One-touch, no-fuss espresso that actually tastes good
For much of the world, the aroma, flavor, and lightning bolt of energy that a café dopio delivers are magic. But a big part of the delight is also the ritual of preparation: grinding the beans, tamping the portafilter, and pulling the shot yourself.So what can we make of Nespresso’s CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker, which eschews this loving ritual in favor of a push-button system? Insert an espresso capsule, press a button, and 18 seconds later, you get a shot of espresso.
On the surface, it smacks of heresy, but Maximum Tech wondered: Could the fully automated espresso shot pulled by this machine rival the flavor of a traditional espresso? The answer is yes. Mostly. With a few caveats.
On its own, the CitiZ gave the Maximum Tech editorial staff a 37 percent boost in productivity.
The core concept behind the CitiZ is not unlike that of an inkjet printer or a Gillette razor. With the CitiZ, you’re committing to a closed system in which you purchase proprietary espresso capsules exclusively from the Nespresso Club, which promises two-day delivery to most addresses in North America. The cost per capsule varies by volume, but tends to average around $0.43. That’s a solid value, and shipping costs are minimal.
The downside is that unless you live in or near Boston, Chevy Chase, Chicago, Orange County, Miami, or New York City, you can’t purchase capsules in person. The upside is that Nespresso offers up to 16 different roasts and flavors ranging from mild to extra-strong, including three different decafs, all in colorful shells eerily reminiscent of candy.
We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the espresso. Regardless of which blend we chose, each shot had a thick layer of crema—the thin layer of foam at the top of the cup—and tasted more or less like a barista-prepared espresso. We also appreciated the consistency of flavor, which never wavered. Our only concern was that the espresso tasted slightly less rich, penetrating, and flavorful than our own homemade shots.
The proprietary nature of the system prevented us from testing the CitiZ with our own beans and grinds, but we did compare shots pulled on our own machine (using Peet’s Espresso Forte) to Nespresso’s boldest flavor, Ristretto. We also compared a milder blend from a local San Francisco café to Nespresso’s Cosi roast. We used no milk, sugar, or other additives. Our tests confirmed our suspicions: The Nespresso machine was delivering slightly less-concentrated flavor. This may be because the Nespresso capsules contain 5.5 grams of coffee, while tradition dictates 7 grams.
Nonetheless, informal taste tests in the Maximum Tech Lab were decisively favorable, to the point that we quickly exhausted our initial supply of capsules.
The only real shortcoming is that the base model lacks a steaming wand—essential for steaming/frothing milk or for directly pouring hot water for café Americanos. To be fair, Nespresso does sell a version of the CitiZ that comes with an automatic milk frother.
Espresso aficionados will want a more traditional approach, but the CitiZ is perfect for espresso drinkers who don’t want to pull their own shots, or for environments—like small offices—where tamping a shot would be unwieldy. Frankly, the quality is high enough that even purists should consider the CitiZ as a time-saving second machine. The ability to serve up so many different espresso beans and roasts justifies the purchase.
Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker
Double Caf Pours a high-quality shot; no mess; portable; wide variety of flavors.
Decaf Flavor isn't as rich as manual machines; no built-in steam wand.
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