Nespresso Essenza Mini Review 2023: Good Things Come In Small Packages

Mighty and small are the adjectives for Essenza Mini. Capable of preparing the same Espressos, Ristrettos, and Lungos as any other machine of the Nespresso species. Its slim and stunning frame can conform even in the smallest of kitchens.

Its simplicity brands it the easiest Nespresso machine to clean and use. Don’t be duped by the wide range of machines that will have you paid hundreds of dollars extra for attributes that will not help your coffee taste any bit better. Such as a latte art wand or Bluetooth technology. The Essenza Mini gives the most knock for your money’s worth.

Now that we know the definition and story behind the Nespresso itself, let’s take a deep dive at the key features of the Nespresso Essenza Mini espresso machine.

Brewing

To achieve a good level of espresso extraction, you should go for an appliance that will deliver your coffee at 15 bars of pressure or beyond. The Essenza Mini operates at 19 bars in that case. That’s well enough to give a really lavish extraction out of whichever pod you prefer to be using.

Speed

Pod machines without any hands-on involvement are made to get a really good coffee to you. So, speed has become a vital part of the user experience when it comes to any Nespresso machine. Most of these machines will get you the job done in under a minute. But in just under 30 seconds, the Essenza Mini works quite diligently to reach its ideal brewing temperature.

Programmable Settings

Although the Mini was constructed to be quite a simple machine, there are two kinds of settings that add some sense of flexibility.

Firstly, you can brew a typical 1.35-ounce shot of espresso. This will most likely be your default drink. It does provide a strong coffee.

There will always be times when you crave a longer brewed drink. For those times, the Essenza also added called a Lungo mode. It brews a 5-ounce shot. This mode is really handy when you need to prepare bigger drinks like iced coffee. It’s easy to choose the beverage you want. In this case, Mini has two buttons dedicated for this exact reason.

If the standard volume settings are not doing it for you, it is also possible to alter the sizes of the drinks altogether. Follow these simple steps.

1. Open up the lever. Insert a Nespresso capsule and after that close the lever
2. Set your cup under the dispenser
3. Now, press any of the Espresso or Lungo button
4. Keep the button held down
5. Stop pressing the button when you feel that you’ve reached your desired volume
6. From this point on, whenever you utilize this button, the Mini will make a new volume of the drink!

Eco-Mode

The Nespresso Essenza Mini has an eco-mode. It’s for low-level energy consumption. An energy-saving automatic function will switch your machine off after 9 minutes of idleness. Thus stop consuming less energy.

Auto Shut Off

If you’re going to make many cups of drinks then you will not want your machine to power down frequently. It is assured that an auto turn-off functionality is present in your Essenza Mini.

If you like to make multiple coffees at once, then your machine will stay warm and set to function. Once you are finished though, your Mini will automatically shut down. It will happen after nine minutes of idle status.

Not only is this beneficial for your electricity bills, but also it’s benevolent to your environment too! Personally, we have a bit of a nag about leaving unattended any hot appliances too. So we liked the sense of assurance through this mechanism.

Water Reservoir

The water tank looks a bit small at first glance. But do remember that you’re generally using this piece of machine to make small-sized drinks. The reservoir is located towards the rear. Just ensure that you can access it easily regardless of wherever you want to situate it.

Design

In terms of aesthetics, we think the Nespresso machine is an unusually amazing-looking piece of device at this price bracket of the market.

It looks certainly very different from the other machines of its type. And we believe it brings a bold shade to the kitchen. Many single-serve coffee-making machines have a cheap-built finish to them. But we certainly don’t think that’s the case here at all. This model has two versions, built by both De’Longhi and Breville, who are both known for their exquisite design formulas.   

Dimensions (WxHxD) of this model are 3.3 x 12.9 x 8 inches. It weighs 5.07 lbs. The water tank capacity is 21 ounces or 0.6 L. Capacity for used capsules is 5 to 6.

The power required for this model ranges from 1100W to 1450W. Power saver mode is available. This model comes with 19 bar brewing pressure.

