NESPRESSO by KRUPS Essenza Mini XN110140 Coffee Machine - 0.6L, White

Having considered purchasing a Nespresso machine for a while, particularly after realising how much I was spending on barista-crafted coffee whilst out and about, I decided to go with the smallest of Nespresso’s range: the Essenza Mini.This machine is compatible with Nespresso’s range of Original Line capsules, of which there is a great selection and variety of flavours from around the world. But does the coffee live up to the same standard as those cups you’d get whilst out and about?In short: yes. The Essenza Mini has delivered delicious coffee every time I have used it. Having long been a fan of the traditional French press style of coffee, I can safely say that the Essenza Mini delivers a vastly different cup of coffee that’s perfect on its own or as a base for milk-based drinks.The Essenza Mini is very easy to use and maintain. It quickly heats up and and swiftly prepares either Espresso or Lungo sized coffees; some capsules are better suited to either of the two sizes. Once the capsule has been used, opening the lever dispenses it into the storage facility below, which is easily removed by taking out the front drip tray. If you have a larger mug, you can easily remove the drip tray to accommodate it. At the end of each day, you can remove the drip tray and storage facility to empty out your capsules and rinse and clean them. The machine also has a feature where it can quickly heat up again after being inactive for three minutes, and will automatically switch off after nine minutes.It’s worth noting that, in order to qualify for Nespresso’s warranty and premium after-sales service, you’ll need to purchase an order of capsules from their website. However, delivery on orders over 100 capsules is free and very swift; I placed an order in the evening and the capsules arrived the following afternoon. When you order capsules online, it’s also worth getting some free recycling bags, which you can place your used capsules in and either arrange to have collected free of charge or take into any Nespresso boutique. After placing your order, you’ll receive three years warranty on your machine as well as the free Machine Repair and Loan Service.The machine also comes with a small selection of capsules for you to discover which you like. The variety of different coffees will certainly mean I’ll be spending way less on coffee outside of the house, since it’s very cost effective to purchase capsules in advance.Independent coffee shops will always provide you with a good quality cup of coffee and a great environment to spend time in, but for those times when you’re at home or want to try something different to the usual coffee brewing methods, the compact and easy to use Nespresso Essenza Mini is certainly a great addition to any coffee lover’s kitchen.

I purchased this Krups Essenza Mini machine after having a very disappointing experience with another make of machine supposedly capable of taking different types of pod. The Krups Essenza Mini only uses "Nespresso" type pods.First impressions were... "OMG! It's TINY!!" This thing is truly very small indeed, and it makes you think it cannot make decent coffee... after all, it looks like a toy.... Not so. The mechanism is firm, and the action of lifting the lever to drop a pod into the top, then closing the lever, takes some pressure. However, you have to realise you are also piercing the pod with three spikes hidden inside the machine when you close the lever down.On the top, there are just two buttons - one for "Espresso" and one for "Lungo" coffees. They are set to deliver roughly 40ml of espresso and about 130ml of lungo. You can reprogram the buttons for a different volume if you wish, but these volumes seem about right. There is no adjustment available for temperature but I don't think it is necessary in this case, as it is only going to be used with the Nespresso type pods.IN USE: I fill a cup half full of milk, put it in the microwave for 80 seconds, switch on the Essenza Mini. By the time the Mini is ready, the milk has heated. Put a Lungo pod in the Mini, stick the cup under (minus the drip tray, as a taller than espresso cup does not fit) and press the lungo button. Out pours a rich, dark liquid into our waiting hot milk. Stir in half a teaspoon of light brown sugar to taste, and you have what is seriously close to a barista cafe latte. More foam? Buy a cheap wand whisk at about 3 quid or one of those electric jug heater/foamers if you don't use a microwave.Good points: VERY compact, takes up the smallest of space. Quick to heat up even from cold. Works every time, no crushed pods failures yet. Using espresso pods, the resultant crema is spot on. Easy to clean.My other half, she loves it when I make her a nice tasty latte.Bad Points: (These are extremely minor by the way) Water tank holds a pint (0.6litres) of water, it would be nice if it held more, but then the machine would have to be bigger, wouldn't it!The pod catching vessel only holds about 5 pods (See above note!)Taller cups necessitate the removal of the drip tray (See above note!)In all, I'm very pleased with the lovely tasty liquid this tiny machine makes, I'm even getting used to its diminutive size. Ultimately, I want a machine that makes coffee when you want it, a task this Essenza Mini does very well.I like it a lot.

after reading 1-2 bad reviews in which i thought were incorrect, I thought id write my own to correct thesethe machine is just fantastic for the price point. build quality feels nice and solid. a well thought out design all round.the colour ( Grey) is really nice and suits me well.the leaver is solid and the mechanism feels strong and well build - one reviewer seems to think that it's fragile and is expecting it to brake soon.. i don't think this is true myself ( as a mechanical engineer)the water tank holds plenty enough for 4-5 cups - keep in mind its a MINI Nespresso machine!! MINI!used pod cage - size is just fine and holds enough pods to only need emptying once a day, easy workheat up time is very fastcoffee is consistent each time.the size of the machine is amazing, it really is a full-blown Nespresso machine in a tiny package.perfect for students or people living within apartments/spaces.the bad reviews seem to be from people who purchased a mini coffee machine and were expecting it to hold 2-3L of water and being able to hold 10-20 used pods.. my advice to those people - buy a full-sized one, not a mini one!and lastly.. thank you Krups & Nespresso for this awesome and tiny machine with an amazing price tag.10/10