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.

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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.

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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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Blue Neapolitan Coffee Maker - Made in Italy

First, the "coffee maker" will only yield maybe 6-8 oz of coffee at most...during its entire usable life. The threaded metal filter became impossible to remove after the first cup of coffee. In addition, during the first stage of the brewing process i.e. heating the water, the steam release spout squirts hot water across your stove. I went with this coffee maker because I didn't want something made in China and I figured it was worth a shot. Go with a Bodum Coffee press made in Denmark instead. I would not recommend this product.

You can't use this on the stove at all. It's way too tiny. I thought it would be larger than this.

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Oggi EZ Grip Decaf Canister, White

I purchased both the regular and decaf canisters. The white one looked like one of my children had made it. The word "DECAF" was missing part of the letter "D" and someone had tried to use black paint to cover it up when manufactured. Also, a nice size spot of black paint was on the handle, under the glaze. Scoop is very cheap looking. The word "DECAF" on my canister was not centered like the one in the picture, but all of the way to the left. It just looks so tacky. I don't recommend buying either of these.

It's a beautiful canister. The clasp seems flimsy but it does seal nice and tightly. My canister arrived without a spoon. I contacted Amazon who had me contact the manufacturer. I chatted with a very sympathetic young lady who assured me a new spoon would arrive shortly. I'm still waiting and it's been a month....looks like I'm placing another long distance phone call. Hence, 3 stars.

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I bought this with the "regular" one which i found on Amazon from another seller. both have the same Oggi" sticker from the manufacturer so I assumed they were the same other than color (and the words decaf and regular), but when they came i noticed the decaf canister is smaller. Not another size canister, but rather just a tad smaller as if manufactured in a different place where measurements were a bit off. It is noticeable enough to annoy me but overall i like both canisters so i did not bother to return. As already mentioned by others, you can't empty a whole bag of coffee in, i feel this is a pretty serious flaw so only two stars. So, for the price, they are okay until i come across something better..

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First, while the inside is not quite big enough to hold a full pound of coffee, this canister is very large outside. This is due to the handle design. So don't be fooled into thinking this is a small canister that won't take up much space on your counter.

Next, the decal is obviously put on by hand by someone who is not concerned with getting the letters straight or even. The word decaf was sloped to the point where the bottom of the F actually curled a bit around the bottom edge of the canister, but the D was more than 1/8" above the bottom edge.

Last, there is a rubber seal which helps the canister close tightly. Unfortunately, the closing mechanism is very flimsy. I bought this one as a set with the black TEA canister and the clasps are exactly the same and the TEA one (which gets used more often) has already broken and come apart and I've had them only about two weeks. Needless to say, they are going back.

I do NOT recommend buying this or the black TEA canister. Not only are they not worth the money, they aren't worth ANY amount. They look good in the picture, but they won't look good on your counter and they won't work the way they should.

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The person I got this for was very pleased as was I. It was exactly what I wanted it for!

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Primula Replacement Silicone Gaskets for 6 Cup Size Aluminum Espresso Pots, Set of 3

We have a Bialetti 6800 Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker (aluminum) and we destroyed the rubber gasket. Apparently you do need water in the pot to make coffee. We bought this replacement filter and it fits and seals perfectly. No water or vapor escapes and the coffee tastes great, no taste from the silicone gasket. I would highly recommend this product.

These gaskets work perfect with the 6cup Bialetti Moka Express. It seems they work better than the original ones. Have been using a gasket for some weeks and the gasket has not been deformed or reduced by heat as the original one. Really good and cheap product.

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These silicone rings also fit our six-cup Alessi ARS09/6 Stovetop Espresso Maker perfectly.

In my opinion, Silicone rings are a better choice for this kind of application than the usual soft white rubber one sees being sold. For one, the silicone is more durable unlike the white gum rubber typically used for gaskets, errant coffee grinds don't manage to embed themselves in the silicone. As a result, the gaskets usually come out completely clean after each use. As a result, I expect this gasket to last much longer than the rubber one it replaced.

I'll also wager that the silicone will be more temperature-resistant, i.e. less prone to degrading over time as a result of repeated use in a hot environment.

Time will tell, but the experience thus far has been very positive.

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My aluminum moka pot is several decades old and the rubber ring had become brittle and was leaking. I had a great deal of difficulty figuring out which replacement gasket to buy because the pot is only identified by the markings "ABC" and "Crusinallo" on the very bottom and "Zanzibar" on the top half.

