Customer Reviews

Nespresso Le Cube C185 Espresso Machine

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I do not ordinarily write internet reviews on products, but was really on the fence about purchasing this machine, so I have decided to write a review for anyone else that may be on the fence.

Let me say that my wife and I just returned from a 10 day trip to Italy. We have been to Italy and France four times in the last four years and when we go, we usually enjoy at least 3 cups of cappuccino or espresso a day. Upon returning home, we are always disappointed by coming back to American coffee. In the past we purchased a $50 espresso machine that not only made horribly bitter espresso, but was an absolute mess to use. It leaked, the espresso grounds got everywhere, the milk frothing wand gunked up and seemed unsanitary, it took 10 minutes to heat up the tank that only had enough water to make 2 espressos, and quite frankly, the pressurized cap was absolutely frightening to screw off and fill with water. We used it maybe 4 times.

In the five days after returning from Italy and buying this machine, we spent $40 on 1 cappuccino a day each from Starbucks. This machine will pay for itself in 1 month and we won't have to deal with all of the foam sticking to the paper cup.

Having just had 30 coffees in Italy, I can absolutely say that this machine makes better, less bitter espresso than we had on our whole trip. The cappuccinos are identical to the best ones we had there and better than the worst. Some may find the temperature of the drinks made in this machine to be not hot enough, but it is exactly the temperature of the real deal... something we ourselves had to adjust to upon our first visit overseas years ago. I would say that it is the perfect drinking temperature, and brewing it at that temperature keeps things from not getting bitter.

Now to address all of the things that concerned me.

1. Price - As I've said, this machine will definitely save us money within the first few months.
2. Proprietary Cups (Pods) - Being locked into their brand of coffee was the scariest part of all. I really wanted to be able to use Illy espresso in this machine, but we've tried several varieties of Nespresso now and all have been fantastic. 10x better than the Illy grounds that were improperly brewed in our old $50 machine. I'm extremely confident that you won't get better tasting espresso at home in any other machine under $500 and you certainly won't get as consistent results no matter how much you spend. At 52 cents a cup, some may balk at the price of coffee, but I was paying a minimum of $3 for a drink at Starbucks. This machine is so easy to clean up that I would consider the cost well worth the time saved dealing with messy espresso grounds. Shipping on their website is a flat $6.95 for 2nd day shipping no matter how many cups you order, which I find extremely fair. Order 100 and the price with shipping is 59 cents each, but that is still way cheaper than you'll get an espresso of anywhere near this quality in any shop or restaurant.
3. Warm up time - It's nearly non-existent. I thought this machine would take 10 minutes to heat up, but it's ready to go within a single minute and can then pump coffees out one after the other after the other with no waiting. It's amazing. My only suggestion is this - hit the espresso button without the pod in there before brewing to get the water flowing. It only takes an extra 10 seconds to brew a cup of water like this, but it ensures that the water is in the pipes before brewing a real cup of coffee and will give you about 1/4 extra inch of espresso.
4. Milk frothing time - The Aeroccino device is incredible. I thought that thing would take 5 minutes. It only makes enough good froth for 1 really nice cappuccino at a time, but makes it in about 1 minute, so I've got no complaints. If you really wanted to, you could stretch it for 2 glasses, but I prefer taking the extra minute for another round.
5. Cleanup - There's almost none. I've never dealt with an easier coffeemaker in this respect, including regular coffeemakers.
6. Whether or not THIS model was the best to get - I can't imagine that there is a better model than this made by Nespresso. I see that that have far more expensive machines, but this machine is absolutely perfect, I don't think spending any extra money is necessary in the least. Some of their more expensive machines require running water through a tube to clean out their built in milk frothers, but this separate frother is so easy to clean... just give it a rinse.

Do not hesitate on buying this machine... it's incredible. I can't vouch for it's durability over time, but it is built SOLID. Much nicer than I thought it would be. I've heard nothing but good things about their customer service, and that they'll even send out a loaner machine while they fix yours under warranty. They want to keep selling you the coffee, so it is in their best interest to make a quality machine, and service it fast.

I've tried everything from a Silvia with a Rocky (too much tinkering, not my idea of fun) to a Jura Super that did not make a decent espresso, not to mention a cappuccino.

I've had this one for 3 days and the espresso is fantastic, the aerocappuccino makes magic with the milk.

