Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus BNE800DBL, Damson Blue

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.