Few things make for a better way to start the day than a good, hot, cup of coffee. One simple way of doing this without spending a fortune on take-out java is to get yourself a Nespresso machine. These small countertop devices, like our overall pick the Nespresso Inissia Original Espresso Machine, use Nespresso coffee capsules to give you home-made caffeine hit within a matter of seconds.
Small, but powerful with 19 bars of pressure behind that diminutive facade, the Nespresso Inissia gives you barista-grade espresso or a longer "lungo" coffee serving. You can fancy up with some hot milk thanks to the bundled Aeroccino 3 milk frother.
Once you've filled up the 24oz water tank, you simply press a button to wait the 25 seconds it takes to reach operational temperature, then make your go-go juice. The smart energy-saving mode automatically turns the machine off after nine minutes.
Ideal for anyone who tends towards a milky coffee option, as well as your smaller black coffee basics, this can rustle up cappuccinos, cafe lattes, latte macchiatos and flat whites using its smooth dial control and attractive LCD display. The built-in milk frother offers no less than eight texture levels and 11 different milk temperature settings.
If you need a quick caffeine hit in the morning, this heats up in an impressive three seconds. The generous 1.5-liter removable water tank will have you covered for a fair few brews, and when you're done, the auto-purge steam wand and fast, automatic cleaning process will have this ready to use again in a jiffy.
Although this option offers bang up-to-date Nespresso technology, using the newer Vertuo capsules. The VertuoPlus system uses intelligent extraction to "recognize" each capsule thanks to a barcode on the rim. The centrifugation tech then takes care of the brewing, spinning at up 7,000 rotations per minute for what's promised to be the perfect blend.
This machine will deliver you an espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, coffee, and a 14oz alto. Other features of note include the under 25 second start-up time, up to 60oz water tank on certain models and auto shut-off after nine minutes.
The Nespresso ENV135B also uses the new Vertuo system, so it has the clever capsules with the barcode on the rim that the machine recognizes and deals with appropriately. As such, this will whip you up espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, a standard 7.7oz coffee or a larger alto.
Features of note include a good-sized 54oz water tank which will need less refilling, space in the used capsule container for up to 17 empty pods and a warm-up time of just 15 seconds. It's effortless for us. Just insert your required pod, lock the brewing head down, press a button, and the machine will do all the rest. That includes automatically ejecting the used capsule and shutting itself down after nine minutes.
What'll it be hon?
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All these machines used the original Nespresso or newer Nespresso Vertuo systems, but there are big variations between the current crop of models out there. How you prefer your coffee will make a huge difference to which Nespresso model will suit you and your household.
Anyone who just needs regular shots of the good old-fashioned black stuff should consider our overall pick, the classic Nespresso Inissia Original Espresso Machine.