Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker and Milk Frother

With all the new style espresso machines on the market (Tassimo, Keurig, Flavia, etc.) I was convinced that Nespresso was more of the same: a set of stylish gimmicks designed to convince you that this "espresso" (though not real at all) was "the real thing." It never is.

Which is why the Nespresso is so great. It IS the REAL THING. The capsules contain nothing more than espresso coffee grounds. The machine is simply an automated and miniaturized "real" espresso rig. And the results speak for themselves:

-full bodied crema like you get from the best barista

-speedy and HOT cups of espresso

-the espresso produced is crisp and clear, full bodied, and smooth

-my Sicilian wife and all her relatives (numerous, and mostly named "Maria" "Antonina" and "Dominic") all fully approve of the espresso that comes out. Comparing is to "Nonna's" would be sacrilege, but although those words have not been spoken yet, I am conviced the thought has crossed a couple minds. :-)

-all this in under 30 seconds and within a square foot of counter space.

The frothing unit that comes with the machine is nothing short of black magic. I have NO IDEA what it does or how it does it, but the results will amaze you. And the best part is it's easy to clean: no sticky milk mess left behind to make you wonder who's gonna get sick first.

Coffee for this machine is 55 cents per cup, and Nespresso delivers online orders with astonishing speed (which is good, because you can't get the coffee from anyone else!). A bit pricey, but in this case you DO get what you pay for... and then some.

I purchased the Nespresso Citiz several months ago and saved it for Christmas. It was a gift for both my husband and myself. Our morning routine has been to brew a pot of coffee, heat milk in the microwave, and froth by hand in a stainless steel frother. Needless to say, there are lots of steps and lots of items for the dishwasher, but we love our morning coffee. The Nespresso was a hit right out of the box. It is so simple to use, the milk froths better than anything we've ever done by hand, the expresso is divine. My husband said it best, "It is so good that it makes you think about what you are drinking and appreciate the experience of really good coffee." Like someone wrote in a previous review, "we're not going to Starbucks anymore." Yes it is expensive, but over time can actually save money. Yes, you have to order the pods from Nespresso, but this is high quality expresso and delivery is fast. I purchased the sample box to give us an opportunity to try everything. This is an exceptional product.

UPDATE: 3/11/10 The frother on our unit has quit working on two occasions . . .the first quit working after a month, the second after six weeks. While there was no problem getting replacement units, I am concerned that after the unit is out of warranty we will have a Citiz unit with a broken frother. I see someone else has had the same problem in these reviews. It is important not to leave the frother on the connector after use, and let it cool completely between uses. ( Even following these instructions, ours still malfunctioned.) The Citiz is wonderful. We love the coffee, getting pods is a breeze. Customer service is wonderful, but I am seriously considering taking our unit back to the store where we bought it and getting a separate unit and frother.

UPDATE: 5/2/10. The frothier quit again. We use it several times a day....4 to 5 times...it quit yesterday and we are frustrated. We treat it with kid gloves since we've been through four frothers since Christmas. Nespresso service has been great but we are going to return the unit to the store and exchange for the unit without the frothier and buy a separate frothier. Upside..we can take it with us. I would be interested in knowing if others have had similar problems.

Before buying the combined unit consider your usage. It may be fine if you only use it once a day. However, if you will be making multiple cups of latte each day, you may wish to consider buying separately.

UPDATE 11/9/2010 We did return the original unit in September and picked up a separate frother and the Citiz without the frother. We've been very happy since. In fact we took in on vacation with us. Stayed in several different hotels and it didn't bother us to haul it around as we really love the Nespresso coffee.

UPDATE 5/5/2013. Still use the Citiz all the time and are VERY happy with it. In fact, we have a Pixie to take with us when we travel. We now have a Breville frother which is the best we've found. Had a dinner party last week and my guests raved about the espresso after dinner.

