The Milk Frother does make wonderful froth for those lattes, however, they’re luke-warm!!! I find I have to zap the milk in the microwave just to get it to a reasonably hot temperature. I don’t want warm milk. So, in my opinion, the aeroccino is a great gadget that delivers in froth and lacks in heating capabilities. Better to order the machine without the aeroccino, or buy another Nespresso machine that includes a frothing capability.

Starbucks who? – bell girl – Chicago, IL
Wow.
What an upgrade this espresso maker has given my daily coffee routine!

I ordered the Nespresso Essenza C100 with Aeroccino 2 weeks ago and installed it in my office. I’ve been addicted since that very first espresso shot, and have already converted a fellow co-worker who purchased the very same item after trying my Nespresso maker.

This espresso machine is really all you need (especially with the aeroccino). It’s very simple to use, easy to maintain, quick and doesn’t take much space. I honestly don’t know how I ever made do with Starbucks until now. Nespresso is the real deal! Rich, aromatic coffee that gives you a kick of caffiene when you need it most.

Well worth investing in.

Absolutely fantastic!! – LKT –
I was leery of getting a home espresso machine for fear of spending a chunk of change and being disappointed, but just recently I spent a week at a relative’s house who had one. I made several espressos per day and loved it! They had a 290 (Essenza espresso/steamer combo), but I wanted a smaller machine since my place has much less counter space.

I guess it’s true the coffee is not super duper hot like at a café, but at this price point, it’s plenty good. I do run a hot water cycle into my cup and discard before running my coffee, and that really does seem to help. I love the aeroccino (milk heater/frother) as a separate unit. We often use it to heat milk for regular coffee, to make hot chocolate, etc. so that’s handy that it’s not part of the espresso machine. Brilliant!

And if you happen to live in NYC, you can now take used capsules to the stores for recycling (on Madison or at the boutique at the Bloomingdales Soho). This is a pilot program they started this year (’09), and hopefully it will expand to other cities.

Works beautifully! – An accomplished hostess – Chester, CA United States
I just received my Aeroccino Plus this week and have been experimenting with some eggnog lattes and cappuccinos. I am extremely pleased with the results. The foam is creamy and light and pretty much foolproof. I would definitely purchase this product again. It produces an attractive and tasty coffee drink, and you don’t have to leave home!

A good alternative to traditional frothing – D. Wang – San Diego, CA United States
I received my Aeroccino Plus on Friday and have been testing it the last couple of days. I’m an experienced barista and take my espresso, latte and cappucino seriously. First, you can’t beat a traditional manual espresso maker with a good steam wand. Using the steam wand on my machine, I get good consistent micro foam which brings out the natural sweetness of the milk. The trouble is that it takes a good 2 to 3 minutes each time which adds to prep time in the mornings before work. Also, when you’re having a party and everyone wants a cappucino, I spend more time in front of my espresso machine than with guests. I wanted to try the Aeroccino plus as an alternative knowing it couldn’t replace the steam wand on my Ms Silvia.
Aeroccino Plus comes with 2 milk “stirrers” spun by a magnet under the bottom of the insert. One stirrer is whisk-like which whips air into the milk for a thick foam used in cappucinos and the other stirrer is just a paddle which incorporates minimal air while the milk is being heated. The big plus is that time is reduced dramatically. In less than one minute, the milk is frothed and heated which cuts down on prep time. The frothing is not bad but as suspected not quite micro bubbles. Using the whisk like stirrer, the milk comes out rather thick…good for cappucinos. The one criticism I have is the capacity of the machine. The holder is marked with 2 levels (one for each stir application). The first time I used it and filled to the lower level and stirred with the whisk stirrer, I found you could not put the lid on because soon after the stirring started, the milk over flowed and spilled out. This means you can add barely enough milk for a single shot. The second time I tried it, I filled it to the higher level marked for the paddle stirrer. The milk heated fast but the micro bubbles didn’t quite happen…the milk came out a little thinner than ideal. But overall, for the convenience and speed, I really can’t complain. I’ve resigned to use the convenience and quickness of the Aeroccino plus on week days when I’m rushing for work but sacrifice a little on quality. Then on weekends when time is not as much as an issue, I’ll go back to the manual steam wand on Ms Silvia for my perfect latte. I know the Plus has a higher capacity than previous version but I would have liked to have just a little more capacity.

I didn’t want to love it, but I DO!!!! – M. Mersman – San Diego
My husband bought me this Aeroccino for my birthday, presented it to me in a hotel room, with a little bottle of milk, and said have at it. (I am SO picky and so did not want to love this machine. Secretly I was hoping it would fail miserably and I could go back to my old 1980′s Krups machine and use it until it dies.) 70 seconds later, I could not believe my eyes. Perfect microfoam. I am so impressed. If you have a passion and are on the quest to create the perfect cappuccino at home, without a lot of effort, this is your tool.

