines, you have to buy your coffee from Nestle directly over the internet or phone. Nobody else makes these capsules. Myself, I simply buy 500 at a time and watch my supply. From ordering to delivery is usually 3 days.
One of my biggest concerns in buying this was the longevity of Nestle producing these capsules. I think they will produce these for a long time in the future. The machine dates back to 1986. It is very popular in Europe. The capsule they use is a commodity aluminum capsule that is used by a number of other industries in other words, Nestle buys these formed aluminum capsules, fills them, and seals them. There is no proprietary container, unlike the other two popular beverages on demand machines. Nestlé's investment in capsule manufacture and distribution (all 100% internet or phone based with no marketing in the US) is really small for a great return to them.
Visiting Italians have told me this is the best espresso they have ever had in the US. And my wife, who rarely ever drank brewed coffee, looks forward to her lungo every morning.
If you are looking for that special $100 arena, and only want an on-demand beverage maker, this is by far the best machine you can buy:
Bosch TAS4511UC Tassimo Single-Serve Coffee Brewer, Silk Silver just remember, it makes great coffee, cappuccino, hot chocolate, tea but it does not make espresso (no matter what anyone says or claims, it is incapable of doing that). They have fixed the awful sound of the original machine by working with Bosch.
The other alternative for just coffee making (no cappuccino or hot chocolate) Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System.
The perfect accessory for the CitiZ is the Aeroccino. This is well worth the approximately $100 investment, it makes perfect foamed milk with no skills required. (Nespresso Aeroccino Plus)
I chose the CitiZ without the foamer included in the kit because I like the tiny footprint of this machine. The additional space for the foamer on the base takes up a lot of counter space. I really like the simplicity of this model.
The Pixie is a newer model from Nespresso. I'm not as impressed with that machine. In real life, it doesn't look as cool as this machine. June 2012 Update: I've actually used a Pixie, there is a big difference in machines. The Pixie makes a lot more noise, and maybe not a good different noise. The CitiZ is much quieter.
The other option is the Essenza, pretty much the same internal parts as the CitiZ; it is just squat and doesn't come in fun colors. Adjusting the cup height is a little more complicated with the Essenza. These machines have gotten less and less expensive over the years. My C290 list price was $600 almost 7 years ago. These new machines in the $200 price range are an outstanding value.
Buy Nespresso CitiZ C110 Espresso Maker Now
COFFEE. It's fine. My standard is Peets -a much darker roast than Starbucks. Nespresso is not quite as strong, but ristretto shots of their darkest blend come close to the Italian, not French, flavor I like. On a good day, I could do better grinding beans with a $300 Italian grinder and pulling shots through a $700 Italian espresso machine, but the average was no better.CONVENIENCE. Nespresso wins running away. That's because this is not the greenest purchase you will ever make. The capsules are hard to recycle unless your rinse them, which defeats the major benefit, which is convenient quality coffee.
COST. It's a rip off. Nespresso is building and aggressively defending a razors and razor-blade franchise (or a printer and cartridge franchise). As the Times quoted a marketing executive at goo.gl/nHesc "The idea was to keep it to the level of people who have a doorman.". See goo.gl/rhors for an explanation of the Nespresso marketing model. Nespresso has sold 30 billion capsules and grew the business grew 66% last year. They are militant against people who try to sell coffee capsules and this machine will not work with counterfeit capsules that do work in other Nespresso units. Add http :// with no space to the URLs to make them work -Amazon strips them out otherwise.
MAINTENANCE. Same as any machine -you need to descale it every 2-3 months depending on your water. I use a commercial descaler because the Nespresso ones are very expensive. I know, you are shocked. Don't use vinegar unless you want to taste it in your coffee for awhile.
RELIABILITY. Mine broke after two years. Started leaking, reduced the pressure, so the coffee got weak. Eventually the machine did not pierce the front of the capsule and only spewed water.
SERVICE. You cannot service the unit -they shut it with tiny Tork screws. Nespresso has a 24/7 phone line with helpful staff. Their web site is funky -it breaks a lot. Fixing the leaky machine costs $125 (they ship you a loaner in the meantime). It's half the price of a new machine, with half a warranty.
