Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine Review

We purchased the Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine so our reviewer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review.

Being able to craft your own espresso beverage at home is a special skill that not everyone has the time and energy to learn. Luckily, there are wonderful espresso machines out there that do most of the work for you, so you can enjoy amazing espresso drinks without having to head to a cafe. The Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine is one of those products that makes crafting caffeinated beverages a breeze. I was able to test it out for several weeks to evaluate its espresso, convenience, speed, and overall design. Read on to see the results. 

Design: High-quality aesthetic, color display menu

The Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine offers a stunning design. The moment I took it out of the box, I was captivated by its gorgeous sheen from the brushed stainless steel finish. In terms of size, it lands somewhere in the middle of not being too gaudy or small to work with. It’s fairly slim in width (12 inches), which allowed me to fit it on my counter without having to do much rearranging.  

The steam wand lives on the front right-hand side of the machine. The espresso/coffee dispenser is located on the front left. The drip tray and pop-out drip tray (for smaller-sized drinks) are located below. The back of the machine houses a removeable water tank, which I loved because I could easily take it back and forth from the machine to the sink without having to lug the entire unit around. 

There's a lever on top of the machine that opens and shuts for inserting the Nespresso capsules. Next to the lever is the display menu—one of my absolute favorite features because it’s in color. This was one of the first times I’ve engaged with a color screen on a kitchen appliance that had such high resolution. To me, this feature alone made the machine seem extravagant. There are two buttons below the screen to easily navigate through the display menu. 

Setup Process: Takes time to get familiar with all the parts

The setup process for the Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine took about 20 to 30 minutes. This isn’t atypical for an espresso machine because the user has to prime the machine and get familiar with all of the included parts. 

What was unique and convenient about this setup was that I didn’t have to thoroughly read the user manual. Instead, the manual referred me to the display menu to follow on-screen prompts and carry out the priming process. I rather enjoyed this because I could just follow the prompts on the screen at my own pace. It had me run water through the machine several times to clean out its interior system. I also washed all of the removable parts with warm, soapy water. Once the espresso machine was primed, I found that it was easy to navigate from there. 

To use the machine for espresso or ristretto (milk-free beverages), lift the lever on the top, insert a capsule, and close the lever. Next, choose the desired drink on the screen using the dial to sort through the various options. Press the start button to the left of the dial and let the machine do the rest. 

For lungos, lattes, cappuccinos and other drinks requiring foamed milk, the process pretty much stays the same as described above, except the stainless steel jug must be filled with milk and placed underneath the steam wand before pressing start. The machine will proceed to pull the espresso shot in a cup on the left. Then, it will steam and froth the milk in the jug on the right. The milk must be manually added to the espresso shot to enjoy the final milk-based espresso drink. 

Performance: Quick and easy means for lattes and cappuccinos 

Overall, the Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine is ideal for anyone who wants quick and easy espresso drinks. It does the majority of the work and produces a consistent result every time. 

One thing we really loved about this espresso machine is that it heats up in three seconds, which is pretty much unheard of when it comes to espresso machines. It's also energy efficient in that it will minimize power when it’s not in use and turn off automatically after nine minutes. 

Another nice feature of this espresso machine is its ability to create a lovely micro-foam. I was impressed at how well this machine could automatically manipulate the milk to create a nice frothy texture without requiring me to do anything but touch a button. There are additional adjustable settings that allow the user to change the milk temperature (11 settings) and texture (8 settings).

There are eight beverage selections in total, including ristretto, espresso, lungo, flat white, cappuccino, latte macchiato, cafe latte, and milk froth. The coffee volume can be adjusted per capsule, which is nice for extra customization. I used this machine to make espresso shots, lungos, flat whites, cappuccinos, and lattes. I found that overall, the drinks I made were all very consistent. Each was also incredibly full-flavored by the dark espresso.

That said, this espresso machine’s drinks are certainly not my favorite nor are they equivalent to what a manual espresso machine can offer. Unfortunately, the Nespresso capsules I tried tasted too strong despite the variety of capsules that came with this machine.

Ease of Cleaning: Daily cleaning required, steam wand self-cleans

The Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine requires cleaning after each day’s use. The used capsule container (located inside the machine) needs to be disposed of daily. Additionally, the drip tray, water tank, and lid need to be washed and dried. If the milk jug was used, that needs to be washed and can be placed in the dishwasher.

What’s nice about the steam wand is that it does an automatic steam purge after it has been used. However, I still had to clean the outside of the wand with a wet cloth to wipe off the dried milk. The user manual also suggests filling the milk jug with just water and selecting the milk function on the display to further clean the wand. The water should then be discarded. 

I found the cleaning process to be fairly standard for an espresso machine. In total, it probably took about 10 to 15 minutes to clean each day. 

Price: Expensive, but fair

Due to the convenience and high-caliber of this machine, the Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine is not cheap. Retailing for around $599, this espresso machine is on the higher end. However, if you desire a quality at-home espresso machine, this is around the price range you should expect to pay. Considering all of the conveniences and customization this espresso machine offers, it’s a fair price. 

Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine vs. Keurig K-Café

The Keurig K-Café offers similar conveniences to the Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Machine in that it can brew a number of coffee beverages, including several milk-based espresso drinks. There's a milk frother located on the right side of the machine allowing the user the capability to make lattes and cappuccinos, as well. Similar to the Nespresso, this machine uses K-Cup pods, so it’s nearly all automatic, too.

The biggest difference between the two machines is the price. The Nespresso is about three times as expensive as the Keurig K-Café. However, Nespresso offers the user a faster and much more customized experience. It comes down to what exactly you’re looking for in an automatic espresso machine and how much customization you need.