After extensive research, I finally determined that it is indeed a Bialetti: "ABC" stands for "Alfonso Bialetti Crusinallo" and "Zanzibar" is the model name. (Crusinallo is the little town in the Piedmont of Italy where they have been made since 1918.) It is a six-cup pot as it makes about twelve ounces of espresso.

These replacement gaskets from Primula have an outside diameter of 2 13/16 in. and fit even my older aluminum Bialetti moka pot perfectly with no bubbling leaks. They are dishwasher-safe and easy to remove from the pot from cleaning whereas the old gasket was impossible to remove after a year or two. The silicone is simply much more heat-resistant than rubber and shouldn't harden or crack. Bialetti should supply their new coffee makers with these superior silicone gaskets.

Note: This fits the 6-cup aluminum Bialetti moka pot. Their stainless steel models use a 2 7/8 in. gasket, 1/16 in. larger in diameter.

These replacement gaskets are also available with a 2 1/2 in. outside diameter for 3-cup pots and with a 3 3/16 in. outside diameter for 9-cup pots as well.

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The old gasket from my venerable stove top espresso maker had fossilized. I was delighted that the gasket size was standard. I have worked with silastic material in other areas, and have found it to be durable and reliable, even in high heat uses.

Installation was quick and easy, and my 25 year old pot is working like it is new.

Primula Tempo Coffee Press 6 Cup - Black

My experience with the Primula Tempo ended after 4 days of use due to a long crack that developed in the glass beaker. The crack was not due to mis-use as I will explain.

I want to be clear that in my review I "compare" it to a Bodum French Press that costs about $10 more than the Primula. However my rating of 1 star is not how well the Primula "compares' to the Bodum, it is based on the fact that this French Press is of poor quality and craftsmanship regardless of its price.

I have used a French Press to make coffee for years. It's one of my favorite ways to make coffee primarily because it makes an excellent cup of coffee with a minimum of equipment. Before the beaker cracked, the Primula Tempo made as good a cup of coffee as any French Press would make. The filter did as good a job as other French Presses I've used in keeping the grounds out of the coffee.

I do not find clean-up of a French Press to be as much of a chore as some people make it out to be. Although Primula claims this is dishwasher safe, I hand wash the beaker after each use; less chance that it will hit something during the dishwashing cycle.

The French Press that I've used for years is a Bodum. Naturally, I compared the Primula Tempo to the Bodum since it was a convenient point of reference. If you are interested in seeing my review of a Bodum French Press which includes instruction on how to make coffee in a French Press you can see it here... http://www.amazon.com/review/R1G2ALAYSFI1YO/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Here is what I discovered in my experience with the Primula French Press:

-Overall, the Primula Tempo is of a lesser level of quality when compared to the Bodum.

-The glass beaker in the Bodum has a capacity of 34 oz, whereas the capacity of the Primula Tempo is 32 oz. That is not useable capacity but the maximum amount of water you can put in the beaker to fill it to the very top.

-The Primula Tempo glass beaker feels fragile. The glass beaker of the Bodum weighs 284 grams vs 245 grams for the Primula Tempo. Although the Bodum beaker is 2 oz larger in capacity, the thickness of the glass is greater and that is a difference you can see and feel.

-When I compare the visible glass quality of the Primula Tempo beaker to the Bodum, The Primula Tempo glass has visible vertical lines in it and does not seem to be of an equal quality to the Bodum beaker.

-The Primula Tempo mesh filter is of a thinner gauge wire and feels less substantial. The wire mesh filter in the Bodum weighs 5 grams, whereas the Primula Tempo filter weighs 4 grams.

As with any glass French Press you are not to use boiling water. The water should be just off-boiling. When you pour the hot water into the beaker you should give the grounds a stir but never with a metal utensil. Only use wood or plastic otherwise you risk scratching, chipping, or worse, breaking the beaker. I have used my Bodum French Press for many many years. It's still going strong. The Primula Tempo beaker cracked on me after the 4th use. I did not damage the beaker due to mis-use and used the practices I've discussed.

I have contacted the company that distributes the Primula Tempo (Epoca International) to get their response and will amend my review once I've heard back from them.

It should be mentioned that the Primula Tempo is Made in China.

UPDATE: 12-4-2012 : I have tried several times to email someone at the company and so far have not gotten a response. I used their website contact form and also an email address that I found. So if you also want to count "customer service" as a criteria an whether you want to order this, the lack of response speaks for itself.

UPDATE: 12/6/2012 I finally received an emailed response from the distributor and they are sending me a replacement beaker. I'll update my review as necessary.

