Nespresso Essenza Plus Review - Is it Really a Plus?
Summary
Pros
Cons
Nespresso Essenza Plus Summary
The Nespresso Essenza Plus is a pretty good and reliable single-serve espresso machine that offers four drink size options (Espresso, Lungo, Americano, and Americano XL) and it comes in two design choices- one by Breville and another by De'Longhi). The integrated button makes reordering Nespresso capsules a breeze, but you might find yourself doing it manually through their site or in-store, if you're someone who likes to change things up every time you order.
Read this detailed Nespresso Essenza Plus review to learn more about this new upgrade and whether it is a good fit for your next Nespresso machine!
The Nespresso Essenza Plus is an update to the Nespresso Essenza Mini. It is a slightly bigger, although still compact, version with a few added extras.
This sleek coffee maker can make great espresso and americanos and is easy to clean with a one-touch user-friendly interface.
But is this slightly bigger version of the Essenza Mini, capable of preparing Americanos, worth the extra dough?
Continue reading this Nespresso Essenza Plus review to find out!
We'll go over its key features and whether they’re actually useful. Its ease of cleaning and if it’s good value for your money, and more importantly if it makes a good cup of joe.
Specifications
- Line: OriginalLine
- Display: None
- Materials: Aluminum
- Colors: Black and red
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 4.65 x 15.7 x 10 inches
- Weight: 6.6 pounds
- Water Tank: 34 oz
- Spent Nespresso Capsules Capacity: 9 - 11 capsules
- Power Rating: 1260 Watts
Key Features
- Brew Pressure: 19 bar
- Heat-up time: 25 seconds
- Brewing Sizes: Espresso (1.35 oz) and Lungo (3.7 oz) Americano (0.85 oz coffee and 4.2oz hot water), Americano xl (1.35oz coffee and 5.4oz hot water)
- Customizable Brew Sizes? Yes
- Pre-programmed drinks: 4
- Milk System: None
- Milk Settings: N/A
- Milk Jug: N/A
- Hot Water Dispenser? Yes
- Auto-off: 9 minutes
- Cleaning: Descaling alert
- Suitable for Latte Art? No
- Warranty: 2 years
Nespresso Essenza Plus Review
Design and Build Quality
The Nespresso Essenza Plus has a sleek and simple appearance. The mug holder and spout are the only parts visible at the front with four buttons along the top of the machine and the water reservoir hidden at the back.
This model is compact enough that it can fit under your counter, although, with the water reservoir at the back and the buttons on top, you may need to slide it out to work it if your cupboards are not high enough. Generally speaking though, this should not be an issue because most cupboard heights are much more than this Nespresso machine.
There are three color options for this model including black, white, and red. The color depends on what brand you buy.
Two brands both make the Essenza Plus, De'Longhi and Breville. The Nespresso machines are the same, the only differences are the colors and some slight design aspects. But all the key features are the same.
The De'Longhi version is available in black and red. The Breville version comes in white and black.
Side Note: Nespresso works with both Breville and De'Longhi to design most of their capsule based espresso machines. Check out our list of all the Nespresso Machines offered today.
This coffee machine is made with aluminum and some plastic part, but it is light enough to easily transport from one side of your kitchen to the other or from one home to another.
The water reservoir doesn’t fit snuggly against the machine which takes away from the overall sleek appearance, however, this is at the back of the machine so you’re not going to see it.
The water reservoir, at 34oz, is bigger than the Nespresso Essenza Mini which holds 21oz. But this means you’ll still only get around three cups out of it before having to refill it. Fresh water is better for the flavor of your coffee, so if you refill the water tank with enough water for each drink you make, then this won’t be a problem.
The drip tray is removable, so you can use a bigger mug for your americano.
Features and Ease of Use
The Essenza Plus is quick and easy to set up and easy to use. If you're anything like me and you refuse to look at instruction manuals, then you’ll have no problem working out how to use this coffee machine.
This machine is simple but offers extras that make it more versatile than a simple coffee maker.
As an OriginalLine Nespresso coffee machine it uses a 19-bar pump pressure to create its espresso coffees, unlike the VertuoLine which uses centrifusion and Vertuo Coffee Pods with barcodes.
The Essenza Plus offers four coffee sizes to choose from including espresso (1.35oz), lungo (3.70z), americano (0.85oz of coffee and 4.2oz of hot water), and americano xl (1.35oz of coffee and 5.4oz of hot water).
For a pretty simple coffee machine, being able to offer not only espresso but americanos is a nice bonus.
Unfortunately, this model doesn’t come with milk frothing capabilities, so while you could make milk-based coffees with this machine such as cappuccinos or lattes, you will have to purchase the milk frother separately.
The one-touch reordering system feature is like Marmite, you’ll either love it or hate it. You have to download an app and pair it with your machine using WiFi. You then set up your capsule order and any time you want to reorder capsules, you simply press the button on your machine and it will order them.
The good thing about this feature is that if you like it, it saves you time plus it is easy to use and won’t let you order again until your first order has been completed. This is good if you forget you already ordered some or if you press it by accident.
The downside of this reorder function is that you have to set it up, to begin with, which you may not want to be bothered with, especially if technology isn’t your forte. Also, this function will only suit you if you drink the same coffee all the time. If you want to experiment with different pods then this isn’t very useful.
This Nespresso machine also has a hot water feature which means you can use it to brew tea, however, this will only work if you don’t mind lukewarm tea as the water isn’t that hot, which is good for some types of tea, such as green tea.
