Perfect little machine. No regrets.
Pros of the Inissia: -Clean appearance, looks and feels quality -Small size - fits well in small kitchens -Very cheap compared to a full size espresso machine -Machine warms up quickly -FAST. I love how quick this machine is. I used to make moka pot coffee, which is noisier (or the grinder is), faster, and not as tasty. -Cheaper pods - for me, since this is true espresso, this is a more cost effective way of enjoying my coffee. It is a fraction of the cost of a coffee shop, and since buying the Inissia I have almost ceased going to the coffee shop at all. The unit is cheap enough to outweigh the costs of buying the pods anyway. -The pods run around 70 cents a shot across the board. They're about the same price whether through Amazon or Nespresso's website, but Nespresso will usually give you a good "Starter discount" and a gift the first time you order, so using a combination of the two might be helpful. Cons of the Inissia: -Ordinary coffee from your grocery store cannot be used with this unit - only pods from Nespresso are recommended. This means you can't try out different coffees and their flavors using this machine. You can buy occasional new flavors through Nespresso though. -The drip tray must be removed if a taller mug is used to collect espresso. -"A little" noisy. Doesn't wake up sleeping kids in the next room though. Much quieter than a grinder. -Precious espresso sometimes sits in the chamber where the pod is - when it's done making espresso, the last half a teaspoon of espresso (or less) may sit there. If you've removed the drip tray / used pod box then you'll need to clean the bottom of the section of the unit where the used pod box would be. Not too bad, but it's an extra step. -The used pod collection drawer also collects this espresso mentioned above - and if not cleaned regularly can grow mold. This could just be very humid environments such as where I'm at, but I was surprised at how short a time it took. I clean and air dry mine regularly now. Overall? Fantastic little espresso machine! I've been looking at buying one of these for years. An office I used to work at had one, so knowing the taste was good I decided to take the plunge. I was nervous about the cheaper price of this unit at first, hoping that it wasn't cheap because of lack of quality. I researched a lot, bought this one, and haven't regretted it. I found I wanted a taste I could trust. This espresso is the real thing, with excellent tasty crema every time. I prefer the Arpeggio and Livanto espresso shots, but I do like the Envivo Lungo, to my surprise. The Inissia pulls espresso shots and also makes lungo shots, which simply remind me of my trusted moka pot in taste and are a "longer" shot than the standard. I don't really think of the lungo as an espresso, however. Uses original line nespresso pods; it isn't recommended to try anything else with it (including those that are reusable). You can recycle the used pods if you wish through a nespresso recycling location near you, and little recycling bags come with the unit. Includes directions on how to clean the machine; they don't look difficult. I haven't had to clean mine yet but the directions indicate when is best to clean. It doesn't look too hard, but you do have to buy a cleanser for this. It looks like just running the machine on lungo a few times with the cleaner and then a few times without; not a big deal. The difference between this machine, which uses original line pods, and the vertuo line nespresso units: This has to do with the way the coffee is made. Vertuo uses centrifugal force to achieve pressure - the original line it is said uses a special air compressor to achieve enough pressure. I can hear what sounds like this air compressor part working when I use the machine. I researched what others said about the difference in taste, and many lovers of classic espresso liked the original line best, so that's what I went with. All in all a very efficient espresso machine. I wish I'd bought it years ago, even if it was more expensive then... Read more