The water tank is detachable. The overall heat-up time is 25 seconds. The main cable length is almost 40 inches. The date of the first availability of the model is July 17, 2017.

Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine by Breville’s box contents excluding the machine are 16 OriginaLine Capsules, an instruction booklet, and an information folder.

De’Longhi made model dimensions (WxHxD) are 8.1 x 12.8 x 4.3 inches. The water tank capacity is 20.3 ounces, lighter than Essenza Plus. Container capacity equals a maximum of 6 of the used capsules. It weighs 5.1 lbs. The dimensions of the box are 15.1 x 5.5 x 12.2 inches (W-H-D). Power required 120V. The brewing pressure is equivalent to 19 bar.

This Nespresso machine also has a removable water tank. Power saver functionality is present. The date of the first availability of this model, is April 19, 2017.

Box Contents: Essenza Mini by De’Longhi, 16 Nespresso capsules starter kit, an information folder, and an instruction manual.

Trading name Nespresso, under Nestlé Nespresso S.A., is an operating branch of the Nestlé Group. Based at Lausanne in Switzerland. Nespresso machines brew coffee and espresso from coffee capsules. They also utilize pods in machines for professional and home use.

It is a type of container that is made for single-use and pre-apportioned ground coffee beans. Sometimes with various flavorings. Once entered into the machine, the capsules get pierced and then processed. Then at high-pressure water is enforced against a heating component. Meaning that only a single cup quantity is warmed. Nespresso is priced as premium coffee, and by 2011 had more than 3 billion Swiss francs worth of yearly sales. The word Nespresso is coined from putting Nestlé and Espresso together.

All kinds of Nespresso coffee are roasted, grounded, and then encapsulated. And they are all being produced inside one of three factories (Avenches, Romont, and Orbe) in Switzerland. But the company sold this system of capsules and machines worldwide.

First Use

According to the factory settings, an espresso cup equals 40 ml. A Lungo cup requires 110 ml. The auto-Off mode will activate after 9 minutes mark.

Rinse the water tank first. Fill it with potable water. Now place a container of at least 1 liter. Plug your machine into a power outlet.

Now turn your machine on. Press either of the Espresso or Lungo buttons. The blinking of the light signals the heating up. It will take 25 seconds. When the light becomes steady it means the machine is ready. Go ahead and press the Lungo button. It starts rinsing the machine. Repeat the process 3 times.

Finally, turn your machine off before the automatic Auto-Off mode. Press both the Lungo and Espresso buttons simultaneously.

Safety Precautions

Use a solvent cleaner or cleaning agent. Use a clean damp fabric and gentle cleaning agent for cleaning the machines’ surface. Remember to use only clean cleaning tools when cleaning this Nespresso machine. When you begin to unpack the machine, get rid of the plastic films.

When used correctly, the Nespresso descaling agent helps guarantee the correct functioning of your machine over the length of its lifetime. Also, make sure that your coffee experience remains as perfect as the first day. Descale accordingly from the user manual.

Cleaning And Descaling

It will last longer if you take care of it. Also, proper cleaning and descaling will give you great-tasting espresso too. Take a few minutes every day to drain the drip tray. Check the capsule container too. Give the water reservoir a good washout every day or two.

It’s a way simple the descaling process. Although the full process takes around 15 minutes and needs your personal touch. Make a mixture of water and descaling liquid and pour it into the reservoir. Put a large container below the dispenser. Then press and hold both serving buttons for 5 seconds. Next, repeat the process by returning the water or descaling liquid to the tank.

In the end, you have to run clean water through your machine one more time to wash away any of the solutions. It’s not a tough process and it is absolutely important to perform descaling if you live in an area of hard water.

How Big Should The Water Reservoir Be?

If you’re an only espresso drinker, then you will not require a big water reservoir. Do make sure it’s easily accessible and removable from the machine. Picking the right size depends on how you’ve planned to use the machine on a daily basis. Find how many cups you’ll need each day. It will help you to look for the right water tank size. The reservoir seems to be one of the bigger parts of these machines. So, you must strike a trade-off between capacity and size.