BOTTOM LINE: Would I buy one again? Yeah. And probably will. But that doesn't make me happy about it. If only I could complain to my doorman.
Read Best Reviews of Nespresso CitiZ C110 Espresso Maker Here
Wow! Lived in Europe for many years and enjoyed the coffee everyday. Since returning, it's been difficult to find the right machine, coffee, grind, etc., with a busy life. After an extended stay in Switzerland several years ago and running into this machine at many friend's homes and in the cities, it seemed like a great way to enjoy really good espresso at home.This coffee machine meets all expectations for taste, convenience, design, cost, and even sustainability, if you believe the literature. It's also a very aesthetic experience. After buying the machine locally, we ordered pods through the Nespresso Club. They came beautifully packaged with a nice storage box. The colors of the pods are quite lovely, the included book was fascinating with appealing illustrations, and it is very sweetly translated. The machine works like a dream, and the coffee tastes great. Not to mention the tiny footprint of the coffee maker on the countertop. Very enthusiastic about this coffee maker. Forget Starbucks with it's syrups and sugar that covers up the taste of inferior coffee. Just go Nespresso for wonderful fresh, high-quality coffee at home that's certainly much cheaper in the long run!
Want Nespresso CitiZ C110 Espresso Maker Discount?
Here's my theory: Nespresso is the Apple of the coffee world. Their products look great, and they work seamlessly pretty much every time. But, as with Apple products, Nespresso gets those consistent results by limiting the user inputs and not allowing you to fiddle with things too much. (And as with Apple products, you pay more for the experience!)So if you're a coffee purist or a die-hard-PC-type personality, you might not be happy with a Nespresso machine. But I can't resist such a perfect marriage of form and function, and I love that I can push one button and get a great shot of espresso.
And yes, it is REAL espresso--water is forced through the coffee grounds at the proper temperature and pressure to create a rich, thick crema and a shot with low acidity and no bitterness. So back off, coffee snobs.
I looked at the Pixie, too, but it seemed more plastic-y and flimsy. The footprint of the CitiZ was nearly as small (width is similar to the Pixie, perhaps even a bit narrower, but it's a little deeper and definitely taller), but it seemed sturdier and had more metal parts. The Pixie felt like it would lift up if I tried to operate the capsule lever with one hand, and I didn't like the fact that part of the face of the machine moved forward when you put the pod in--I was afraid that the moving parts, which were all made of plastic, wouldn't last long. The lever of the CitiZ, like the rest of the machine, just felt sturdier in operation.
The titanium looks great on my counter without being too slick and shiny. I also liked that it was tall enough to brew the espresso shots straight into my mug while the milk heats up; the Essenza only brews into a shot-size glass, and the flip-up shelf on the Pixie seemed flimsy and wasn't designed to stay flipped up on its own.
Like all Nespresso machines, the CitiZ makes a nice shot of espresso with just the push of a button, and the crema is lovely. I prefer the stronger blends for cappuccino, and a milder blend lungo for a macchiato. No bitterness, no grounds in my glass, and very low acidity. Temperature is good and hot, too; the rep at Bloomingdales, where I tried these out, said that if the shots start to seem cooler than before you should descale the machine.
Not much to say about the operation--it's really a one-touch deal. Emptying the pod container can be a bit messy because there's water below it, but I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Haven't had to descale yet, but it seems to be similarly straightforward.
The capsules start at 57 cents on the Nespresso site, and I got a $75 credit for the Nespresso store with my purchase (they seem to run these kinds of promotions fairly often). If you live near a Bloomingdale's with a Nespresso boutique, you can take back the used pods for recycling (at least you can at the one in DC). As far as I know, the Bloomingdale's Nespresso stores are the only brick-and-mortar stores that carry the capsules. Again, I think that's how they ensure that you get good results--they can tightly control the freshness of the product.
So if you're willing to give up some control to get a good result every time, with no fiddling or fussing or cleanup, Nespresso is perfect. If you're a control freak who wants to manage every variable of the experience, then Nespresso probably isn't for you. But if you appreciate the melding of form and function, and you want a better-than-average shot of espresso in less than a minute with no mess or fuss, you'll love the CitiZ. I sure do.
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