I agree with a previous poster that the way to do it is to run the hot water first in your cup, then run the coffee. It will be hot.

Also, I've read on some other board that there are some problems with machines made in China. This one that I got from Amazon is made in Switzerland.

Also, when you first run the machine you need to run the water 6 times and if it does not run you need to lift the top lever completely for 3 seconds. If that does not do it, do not panic. I had to do it twice, and then it worked like a charm.

I just received my Le Cube and it is the best thing ever! I have been searching for the perfect espresso machine so I could make my own lattes & mochas. I have tried several different ones and have finally found THE ONE! I am so impressed with both the machine & the Aerocinno Plus. I think I have found my perfect recipe. I steam 8 oz of milk, add 1 oz of chocolate syrup or any other kind of flavoring, then one or two shots of espresso. Yummy!!

I didn't want to spend the amount of money that I did for this machine. I checked out other types/brands, but decided for the Nespresso. I'm VERY glad I did. My husband was very skeptical because of the price and he thought I wouldn't use it...he uses it more than I do and loves it too.

It is so easy to use and clean. No grinding of the beans and hardly any clean up. I also really enjoy the aeroccino - it hardly takes any time at all to froth your milk for the perfect cappuccino.

The espresso capsules taste wonderful! I have tried every flavor that Nespresso offers - love them all.

Do not hesitate in purchasing this machine - a great purchase - WORTH EVERY PENNY!

I did a lot of research before purchasing Le Cube. I first was introduced to the Nespresso system at my brothers home. He had a different model, but I was so impressed by the quality of espresso that was created from his machine. I then began to do my research on the different Nespresso systems and chose the Le Cube. I am not dissappointed in the least at the quality of the machine! I have never had a bad draw of espresso, and the Nespresso Club makes it easy to order or reorder capsules. In addition, the cost of the capsules is extremely reasonable, and as stated earlier, exquisite in quality! I highly recommend this machine!

The only reason i gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is the price. I have awesome lattes at home every morning. Someday it may pay for itself.

If you like real espresso and cappuccino like they serve in italy, this is worth every cent! The pods show up very fast and the ristretto taste perfetto! We have bought the more traditional types of machines including a mid grade DeLonghi which which we returned. That model was not consistent.
This nespresso makes a perfect cup every time and the frother works like a dream. Quiet and fast. I recommend warming the milk with the frother since cold milk makes the espresso a bit chilly (if you use milk). We have enjoyed macchiati every morning since we purchased it. 55 cents a cup is a bargain for perfection.

I researched..I mean researched before I decided on this machine. I had butterflies when I opened the box, followed the instructions and made my first cup of espresso. It's worth every penny. That first espresso took all of my doubts away in that first sip. Of course, the second and third cups just reinforced my initial opinion. The mechanics are so simple, especially for someone who is familiar with your basic coffee machine but has never touched an espresso machine before. I was a little bit leery about the capsule idea, but for the taste and quality, the price of the capsules is definately reasonable in comparison to what I pay for lesser coffee at a shop. The bonus milk frother is the icing on the cake. It's simple to use, easy to clean, and painless to order more capsules. I definately recommend this machine and I'm glad I decided to come to this level of quality.

I've been an espresso lover for several years and have owned several household coffee/espresso makers. For the past couple years, I've been using a stove-top espresso maker. I asked a friend who owned a coffee shop if there were any noncommercial machines that made a decent espresso. He wasted no time informing me of this excellent product. I did some research and decided to get the combo and have never looked back.

This is the first machine I have ever used that makes such a delicious cup of espresso, glorious crema and all. The machine comes with a variety of coffees but after trying all of them, I've pretty much narrowed down my selections to about two espresso varieties, one of their lungos (taller cup) and one of the decafes.

I'm lucky enough to live close to one of the boutique stores located in South Beach where I bought several sleeves of refills and have already joined the online club and ordered more. The cost is more than using ground coffee but less and equally as good if not better than any coffee shop.

The Aeroccino Plus works flawlessly, is thoughtfully designed and consistantly creates mounds of delicious froth.

Very convenient. Subtle design and fits well in the kitchen. Great variety of flavors. Very impressed with the taste. The one qualm I have is that the pods are pretty pricey at $.55 per pod and there are no off-brand alternatives. You have to invest in the Nespresso pods. I like to use 2-3 pods / brew which makes each brew about $1.50. Overall, a great purchase and great for entertaining.