Free To Use Ground Coffee?

The cost of coffee pods never decreases. It’s important to be aware of the cost while using the Nespresso machine. The positive side of this argument though is that you will have a range of flavors to pick on and experiment freely. Few single-serve machines include the choice of using ground coffee. They typically have separate filter baskets or chambers for the job.

Do You Require Advanced Settings?

This sort of machine is built to be just simple and fast for the users. You have to be a very impatient individual to set up the machine ahead of time! That being said, we always advise it’s worth looking for a machine that has an auto-shutoff mode. It’s good for your electricity bills, cuts down the potential chance of any accidents, and favors eco-friendly causes.

Nespresso machines subsist to offer great quality coffee or quality espresso drink to you quickly. While remaining as little fuss as possible. From that point of view, we believe the Nespresso Essenza Mini is an absolutely logical choice. It is true though that you will be restricted to using coffee pods only. But a huge range of flavors and drinks remains to be experimented with.

The espresso quality (also espresso-based other drinks) and coffee quality is considered well too. We rated the fact that users can tweak the default settings to suit their drink size selections. The condensed size of this machine is another big positive for those who have a smaller kitchen. This is the verdict we’ve reached at the end of the Nespresso Mini review.

1. Faster heating-up
2. A durable and well-made machine
3. A starter pack of Nespresso pods. They come with the model
4. A solid espresso machine that delivers good-quality coffee
5. Makes a 1.35 ounce of espresso shot and 5.0 ounces of Lungo

1. Nespresso pods can be difficult to source locally
2. After the brewing cycle completes it drips a little
3. You can only use Nespresso pods. So the cost is incremental over time
4. Coffee connoisseurs will find the taste lacking. It’s fine for casual drinkers though
5. A loud machine regardless of its size. Although it is a common trouble with pod coffee machines

There are a few choices when it comes to buying a single-serve Nespresso machine and here are some similar alternatives which you may like to consider.

Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus

Creatista Plus is more like a high-end appliance. As it does have a frother. It opens up a whole new world of drinks to the user. But you will need to spend time perfecting the milk settings for the brew you will be making.

There are more settings on this machine to play around with. From adjusting the volume of coffee to tweaking the temperature of the milk. This machine is prime if you are happy to spend time making your drink just the way you like it.

It’s also one of the fastest machines out there. Offering an awesomely blistering 3 seconds of warm-up time!

YOU MAY ALSO READ: Make Rich Quality Drinks At The Touch Of A Button With Nespresso Creatista Plus.

Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Maker

De’Longhi’s ENV135B offers an even larger water tank at 54oz. It should be more than sufficient to get you through an entire day!

Like the previous Breville model, it also makes up a larger number of serving sizes. Ranges from 1.35 ounces to 14 ounces. It does as well heat up even faster. With just 15 seconds of warm-up time. If speed is the biggest headache for you, then this may be the best machine out there within a decent budget range.

When it comes to serving sizes, this alternate model from Breville provides more flexibility. There are 5 in total serving sizes. Meaning you can serve anything from a usual 1.35-ounce espresso shot to a 14 ounces Alto.

That larger-sized serving will be perfect if you are planning to take your coffee on the go. And require to fill, for example, a travel mug.

To allow such larger serving sizes, the water reservoir size has been expanded to 40 ounces. It’s not the only largest size on the market. But it is large enough to offer a variety of drink sizes all throughout your day.

The affordable and compact Essenza Mini aims to conserve your stress and time when making espresso without renouncing its flavor. One-touch, easy operation, and the use of fitting capsules have made this machine worth your consideration.

Brewing a perfect shot of espresso when you’re dealing with sophisticated, expensive machines and fat pages of instructions can become a real test. At the time of writing our Nespresso Essenza mini coffee machine review article, we did realize that Essenza Mini desires to bridge that gap between having a flavorful espresso and your user experience.

Happy Brewing!