Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine by De’Longhi

everyone loves this. just like Italy!

This has been such a treat! Love my long espresso every morning and the ability to offer espresso after dinner parties.

Sometimes the capsule doesn't load right but that might have been more of a user issue.

Would recommend and do!

Bought the smallest size. TOTALLY sold on the quality of the espresso and the machine. Not sold on lungo but I may be an espresso only gal. Very happy with brew choices. Would not have indulged if pods were not able to be recycled bit they are. ?? Sorry I waited so long but I got a great deal on sale under $100. Now take it on car trips and am so spoiled. (We have an expensive espresso maker at home for the last 20 years so I know what I am talking about because I am a coffee snob.)

For me, it's the best coffee I've ever had. The crema is such a delight. The coffee and choices of bean are delicious. In a previous life, I had a Nespresso machine, and am so thrilled to have one again. A special treat.

This is my second Nepresso machine. The first one lasted almost 7 yrs. I like it, but I gave it only 4 stars because it vibrates a lot, making it noisy. Otherwise, the small size suits me, it's easy to operate/clean, and the coffee is tasty.

It's cute and compact but the coffee isn't as good as what I've had from the other nespresso machines and it leaks...

We were looking for an easy to use, small footprint espresso maker, especially after visiting Italy and drinking the "coffee" there.

I typically drink coffee to stay awake, so the added liquid of a full cup just results in additional action in the washroom. We also opted out of the milk attachment. Even without it, the espresso comes out a bit frothy.

Our Mini Espresso Machine sits on a tray next to my desk. It only stores 4-6 used cartridges, but you have to refill the water by then anyway. The unit has a cup below the container for ejected cartridges, which catches drips. It's convenient, and easy to rinse out.

If you buy one (or before you buy one) take a little time to understand how the capsules are marketed. the Mini Machine handles Espresso (40ml) and Lungo (110ml). This corresponds to 1.35 oz., and 3.71 oz., respectively. You can reprogram the machine for different amount if you wish. Various capsules are labeled for each size (some do both). The strength of the coffee is rated on a scale from 4 through 12, with 12 being the strongest. I've not seen anything below 4, which is already pretty weak. Even the stronger capsules stay on the soft side of bitterness.

The Mini comes with a sample box of Nescafe capsules, including a couple which are decaffeinated. These are also rated for strength (same scale). I was surprised at how good they were.

At the same time, capsules are available from other sources. They are rated on a similar scale. You can find them on Amazon, but we found capsules from Peets coffee, and from Archer Farms in stock in the coffee section at Target. I am not a sophisticated coffee drinker, but I found them equally enjoyable.

Finally, having an espresso maker at home has allowed us to experiment with a quick version of Vietnamese Coffee. A tablespoon or two of sweetened condensed milk in a Lungo sized cup, filled with one of the stronger coffees, does the trick.

Love it!!! I don’t know why I took so long to get one...

We have always drank our coffee made with the "pour-over" method and were skeptical about whether we would enjoy this coffee as much...we can confirm that we do love it as much!
The Decaf is exceptional...great, great flavor, doesn't taste like decaf!

It is perfect, exactly what I needed!!