Nespresso Inissia Review
Reviewed by: Jennifer
Rating: 4.2 Stars
Looking for genuine espresso at a fraction of the price and size too? This little beauty is small and compact enough to carry with you and set up anywhere there is an electric outlet….and powerful enough to produce a great beverage each time.
In this review we’ll look at one of the more popular single serve espresso machines on the market and what it all means for you.If espresso, cappuccino, and lattes are your bag, this might be a very good choice indeed.
If you want to make your experience tops, don’t forget to have access to a milk frother nearby (either by choosing the bundled Aeroccino option, or a different one altogether.)
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Dimensions
Like its closest cousin, the Pixie, the Inissia is a nice compact size. with a width of 4.7 inches, 9″ height and 12.6″ depth (all of the girth will be at the side view) A lightweight at 8 pounds. The power cord is about 2 feet 6 inches in length.
The clearance between the dispensing area and the tray (when out) is about 3.5″, when the tray is folded up the clearance is 5.5″ So rather limited real estate there if you are thinking about the use of taller mugs (sorry), but it is designed for smaller shot beverages.
Features
- 19-bar pressure pump operation
- Pre-heats in about 25 seconds
- Produces Espresso and Lungo drinks
- Compatible with the OriginalLine capsules only (will NOT work with VertuoLine )
- Auto-off that by default turns off after 9 minutes of inactivity
- Self contained bin for used capsule pods to drop into automatically
There are not a lot of fancy controls here -just two buttons. The use of the standalone milk frother is strongly encouraged to enhance your experience.
Nespresso Inissia Colors
There is a Black, Silver, and Cream color version as far as color choices go. I was under the impression that there were at least a few other colors (including red) but they didn’t come up right away, until I did a little ore checking around and found out that an “older” version does have a few additional colors: Black, Red, Silver, and Titan (which is kind of like a gunmetal gray)
What’s Included?
Included with the Inissia is an instruction booklet, a welcome bonus pack with a sampler of 16 Grand Crus capsules, an information folder (very professional looking, btw) and a 1 year warranty
There are a few bundle options, as well, that contain all of the above products plus the addition of the Aerrociano milk frother and a different style of frother that is hand held.
One thing for sure….it was hard as heck to read the user manual. The user guide I could make sense of and make out some idea of the in’s and out’s of working with your Inissia, but that user manual…fugeddaboutit. All weird pictograms and such. (Hope the info booklet is easier!)
One thing I do want to mention (and I probably have before with regard to Nespresso machines in general) it is stressed in the user guide that the use of vinegar to descale with is strongly discouraged. There is a proprietary descaling solution you can look into for this purpose.
Water Tank
The water tank is fairly small, with a capacity of 24 oz, and semi-circle shaped. You can push up the lid for easy refilling, or remove the tank altogether; it attaches via small slots near the top. A good idea to fill it with at least a half an inch of space at the top.
Drip Tray
The drip tray has a fold-up style tray platform, unlike its closest relative – the Essenza Mini, which has a detachable tray. It’s not adjustable in this regard -strictly a matter of push the tray out for little espresso cups, or push it up out of the way, to accommodate those that are a little bigger (but not TOO big, remember, it will not hold travel cups.)
It also holds the used bin container internally which catches the used capsules.
The bin will hold up to 6-7 spent capsules, but it’s best to get into the habit of clearing them out regularly before it gets to that point.
Buttons and Controls
Two buttons – that’s pretty much it. Very simple operation. The two buttons, respectively, are for Espresso and Lungo, indicated by small coffee cup icons. This baby does not have a power button – to activate you basically just punch one of these buttons to get started, which illuminate in green and blink which signals the pre-heating stage that is about 25 seconds.
When the button lights go from blinking to steady, you are ready to go. The buttons do have some programming capability – by default the machine will turn itself off after nine minutes of idleness.
However, you CAN turn the unit off right away by pushing both buttons at once. Suffice it to say, the Inissia is very energy efficient 😊.
You also have some leeway to customize your beverage; by pressing down on either the Espresso or Lungo button while dispensing and holding it until you are satisfied with the resulting amount and then releasing – this will create a setting that will carry over into the next brew cycle, or you decide to adjust the amount again.
Push the lever all the way up and the capsule chamber will automatically open. You may notice that the opening is shaped just like the capsule, so there’s no chance of missing it. After brewing the simple act of raising the lever back up will drop the spent capsule into the holding bin.
Nespresso Inissia Consumer Ratings and Reviews
Happy to mention that a good number of consumer reviews are positive, delighted, or satisfactory. Comments included praise in versions of “fast heatup time” “tastes great” “nice size” and “great price”
A few negative comments that I come across usually concern the frother. rather than machine operation. It’s becoming pretty apparent that the type of milk and how much you fill the canister has some bearing on the quality of the foam and frother resulting.
Also, as some people found out, understanding the workings of the frother really had an effect on the quality of their experience. There are a couple of attachment parts that go into the bottom, that affect performance, and then there is the matter of making sure to fill to the max line on the inside.
Pros
- Compact size
- Auto-off feature
- Capsules can be recycled
- Expedient operation
- A little less pricey than similar models
Cons
- Use strictly limited to proprietary capsules
- User manual is hard to interpret
- A little limited on how tall a cup you can use
Price
And here is another place where this one shines: the price. You’ll spend a good bit less for the Inissia than you would for some of the other models in the Nespresso/De’Longhi line. (As a side note, you may find the Inissia being carried by multiple brand names – product remains the same.) To make the most of your experience, having the milk frother too is a boon.
If you choose the bundle that also includes the Aerroccino milk frother you may find yourself spending around $10 more -and still doing great. Although there are other milk frothers available that can be bought separately, I think this bundle is a great deal overall.
The Verdict
My thoughts are …go for it! Not quite as advanced as some other models, but enough of what you will enjoy, and options to make your drinks even better.
