We have owned the Nespresso CitiZ for a year and have been very happy with it. Recently we also bought the Nespresso Pixie for our vacation place and are slightly disappointed with the operation of the machine. Here are our thoughts (listed in no particular order):PROS:
Small footprint makes this machine well suited for smaller kitchens that don't have a lot of counter space.
Heats up very quickly, i.e. making coffee is quite fast
Cute design
Coffee is very good and hot, with excellent crema, just like it is with the Citiz.
CONS:
Smaller water reservoir means frequent refilling.
Reservoir is more difficult to remove than on the Citiz. It clicks into the machine at the top via two plastic 'hooks' which only retract when one opens the reservoir's hinged lid. With the lid open, one then lifts the reservoir up and out. We found this a bit tedious, coming from the more straight-forward design of the Citiz where no opening of the lid is required, one lifts it out and is done.
The cup tray folds up for taller cups such as latte macchiato glasses but it does not stay folded up on its own, i.e. one has to hold the tray with one hand and place the cup down with the other. As soon as the cup is removed, the tray falls back into its original position
We found that there is noticeable coffee spray during operation. We had to place the machine on a towel and move it away from anything that could be permanently soiled by that spraying, such as walls.
SUMMARY:
The coffee quality is excellent, absolutely no gripes here. Our problem with the Pixie is with the operating aspect of this machine. We feel that it is too small for its own good. The smaller size apparently required design changes which in turn lead to all those inconveniences listed above. Where space is at an absolute premium, we would probably still recommend this machine but if there is sufficient space (and the Citiz is not THAT much bigger) we think that the Citiz is definitely the better and more thought-out machine. In our opinion the slightly higher price for the Citiz is worth it.
UPDATE 8/16/12:
When ordering Nespresso capsules from the Nespresso website (pretty much the only place where to get these), they have now set a requirement for their customers to order multiples of 50 capsules. Which means you can either buy 50 or 100 or 150 etc. capsules when ordering. This rule of 'multiples of 50' did not exist before. To me this is a very annoying move on part of Nespresso because it doesn't allow the customer to order, let's say, 30 of a decaffeinated variety, 20 of a Lungo and 20 of an espresso variety. Now one must place orders for higher (or lower) quantities in order to reach the 50/100... multiples.
I thought I'd mention this because if you decide on a Nespresso machine you will need to order your capsules from their website exclusively (if you want genuine Nespresso, do not live near one of their boutiques and do not want to shop on eBay). I for one will take a long hard look at this marketing practice and probably scale down my usage of Nespresso considerably because of it.
I am SO glad I gave it a chance. Not only is is minuscule compared to the semi-automatic machine that it is replacing on my kitchen island, but it is very fast, problem free and really a joy to use. It truly does heat up in an instant. I click the power switch and before I've chosen a capsule from the spinner Nifty Nespresso Coffee Carousel and popped it in, the machine is ready to go.
My kitchen is such that I don't have to move the machine one bit to remove and refill the water tank, and the tank fits perfectly in my fridge door water dispenser. It may be that by not moving the machine much, I am not stressing its weak points who knows. All I know is that for ME, it is fantastic and flawless.
One other potential downside, which applies to any pod or capsule machine, is acquiring and disposing of the actual pods. I was concerned about this, as I was in the habit of grabbing a bag of beans at my convenience. The machine came with 16 capsules and I ended up ordering the "welcome kit" of 200 pods directly from Nespresso (by far the best deal on capsules is directly from Nespresso) one day later the box was waiting outside my door. As far as disposing of the pods, they are currently going in my co-mingled recycling bin at the condo. What happens to them from there is anybody's guess. At least they are packed simply bare aluminum pods in a cardboard sleeve, no additional plastics or unnecessary materials.
