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What Is a Nespresso Machine? Everything You Need to Know

What is a Nespresso machine? This is a question I hear often from people who are new to the coffee world. They wonder what Nespresso is—is it a company or a type of machine, or is it perhaps a type of coffee? 

If you find yourself wondering about these questions, you need to read this guide and learn more about Nespresso.

What Is Nespresso?

nespresso machine with coffee capsules

Nespresso is the name of a well-known coffee company. They make great coffee machines and coffee capsules that are used with them. Even though some people might consider their products a bit pricey, the quality of the machine and the final beverage justifies the price.

Nespresso became popular in Europe first but quickly took over the U.S. as well and is currently considered one of the most popular manufacturers of coffee machines worldwide. They are also part of the Nestlé Group and have a lot of employees who work tirelessly to provide coffee lovers with the best coffee experience ever, from brewing to drinking.

If you ask me, I think that there isn’t anything like Nespresso’s coffee on the market. I never get tired of their coffee, and I love everything about these products, from their extraordinary coffee machines that are very easy to use to their coffee capsules that come in various sizes and tastes. If you are on the market for a good coffee machine, you need to look into Nespresso’s machines.

But then again, choosing a Nespresso machine can be very difficult as the company has quite a few machines to choose from. This guide will provide you with some information on the coffee machine lines as well as the capsules they use. So if you want to learn more about the company and all its products, keep on reading!

What Is a Nespresso Machine?

To put it simply, a Nespresso machine is a type of espresso machine created by the company Nespresso. This machine uses pods to create espresso and other espresso-based beverages. 

Depending on the type of pod you use, you can get coffee with various tastes. Their pods are made from aluminum and are completely recyclable, which I consider to be a great thing!

How Does a Nespresso Machine Work?

Nespresso machines are used to make coffee using water, a coffee pod, and some pressure. 

You simply put the pod in the machine, add some water to the tank, and start the brewing process. The machine will heat the water and get it to the pod where the water goes through with some pressure, and coffee comes out of the machine.

Types of Nespresso Coffee Machines

One very important thing that you should know about the Nespresso coffee machine is that there is not only one machine. In fact, there are two lines that the company sells at the moment, and there are about a dozen machines that come as part of those two lines.

The two lines of coffee machines are called Nespresso Vertuo and Nespresso Original. Here are the machines that come as part of them:

Nespresso Vertuo

Nespresso Original

Nespresso Vertuo

Nespresso Vertuo Plus

Nespresso Vertuo Next

Nespresso Evoluo





Nespresso Creatista Plus

Nespresso Creatista Pro

Nespresso Lattissima One

Nespresso Lattissima Pro

Nespresso Gran Lattissima

Nespresso CitiZ

Nespresso Essenza Mini

Nespresso Pixie

In addition to the coffee machines, you can also buy some of the company’s milk frothers. The Aeroccino 3 in black or red and the Aeroccino 4 in chrome are currently sold on the company’s website. You can use them to heat the milk and then add it directly to your cup of coffee.

Having a milk frother can be beneficial, but I recommend that you invest in a good coffee machine first and then think about the frothers. 

So let’s get back to Nespresso’s coffee machines and talk about them in more detail. I will start by talking about Nespresso’s VertuoLine!

Nespresso VertuoLine

If you check the company’s website, you will find that they call the VertuoLine “The Ultimate Coffee Experience.” I think that this perfectly describes what this line is about. 

You can get several types of coffee using one machine. The machines are very easy to use, and they do not require anything aside from the capsule and some water.

The coffee that you get from this machine will have full-body, a very smooth taste, and rich crema on top. You can choose one of the five cup sizes available, depending on your preference for that day. 

There are more than 30 different types of capsules currently available for Vertuo coffee machines, so your coffee will never be dull if you get one of these machines!

What I find the most interesting about this line is the capsules that they use. No other company makes these types of capsules, which you might consider a bit limiting, but it is not. You can easily find a Nespresso store close to you or you can purchase the capsules online and have them delivered right to your front door!

The capsules made for the VertuoLine come in various sizes depending on the amount of coffee you want. On one size, the capsule has a code that the machine can easily read. From that code, the machine knows exactly what type of coffee you want, and then it makes it for you. No need to check the settings or anything!

Within 30 seconds, your coffee will be ready! As for the capsule, it automatically ejects from the machine and you can recycle it afterward. No muss, no fuss, and no waste at all. You can enjoy your cup of coffee knowing that you are also helping make the planet a cleaner place!

Now that you know more about the entire VertuoLine, let’s see what the differences between the coffee machines on that line are. 

  • Nespresso Vertuo Next – The most compact machine on the line with a width of only 5.5 inches. It comes with a limited one-year warranty. You can use it to make espresso and other coffee drinks. It comes with several great features such as fast heat-up, automatic capsule ejection, energy-saving mode, and a descaling alarm.
Nespresso Vertuo Next
  • Nespresso VertuoPlus – This is a larger machine compared to the previous one. It comes with a limited one-year warranty as well. It has a larger water tank that you can position as you wish, and the machine can also automatically shut off after some time. It heats up pretty quickly, and it automatically ejects used capsules.
Nespresso VertuoPlus
  • Nespresso Vertuo – Another great machine with a large water tank, automatic shut-off, automatic capsule ejection, and fast heat-up. What I love most about it is the revolutionary Centrifusion technology. The capsule spins around while it is infused with water, allowing you to get a better cup of coffee.
Nespresso Vertuo
  • Nespresso Evoluo – You can use this machine to make espresso and other espresso-based drinks that come in one of five sizes. The machine comes with a one-button operation, which means that it practically makes the coffee for you and you do not need to adjust anything to achieve the perfect cup of coffee.
Nespresso Evoluo

Nespresso Original Coffee Machines

The company advertises this line of coffee machines as “The Classic Espresso Experience,” which does not show how amazing this line is. If you are someone who likes to drink a lot of espresso and other espresso-based drinks, these machines will be perfect for you.