The capsule container has the capacity of about nine to eleven empty pods, although it will be more around the nine mark. This means if you live on coffee, you’re going to need to empty it frequently, possibly every other day.
The machine, like a lot of Nespresso models, has a fast heat-up function with the machine reaching the ideal temperature in less than 30 seconds. That plus the one-touch function helps make it quick to brew coffee if, like me, you can’t think in the morning until you’ve had your caffeine hit.
Coffee Drink Quality
The espresso, while tasty, is made from a pod so it won't be more authentic espresso than an actual espresso machine, but it's still a good cup of joe with a thick layer of delicious crema!
The advantage of this is that you can enjoy a decent cup of coffee at home at half the cost of your local coffee shop and without leaving your home. Especially if you decide to purchase reusable Nespresso Pods.
The options of americano and americano xl may not be as strong as you’d like if you’re a fan of particularly strong coffee. You could always use two shots of espresso if you think it’s a little weak for your taste.
Like the hot water function, if you like your coffee steaming hot, then you may be a little disappointed by the Essenza Plus.
Also, the coffee can be inconsistent in quality although a bit of experimentation might help with this.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The Essenza Plus is easy to clean with removable parts to make this quick and easy.
The Essenza Plus has a descaling alert, an LED light, that lets you know when your machine needs to be descaled. Descaling is important to ensure no impurities affect the flavor of your coffee and to also extend the life of your machine.
How often you have to descale your machine will depend on the frequency with which you use it and your water hardness.
You can still use the machine even when the descaling alert comes on, but it’s best not to wait too long before descaling it.
As we've mentioned, the Nespresso Essenza Plus uses various LED light blinking patterns and colors to tell you about its status and to help you troubleshoot it. Thankfully the User Manual comes with a handy table to help you decipher these codes.
Most issues can be easily solved by following the manual, but if you run into trouble make sure to check our Nespresso blinking light troubleshooting post.
Sometimes the water gathers in the drip tray which you will need to clean out, so it doesn’t get gunky but this shouldn’t cause you too much annoyance.
Also, when you lift the top lever up, a bit of steam or spray comes out, even a good while after you’ve made a coffee. You obviously don’t want to be spat at with hot water or steam, so just be careful when lifting this up and you should be fine.
How do you descale the Nespresso Essenza Plus?
To descale your machine, the descaling light will come on.
- Empty the drip tray and capsule container
- Fill the water reservoir with fresh water up to halfway
- Pour the Nespresso descaling sachet into the water
- Place a container under the coffee spout where your mug would go
- Turn your machine on and press the espresso, lungo, and hot water buttons for five seconds
- The three LEDs on your machine will blink
- Press the hot water button and wait until your water tank is empty
- Rinse the water tank and fill it up with water to the maximum level
- Empty the container you used under the spout and put it back under the spout
- Press the hot water button and when the water tank is empty again, do this once more
- The machine will switch off automatically when the descaling is finished
- This process should take around 15 minutes
Value for Money
This model is a good price for offering such versatility.
The capsules are less expensive for Nespresso's original line machines than the VertuoLine and you can use third-party capsules, although Nespresso says to avoid this (they would say that though, so they get more of your money for capsules).
Even if you don't choose a budget option and go for the Nespresso OriginalLine, they are still only $0.80 per pod which is a big difference from spending around $3 for one coffee at your local coffee shop.
Our Verdict
Summary
Pros
Cons
Nespresso Essenza Plus Summary
The Nespresso Essenza Plus is a pretty good and reliable single-serve espresso machine that offers four drink size options (Espresso, Lungo, Americano, and Americano XL) and it comes in two design choices- one by Breville and another by De'Longhi). The integrated button makes reordering Nespresso pods a breeze, but you might find yourself doing it manually through their site or in-store, if you're someone who likes to change things up every time you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What capsules are compatible with Nespresso Essenza Plus?
Nespresso OriginalLine capsules are compatible with this machine. There is a wide range of flavors to choose from such as over ice, decaf, and flavored coffees such as coconut.
You can use third-party capsules but Nespresso (obviously) advises against this in case you damage your machine.
Does Nespresso Essenza Plus make regular coffee?
If by regular coffee, you mean a simple black coffee, then no, there is no specific option for this.
You can, however, make an americano which is the next best thing!
Who makes the Nespresso Essenza Plus?
De’Longhi and Breville make the Nesspresso Essenza Plus. While the machines are the same, they have two different designs.
How do I use my Nespresso Essenza Plus?
Firstly, turn your machine on and fill up the water reservoir.
Lift the lever at the top of the machine up which has the buttons on it. Insert your capsule and close the lever. Place a mug under the spout. You can remove the drip tray for a bigger cup to fit under it.
Press either the espresso or lungo or hot water button. There will be blinking lights to show you the machine is heating up. Once the light is static, it is ready and your coffee will flow into your cup.
Once you remove your cup, lift and close the lever to remove the used capsule into the capsule container.
What is the difference between Essenza Plus and Essenza Mini?
- The Nespresso Essenza Plus has two extra drink sizes than the Essenza Mini - Americano and Americano XL
- The Essenza Plus is slightly larger with a bigger water reservoir
- Essenza Plus offers hot water on-demand and a one-button reordering system
Bottom Line
The Nespresso Essenza Plus is a simple espresso machine with a few added extras. It’s easy to clean and easy to use, making it great for coffee drinkers who want a quick experience at home.
Overall this is a simple yet effective machine that will suit you if you want something quick and easy and mainly drink espressos and americanos.
Some of the functions are unnecessary and could be swapped for others such as including a milk frother or making it a little more robust.