Also, like many other Nespresso reviewers have complained, I am drinking more coffee (5 capsules), which I'm sure is terrible for me, but I really seem to enjoy their coffee variety and for me, .55 per cup seems reasonable for the quality and is a much better value than several of the big-name coffee bars. Also, I don't get the caffeine jitters from the espresso, like I would from standard brewed coffee.
Again, just my personal experience, but I wanted to share my satisfaction and success with a machine that seems to have been problematic for several others. Perhaps mine is from a newer production run? Whatever the reason, I recommend it whole-heartedly.
Buy Nespresso C60 Pixie Espresso Makers Now
This review will hit upon several issues, especially as they relate to other reviews here: size, heat and speed, efficiency, and satisfaction.Some of the reviews on this page made me nervous about both the Citiz and the Pixie. I have been using and loving my Nespresso Esenza for 3.5 years, and it has never had a problem--it doesn't leak, it makes perfectly hot espressos, the crema on the espresso is excellent, it has a nice, simple design, and its footprint is perfect for my apartment countertop. A flawless machine in every way. Some of the reviews here for the Pixie and the Citiz worried me that Nespresso had dropped the ball and let their quality slip. This is not at all the case.
My Pixie is a wonderful addition to my small, private office. The water-cooler station in my faculty lounge has a Keurig, and I hate it. The Keurig functions just fine, but the taste (no matter what "k-cup") is horrible, and I really prefer espresso anyway. I was going back and forth between the Pixie and the Citiz, but went with the Pixie for two main reasons: the size, first off; secondly, I visited a Nespresso boutique and they explained to me that the Pixie is the hottest and fastest, as well as the most energy effcient of their machines.
As to the size, it's perfect for sitting on my desk (and L-shape desk). I have plenty of room for the machine, some espresso cups, and all my other stuff, and plenty of workspace left over. The other thing I liked about the size, in contrast to some of the other reviews here, was that I liked the smaller water tank. Since I'm the only one drinking from this machine, I prefer to change the water more frequently because it keeps it fresher. Besides, the 24oz. tank makes at least 12 espressos, so I'm changing the water once a week, maybe twice. This isn't a realistic problem or inconvenience. It takes me longer to pee. If you're putting this in a kitchen where several people will be making drinks, this might be an issue, but it's important to keep in mind how much your use will tax the 24 oz. reservoir. And anyway, it takes only a minute or two to refill the water tank, especially on the Pixie, which is so fast!
In terms of the speed and heat, it is really fast, warming up from being powered off to ready for espresso in about 20 seconds. My Esenza can take a full 1-2 minutes, depending on how long it has been cooling. As far as heat of the coffee is concerned, the reviews about how it doesn't make a hot drink are nuts. The espresso that comes out of this machine is much too hot to drink right away--it's steaming hot. I've made the mistake of taking a sip too fast and it burned my mouth. I can't imagine many people needing to take a shot of piping hot espresso. You should be sipping it and savoring the flavor. If it's too hot, you won't be able to enjoy it. In fact, one of my few complaints with the Pixie might be that it's too hot: the crema on its espressos is not as good as with the Esenza, and I wonder whether that's due to the heat. If it's not due to the heat, it might be to do with the speed. This machine quick, making an espresso in about 10 sec. (starting with my pushing the button to a full cup).
Efficiency: one of the things I liked about the machine was the auto-off function. It automatically shuts itself off after 9 minutes of non-use (again, it only takes about 20 second to heat back up and get ready for your next espresso). I thought this would be perfect for my office, and I like that it's looking to save some power. The more cynical reviewers here would probably say that it doesn't matter that it powers off because the Nespresso system is so wasteful anyway--this is true...if you're lazy. The Pixie's body itself is made of recycled capsules. The capsules are perfectly recyclable. All you have to do is scrape the grounds out of them. Is this a pain in the neck? I little, but I used to just save them up, do about 30 at a time, and it would take me 10 minutes; I use a butter knife. I probably spend as much time in aggregate rinsing all my plastic and glass bottles and jars before they go in the recycling bin. Here's the best part: if you live near a Nespresso boutique, a Sur La Table, or a Williams Sonoma (perhaps other retailers, too), they have recyling stations for the used capsules. You don't need to clean out the grounds; you just take in your spent capsules and they ship them to Nespresso for extraction and recycling. This is a perfectly green enterprise, and certainly more eco-friendly than all the Starbucks cups we all just throw away.
