Nespresso Evoluo Review
Pros: Easy to use, quick and convenient, good taste, makes brewed coffee also
Cons: Uses expensive capsules, only a limited number of espresso flavors available
Manufacturer: Nespresso
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Nespresso Evoluo | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | | ||
| Price | $199 List $203.49 at Amazon | $350 List $349.95 at Amazon | $500 List $499.95 at Amazon | $450 List $440.73 at Amazon | $160 List $148.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Easy to use, quick and convenient, good taste, makes brewed coffee also | Great espresso, impressive milk steaming performance, compact design | Great taste, exceptional lattes and cappuccinos, mostly automated milk steaming | Pulls excellent shots, great milk steaming | Good espresso and milk steaming, quite inexpensive |
| Cons | Uses expensive capsules, only a limited number of espresso flavors available | No built-in grinder | No built-in grinder, automated steam wand isn't ideal for microfoam or latte art | Has a learning curve, no pressure gauge to help beginners, no grinder | Doesn't quite achieve cafe quality results, somewhat slow, no built-in grinder |
| Bottom Line | Great if you don't mind paying for convenience and want the ability to make brewed coffee too | One of the smallest machines we've found that can achieve cafe-quality results | A top-notch machine that pulls great shots and offers the best mostly-automated milk-steaming we've found | An excellent machine if your familiar with the process of manual brewing, and already have a high-quality grinder | Offers good taste and overall quality at a far below average price |
| Rating Categories | Nespresso Evoluo | Breville Bambino | Breville Bambino Plus | Breville Duo Temp Pro | Gevi |
| Taste (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (15%) | |||||
| Milk Steaming (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Nespresso Evoluo | Breville Bambino | Breville Bambino Plus | Breville Duo Temp Pro | Gevi |
| Dimensions | 9" x 12.2" x 12.3" | 7.7" x 12.6" x 12.2" | 7.7" x 12.6" x 12.2" | 15.5" x 13.3" x 17.6" | 13" x 10" x 16" |
| Milk Frother | None | Steam Wand | Automatic Steam Wand | Steam Wand | Steam Wand |
| Water Tank Capacity | 54 oz | 47 oz | 65 oz | 61 oz | 42 oz |
| Cost per Shot | $0.85 | $0.45 | $0.47 | $0.47 | $0.45 |
| Lifetime Cost per Shot | $0.93 | $0.58 | $0.68 | $0.64 | $0.50 |
| Number of Cafe Replacement Shots to Make Up List Price | 93 | 118 | 198 | 158 | 51 |
| Number of Cafe Replacement Lattes to Make Up List Price | 52 | 70 | 118 | 94 | 30 |
Our Analysis and Test Results
If you prefer your coffee and espresso without milk and with little fuss, this capsule machine could be a good choice at a decent price. Just realize that you'll be relegated to the pre-packed pods available from Nespresso.
Performance Comparison
Taste
We have found over the years that Nespresso capsules produce very consistent-tasting espresso, regardless of the machine they are brewed with. Overall, our testers felt that shots pulled from the Evoluo have a nice, smooth taste — good but not great. However, they also found that opting for a super-automatic machine that uses fresh coffee beans brings a bit more boldness and pleasing texture to the espresso. To get anything better tasting you'll have to abandon the convenience of super-automatic machines.
Ease of Use
The Evoluo is incredibly easy to use and great for anyone with little-to-no coffee experience. The machine is practically ready to go out of the box and we had it pulling shots within minutes of cutting the packing tape. Since the barcode reader does all the thinking for you, this machine can get away with an incredibly simple, one-button interface. Just press that button to start the 15-second preheating process, insert your pod, turn the lever to lock it in place, and press the button again. The barcode scanner determines what kind of coffee or espresso you're making and adjusts all of the settings accordingly.
The Evoluo can serve up a cup of coffee or espresso in under a minute and a half. If you want to make a cappuccino with a separate milk frother, that will obviously take a few minutes longer. Still, this was one of the fastest times in our cappuccino time trials.
Ease of Cleaning
The Evoluo scored well in this metric. As it uses capsules, it has virtually no short-term cleaning requirements. Just periodically empty the bin where the spent capsules collect and recycle them.
The ease of capsules aside, the Evoluo lost some points due to its descaling process. The instructions for completing this process are very clear and the process itself is simple. However, it takes a full 30 minutes and requires your full attention for the majority of that duration.
Milk Steaming
The Evoluo scored at the bottom of the barrel in our milk steaming and frothing tests because the machine itself cannot froth milk. If you want to make a cappuccino, you'll have to purchase a separate milk frother.
Value
This is one of the more inexpensive models we tested, though the expensive Nespresso pods it requires makes it one of the most costly machines we tested in the long run. Over time you certainly end up paying extra for convenience, but if you're willing to do that we think this machine still represents a good value.
Conclusion
The Nespresso Evoluo can make both coffee and espresso with the ease and lack of cleanup of a typical capsule machine. However, this convenience comes at a price: the expensive capsules push the lifetime cost towards the top of the charts.
— Max Mutter and Steven Tata
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