Almost perfect! If I could give it 4.5 stars I would. I bought this one more than a month ago after a lot of research because I prefer cappuccinos and lattes and wanted to automate the process as much as possible. The machine arrived quickly and everything was included and in working order. Receiving the 16 various Nespresso pods was helpful, but if you are like me it will take a bit of experimenting to figure out how best to use the machine, so odds are a few of those pods will not be optimally used, so I would play around with ones either you don't think will be your favorites or a cheaper pod (I ordered some Gourmesso pods which are a little less expensive so I played around with those first and they all worked perfectly in this machine) so you can really try them. Here's what I've learned:
- To get your drinks at their warmest temperatures you will ALWAYS want to both pull a blank water shot (just press the espresso button without a pod in the machine but make sure you pretend to eject the pod after because a little more water will come out and you don't want that in the glass you are ready to use that might have syrup in it) AND clean the milk frother, if using milk, by holding down the black clean button for about ten seconds into either the glass you will be using (make sure you dump out the water before creating your drink!) or a different glass. I also like to prewarm the glass I will be using by filling it with water and microwaving for anywhere between one to two minutes. If I do all this I find the drink is warm enough for me without having to microwave after creating the drink (which ruins the foam in my humble opinion).
- You can play around with how much milk or espresso is made by holding down the button you are using to program the machine. If you do this the machine will remember and use that amount the next time. So, if you didn't like the result remember to set the machine back to the default setting by pressing all four buttons (lungo, espresso, latte, and cappuccino) down simultaneously for a few seconds until they stop blinking.
- Make sure to clean the milk frother by holding the clean button for about ten seconds, you'll see why after you do it. I also choose to pull a blank espresso shot as a way to clean that part.
- I recommend cleaning out both the used pod holder and the tray below it (that slides in and out to accommodate different sized glasses) as they both fill with a little water.
I've attached several photos. A default sized latte with one tablespoon of syrup, a default sized cappuccino without syrup, and two cappuccino glasses showing the volume of foam using, on the left, the low foam setting, and on the right, the highest foam setting. The volume looks almost the same, but the density of the foam in each is very different.
The whole reason for buying this particular machine is the attached, easy to use, milk dispenser which steams the milk. It's delicious! We've used all different types of non dairy and dairy milk and it all frothed beautifully. I especially LOVE that it is super easy to clean (I hand wash and it's quick and simple!) and that the container goes right into the refrigerator when you are finished using it.
One final tip. If you have playful cats DO NOT leave the small milk container parts out to dry on your kitchen counter. My clear milk tube went missing one day and I had to clean the entire house before I finally found it "buried" under the corner of my living room rug! Now I dry the small parts in the kitchen cupboard.
April 2017 Update: We still love this machine! We've now had to descale and the process was relatively quick and simple. The part you need for descaling is conveniently located in the compartment right under where the milk container goes. It simply attaches to the machine like the milk container does. Videos are available online - I watched one first and it helped a lot. Also, I had read that generic descalers (much less expensive) would work so used Goo Gone Coffee Maker Cleaner and it worked perfectly.
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