This is my second Nespresso product and I am a most satisfied customer. Everytime I have dealt with Nespresso customer service, either to order capsules (though I mostly do this online or at Bloomingdales, where I have a boutique), or to ask a question, they are friendly, professional, patient, and knowledgable. My original Esenza machine came with the milk frother accessory. After about a year of use, the milk frother (which is a separte unit from the Nespresso machine) stopped working. I called just to order another because I had around that time received an email about how it was time for me to descale my machine, and they had some special going that if I ordered any capsules, they would include the descaling solution for free. So, I called, and ordered some capsule and the descaling solution, then said I also needed to order a new frother. She asked me to hold, came back a couple minutes later and explained that the frother was still under warranty. She overnighted a new (not refurbished--brand new, newst model) frother and included my capsules and solution in the same shipment. For free. All I paid for were the capsules. New frother, descaling solution, overnight shipping...FREE. That is serious customer service, folks. The people in the boutique a very nice and informed, too. What I also like is that Nespresso tracks your capsule ordering, so they know about when it's time to descale. I don't even think about it--they send me an email, I know it's time based on how many capsules I've gone through. Ordering is extremely easy online, and two day shipping is their standard method, so if you're just a little thoughtful, you'll never be without. As for the proprietary capsule, who cares? It's 50 cents per espresso (only 65 cents for their limited edition). Cheaper than any coffee shop, and it's an espresso far superior to, say, Starbucks, Coffee Bean, or Caribou. Unless you demand artisinal espresso everytime, I can't imagine this not being sufficient, even for true espresso lovers.
My satisfaction with the Pixie (and the Esenza and Nespresso generally) are through the roof. The only reason I'm not giving this machine 5 stars is because I think the Esenza might make a better espresso (the crema specifically) and Amazon won't let me give it 4.5 stars. Interestingly, the Esenza has a much lower price-point, but it's slower, not as hot, and not so eco-friendly. The Esenza's design is also not as slick. I love the way my Pixie looks. I get compliments and intrigued oos and ahs from colleagues and students all the time. Too bad for them I won't share. I'm adding a photo of the Pixie in use. It's the one with the pretty blue cup.
Read Best Reviews of Nespresso C60 Pixie Espresso Makers Here
I've had a Nespresso Pixie for a few weeks and love it. The coffee is great and the machine easy to use. I looked at other models, but the Pixie is faster, making a cup of coffee in 20 seconds rather than the 60 seconds required by older models. It has a convenient handle that also serves to enclose and puncture the capsule and is light enough to easily carry to another room by the handle. Also, the cup support folds up so that a large cup can be put under the spout. It holds almost as much water in its container as the much larger Citiz. About the only downside is the small quantity of coffee dispensed. While not a problem for expresso, The lungo is only 3.75 oz and I like to sip a full 12 oz cup in the morning. I don't think I want the expense of three capsules every day. So some days, I drink Nespresso, other days I make a regular cup of coffee with my old Braun. I purchased an aeroccino with the Pixie and this works quite well producing a nice froth and I have been bery happy with the capuccinos I've made.Want Nespresso C60 Pixie Espresso Makers Discount?
Got the Pixie for my wife's birthday. First use to clean leaked water all over the counter, this was before we had even powered the unit on. checked the reservoir was seated properly. leak coming from the base of the unit not the area where the reservoir sits. Tried to load a capsule and not only does it not puncture the capsule, the water leaks from where the capsule sits too.How this unit could have gotten through any form of quality test I will never know.
Waiting on a replacement unit, I will revise my review once we have it.
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