As a coffee lover and self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, I can’t simply pick one cup of coffee to enjoy for the rest of my days. I love coffee, all coffee, espresso, lattes; you name it, I’m drinking it.
If you’re anything like me, you want to have a great coffee or espresso machine that allows you to enjoy multiple styles of your favorite kind of caffeine. The Nespresso Evoluo will enable you to do just that; the innovative coffee system creates a variety of coffees and espresso in a range of sizes.
What You Should Know Before Buying the Nespresso Evoluo
The Nespresso Evoluo is a single-serve coffee machine that uses pods. Using coffee pods means that your coffee is always fresh, and you never have to worry about grinding, storing, pouring, or cleaning up coffee beans. You can avoid the mess, save time, and never have to get the hard coffee out of the attachment.
This machine is excellent for people on the go like you and me who love quality coffee and variety in their mornings while skipping the lines and overpriced coffee day today.
Using the Nespresso Evoluo allows you to brew coffee and espresso in a range of sizes. There are five brewing options, so you, your spouse, kids, or company can brew what you like with ease.
Buying the right espresso and coffee maker to suit your needs may be more simple than you think. You can check out our full buying guide for espresso makers here. You can also view the total differences between the Nespresso original coffee makers and their new vertuoLine here.
Nespresso isn’t the only pod coffee in the game, though. If you’re wondering what the differences are between Nespresso coffee and Keurig, you find a full review here. Below, you’ll find a brief overview of Nespresso, in case you want to skip the full comparison.
You can also see how the Nespresso Evoluo compares to the Nespresso Vertuoline!
Nespresso Evoluo Overview
Although you’re likely to pick up a coffee and espresso machine without completely breaking the bank, it’s not what we would consider “cheap” or an impulse buy. So, it’s best to get a good idea of the product you’re buying and what you can expect from it if you decide to dive in with the purchase.
The Nespresso Evoluo is a coffee and espresso maker from the Nespresso Vertuo line of coffee makers, which is the second generation to the original Nespresso coffee makers. Nespresso is known as the branch of the Nestle Group that helped break pod-brewing coffee onto the scene with at-home coffee lovers.
Nespresso makes its products with some thought and cares for those who are looking for companies with sustainable practices. Their pods are fully recyclable aluminum capsules. Here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons of owning the Nespresso Evoluo.
Things We Like
- You can choose from a range of capsule sizes from 1.35 oz espresso up to 5 oz Grand Lungo, and coffee in sizes 7.77 or 14 ounces
- Unique coffee and espresso-making capabilities
- The barcode included on each automatically changes the settings within the machine to brew correctly
- The extraction system is single-step
- Quick, convenient, great-tasting coffee
Room for Improvement
- The capsules used with this machine can be pricey compared to some competing brands
- There is not a wide variety of flavors, compared to other pod-based coffee makers
- Does not come with a milk-frother for espresso so you’ll need a stand-alone frother
Features & Benefits of the Nespresso Evoluo
Let’s break down the features and benefits of using the Nespresso Evoluo rather than other machines. Here we’ll discuss how easy it is to use this machine, using various pods, how the coffee tastes, and more.
Set-Up & Ease of Use
There’s not much to set up out of the box, so you can generally expect to be ready to go within minutes. Even though the various pods brew differently, the machine does all of the work for you. Each pod as a barcode that the machine reads and automatically brews according to the needs of the pod.
This is great for someone like me who’s busy in the mornings and prefers to simply press a button and move on to other things while my coffee brews. Whether you need to finish getting ready, get the kids off to school, or continuing fixing breakfast, this one-touch machine allows coffee to brew simply and effectively.
You can watch this video to see how it works.
Using the Pods
As we mentioned earlier, the barcode reader inside the machine does all the work for you. That allows the Evoluo to use an incredibly simple one-touch interface. Simply press the start button to begin the preheating process, which lasts for 15 seconds. You’ll then insert the pod, turn the lever which locks it into place, and press the button for coffee or espresso to begin brewing.
The barcode scanner picks up the type of coffee or espresso used and completely changes the settings within the machine to use the correct process and amount of water. You’ll never have to read any packages, measure water, or change settings. I love this feature since, whenever I need coffee, the last thing I want to do is think about settings, water, or otherwise.
Taste and Efficiency
When it comes to brewing coffee or espresso, you aren’t likely to find a machine that brews it more consistently than this one. Because the pods are consistent and the process is constant, you’ll always get the same, great-tasting cup of coffee or espresso.
Each cup is brewed in about a minute and a half, whether coffee or espresso. If you want to have your espresso as a latte, cappuccino, or otherwise with frothed milk, you’ll have to make that commitment to purchasing a frother separately. I wasn’t thrilled with getting a machine that didn’t have its milk frother, but since I switch back and forth between coffee and espresso often, I didn’t feel it was a major deal-breaker.
