Nespresso Evoluo Review
If you are intrigued by the idea of having gourmet espresso at the touch of a button and a no mess, no fuss experience, look no further than the Nespresso Vertuoline Evoluo.
It’s one of the most developed in the generation, with a sleek modern design that makes full use of the Vertuoline capsules and the unique rotation technology that brings out the best of each flavor and minimizes guesswork.
Get the gourmet experience in record time with a machine that is innovative and will look good in most all environments. With this review I hope to give you an idea of a good single serve espresso maker with a satisfied track record.
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What’s Included with the Nespresso Evoluo?
Your unit also includes a complimentary welcome gift of a 12 pod sampler bonus, instruction booklet, information folder, and 1 year warranty. Note: The transparent mugs you may see in the main picture on the sales page, are NOT included in case you may be wondering (a few people were)
Link to user guide pdf
Features
This next machine in the Vertuo generation has a sleek, modern design and a more conventional shape as well. Just like the others it exclusively makes use of the Vertuoline pod capsules which come in two sizes – 1.35 oz for espresso drinks and large for 8 oz drinks.
The pods employ the “automatic brand recognition” via the bar code rim which takes guesswork out of the cycle, giving you a satisfying experience without the confusion of determining how much water, space of time, etc. is needed. The Evoluo also employs a unique rotation technology with every pod.
Besides appearance and design, it also boasts a generous mid-sized reservoir, a capsule bin that will hold more than its smaller cousins, and a power down that goes into effect after 9 minutes of inactivity.
Dimensions
Amazon lists the dimensions as 9.0″ w by 12.2″ h by 12.3″ d and 11 lbs. The power cord measures 29″ in length.
The manufacturer site states 9.0 W” by 12.2 D” by 12.3 H” and 11 pounds – I didn’t want to nitpick but just that one little tiny depth and height switched around otherwise it is spot-on correct.
In terms of dispense-to base clearance, there is a max amount of space for a 6″ cup with the drip tray in place. With the tray removed, expect a cup of a max height of 7″ to fit.
When the brew head is elevated to its open position the measurement is about 17″ if you are measuring your own proposed space beforehand.
Water Tank
Unlike the separated swivel design of the VertuoPlus, the Evoluo’s water tank is designed just like that of most brewers – rectangular shaped and integrated into the unit. It has a grooved appearance so it may be a little tricky at first to tell how much is remaining. You may have a little guesswork here as far as knowing when to refill as the Evoluo doesn’t give off a signal to refill as do some other models.
The tank holds 54 oz of water, which is fairly generous an amount to allow for minimized refillings.
Controls and Use
Save for one power button, the Evoluo is very minimalist in terms of controls. The way of opening the brew chamber involves a chrome look lock/unlock mechanism. You will want to turn the lever to the left to close it after inserting the coffee capsule, and turn it back to the right after brewing and the capsule, as a special convenience, will automatically drop into the used-capsule receptacle.
Although the unit is designed to power down to save energy after nine minutes of idleness, you can turn your machine off right away by pushing the button down for three seconds – the machine will power off at that point.
There are three notches in the unit in which the drip tray/platform can be re-positioned into; and removed altogether. So whether you want to use petite demitasse cups or travel mugs, you will find that the Evoluo can handle a range of heights easily.
Nespresso Evoluo Color Choices
The Nespresso Evoluo comes in the following colors: Red, Graphite Metal, Black, Gray and Silver. It looked to be that the Red was/is the most popular color.
Compatible Accessories
Following are some bonus items to enhance your experience that are compatible. They are all made exclusively for use with Vertuoline products.
- All Nespresso Vertuoline coffee capsules
- My Cup vPack For Nespresso Vertuoline
- Nespresso brand descaling solution
- Deco Bros Crystal Tempered Glass Vertuoline Capsule Drawer
Nespresso Vertuo Evoluo Coffee and Espresso Machine
Nespresso Evoluo Consumer Ratings and Reviews
As you might have guessed, the Nespresso Vertuoline Evoluo enjoys a fair amount of reviews in the positive/satisfied category. Many people are enjoying the resulting coffee and the respective half-inch of crema courtesy of the Centrefusion technology, saying it blows away its competitors, and just generally enjoying their new coffeehouse experience. But like every appliance, yes, there are always some comments from people not as thrilled…let’s take a look at that right now.
In terms of the few things that could be improved……a few people said that they wished there was an “add water” alert of some kind. A little “chugging” sound when the amount dropped below the minimum amount. One or two reviews said they felt the locking mechanism at the top was a little bit confusing and bass-akwards with regard to the little padlock icons…That’s understandable and you may have to remember what I said in the Operation and Use section.
I want to stress that the initial cleansing brew is very important and pockets of air can get trapped in the mechanism as one consumer learned, as the equipment is more sophisticated.
But the last thing I want to mention that seemed to be a pattern were remarks from consumers regarding the resulting coffee temperature. I must have come across at least six or seven complaints about the coffee not being as hot as they had hoped. On the surface this might seem like a subjective opinion, but let’s examine that now. When is coffee not hot enough?
According to Specialty Coffee Association standards…optimum temp is described as 195 to 205 degrees F. Now what do people deem to be a comfortable drinking temp? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 F. I think with a machine like this you have to factor in that it is the type made for specialty drinks and the option to add frothed or steamed milk..which as you know knocks a number of degrees off by virtue of milk being cold or warm.
One reviewer felt that the best workaround is to warm your empty coffee cup beforehand with hot water which will at least minimize the temperature dropoff that may result form adding milk if you decide to. So will this be a drawback for you? It really depends on whether or not you always add milk to your beverages, if you’re a slow sipper, or your ideal of hot enough is the 160 degrees I mentioned earlier.
With those three caveats, though, a lot of people cite a lot of enjoyment and few performance complaints from their Evoluo.
Pros
- Coffee quality and taste
- Attractive design and finish
- Quick heatup time of about 15-20 seconds
- Expedient operation overall
- Auto shutoff that takes place in 9 minutes or you can do it right after you finish a cycle
- Larger capsule discard bin
Cons
- A number of comments about the resulting coffee not being hot enough
- You can only use the Vertuoline capsules
- May need to do a purge of the air pockets before cleansing prior to first use
Price
I think as far as the machine price goes, it fits the value of this machine overall. Like the other Nespresso machines, I’ll say it again – it’s the pods in general that could be a little less kind to your wallet; and if you haven’t familiarized yourself with this camp yet, they do cost more than do K-Cups. There is an option to splurge for the Aerroccino bundle as well.
The prices may vary depending on the color choice…red looked to have the lowest price at the time of writing. You can check to see if that’s still the case!
Summary
If you are on the lookout for an affordable priced espresso making machine that won’t be gargantum in the kitchen and make great gourmet drinks in a pinch -this may just be the one. And if the few cons mentioned earlier won’t affect your experience personally, I think you will have made the right choice looking into the Evoluo.
