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.

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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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Urnex Full Circle Biodegradable Coffee Machine Cleaning Powder

It was a friend's recommendation that prompted me to try this product. My coffee pot is more than five-years-old and its interior stainless steel finish is a distant memory. It was an unexpected surprise to see the shine reappear on the inside of the pot. More importantly, I am enjoying my morning coffee again. I had not realized how bitter its taste had become. Full Circle really did make the difference. Thank you!

"I Love This Product" My coffee pot was making very bitter coffee even though I ran White Vinegar through it several times and My Pot was crystal clear. I found this product and saw it was biodegradable and phosphate free so decided to try it.It is amazing! Coffee tastes wonderful. Also so easy for an old lady to use. I would suggest running 2 pots of water through it before making a new pot of coffee. I can now switch from my preferred flavored coffee to regular coffee for guests without theirs tasting like mine!!!Love It!!

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This product was VERY easy to use. Left my coffee maker clean and improved the taste of the coffee considerably. Would definitely use again!

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This is so easy to use and I totally could tell the difference after using it. The taste of my coffee was dramatically improved. It took away the bitter taste that lingers after a lot of use. The days of struggling to clean your pot are long gone my friend.

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I have a coffee maker with a thermal pot. It gets a build up fo the coffee color on the inside. I have tried everything to clean it, and had to have boiling water and put in a dishwasher capsule. and let it sit. Now I used this stuff once, and it did a job on the same thing, and cleaned it just as good. and it cleaned the rest of the maker thouroghly. Stuff is great

Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

I've had the Cuisinart DCC-1200 for about a week now. I was hesitant to spend so much on a coffee maker but I'm happy to report it's well worth it. Sure, you can get other brands of coffee makers for under $25 if economy is the most important feature, but I've had those machines and I decided that, this time, a good cup of coffee was most important for me. This unit makes the best coffee I've had in a home or office machine and better than most coffee I've had in restaurants.

This coffee tastes smooooooth! I suspect the charcoal water filter is the reason for that. I also like the "shower head" design of the water spout. The water actually runs up a track onto the underside of the lid and is sprinkled over the ground coffee like a rain shower.

It's an attractive unit but it also looks like a serious coffee maker. This unit is no toy. It looks and feels solid. The carafe has a good solid feel and balance. The plastic parts (like the plastic carafe lid and handle) feel like good heavyweight plastic and are well molded. It's not the lightweight crappy plastic that cracks and discolors easily in the cheap coffee makers.

I like the 5 beeps when the coffee is ready. Now I can leave the kitchen and go clean or whatever and I don't have to keep running back to see if I can get a cup yet. I can hear the beeps. But if I really can't wait and want a cup in mid-brew, I can just remove the pot and pour a cup you've got a full 30 seconds to reinsert the pot, before you risk an overflowing filter.

I like the permanent gold-tone filter too. I always thought paper filters were a pain. They'd fold over sometimes and there'd be grounds in my coffee. But you can use paper filters in this machine if you want to. I just prefer the convenience of the gold-tone filter (top rack machine washable too).

It has an indicator light for cleaning -it says it's "self-cleaning" but really it's just a light telling you when you need to pour in a pot of water/vinegar and run it through to decalcify the unit. (I never thought to do that with my other units. Probably another reason my coffee wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.)

The low-medium-high setting on the hot plate is pretty nice too. And the auto-shutoff feature is great. I don't have to worry about forgetting to turn the machine off.

The instruction booklet is very good and very thorough. Comes with a parts reordering form too.

What don't I like about this machine? It requires maintenance in that you have to change the charcoal filters. But actually I don't mind since I think they are the reason the coffee tastes so smooth, and they are very easy to change and not expensive

Also, the area in the top of the machine where you pour in the water is narrow but again this is just a minor inconvenience. Just have to pour a little carefully.

So really it's almost all positives with a couple of very minor negatives. I highly recommend this coffee maker.

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) When my Braun FlavorSelect coffee maker unexpectedly stopped working, I had to scramble to find a new machine. I wanted another Braun, but unfortunately, they seem to have stopped making a 12 cup coffee maker. So I had to begin an intense search for a machine that had the features I wanted combined with good value. I finally found it with this Cuisinart model.

The advantages? For one, it makes excellent and HOT coffee. The carafe is solidly constructed and fits securely in square body so there's no chance of someone accidentally knocking it loose. Because the lid fits tightly, the pour is precisely narrow and smooth, with no side leaks even when the pot is full. The basket fits inside the housing instead of swinging free like so many models which prevents a misalignment between the water and the filter; the conical (Krups/Braun style) basket accepts both paper filters and gold-tone, although I learned the hard way that not all gold filters fit. The timer is very easy to program, as is the clock. The carafe warmer can be set at low, medium, or high for the temperature that's right for you. I found the "high" setting too hot since I drink my coffee black (I like my coffee hot but not scalding!), but those who add a lot of milk might appreciate it. The brewing is quick and efficient, with the process taking about a minute a cup, maybe less. The retro/stainless look complements most modern kitchen décors. There's a 1-4 cup setting to make sure such small amounts stay hot, and you can select how long the warmer remains on. The pot beeps five times when brewing is complete and just before the warming plate shuts off. Parts are top rack dishwasher safe. It comes with a water filter system designed to improve the taste of the brew.

But the Cuisinart does have disadvantages. The water reservoir is located on the right side, in the back, which makes it a little challenging for lefties like me to dump the final bit of water inside even though the carafe pours very accurately. Although I haven't yet missed the opening, I do struggle briefly with those last few drops unless I use my right hand. The housing is fairly tall, so if your counter space is only under the cabinets, you may not be able to lift the top in its entirety. (This is when the small rear reservoir becomes a major issue as you have to have room to completely lift the rather large top toward the back.) Clearance required: 7.5" wide by 8.5" deep of counter space with no overhead obstruction to pull out for filling OR 21.5" of overhead space to fully lift top. Without the top open, the coffee maker measures 7.5"w x 8.5"d x 14.25"h.

