Nespresso Breville Creatista Plus BNE800BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel

Not Bad – One of my Favs
So I have owned a lot of machines from a Nuova Simonelli Aurelia (world barista championship machine) which required a 20amp circuit installed at my house to a lot of the lower end machines like the Brevilles and Delonghi (not a fan of Delonghi). You never buy a pod machine to save money – you buy it to save time. I think they figured if you bought Nespresso brand coffee pods you’re essentially paying around $50 or so dollars a pound which is crazy expensive. Yet when you compare the convenience of a good latte that costs you near a dollar with a $5-7 with tip coffee at starbucks, you’re doing ok.So what do I think of this machine? I actually really like it. I can make a latte in the time it takes my other machine to warm up. This machine takes 3 seconds to go and my other machine – I need to grind, tamp and then it still takes my other machine roughly 30 seconds to heat up. It could probably make a few cups before my professional machine even warms up. I love doing things myself and enjoy the art of the grind, the tamp, adjusting for weather and knowing my skills but honestly sometimes I just want a quick, consistently good latte or flat white. The machine definitely delivers there. I love how hot it makes the shot, I love how adjustable everything is, and I love that I can make a coffee two minutes before a meeting. (I can’t even get my other machines warmed up) I bought one for my work and brought it home and my wife loved it so much she asked me to leave it. I ordered another for my Dad because he loved mine so much I had to get him one. The settings that work for me are flat white – milk level 2, latte milk level 5, and cappuccino milk level 8. They closer to the real deal with those settings. Please don’t judge my poor latte art – I was just trying a few with the machine and thought I would post them to show how close to the real thing you can come with this machine on the first go… I’m sure if I gave it a few tries – I could probably get them a bit more symmetrical. The point is – you can still have fun with it.So maybe you’re wondering – does it match a full professional machine? First off – of course not – I can do a better shot, have more options, and can do a lot more with latte art and milk texture on a real machine. I can get a lot better and more authentic crema on a professional machine. On a professional machine I can choose exotic beans and experience crazy weird taste and half the fun of coffee is making it. (nespresso has quite a variety though which is worth trying – including some good third parties like Pete’s, ect) That being said – It’s not supposed to compete with a professional machine. It’s a home machine under $500. We’re talking a HUGE price difference to a professional machine which can range in the 10-15k range for a good one like the Aurelia. (And you still need to buy your Mazzer grinder for 1-2k!) it’s a lot of work and expensive to own a professional machine. I also find I can waste more on a coffee machine – you need to drink enough to get through a bag of beans before they get past the first month of roast.So if you want a good machine, that makes decent espresso, and can do it consistently well, and extremely fast. I think this is an excellent addition to any home.

Little crema, weak tasting expresso. Returned.
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.

Gorgeous looking machine, very easy to use with multi functions for different types of coffee drinks and a built in milk frother and fast. Has had lots of compliments

This machine is worth every penny. Milk froth, can control temperature and froth level, comparable to barista. Expresso is hot, I do not use a capsule and prime, warming my cup, then make expresso. Nespresso capsule samples come with the machine, which range from intense to mild.Much more convenient, can have expresso, latte, cappuccino or macchiato any time I want. A lot cheaper than going to the other place (Also have decaf variety, so can have one at night). No tasting ‘the capsule’ only expresso. Will tell you when to descale, easy 15 minute cleaning. Have owned another expresso machine and just love the convenience of the Creatista Plus. Within a couple of minutes you are having your drink.