The Milk Frother does make wonderful froth for those lattes, however, they’re luke-warm!!! I find I have to zap the milk in the microwave just to get it to a reasonably hot temperature. I don’t want warm milk. So, in my opinion, the aeroccino is a great gadget that delivers in froth and lacks in heating capabilities. Better to order the machine without the aeroccino, or buy another Nespresso machine that includes a frothing capability.

Comes with the upgraded Aeroccino Plus – J. Burk – sacramento, ca United States
I don’t drink coffee, but I ordered one of these for my coworkers as a Christmas gift and thought I’d let everybody considering one of these know that it now comes with the newer Aeroccino Plus. The picture shows the older Aeroccino that wasn’t as highly praised as the newer model.

Phenomenal espresso……completely worth the price – Elizabeth James – Texas
After living in France, I am completely ruined for American espresso. Literally every French person I knew, young or old, had one of these machines at their home and office. The espresso is absolutely rich and full of flavor, and NEVER tastes burned. Cleanup is limited to the cup you drink your espresso in, which is great since I am an apartment dweller with no dishwasher. The aero-milk thing is great too. Others have said the milk isn’t hot enough, and it certainly isn’t as hot as the steamed milk you’d get with an actual steamer or at a coffee shop, but I think the temperature makes your latte perfectly drinkable as soon as it is made–no waiting 5-10 minutes for it to cool down. I recommend this machine to anyone who loves great espresso. It is a bit pricy, but due to the high quality and non-existant cleanup, it is 100% worth the money. Friends have told me the customer service from Nespresso is great as well. I wish the capsules could be bought in an actual store, but shipping is a small price to pay for the best coffee I’ve found in the US.

Great machine – Karen D. Felber – Madison, WI.
Love this Nespresso machine – it makes a super expresso. They have been in hotel rooms in Europe for a long time and are just now becoming popular in the US. It makes a really good expresso and we like the selection of capsules from online at Nespresso.

Another nice treat was that the machine was bundled with the Aeroccino Plus frother which in itself sells for 0. Both units are easy to maintain, use and clean. We highly recommend the C100 – it fits our needs perfectly.

Overpriced and so lacking in variables you’ll be drinking the same thing all the time – Magellen –
I believe the review on coffee geek sums it up:

“It is extremely expensive to operate. If you like tall milk based drinks you will need to use at least three pods for the coffee flavor to come through the milk. At .25 to .00 per drink you can get a cappuccino at your local coffee house. If you are making drinks for two or more you will go through a sleeve of pods with each round of drinks. – in pods per month is conservative if you use it daily.”

Plus the fact you are limited to only nespresso cups is absurd…there are limitations on the flavors and if you want to change things up you don’t have much choice.

The water reservoir if far to small if you are using this thing daily.

There is a weird nespresso like cult over these things…if you must go with cups go with K-cup technology atleast your options are far greater as I can find K-cups from hundreds of sources.

We looked for weeks and found the right espresso/coffee machine – Mary Brown – Outside Chicago
Nespresso CitiZ makes terrific coffee, like the cups you get in Europe, or quality American restaurants/coffee bars. So simple and intuitive, you don’t need to read instructions.

Plug in. Run water through six times to rinse out factory funk. Fill with fresh water. Turn on right side switch. Open capsule holder, place capsule of your choice and shut. Lke your own mini-space shuttle. Press on. Green button top left for shorter cup, green button on right for more water in your brew.

The steamer cup. Oh. My. God. Perfection. Totally makes up for the Easy Bake Oven® I never had as a little girl. Pour your favorite milk to fill line. Replace cover. Press button. Voile. Whisper quiet then thick, frothy suds for your perfect cup of espresso or coffee.

We read EVERYTHING online. We chose well.

Great coffee… no gimmick. Alien UFO technology? Possibly. – D. Thiel – Deerfield, MA
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.

Love this machine! – Stargazer 49 – Minneapolis, MN
I love this machine. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and the coffee products are fresh and delicious. The milk frother is also easy to use and clean. If you don’t get a good thick froth, don’t give up. Try a few different kinds of milk (or soy milk) until you find one that provides a good froth. You have to order the coffee capsules online but the service is fast and efficient. Every morning I prepare an espresso and feel like I’ve given myself a special treat. I seldom go out and buy those expensive fancy coffee drinks anymore because I can make them better at home. If you spend a lot in coffee shops, you’ll recoup the money you spend on this machine pretty quickly. I am totally hooked and don’t know how I ever lived without the Nespresso CitiZ Espresso Maker.

