DeLonghi Die-Cast Pump Espresso with Cappuccino Featuer

The machine is not as big as I was worried so it would fit nicely on the counter. It is attractive, well packaged and seems solidly built.

I was really excited about getting it even though a bit worried from those who stated theirs quit working after such a short time. I also purchased a grinder.

Unfortunately when I set it up and stumbled through instructions that were not very friendly, the machine simply would not work. It wold sputter and make weird noises then flash lights meaning no water delivery.

The troubleshooting section of the instructions says to check filter, valve and water container. Checked all multiple times and it did seem to have trouble with flowing water out of the water container with the filter in, so I removed it after multiple attempts to re-activate it. Water would then come out the valve, but machine still operated with failures to deliver.

I tried steam, hot water, and all different types of coffee in one cup, two cups, etc.

As badly as I wanted to get it to work, I finally packed it back up as defective and my plans to make my own expresso are done with. Other machines are either to cheap and may suffer same problems, or too expensive for me to purchase. This machine alone is a healthy investment and I was surprised at it's failure to work right out of a new box. I read instruction five times to be sure it was not operator error, and if it is, then instructions are bad!

I would exchange, but with reviews read from others my issue is much like they experienced after a few weeks.

Was awesome for 1 months and then would only make lattes not cappuccinos as the frothing of the milk wouldn't work any more. That was already my second attempt with that machine, the first one being defective and leaking water. Surprising from a reputable coffee machine manufacturer. I haven't bothered with the customer service, I just took it back.

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The EC 860 quit working after 2 weeks and then would only spit hot water. DeLonghi customer service was the worst I've ever encountered telling me only that I had to find a service place, I had to call to prearrange the places willingness to do the warrantee work on it and I had to pay the shipping... after 5 attempts to get any response at all. Perhaps my machine was a lemon, but there's no excuse for DeLonghi's lack of "customer care" (their words) & I won't waste my money on any of their products again. Thank GOODNESS for Amazon who will take it back and reimburse me!

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I have used this unit for over a year without any problems. It works as advertised. I do agree with one of the other users that the instructions were somewhat cryptic. This is not an Apple product. The initial set up is not intuitive. Read the instructions more than once and go for it. The price is reasonable and the performance is as expected.

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Nespresso D60 Pixie Espresso Makers

Addendum, 2012: In order to remove the water tank effortlessly, you need to OPEN the lid of the water container. There are latches on the lid itself which engage when the lid is closed! If you open the lid, the tank comes off without any resistance. If you keep it closed and try to remove the tank, you will have to force it and and will break the plastic. II've been using my Pixie for a year multiple times a day and it still runs perfectly. I descale the unit every 4-5 months and I've never had any problems with leakage after it's been descaled. One year in and my Pixie is jsut as good as the day I bought it.

I previously used a Tassimo system as my primary coffee maker but moved to a Nespresso Pixie when Starbucks dropped Tassimo. Since I've switched to the Pixie, I couldn't be happier and I've never had coffee this good at home.

First of all, the Pixie is a very stylish machine and it seems extremely solid in construction. The Pixie is made of aluminum and heavy plastic and it feels very substantial to handle/use. Secondly, the machine has a surprisingly small footprint, which is very nice if space is at a premium. I've only had my Pixie for a month but I use it about three times a day and so far, nary a whiff of any reliability issues. No leaking or inconsistent coffee temperatures, as reported by one reviewer.

The coffee produced by this machine is wondrous! No it doesn't produced shots which are equivalent to those coming out of an $8000.00 industrial espresso machine however, for a single shot pod system, the coffee the Nespresso Pixie makes is excellent. Consistently good aroma, body, taste and crema, commensurate with the stated characteristics listed in the Nesspresso classification for each type I've tried. I tend to drink lattes most of the time however I've consumed at least one of each type I received in the LARGE (200 shot) "Welcome order" as a strait espresso/lungo and all of them were firmly between good and great to my tastes.

Operation of this machine is drop-dead simple. Lift the large bar up and the Pixie top opens up, drop in a Nespresso pod, pull the bar down and press one of the two brew buttons (espresso & lungo) on the top. Thirty seconds later, enjoy your beverage. One beautiful design feature is that the next time you swing the bar up and open the Pixie, the previous Nespresso pod falls into a catch basin which holds 12 or so spent pods. When the container is full, the entire piece pulls away from the unit along with a drip tray for disposal or recycling of the used pods. No fuss, no mess, a 25 second boot time from power-on to brewing and great coffee to boot.