Some of you may already have a frother, but if not, you can find them just about anywhere, and usually, they’re inexpensive. Of course, the frother comes with its own set of cleaning instructions and may add a few minutes to your ready-to-drink time, but I don’t mind on those espresso mornings.
Cleaning
If you’ve gone from using just about any other coffee maker to using the Nespresso Evoluo, honestly, you’re in for a treat when it comes to cleaning. Because the machine uses aluminum pods, there is virtually no cleaning required in the short term. Daily, you may want to wipe your machine down or sanitize, but that’s about it.
You can empty the bin that collects the used pods and recycle them as you usually would with recyclables. You’ll want to clean and sanitize the pod holder once in a while too. If you do choose to use a separate milk frother, you’ll clean that right after each use. Cleaning right away will help you avoid additional time and scrubbing later, and only takes a minute or two.
This simple cleaning regimen is excellent for people who are always on the go or who just don’t like to always clean, wipe, and deal with the mess of a traditional coffee maker. I’m a little bit of both, so it works out fantastic for me.
Descaling
In case you’re not familiar, descaling is the process of removing the build-up of minerals that accumulate in your coffee machine over time. Since coffee is over 99 percent water, the water in the co affects the taste. Hard water can even damage your coffee maker over time.
If you’re a coffee fanatic like me, you can tell when your machine needs to run through the descaling process. This machine has a simple process with directions that are easy to understand; however, the process goes for about 30 minutes.
That wouldn’t be so bad if the process didn’t mostly require your attention span for the duration, but it does. You may not have to descale your machine often, but when you do, you’ll need to set aside the time to dedicate to this process.
Frothing Milk
As we mentioned earlier, you won’t find a dedicated milk frother in this machine. If you’re in the market for a stand-alone milk frother, you can head over here to read about the best handheld milk frothers available.
In case you want to skip the full review, our top pick is the Kuissential Slickfroth 2.0. This milk frother has decent torque, a reasonably solid build, and it’s efficient.
For a model that’s more budget-friendly, we recommend the MatchDNA Handheld Electric Milk Frother. This one is great because it’s a simple handheld design that operates on batteries, and it won’t break the bank.
Finally, because we love options, the Cafe Casa Milk Frother 2 Speed Handheld Drink Mixer makes a great choice. I liked this one because it’s versatile, can be used for more than just frothing milk (milkshakes anyone?), and it comes with a warranty.
Value
When it comes to making purchases, both large and small, I always consider the overall value of a product. A long-term coffee maker was not going to be an impulse buy for me. If you’re someone who thinks about the bigger picture, then you’ll be familiar with this process. And I can’t commit to a coffee maker that isn’t going to serve me well in the long run since I’m likely to use it at least once, if not several times per day.
When it comes to the up-front cost of the Evoluo machine by Nespresso, it’s certainly not one of the most expensive. It’s not the cheapest, but there are many more expensive models on the market. However, the upfront cost is only part of the picture, so you’ll need to consider the rest.
There are several sizes available when it comes to pods and a small variety of flavors. When it comes to overall value, you’ll need to consider that you can’t run out and buy all sorts of flavored pods, so if that’s important to you, the value may go down some in that aspect. I’m okay with plain old coffee and espresso, and I can mix it up with sugar, frothing almond or soy milk, or adding flavored syrups if I get a craving for pumpkin spice in the fall.
Lastly, you should consider the cost of pods. If I have one pod per day minimum, then it’s easy for me to calculate the per cup cost. For the Evoluo, that cost is about .93 cents. Now, that is a bit higher than some competing pods. However, if you’re continually spending $5-6 on a latte out, it’s saving you money and adding you value in the long run.
Overall, the value of this machine may differ slightly from person to person. It was my favorite because I value a consistent cup of coffee that I don’t have to give much thought to making or cleaning up after. Your value may be higher or lower than mine, but if you’re a busy no-nonsense type of person when it comes to your coffee, this might be an excellent choice for you.
Alternatives & Conclusion
When it comes to alternative pod-based coffee machines, you have tons of options. Illy Espresso and Coffee Machine is a popular choice, even among many restaurants since it brews a strong, consistent cup. If you’re interested in a comparison of Illy to Nespresso, you can find one here.
Of course, there are more options, such as the Cuisinart SS-10p1 Coffee Maker, which is compatible with K-cups. Lastly, there is any number of Keurig machines available on the market too. If you’re big on having tons of flavors or want to brew things like tea and hot cocoa just as quickly, you may be happier with a K-cup compatible machine. In any case, there are several machines available at various price points.
Overall, I enjoyed this machine because there’s little setup and clean up. Maintenance like detailed cleaning and descaling isn’t too much trouble, and the one-button interface makes my life easier.
Nespresso Evoluo Review: Espresso Serving For On-The-Go
The Nespresso Evoluo is perfect for those who are constantly on the go and crave a quality coffee brew to get through the day. Check out our review.
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.3