The machine:
Very good looking piece of design. And the performance is fast, precise, clean, elegant.
To be a quiet machine, is a little too noisy, in my modest opinion.
Water receptacle doesn’t stay open if you want to get the water there instead of taking the tank out of the machine and put it under the water.
Very easy to clean. Very easy and fast to assemble.
It makes a little noise every fifteen seconds, like some thermostat that is regulating the temperature of the water, or something. Only hear it if you are next to the machine. Kind of annoying if you are cooking besides the machine, which I do (again: not a NOISE, not TOO annoying, just things that pop up, for helping you, potential buyers).
Yes, as another reviewer said, it looses some drops of coffee/water before and after pouring the coffee. I don’t like that either.

Big downside to the machine:
It warms up the cups, a great feature. But be very careful because it can store a very restricted variety of cups. Not the lungo ones (too tall), not some small wooden ones that I love (too wide), not some others I tried.
It was an important point for me, and now I can’t use the storage and warming space because none of my cups fit.
And no, I don’t want to have those cups with the Nespresso logo imprinted on the glass or carved on the porcelain. My house is not a Nespresso boutique.

I’m very happy with the purchase, but if I have to buy a Nespresso Machine again, it would be the smaller one, which will take less space on the kitchen, and eventually will be easier to move or carry around in its own travel bag.

One more thing, about the service at the Nespresso Shop (in New York):
At first I went there to ask for help on the selection of the kind of capsules I would buy, and for the cups.
The lady there gave me a taste of two capsules. Then I asked for the lungo one, and she did it, but without any smiles on her face. She made me feel like a guy who comes from the street in a freezing day to have some free coffee.
I bought the capsules with an unpleasant feeling, wanting to leave the store very fast, and I also bought the glass cups.

And then, at the hotel, I decided that I didn’t want the cups because of the logo, and I also realized that, in the rush, I purchased the wrong kind of capsules (12 different possibilities, which is great and confusing at the same time) so I wanted to return the cups and buy more coffee, and make the exchange of the wrong capsules.

The lady that took care of me this time wasn’t polite at all, and had an attitude that made me feel that I won’t want to go there again to buy more coffee, or anything else.

I mean: when you buy a Nespresso machine you are not just a guy from the street anymore; you become a kind of a partner for them, since you will have to buy their capsules FOREVER and EVER. So the service cannot be the regular one you get when you just drop by in any store to make stupid questions, or does it?

It was a very unpleasant experience for me. But happy me that I don’t live in New York anyway.

Hope the other stores I will visit in the future will have better service.

Nespresso Cube – Lynda Iannalfo Garvia – florida
Love this machine. The only problem I have had with it is that it doesn’t get hot enough on the first shot. When I want really hot espresso I simply press the button once without a capsule in the machine and let the hot water run into my cup, then put the capsule into the machine and make my espresso. This works really well also, because not only does the espresso come out super hot (the way I like it), but by running the hot water into my cup first it gets the cup nice and hot which keeps my espresso from cooling too much when it hits the cup. I have owned this machine for about two months and all in all I love it.

Best coffee ever – Susan C. Kelly – san francisco
I have never ever liked the coffee produced by one of these coffee machines. I prefer a nice french press with boiling water, have used one for over 30 years and had no reason to change.

On vacation we had one of these units in our rental apartment. My husband loved it, I went out and bought a cheap french press to use for the time there. Towards the end of vacation I had a cup or two and damn, it WAS good.

When we got home our regular morning coffee just didn’t taste so good!

We ordered The Cube and haven’t used the french press once. It really makes a delishious cup of java. When you order the coffee from Nespresso, it arrives the next day so you are never too far from the next cup.

Good – Eye Forget –
We bought this machine 6 months ago. We have always had espresso machines. They varied from an expensive manual we still have, to half dozen semi-automatics, to a couple of ese pod machines. Now a Nespresso.

The Pros:

Very well designed and built. Its built to a price point but its well executed. Far better design than any espresso machine we’ve ever had.

100% consistent. Its the same every time.

Very easy to use.

Easy to maintain.

Appears it will last more than the three years we get out of any other consumer level machines we’ve had. We draw about 8 to 10 espressos a day. We’ve known people (in Europe) who have had a Nespresso machine for over 10 years and they last.

Superb after sale service (capsules) from Nespresso.

Note: There are tons of comments on coffee connoisseur sites about how expensive the capsules are. Do the math, ours run 12 cents a cup more than Illy beans. That’s without considering the waste you invariably get with grinding and the cost of a good grinder. Compared to any “exotic” bean, the cost is about the same.

The cons:

Consider the Nespresso an interpretation of an espresso. Even the ristretto (the strongest) has a ways to go to match a decent espresso. It more frothy, lacks character and there’s too much air from top to bottom. Having said this, we’ve lived in Europe for the better part of our combined lives. Compared to Starbucks or 90% of US restaurant espresso’s, its very competitive.