If you like espresso drinks and are extremely busy or don't want to deal with the mess, hassle and complication of a traditional machine, it's really hard to beat the Nespresso Pixie in form, function and price. I love mine so much I might have to order a second unit for my parents house. Each time I go back to visit them, I can't stand the fact that I don't have access to good coffee without driving out to Starbucks and throwing 5 dollars down a hole. With my Pixie (along with my Capresso milk frother) I can quickly make a latte which is almost as good for less than $1.50. In my opinion, if any product ever deserved a mythic sixth star, the Nespresso Pixie is it!

Addendum, June 2012: I've had my Pixie for about nine months now and I have zero problems to report. This little work horse keeps chugging along through multiple uses each day without incident. I did have to descale the Pixie after six months and I used the Nespresso descaling kit to accomplish the task...also worked like a charm. My water reservoir hasn't developed any cracks, as described by another reviewer, and I still heartily recommend my Nespresso Pixie.

Update, January 2013: My Pixie is still chugging along without incident. I use it daily and descale it every six months and so far, not a whiff of any mechanical problems. The Pixie is built like a tank.

I wanted to love this Pixie, I really did. As a Nespresso addict with a C101 and a CitiZ, this seemed like a logical next step to espresso nirvana. Lower power consumption, faster start-up times, smaller footprint what's not to like? Oh, and Made in SWITZERLAND too my other Nespressos had already been outsourced to a foreign supplier.

Unfortunately, the Pixie arrived with the water reservoir already cracked. Odd since it was in the original, unopened box and also sent well by Amazon (double boxed).

On closer inspection, the cracks in the reservoir were along stress lines of the cover. Two design faults of the new model are 1. the cover of the reservoir has clips which go into the coffee maker and steady it since the reservoir is plastic however, those stresses over time will crack the reservoir along where the clips are and 2. to keep a low profile, the reservoir base sits directly on the counter, not on a separate base (see CitiZ for better design). MORE stress every time you shift the coffee maker around to refill the reservoir or clean under it etc.

Bottom line Pixie is going back. Nespresso needs to rethink the reservoir design both how the clips attach and how the base sits on the counter. Not recommended.

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It's been about two months, I hate writing rewiews as soon as I get something. I want to give it some use before I write about it. We've used this unit at least 1-4 times a day. I particularly like the Lungo feature as I'm more of a volume drinker. Partner likes the espresso feature. Personally, I use the espresso cups for my Lungos and they're totally fine.

Features I like:

1. It's compact but not tiny. We've taken it on several trips so we don't have to drink hotel coffee. It packs well.

2. Quick operation: I can turn it on and easily within a minute (and that's pushing it) it's ready to go.

3. Automatic Shut off: After nine minutes the unit automatically shuts off. When you're rushing out the door for work, the last thing you want is "Did I turn it off". It's not going to burn the house down, but if you're energy conscience then knowing it's not just sitting there all day keeping the next cup of water warm, you'll like this feature.

4. Location of On/Off swtich and espresso/lungo switches: Easily accessible on the top back of the machine so you don't have to worry if you need to place it next to a counter wall or something and block the on/off swtich on one side or the other.

5. It does come with a selection of cups so you don't need to blindly order online right away* **.

*Never order from an "ESPRESSO" Vendor from an online retailer, go directly to Nespresso. The cups are $0.57-$0.64/cup. I've seen vendors on Amazon selling them for $1/cup and shipping takes longer and costs more.

**I highly recommend the "noob" box. It's the special 200 cup with a box and some additional material. I think you can only buy one per machine, but it will give you a good feel for what you like. Espresso is not all the same.

P.S. We did end up purchasing the milk frother (not on Amazon-got it on sale at the Mall) after about three weeks and I'm amazed at how fast it warms the milk and froths it. If you start it when you turn on your machine, it'll be done long before your coffee.

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I own a CitiZ with the attached milk frother for home use and I was so impressed I just had to get a Nespresso for my office. Didn't want to spend the CitiZ money again though, so I opted for the less expensive Pixie in the Steel Blue color. I was a little hesitant to buy given some of the negative reviews, but I took a gamble and I'm so pleased that I did. My Pixie doesn't leak or have any other problems. It's just as bulletproof as my CitiZ, although the Pixie appears to have more plastic parts than the metal/metallicized plastic of the CitiZ. It's just as loud as the CitiZ is too (not louder and not quieter). I supposed the machines have to be a little loud given the 19 bars of pressure that are pumped through them. Same great espresso from the machine too. Again, I've had no problems whatsoever with mine, and I would recommend a Pixie to anyone considering purchasing a Nespresso in this price range. One tip the machine prices vary by color, and those prices even fluctuate day-to-day. I would advise adding the machine you want to your shopping cart and then waiting a few days while monitoring the price of the item in your cart. I purchased the Steel Blue Pixie when I noticed the price jumped down to one hundred sixty-four dollars and bought it then. Some of the more popular colors seem to be consistently high in price though. Happy tasting! (P.S. Anyone want to buy a slightly used Keurig K-Cup brewer? :)