All of the machines on this line have elegant designs, and they use pressure to extract coffee from a capsule. 

The upside with these machines is that you can use capsules that are not from Nespresso, while the VertuoLine only works with Vertuo capsules.

There are a ton of capsules that you can choose from when it comes to the Original line. You can mix the capsules with milk if you are into sweeter coffee. You will get a cup of amazing espresso, lungo, cappuccino, ristretto, iced coffee, or latte with some crema on top.

These capsules look a bit smaller than the Vertuo ones, but they are also made from recyclable materials, so you do not have to worry about creating too much waste. Now that I have covered all this, let’s look at the machines from this line separately!

  • Nespresso Creatista Plus – This is a machine made from metal and stainless steel. It has a steam pipe to help with milk frothing, and it also comes with a high-pressure pump to help cook the coffee better. Probably the best thing about it is that it has an automatic cleaning system, so you do not have to spend time scrubbing it clean after using it.
Nespresso Creatista Plus
  • Nespresso Creatista Pro – A variation of the Creatista Plus, this machine is made from high-quality brushed stainless steel that will make your machine that much more durable. The machine comes with a hot water option for cooking tea, a high-pressure pump to cook coffee, a steam pipe that can be used to froth milk, and an auto-clean system and alarm for descaling. You can adjust your machine using a digital touch screen that can be set to several different languages!
Nespresso Creatista Pro
  • Nespresso Lattissima One – This machine is made out of porcelain and is available in black and white. It is quite popular because it can be used to make four different types of coffee, and it has one-touch milk recipes and a descaling system. The water tank and milk jug are removable. The machine also has an energy-saving mode that you can use as necessary!
Nespresso Lattissima One
  • Nespresso Lattissima Pro – This is a simple yet convenient aluminum machine that you can use to make several types of coffee. The best thing about it is that it cleans itself daily, and it also has alarms that inform you when the water tank is empty and when the machine needs to be descaled.
Nespresso Lattissima Pro
  • Nespresso Gran Lattissima – This machine is very similar to the Lattissima One. You can use it to make several different coffees, and it also offers milk steaming and frothing options. Once you use it, the machine will clean itself and shut itself off to save energy.
Nespresso Gran Lattissima
  • Nespresso CitiZ – This machine is a great choice for everyone looking for a compact yet powerful coffee machine. It has an amazing chrome elegant design. It comes with a removable drip tray, removable water tank, high-performance pump, fast heat-up, and energy-saving mode. What else would you want in a coffee machine?
Nespresso CitiZ
  • Nespresso Essenza Mini – This is one of the smallest, most compact, and lightweight machines that Nespresso has to offer. It comes in several colors including a playful green and red. Even though it is small, it has a high-pressure pump that can be used to create the perfect espresso or lungo!
Nespresso Essenza Mini


  • Nespresso Pixie – This is another compact and lightweight machine that comes at a very affordable price but has a ton of great features. It is easy to operate, and it is also ergonomic to give you an even better experience. The Pixie is quite fast in both heating up and cooking coffee. On top of that, it is eco-friendly and can shut itself off after nine minutes of inactivity.
Nespresso Pixie

That is all of the machines that you can currently find on the company’s website. To make sure you get the right machine without any problems, please order machines as well as capsules only from the official Nespresso website or an authorized seller—you do not want to spend your money on a good-looking rip-off and not get what you paid for!

FAQs on Nespresso Coffee Machines

After reading the reviews of all Nespresso coffee machines currently available, you should have a good idea of which one would best fit your needs. However, I think you need to know a couple of other things before you buy a machine, so let’s see what else could be of interest to potential buyers!

How do you clean a Nespresso machine?

Some Nespresso machines come with auto cleaning options, but you will still need to descale and thoroughly clean them at some point. If you check the company’s website, you will find that they sell a descaling kit that you can use for any machine. It is quite affordable, and it will clean your machine without damaging it.

If you do not want to purchase this descaling kit, you can also clean the machine using other things. You should check the user manual for your specific machine and see what type of cleaning the manufacturing company recommends. Their website can also help you gain a bit of knowledge on what you can use and what you should never use to clean their machines!

Is it worth buying a Nespresso machine?

The answer to this question will depend on who you ask, but I think that Nespresso machines are worth the investment. They offer some of the best-tasting coffee I have ever tried, they are very easy to use, very elegant, and the features they come with are amazing.

You should always go for a pre-programmed machine. This will help you get the most from the coffee capsule, achieving the same taste each time you make coffee. Most of Nespresso’s machines are like this, so you will have quite a lot of options to choose from.

Let’s Make the Best Coffee with the Nespresso Coffee Machines!

There is a good reason behind Nespresso’s success – their machines and coffee capsules always live up to the hype and the name, making millions of coffeeholics go back to them whenever they want a cup of great coffee. Yes, their coffee is that good, and once you try it, you will see what I am talking about!

If you are on the market for a new coffee machine, you simply must look at Nespresso’s lines – the VertuoLine is better for those looking for versatile coffees, while the Original line is better for those looking for a good espresso and other espresso-based drinks. Whatever machine you go with, you will not make a mistake!

Let me know in the comments if you have used a Nespresso machine before and what your experience was like or if you are still looking into the machines. I would love to read all about it!

Krista Haws

Known among her friends as 'the caffeine fiend', Krista loves all things coffee. From an extremely short, strong espresso to a 3 day cold brew, Krista loves them all.

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