Breville Nespresso VMC405 Vertuo Coffee Maker

I’m not stupid but after pounds of different coffee beans, the best Grinder, the best Coffee dripper, cleaning coffee dust everywhere and failing to get the right mix of several factors for a good cup of coffee; I gave up and bought the Nepresso Virtuo, the 1st one with the higher wattage heater. It is so simple and so good!

THAT SUMS IT UP!

 Hermoso diseño, magnífica calidad, el café es más espumoso que en mi anterior Nespresso Vertuo, altamente recomendable!

Originally got the vertuo plus and it kept leaking so I exchanged it for this one instead. Way better quality and doesn’t leak at all!

After living with the Nespresso Vertuo for a little over a month now, I can say with confidence it is overall a great machine, produces highly enjoyable espresso, and is significantly better than other Nespresso machines that I have tried.

Overall: 9/10
Convenience: 10/10
Taste: 9/10
Coffee selection: 7/10
Reliability: 10/10
Recycleability: 8/10

A little context: We’ve had a Nespresso in my office for about a year. It’s the type that uses the “puffy disc” type pods. I don’t think any machine in the history of the universe has caused more frustration among a group of people than this thing. Wasted pods left and right, inconsistent output, and mediocre taste with little to no crema for espressos. Basically, I was not a fan.

So I actively avoided Nespresso machines when shopping for an espresso machine for the house. But eventually the reviews won me over and I decided to give it a shot. So glad I did. This thing has become a fixture in our kitchen and is now deeply integrated in both my and my girlfriend’s daily routine. So here’s the things that stand out to me as reasons why you’d want one of these:

1) It’s reliable – We’ve been though over 100 pods and not one jam, not one wasted pod. Given my experience w/my office nespresso needless to say I was very impressed
2) It’s FAST – heats up in 5 seconds flat and is ready to go. Easily 5x faster than our Keurig.
3) Crema for days – the luxuriously thick crema this thing produces for both espressos and larger coffees is even better than your local coffee house. Seriously. If you are a “texture person” this is as good as it gets.
4) It’s tasty – decent variety of available pods (but see below) and generally high quality – both my GF and I really enjoy the coffee (though we like different styles)
5) It’s (sorta) environmentally friendly – at least more so than the Keurig. Pods are all aluminum and fully recycleable and Nespresso provides post-paid bags – just dump your used pods and drop them in the mail (* but see below)
6) It’s low-maintenance – super easy to clean and maintain
7) It’s versatile – while I use it mainly for espresso, it handles 5 different types/sizes of coffee and all of them we tried came out great

And a few things that could stand to be improved upon:

1) The coffee selection is not as varied at it would appear – there are over a dozen varieties, but in reality a lot of them are very similar and are just slightly different blends of the same few beans. If you tend to prefer darker roasts that trend toward the bitter side, you’ll find a lot to like. If you like milder roasts you may want to try a few of the varieties before taking the plunge.
2) Unlike with Nespresso original machines, there are not any third party coffee companies that make Vertuo pods – So for the time being anyway you are stuck with what Nespresso offers
3) Pods are on the pricey side – expect to spend about $1/pod
4) Recycling program is great BUT while the bags are technically “free” – no bags are provided with the machine and to get them you have to place an order of $50+ on Nespresso.com – and that’s the only way you can get them.
5) As some reviewers have noted this machine produces coffee at perfect “ready to drink” temperature. It also produces all sizes and varieties with a thick crema on top. This is by design and in line with European coffee tradition. If you prefer American style coffee and like it piping hot you should buy a Keurig (seriously – we have both and use both and for a good ole black coffee the Keurig is a champ)

Overall, in my view, the positives far outweigh the negatives and I’m very happy with my purchase.

Excelente hasta el momento

I’m very happy with this. It’s a sturdy, nice looking machine. It’s relatively quiet. It’s not as big as it may seem in photos. Makes a great strong coffee (I love the Intenso). The pods may seem expensive, but one 7.7 oz of the Intenso is worth two of the other brands in terms of quality and enjoyment.

As far as the sampler, Nespresso has great customer service. Call them, tell them you bought it from their store on Amazon and received expired coffee. They’ll ask you the machine’s serial number and date of purchase. They’ll happily send you a new welcome set, I received it the very next day.

Easy to use. Excellent coffee choices. Delivers on all its promises.