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i like espresso shots. it's the only type of coffee i drink. if you are like me single household, espresso drinker, never have milk in the house 'cause it'll spoil... you will be very happy with this machine.

i used to have a $499 breville espresso machine. it looked like a tank, but has a flawed flaky pump design. when my third replacement breville gave up its ghost yet again, i got myself this nespresso pixie.

i am so happy with it. this machine makes it so convenient to get a shot of perfect espresso as you get up in the morning. the workflow with the breville was get espresso coffee, put it in the dispenser, clean up the espresso that spilled, press the coffee, pop it in, pour the shot, put the spent espresso in the trash or garden, clean the dispenser, clean the espresso coffee from sink. with the nespresso, it's pop in the capsule, pour the shot, enjoy.

and the coffee is awesome perfect layer of crema, perfect water to coffee concentration ratio. honestly, better coffee than i managed to make with the breville machine. and i'd like to challenge whoever claims they can "taste the difference" between this and a $3k machine to a blind test. :) the pump in this little thing is a champ. also the comparison with Starbucks if that's your standard for espresso excellence, i pity you. :) it is not because i hate big chains starbucks is inconsistent in the quality of coffee roast as well as in that experience of the baristas. you'll get 3 average and 1 horrible espresso shot for every great one. my frame of reference for an espresso are small bars in Italy or Spain (the latter preferably a carajillo). yes i lived there. and yes real espresso shots are small. and strong. and the nespresso pixie delivers.

"but they will limit my choice of flavors" you might say as an aficionado. honestly, haven't you typically mostly bought the exact same brand of espresso coffee over the years? a big can of Illy or so? don't get me wrong, i like Illy, but the *huge* advantage of Nespresso for a coffee lover is the ability to easily a d conveniently experience different styles and flavors at home. and they are quite pure and consistent. when you go to Starbucks most of the time you don't know or care what coffee they serve. i owe it t Nespresso to truly establish what my coffee preferences are, and i have been an espresso fan for more years that i care to say. if you'd asked 2 years ago what kind of espresso i like, i'd say "as black and strong as possible". well now i am more nuanced. if i pour myself a Ristretto at 5.30am in the morning, it's like whoa, too much(10 intensity, rightfully). let's take it slow my first shot is a Rosabaya (6 intensity). but i'll get the Ristretto on those days when i need an early jolt, you know. it's fun, a world of nuances that wasn't quite there without the Nespresso system. Sure i could have kept 10 different cans of espresso beans in the freezer but who does that? 2 different types was the max i ever juggled before.

i had some reservations about the capsule experience (you don't get to "see" the coffee or touch it) but i don't miss the resulting messy coffee grind business in my kitchen.

sure i feel guilty about the aluminum pods i produce, but then again the big Illy cans I used to buy aren't a marvel in recycling technology :) and yes, i recycle the pods.

the ONE negative is probably getting used to a haphazardly put-together USA Club Nespresso website that is *slow* to navigate and actually provides you with zip information on your order status. you can't even look an order number in there, so you just have to trust the system. :) the follow-up is supposed to happen in email (order confirmation, shipment notification), but the system is very inconsistent (downright Italian :-D) in sending out shipment info... :) eventually you get your capsules though. just make sure you keep an emergency stash. :)

the latter part of the review went to the Nespresso *system*, which truly is what you buy into with this. the Nespresso Pixie is an absolute steal at its price level, the pump and resulting coffee quality murder what you get from far more expensive machines no doubt. but it comes at a cost: capsules. i believe nespresso makes most of its $ with the latter. :) i for one have absolutely no reservations anymore: this system allows me to enjoy the best coffee i have ever had at home. and i used to own a machine 3 times the price of the Pixie... and have tasted coffee from $3k Sur La Table machines.

ps: i am getting a second machine for my office it is perfect for that too given the clean nature!

ps2: on the "flawed water tank" design... geez, how ham-fisted can people be? in dealing with a plastic water tank i would assume sheer force isn't the way to go. and why even take it off for refill? i just leave it on and open the lid for refill and pour water in out of a glass. once a week i'll clean the tank, and if you open the lid it is dead easy to get out. read the manual :)

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La Pavoni PB Large Base with Sliding Drawer, Black

I bought this from Amazon back in 2001 and it's been sitting in the garage since 2002. While it looks nice, all it's useful for is allowing water to stagnate in a pool at the base. It has a small, difficult-to-clean drawer one is supposed to use for oldcoffee grounds, but it is too small for this. Save your money and keep your machine on the counter, where it can be easily used and properly cleaned and refilled with water.

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