If you have the space for this coffee maker, you'll love it. I can't attest to how long it will last, but, as it comes with a three year warranty, I'm hoping for a good run.

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Two weeks ago, I needed a new coffee maker. The Krups Aroma Control maker is in all the stores and catalogs, so I bought one in the local mall BEFORE reading the Amazon reviews. BIG MISTAKE. Lesson learned read the reviews many negative comments. I used it for 3 days, and readily understood the description (...) of "eye candy" (looks nice, but seems like cheap plastic) and weak coffee (what they describe as a feature allowing the coffee to steep is really a euphemism for a poorly designed system that is guaranteed to give you a weak cup of coffee). One redeeming feature the carafe is very nice.

Within 2 days of having the Krups, i was on Amazon looking for a replacement coffee maker (a good cup of coffee is critical in the morning!). I went out on the risk curve and ordered the new Cuisinart no reviews yet. The Cuisinart has a more classic brewing system (water goes through grinds via gravity), yields a delicious cup of HOT coffee, has a variable temperature hot place, and looks and feels solid. We happen to have stainless steel appliances (refrigerator, freezer, stove), and it matches beautifully. Best news excellent coffee!. I would highly recommend the Cuisinart.

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Folks, this is one excellent coffee maker. I read the comments here and decided to get it even though some had complained of spillage when lifting the lid and also the coffee not being hot enough. Well I can tell you that when I lift the lid on mine, the water rolls to the back and then drips back into the machine on a nifty little lip attached to the back of the machine. It appears that Cuisinart has engineered a solution for the complaints of spilled water that some reviewers mention. Also, the coffee coming out of the carafe of my machine has steam drifting off of it, so it is plenty hot, another complaint that seems to have been remedied. There were also a couple of complaints about finger prints on the stainless and the small LED clock being hard to read, but let's be for real, all brushed stainless appliances will fingerprint and this is a very stylish coffee maker, not a kitchen clock(that's what your microwave is for! (wink)). Actually I think the Cuisinart guys intended the clock for autoprogramming functions and made it LED to match the stainless on the machine. And if you don't like the water filter, you don't have to use it. It is a nicety and can be readily found if you search the net for "dcc1200 water filter".

Enough defending complaints though. This machine makes superb coffee. It has the best carafe I have ever used(it will not spill a drop and it has a built-in plastic rim to keep you from busting it on the sink). It comes with a gold metal filter. Buy it and you will like it. And if for some strange reason you don't, then take it back. All jabs aside, this is an outstanding machine in form as well as function, and the people at Cuisinart obviously care what their customers think of their products. That means alot to me. How about you???

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I've commented on others' reviews, but wanted to get this up there where people can see it readily. I liked this coffee maker a LOT since I got it just over a year ago. It has a few little quirks, which you'll read about in other reviews, but made good coffee and I hadn't had any problems with it. UNTIL last week. It auto-brewed like normal and my husband had taken his coffee and left the pot with the remaining coffee (2-3 cups worth) for me to drink later. I came into the kitchen perhaps 20 minutes after the brewing to find the pot BOILING...literally, a HARD, rolling boil, there was a little smoke and the kitchen smelled like burning wires. I cringe every time I think of what "could" have happened if I hadn't been there! I removed the pot, unplugged the unit, and poured water into the reservoir in hopes of cooling it down which worked.

I was outside the return time for Amazon so I contacted Cuisinart to inquire about the 3-year limited warranty. They "normally" charge a $10 replacement fee, plus require you to pay to send the old unit back to them. They were willing to waive the $10 return fee, but I paid $9.95 to send the old one back. I haven't yet gotten the replacement, but after doing more research, I've decided that I don't feel safe using it. I've contacted the Consumer Products Safety Commission (1-800-698-2772) and suggest that anyone with a similar problem do so. I think that this coffee maker should be recalled.

I'm adding more here in hopes that this review gets refreshed and up to the top again! In addition, I've commented the following on another's review:

"I'm one of those who posted in an earlier posting about the fire hazard on this coffeemaker. I am SHOCKED that it is still being sold! People if you are looking at this coffeemaker, I suggest you keep looking. Yes, it makes great coffee and looks great, as many reviewers have said. However, please give more weight to the safety issues than the coffee or the looks. As far as I can tell there have been no injuries from this...but it seems just a matter of time. If you insist on this coffee maker, don't ever leave it alone on the stay warm setting!"

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Saeco Odea Go Espresso Machine

It lives up to the functionality described fairly well. However, there are a couple of things you should know.

1) Even at the full-cup setting, it doesn't really fill up a coffee cup. If you have a large cup, it might fill it up half way, if you're lucky.

2) Due to #1, the picture that shows two cups being brewed is somewhat misleading. The picture would look like the one shown only if the cups were left in place after the first brew cycle in order to run a second brew cycle into those same half-filled cups. This no faster than just brewing one cup and swapping in the next cup for the second brew cycle.

3) There is a low water sensor to let you know you need to fill up the reservoir -which is good. However, it will stop brewing the instant the low water sensor triggers even if it is in the middle of brewing a cup. This ruins the cup in progress, but to make matters worse, the low water sensor triggers when there is about two cups of water left in the reservoir. There is pleny of water left to finish the currently brewing cup (and probably enough for yet another cup), but the brewing comes to a crashing halt mid-brew. I wish it would perform the low water sensor check AFTER finishing a cup so you know when to refill the reservoir withot ruining a brew cycle (or wasting beans).