single serve capsule espresso machine
Espresso Machine & Coffeemaker Combos
Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine by Breville, Brushed Stainless Steel
$4.10
| Asin | B01LYTP2SG |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6.7"D x 16.1"W x 12.2"H |
| Weight | 12.04 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Breville |
Jeremy Beck –
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.
MaryKay –
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.
Ella Marks –
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 kitchen
2) 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.
Sasha Lund –
This little machine is my hero every morning! I absolutely love the sleek look – just like a machine in a coffee shop! I just drop a pod into the slot, and pour some milk into the jug, and I have an amazing latte in under one minute. I’ve taste-tested these lattes against the ones at my favorite coffee shop, and they’re every bit as good. I also am able to use non-dairy milks (cashew, almond, oat) and they foam up beautifully! After extensive use, here are the things I’d want to know if I were considering a purchase:
-Pre-programmed drink options: This machine has many drinks such as flat whites, cappuccinos, lattes, ristretto, and espresso pre-programmed with set milk temps, foam levels, and espresso level. The programmed settings are very useful when you want to be able to push two buttons and go. Using these settings, I can have an espresso drink in one minute – from when I turn the machine on to when I’m screwing the lid onto my travel mug. However, the settings can be modified easily. You can select a flat white, but if you like a foamier flat white, you simply turn the dial up from the pre-selected "4" on the foam level to whatever level of foam you prefer. This is handy for experimentation, and I’ve discovered my ideal drink based on these settings.
-There doesn’t seem to be a way to set your drink to a double shot. Most coffeehouse drinks are at least two shots, and I find that I prefer two shots in my morning drink. However, each of the pre-defined drink options assume one espresso shot. Because of this, I find myself preferring to simply select "espresso" twice, to get two shots, and then simply using the steam milk function at the temperature and foam level I want, and combining for a "DIY" espresso drink. I wish I could select the number of shots I want when configuring my drink.
-Likewise, the machine doesn’t tell you how much milk to use for each drink. I know from my frequent coffeehouse visits, cappuccinos and lattes have different amounts of milk added to the final drink. However, while the machine defines a foam level depending on which drink you select, it doesn’t tell you how much milk to use. I’ve garnered some knowledge on this from watching barista YouTube videos, but it would be helpful if the machine would walk though the preparation by stating "add 8 oz of milk to the jug" or something similar.
-The milk steamer auto-cleans after each use. This is great because it keeps it from getting plugged up, and I’ve found that I haven’t yet needed to use the included cleaning tool.
-The machine includes a small reservoir for the discarded pods. It holds about 6-8 before needing to be emptied, at which point you can dump them into a recycling bag provided by Nespresso and mail them back (at no cost) for recycling!
-The drip tray has a sensor which will alert the machine to notify you when it’s full and needs to be emptied.
-I LOVE that the machine is calibrated based on the PH level of my tap water. They send a water testing strip with the welcome guide and the machine is calibrated upon setup based on the results of this test.
-The machine is also shipped with a sample pack of 16 pods – enough to get you through a couple weeks and decide which Nespresso options are your favorite.
Fiona Maitland –
We have had this for approximately six years and it is still going strong. It makes great tasting coffee, it’s easy to use, It’s easy to clean and disscale. We have subsequently bought one for mom as it is so good.
J. Garner –
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.
Color doc –
Many different functions I love This Machine. I use distilled water and so far have not had to clean it descale
Caramia –
I bought the Breville creatista nespresso machine in silver as I love coffee but especially a good cappuccino! My parents are European (Italian and French), so I was introduced to good coffee at an early age, and I’m hard to please (Very picky) when it comes to coffee. This machine did not disappoint. At least, not for the past 4 years. I bought the Creatista in April 2020. I make at least 6 pods daily. The coffee is hot, with a crema that’s remarkable since this is a more automatic machine. You have options of level of fluid in cup, how hot you prefer, with preselect options as well. The milk frother is top notch. It even tells you when it’s time to descale or clean the frother tip to keep in top condition. It makes about the same level of noise as most pressurized coffee machines. I must confess I use only filtered water, so I needed to descale maybe 3 times yearly. Nespresso offers pods with many different levels of intensity, flavors, and varietal coffees from many countries which I greatly enjoyed. The pods are not cheap, costing somewhere between 70 cents and 1.25 each in a carton of 10. The reason I did not give this machine a 5 star rating is because my machine has begun leaking water when I brew a cup. Since it is a fairly costly machine, I had hoped for more longevity, especially since the price point is mid 600’s. It retails at both Amazon and Williams Sonoma for the same price with the latter having 2 more available colors than Amazon. I really loved this machine. I can’t say enough good things about it. However, as mentioned in several other reviews, it does develop a water seepage issue. I opted not to take the extended 4 year warranty, which is a good thing, as that warranty would have run out in April. My machine started to wet the counter top 3 weeks ago. I am greatly disappointed that it lacks the longevity that I expected from such a highly respected company.
Straight-Talk –
I honestly waited to make sure that my “gushing”review was warranted and it is! This machine works flawlessly and the milk frother is really impressive. We are using it quite a bit during the day and impressed with how easy it is to clean and keep going, Oat and soy milk are also working really well. Preferring organic coffee we use many off brand capsules and this machine handles it. We spent the extra for the stainless steel and really grateful. Was blown away that it honestly does heat up in 3 seconds. Love it.
ThatOneRedHead –
I love coffee. I’ve owned A pod system machine for the last 10 years using it daily. I was on my 3rd (Starts with a K) and after 3 years it just wasn’t working properly anymore. Did a bunch of research and landed on this machine or another (K) machine. After taking a cruise earlier this year I got spoiled on fancy coffee and found myself buying it in place of a regular cup of Joe in my (K) at home. So I thought why not try this and see if I can save myself some money buy not going to Starbucks and caribou every day. Out of this world compared to my dull old coffee and creamer routine. Easy to use. So easy all 4 of my kids learned to make me lattes and cappuccinos. Best part is it will froth any type of milk. I’ve used coconut, almond and oat milk and they all come out super frothy and delicious. I even learned how to make perfect summer iced lattes. I am only at the end of week one with it but so far it’s exceeded my expectations. I will update if anything changes.