I have been using a Gaggia Synchrony - see below - and we're drinking less coffee and need the space that the Gaggia takes. These are fully automatic semi-catering machines. We only drink expresso but like good expresso - I use to even roast and blend my own beans from green. I'm thinking of getting a pod / Nespresso machine - not bothered about the pod cost - just taste and space. Basically if the coffee isn't as good as my current machine I won't bother.

The feedback and stuff I read is really polarised people either say the coffee is really good (but are these people who have never owned a proper machine and have no common point of comparison with me except comparing it to instant or other forms of coffee abuse?) or they say that pod coffee tastes really poor (are these people that have owned a proper machine?) and I'm unable to visit anywhere that has one I can try. And are these machines full pressure machines or do they simply force overheated water through the pods?

So I'm relying on fellow FT'ers!

Can anyone who really, really, really understands their expresso give me some feedback purely on comparing the taste with reall expresso and if I don't need anything done with milk what would be the best small machines to consider.

This is my current machine(s).

I used to own a Miele espresso machine and switched to Nespresso for convenience. My Nespresso is very close to the quality of my previous machine that cost 10 times more. And Nespresso is way more convenient.

But taste is very subjective. I suggest you visit a Nespresso boutique to have a taste for yourself.

Here is the store locator in UK. If you are nowhere near one of their UK boutiques, look for one where you travel.

http://www.nespresso.com/uk/en/storeLocator

We use the high-pressure capsules from illy in a Francis-Francis X8. It delivers a wonderful shot with velvety crema.

http://www.illyusa.com/webapp/wcs/st...rancis-x8-E309

Saeco Incanto auto machine, and Lavazza espresso super crema, from Seattle Coffe Gear....beats them hands down....and even cheaper

Nespresso makes solid coffee.. Consistent as well....

I bought a Jura Capresso Ena 5... one of the most important things to me was the ability to source my coffee from whereever I felt like..

this month I am drinking Vivace from Seattle, last month it was local Zekes...

FDw

After years of resisting I bought a Nespresso Pixie for much the same reason (compactness) a couple of months ago and can't remember how I managed without it. It took me a while to find a capsule to my taste but there's enough range to suit most.

It certainly doesn't beat the old Italian barista next to my old office, but it cranks out better espresso than 90% of the take-outs I used to end up buying elsewhere (and the Lavazza Espresso Point we have in the office). Its consistency and the ability to be walking out of the door with a drink one minute after I decide I want one are both big pluses.

One thing I would comment is that whilst it makes good espresso, it doesn't seem to lengthen well so my other half (who prefers a long black to an espresso) isn't as big a fan.

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions. We decided to stay with the Gaggia and made space for it in the dining room. It seems happy with our decision and is gurgling and hissing happily.

Glad to hear you enjoy your Gaggia machine.

For many years I used the Gaggia Carezza, grinding my own blend with a Gaggia grinder. These are all Italian models 230V, which we finally took to stay in a property we have in Fortaleza, Brasil.

But for convenience and consistency, we now use a Nespresso Citiz at home, and a Pixie travels with us, loaded with capsule sleeves primarily of Dulsao. Although this coffee capsule was a very popular choice with guests, the name was a bit of amusement to the Brasilians, as the term Dulsao is a non-existent, nouveau-slang. Translates to " Sweetie, or sweetness."

However, per request I unwrapped the Carezza there recently and pulled shots after dinner one night for a few Italian residents who are happily married and living there today, using a gift of a 1/2 Kilo of Lavazza Gold. It was a nice change, and with a little Amarula on the side, a good way to cap off the meal.

2 years ago the Nespresso machines were a sought-after item in Brasil: Now with the hot economy and people travelling Internationally, we see them everywhere there.

It's an unbeatable machine.

For some time I use to buy green beans from the Algerian Coffee House in Soho here in the uk and roast and blend my own. I eventually gave up and tommorow I have a delivery of 9 different blends to home in on what is currently best with our home water. I have the same machine in another home but because the water is so different there we find Illy to be the best there.

As we use a water distiller I tried distilled water today and we enjoyed it. It has the bonus of reducing scale to a minimum and the coffee seemed silkier and cleaner tasting.

The issue I'm finding with the blends I'm buying is the absence of blends containing robusta - all seem to be proud of being 100% arabica which means a weaker crema. I may have to resort back to roasting and blending!

It seems hardly credible that I agonised about this for a year ..... but I bought a Nespresso Citiz a couple of days back.

I'm startled to report that it makes the finest expresso. Basically - if anything because the coffee is always 100% fresh, ground perfectly, designed for the machine etc it provides the same perfect ristretto shot every time and I am unable to see what my Gaggia Synchrony gives for an expresso / ristretto drinker over Nespresso.

I thought I'd post so that any other disbelievers bites the bullet. ^^^

My wife and I went shopping for Christmas gifts yesterday, and the snow here was steep and deep. This is the consequence of shopping late, I reminded she who must be obeyed, without a reply.

We walked, looked at the lights, shopped, and my nose went from dry, to red, to runny, and to frozen. Thoughts of tropical Brasil, and the warm beaches of Fortaleza ( Air temp at 25-28 C, with ocean temp at 24 C, warm breezes, Caipirinhas, ) kept me going.

" It would be nice to be at Porto Das Dunas now, wouldn't it ? I said. " Yes. So make it happen then " came the reply. I thought of a reply, but my jaw was not working very well in the cold for a snappy comeback. So we did the next best thing.

We stopped and went into the local Nespresso to try the new Christmas coffee, see the machines, and warm up. I had a demonstration of the new " U " Nespresso machine, more automated than our Citiz and travel Pixie, with a better design. It now provides 3 coffee cup sizes, and brews the coffee the minute the pod opening is shut and closed.

I like the nice contoured appearance, but the magnetic placement options for the drip tray, etc. we do not need as we cleared everything off our kitchen counters into drawers and cabinets. If one has a problem with the lack of counter space as many do, then this is the model to choose.

I decided to load up with some extra sleeves of coffee pods for holiday guests, and was offered a free Aeroccino frothing machine as a reward. Someone we know will now be receiving this as a gift, as we have one, but do not use it much. I asked if this promotion was local or worldwide, and was told that the offer was also being promoted in Europe (220-240v) and North America (110v).

Thoroughly warmed again with the exception of our feet, we reluctantly re-entered the Arctic Europe conditions here for a few more stores, returning to the SUV with (in my opinion) too many bags and boxes. Despite my gloves, my arms were now stretched down around to my boots, the large heavy Nespresso bag being the main culprit. Circulation was finally restored to my fingers after an hour or so of driving home.

But I did enjoy a decaf Nespresso last night which was very good with the fire going !

Lovely story .....I envy you proper snow.

I discovered something useful about the Citiz. It works better (easier to load the water) and takes less space if you place it parallel to the wall rather than at right angles .... and it isn't ilegal.

I could send you some: We have a lot at the moment.

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10A523 Safari/8536.25)

I have a Pixie on my desk, a Citiz and an old Essenza in various places. I lust after the new Maestria with the steam wand.

To your point above uk1, the consistency of the crema is key.

I know quite a few places that I can buy better take-away & I can buy beans from various places & self-grind, BUT for effort expended vs taste, you can't beat Nespresso for corto/espresso.

I'm less of a fan of the Aeroccino, very, very inconsistent.

I guess the success of these is down to personal taste of your shot. Arpeggio is as good as I have tasted ....

The only palaver is cup warming.