Can anyone recommend a nespresso machine!

[Austereorange]

We had had a tassimo for years (from when it first came out!) but it’s a big anniversary next week and we are going to get a nespresso. The tassimo pods are huge and expensive compared to nespresso and I like that aldi/Lidl (where we shop) have compatible pods.

However there seems to be a wealth of machines and I’m clueless as to what to get and what does what.

We don’t drink milky/latte drinks. We more often have a back coffee with a dash of cold milk. But I would like something that does chocolate too if that’s possible.

Can anyone recommend a model?

We have a magimix citiz with milk and it replaced our old coffee machine - i love it, its so easy! You can get it with or without the milk bit but i have milky coffee so its perfect. You may want to get it with the milk bit to make milky hot chocolate and then just stir in the powder

Thank you @CCSS15. I looked at that one but it only does very short drinks. What if you wanted a mug of black coffee? Would you just top it up with hot water?

If you want compatible pods and hot chocolate then avoid the vertuo range. We love it for the larger mugs of coffee which we add milk to but the pods come with bar codes do you can’t get them anywhere else and there is no chocolate option.

You can make the lungo pour more water through the capsule.

We reprogrammed ours so that 2 capsules plus some hot milk fills a Cath Kidston Stanley mug.
The aeroccino makes great hot milk for hot chocolate as well. We make tempered chocolate stirrers on lolly sticks and add marshmallows to them and then use these in a cup of hot milk to make hot chocolate.

I'd do a subscription if I were to buy a new machine, the payment is credit in the shop and lasts a few years. I like when my pods are delivered, they also take away the bag full of empties for recycling.

The Nespresso machines basically just do shots of coffee.
The vertuo machines do bigger mugs but as a PP said you can only get the pods from Nespresso and they don't do chocolate.
I have a Nespresso basic machine (can't remember the make) and use it everyday for a shot of espresso which I top up with either hot milk from the aerocino or hot water and a dash of cold milk.
I use the aerocino to make hot choc. I put the powder and milk in it and whizz it up. I did have some chocolate pods for my Nespresso machine from somewhere online but the pods were plastic and melted in the machine so not trying that again. It just gave a shot of chocolate which you topped up with hot milk

Looks like a citiz with an aerocino then!

Buy it from nespresso though. They do a subscription thing where you get the machine for a quid and you pay 25 quid a month into your coffee capsule account. I did it and it worked out cheaper than buying a machine upfront and compatible capsules. Nespresso will also take away the used capsules for recycling

I've got a mini machine. It's red. I absolutely love it. It's been a lockdown life saver. I spotted the sage ones the other day and have my eye on one of them. Though they are £300!

I’ve got a cheap Nespresso. I had Tassimos before but, like you say, the pods are huge and costly. My husband and I tend to drink black coffee so we don’t need the milk bit often but it’s really simple to use and I went through a phase of cappuccinos. Just using milk from the fridge rather than the extra pod which you need in the Tassimo suited me.
I can’t really recommend a particular machine, which I know you asked, but I thought I’d comment as ours is on the cheap end but has been good for two years of daily use. We get through loads of pods and buy Amazon’s own brand of 50 in a box. I also liked Sainsbury’s own (strength 9!!)
I don’t know about hot chocolate. When we had the Tass I bought the chocolate pods occasionally but you can’t get them for the Ness, I don’t think. I suppose you could froth up the milk and add a bit from a jar!
I do avoid Nestle where I can, so although I have the machine (was a gift), I try not to buy the coffee to do any further damage.

Don’t buy one unless you are going to use pods that you fill yourself - so much unnecessary waste and cost with pods. Just buy a proper machine and make a proper espresso or long black!

Thanks. Fairly sure we’ll go for the citiz but they seem to be like gold dust for some reason. May well do a subscription but then you’re beholden to the own brand capsules....

Honestly, I wouldn't bother. We have one and we never use it - we use our bean to cup instead and we drink similar coffees to you. The Nespresso coffes weren't big enough and the pods were a pain to get, bean to cup is so much easier.

We have an older version of this and I promise you it's worth the money - www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Magnifica-ESAM-4200-S-Silver/dp/B001EOMZ5E/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&crid=31GEGFQYX3K94&keywords=delonghi+magnifica+coffee+machine&sprefix=de+longhi+m%2Caps%2C156&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1599048044&sr=8-4

I used to have a citiz and an aeroccino, but found the aeroccino too much faff for cleaning (I have a lot of milky coffees so ymmv). I have a Latissima One now which comes with a frother attachment which can be flung in the dishwasher. Can be used with out without the frother of course.

Lakeland sell a machine that takes Nespresso and Dolce Gusto pods; it will make 7 different cup sizes. www.lakeland.co.uk/62120/Lakeland-2-in-1-Coffee-Pod-Machine-Dark-Grey

I’ve had a Nespresso machine for many years & would have the same again if it broke.
Ordering pods is easy online, they come the next day & free delivery with 200 pods, they’re not cheap but the best.
Lidl & Aldi pods are cheaper but not very nice. I stock up on the L’Or pods in Sainsbury's when they are on offer for 10@£2.50.

I had some lovely pods from Dualities. But I refuse to pay £6 for second class postage. So will
Do without.

Dualit

@Miranda79

Don’t buy one unless you are going to use pods that you fill yourself - so much unnecessary waste and cost with pods. Just buy a proper machine and make a proper espresso or long black!

I agree - these machines are horrifically wasteful.

A filter coffee takes about the same length of time to make, but all the consumables used in making it (filter paper and grounds) go straight into the compost. In 50 years time, I think our grandkids will look back with horror at the idea that machines like this were commonplace.

And before anyone talks about recycling the pods, remember that it is reduce first, then reuse, then recycle (i.e. don't create the waste in the first place If it is avoidable). And that's without going into the fact that many pods are not fully recyclable.

I have a Nespresso Expert with a milk warmer/frother. It has 4 cup sizes and also dispenses hot water. I 've been really pleased with it. No problems getting the pods. They collect them free for recycling and customer services have been good recently when I had a problem,

I worked out two Nespresso pods a day was the equivalent of two aluminium cans a month. All our pods get recycled

Don't hear much hand wringing about coke drinkers or shouts that tinned tomatoes are ruining the environment.

Get a bean to cup machine instead, we’ve got a Delonghi and we love it

I have the pixie... The smallest one.
Its brilliant
I put pod in press button for longer drink (about dble expresso amount) then press again.
You get small mug of perfect black coffee.
Word of warning.. The cheap supermarkets pods are grim compared with genuine nespresso ones

I had the Citiz with Aeroccino and it was great but we did miss longer coffees so bought the Vertuo as it was on offer at a very good price.
I agree you can't get cheap capsules but we love it and have had friends with other machines comment on how nice the coffee is so it is worth it for us

I had a nespresso and it made great coffee, but after a while it leaked and nespresso said it was because I was using compatible pods. It was unde guarantee so they fixed it but after a while it started leaking again. So we have gone down the tassimo route!