Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine by Breville, Brushed Stainless Steel

I researched the Nespresso options to death. I am really glad I chose this one. Easy to use and it tells yo when you need to clean the machine. The frother is great.

I've owned a Nespresso machine for years and recently decided to upgrade to the Creatista. My old machine, the Citiz, was fine, but I wanted more functionality. I originally tried the Lattissima Pro but promptly returned it - the frothed milk was not up to par for cappuccinos and settings were confusing to adjust. The Creatista has been a great purchase, makes incredible coffee/milk drinks, and is simple to use.The Good:1) Large water reservoir and good overall design. Actually smaller than my Citiz as far as counter space goes and looks great in the kitchen2) Everything is adjustable - the temperature, coffee volume, froth level can all be adjusted on the interface using dials. I can get my coffee steaming hot like at a coffee shop or dial the temp back. It's intuitive to use and makes a big difference in the taste. The machine tells you the ideal volume and temp for each drink (latte, cappuccino, espresso, etc.), but you can adjust to your hearts content. I like my cappuccino with more espresso volume so I dial it way up and stick a large (Lungo) pod in, and it's perfect.3) Great frothed milk.This was a must for me. Nothing worse than flat froth on a cappuccino. I like the steam wand method of this machine and it's much easier to clean The stainless steel milk jug goes right into the dishwasher and the steam wand is self cleaning. It works fine automatically, but I slightly lift and tip the jug during steaming, and I find it makes a sturdier froth. You'll have to play with it to find your perfect setting. Tip - increase the heat on the milk setting and it creates more micro bubbles.The Not so Good:1) The drip tray could be bigger. Especially considering the self cleaning wand steams water out after each use, and it empties into the drip tray. Not a big deal, but it needs to get emptied.2) The adjustments don't give you specific temperatures or volumes. Not on the interface nor in the manual will you find what the settings correspond to. I'd like to know exactly how hot I'm dialing up the temperature, or how many more ounces of espresso I'm getting if I crank the setting up or down, but it's not possible. You just have to eyeball to see what works for you. I suppose I could use a thermometer or get a measuring cup, but seems they should provide this info considering how the ability to adjust is such a big part of this machine's personality.3. You can't steam the milk at the same time you're making coffee. Why? It would save some time and be nice to walk away from the machine and have milk and coffee going at the same time. Once the coffee part is done, you'll have to go back to the functions to allow for the milk process to begin.Overall:Great looking machine, easy to use, and versatile. The ability to tailor milk based coffee drinks to our specific tastes is a huge plus. Milk froths better on this machine given the wand design. It's a keeper.

For ten years I'd been making my lattes in a Lattissima Pro, thinking I was at the pinnacle of Nespresso technology. Turns out, I was wrong.The Creatista Plus also takes Nespresso pods, and also operates at 19 bars or pressure, and that's where the similarities end. It's just better in every other way. It's quieter. It's faster, heating up in seconds rather than minutes. It's better-looking. It makes better foam. There's many more options for drinks. The milk is hotter and foams better. It's easier to clean. It holds more water. Touches large and small make the new machine an actual pleasure to use.You're ale to customize how much coffee is brewed, the temperature of the milk, and how much foam is in the milk. When you set these, they'll save for the next use. You can't save different combinations of the same drink like you can with the Pro, but saving the last settings is enough for me. With those settings in place, making my latte takes two button presses and about three minutes. It even automatically purges the steam wand, and all the cleaning I have to do is wipe down the outside of the wand.Compared to the Pro, you don't get a full touchscreen, the ability to save custom drinks, or to make hot water for tea. The big advantage of the Pro is lost in the US, where our 120V electricity means the espresso brewing and milk frothing happen one after the other instead of at the same time. Are the other three differences worth the $200 price increase? They weren't to me. Even the Plus isn't cheap,If you've made your peace with the price of the Plus and you're waffling, this is your sign to buy it. The difference it will make to your morning coffee routine, and the enjoyment you get from your coffee, is hard to overstate. *This* has to be the pinnacle of Nespresso technology.

I have had to return 2 of these poorly performing machines within a month, thank you to Amazon for standing behind your products! They quickly replaced the first machine at no extra charge even though the price had gone up $200 in only 10 days since I bought it. They issued a return for the 2nd machine today. I hesitated to write this review but since I relied on the 80% 5-star reviews here when I chose this machine, I felt I needed to report my experience with it.The good: milk frothing is wonderful and the Creatista is beautiful. The bad: both Creatistas produced very little crema and weak, flat flavor from Nespresso capsules (tested many varieties). I have an 11 year old Citiz with Milk and a 2 yr old Breville Pixie. Both produce wonderful rich espresso. I compared the Creatista Plus espressos with those from my cheaper machines and there is a huge quality and taste difference. The replacement Creatista also came with a defective drip tray that didn’t fit the machine. I’m so disappointed because the milk frothing steam feature is great, but doesn’t make up for weak coffee from expensive capsules.