Buy Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker and Milk Frother Now

This machine is brilliant. The best espresso or cappuccino I've ever tasted, and all in less than 2 minutes, start to finish. The milk frother is a miracle--quick, perfect, instant cleanup. My wife and I have been wired out of our heads since it arrived. We can't stop drinking the stuff. We're giving Stieg Larsson's characters a run for their caffeinated money! The reason is that all the usual inhibitors are gone: the coffee's gone cold and acrid in the pot, can't face the 20-minute production and cleanup for a cup of espresso, etc. It's like the world's smartest drug dealers got together and designed this thing. Got the slightest urge? Satisfy it! Why not? Just hit the button and it's there. Wait a minute, my wife's calling me. What's that? We're out? Excuse me, I have to go knock over a 7/11 so I can order another box of capsules.

Read Best Reviews of Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker and Milk Frother Here

I bought the Citiz + Milk from the manufacturer. What I wish I'd known is that they make the milk frother as a separate component. The Citiz + Milk has a larger footprint because it includes a platform that powers the espresso maker and frother. But it's also possible to get a stand-alone Citiz and buy a ($50 more expensive) frother that you can use and store independently of the machine. That may be better for people with small spaces.

Now, on to the machine itself. It is well-designed, easy to use and easy to understand. It makes a FANTASTIC cup of espresso, and for milk coffee drink lovers, it makes FANTASTIC cappucinos, etc. The very first drink I put together using the machine was hands-down, no question, superior to the [ubiquitous coffee chain] that I buy two of every day at work. So for me this Citiz machine gets the full 5 stars.

It's just plain fun to use. Nespresso goes all out with the packaging to a hilarious degree, even sending a binder full of information. It makes you feel like you just bought a really, really special device. The thing is, overblown packaging aside, you DID just buy an espresso machine worth every dang penny.

I have to say the milk frother deserves praise on its own. It makes froth so thick and firm you can almost stand up a spoon in it. It has the consistency of meringue.

I'm very happy with my Citiz + Milk.

UPDATE 12/27/2010: I've had mine for a year now, still operating flawlessly, and I wanted to pass along some user notes. I don't keep the frother on the Citiz charger/base when not in use. I read that it's possible for electric current to continue to be passed to the frother, even when the unit is off. This 'may' be what is causing other people's frothers to stop working. I don't have any scientific proof/disproof, but I haven't had any problems with mine.

Nespresso identifies some capsules as espressos and other as lungos (American-style coffee). I have found that all of the espressos work as "lungos," since making one just means using twice as much water. In other words, I have discarded all the prescribed do's and don'ts, and have just played with the machine and capsules to figure out combinations I like. Same with the milk quantities. Also, some milks froth better than others. The fat content in the milk seems to make a difference. My advice would be to just play around with it, and not get too hung up on Nespresso's "rules."

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I give the Citiz itself 5-stars. I love this machine. It produces great espresso, at a low cost compared to a cafe or Fivebucks. I tried a traditional pump espresso maker and it is just too much hassle for my needs. I love espresso but I am no barista, nor do I care to be, and I don't want to spend a half an hour making it and cleaning up in the mornings. Nor do I want to spend a thousand bucks on a decent machine and more importantly, grinder. The Nespresso coffee is outstanding, with a dozen different flavors, and the sheer ease and speed at which I can produce them is insane. Unbelievably convenient with no mess.

My only issues with this particular unit is the footprint. The Citiz was designed with the urban consumer in mind, limited counter space while still embracing functionality and style. When you purchase the Citiz with Milk, the espresso machine is attached to that base unit along with the Aerochino. And while the machine is still great, it's space conserving design is rendered completely useless. Furthermore, where my Espresso machine lives, the frother is more convenient on the left side of the machine, which isn't an option with this combo. So I returned this unit to Amazon, who is always a pleasure shopping with and handling returns from my experience. I then opted for the Citiz stand alone unit, and separate Aerochino. I found a bundle at W&S that Amazon didn't seem to offer. Also, if you go the separate Citiz and frother route, the stand alone frother seems a little bigger and better. It also has a handle, and you can store it wherever you want.

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