UPDATE: 12/10/2012 I received the replacement beaker today. It is flawed. There are at least 3 or 4 sharp bumps of glass on the inside of the beaker and several apparent scratches in the glass. Total crap. I am reducing my review to 1 star. This is a very poor quality French Press.

I've only owned one other coffee press, a Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker, 34-Ounce, Black which I've enjoyed using for a couple of years now so I'll use it as a comparison point.

This coffee press makes 6 4 oz. cups of coffee, which is about the equivalent to 2 standard American cups of coffee. The large flat knob on top of the plunger feels sturdy, which I like better than the small round ball on the Bodum. I've found this press just as easy to use and clean as the Bodum.

We have used this coffee press nearly every day for the past two weeks and I haven't seen any signs of rust. We have been hand washing it and haven't put in the dishwasher. I don't put the Bodum in the dishwasher either even though it's dishwasher safe too. I feel by hand washing these, it extends the life of them since my dishwater has a high temperature wash cycle which will start to dull plastics.

The glass isn't very thick and has the same thickness as the Bodum. This press is made of borosilicate glass as is the Bodum. According to Primula's website, borosilicate glass is made to withstand extreme temperatures, temperature changes like going from boiling hot water and adding ice, and is used to make European Pyrex dishes.

I couldn't find any information on whether the plastic on the beaker is BPA-free so I'm going to assume that it isn't. The Bodum is BPA-free.

After two weeks of near daily use, I have had no problems with this Primula coffee press. The coffee made with this coffee press is just as great as the Bodum. This coffee press is the perfect size for an individual or two and for the price of 10.00, it's worth it if having a BPA-free products isn't a requirement.

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Brewed perfect coffee quickly, with very little grounds in my coffee mug. The glass is fairly thick, and the mechanism works smoothly. The whole thing fits together well.

I have used coffee presses before, and I was leery that this one wouldn't work as well because it was a cheaper press in terms of cost. However, I was impressed as it works as well as the more expensive presses I have used. There isn't much more to say. I bought this to take on trips, so I could drink my own coffee instead of having to drink weaker coffee. It works perfect for this function! I would buy it again, unless it breaks easily, but only time will tell.

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None of my roommates nor I had ever tried to make coffee with a french press. So we were excited to give this one a try. First of all after much arguing we were able to figure out how the thing worked (no instructions were included in ours not sure if that is standard or if ours were just left out). So we went off of what was printed on the box put the thing together and were ready to try it. Now they aren't kidding when they say you can't use the store bought pre-ground coffee. Our first try ended up with a mucky swampy mess. (we poured it into a coffee filter over a cup and were able to actually still consume it).

So after a trip to the store we tried again and were successful in making coffee. Now I know it says 6 cups but we were able to get two full coffee cups out of it. The coffee tasted great and it was a lot of fun to do.

I asked my two roommates what they thought:

The Hippy "I think you could probably make a really excellent cup of coffee once you figure out how long to leave it in there for your taste, it will require more experimentation to find the ideal mix and time"

The Car Guy "I don't see a difference other than the mess and how long it took, it's not very convenient"

Me (the lone female in the house)It would be good for weekends when you aren't in a rush, and just want a single cup or two.

I don't have anything to compare it to but it does seem very cheaply made, I don't expect it will last very long in our house. The following weekend coffee was made in the regular coffee pot, even though the press was sitting right next to it.

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I received the Primula Coffee Press through Amazon Vine. The product came in one piece with all the pieces including instructions in writing and pictures. (I usually require both). My first attempt at making coffee with a coffee press went off almost without a hitch. The only mistakes I made were to pour boiling water into the beaker, which appears fragile, and I used a metal spoon to stir the mixture but was careful not to touch the glass beaker with it. Plastic is recommended.

Even though I used coarse granules as suggested, the coffee did begin to have a dark brown slick (I used French Vanilla Cream which lightened the brew and gave away the granules) as I began to empty more and more of the cup's contents. This told me the coffee would not be completely bottomless, and it wasn't. A trail of brown fragments ran up the cup to the lip as the last drops were devoured.

Cleaning the pot was easy. I followed the urban legend that dumping coffee grounds down your drain will unclog and clogs. (It won't). I then faced the residue of nasty grounds that refused to budge and those in the filter. They departed with a wet sponge and more water pressure.

I am unaccustomed to making coffee this way, and I know I like to see mine very hot. Pouring in less than boiling water and waiting four minutes seems to be an eternity for a lover of hot Johann.

I'm impressed.

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