How to Use a Nespresso Machine: Simple Tutorial

Not everyone has the chance to go out and buy coffee every day, two or three times per day. If that sounds similar to your situation, the best thing you can do is buy a coffee machine – a machine like maybe one of the Nespresso machines from the original line. This guide can help you learn how to use the Nespresso machine after you get it!

Nespresso is a well-known company that creates some of the best Nespresso machines. There are two lines of machines – the Vertuo line and the Original line. Even though there are some differences between the machines in the two lines, they are pretty similar in the way they work.

Today, I will focus on how you can use one of the Nespresso machines of the Original line to make wonderful coffee with great crema and a strong aroma. If this is something that you would like to learn, I suggest you keep reading!

How to Use a Nespresso Machine: A Step-by-Step Guide

As I have already mentioned, I will be focusing on the Nespresso machines that are a part of the Original line. On that line, you can find machines like the Creatista, Latissima, Essenza, Pixit, CitiZ, and several others. Even though these machines are somewhat different, they still function in mainly the same way.

I will give you a guide on how you can use these machines to brew the perfect cup of coffee. It will take you little to no time and that same amount of effort to make your coffee. If you are ready to get started with the brewing, let’s get right into the first step!

Step 1. Turn on the Machine

Of course, you cannot do anything without turning the machine on. When you turn the machine on, it should automatically start heating up and preparing for the brewing process. However, it will not start brewing until you give it the command.

Heating up takes only 25 seconds, which is a lot shorter than the heating process of other coffee makers. If you do not start a brewing process after it heats up, the machine will automatically go into sleep mode. The sleep mode is put there to help save energy – you can turn the sleep mode off whenever you want to use the machine!

Step 2. Prepare for the Brew

When talking about preparing for the brew, there are three things that you should do. First of all, you should remove the old coffee pods from the machine. If there are no pods in the machine, you can go right into the next thing.

Add some filtered water into the water container if there is none.

Then lift the lever of the pod holder, and insert the capsule you want to use for your drink. Make sure that it is in place before starting the brew.

The pods that you use with the Original line machines are made with aluminum, so they are completely recyclable. They cannot be reused, but they can be recycled after you use them. If you do not have the chance to recycle them, Nespresso has a mail-back program in store that you can use to have the pods recycled.

Yet another thing that you should do at this point is add a cup to the drip tray. The coffee will automatically start dripping into the cup once you start the brew, so make sure that you do not forget to place the cup there.

Step 3. Place Cup

Choose between a few cup sizes. You have the espresso and the lungo size to choose from, while some machines also feature a ristretto size. Make sure that you choose the size that you want for that specific brewing process before starting it.

If you do not want to adjust anything, you can also do that. The machines have barista-style recipes that you can use. These pre-set recipes can be used to brew amazing coffee.

Step 4. Start the Brew

Press the button that corresponds to the cup size of your desired brew. The machine will automatically use some of the water from the water container and run it through the machine and the pod to brew the coffee. The machines also use pressure to brew coffee.

As the coffee starts brewing, the machine will automatically start dripping coffee into your cup. The entire brewing process will not take that long – it should take less than a minute to have a full cup of coffee.

You should be aware that the Nespresso machine of the Original line functions using the so-called precision brewing technology. There is an 18-bar pump that uses pressure to brew the coffee. Using this pump, the machine creates a coffee with rich flavor and a strong aroma. Your coffee will also come with some crema on the top.

Step 5. Froth Some Milk (Optional)

Some Nespresso machines come with a frother as well. You can use the frother to heat the milk and make it foamier. You should put the milk into a separate container to froth it.

The frothing should take about 20 seconds. When you see that the consistency of the milk is getting close to what you are looking for, you can stop with the frothing and add the milk into the cup.

If you are not fond of coffee with milk, you can drink your coffee without milk. However, if you want the coffee to be sweeter, you can add some frothed milk or sugar. Either way, the coffee will taste really good!

FAQs Using a Nespresso Machine

As a final note, before I end this guide, I want to share with you a couple of frequently asked questions on the topic of Nespresso machines. Even though these machines are very easy to use, I think you can benefit from a couple of other facts. Let’s get into it right away!

Should I clean my Nespresso machine?

You should clean your Nespresso machine after each use. This cleaning will include emptying the drip tray and cleaning the water container. Also, you can remove the used pod from the machine if there is one.

However, every couple of months, you will need to do a thorough cleanup and descaling. Then, you will need to get the special descaling solution and run the descaling solution. After doing that, you will have a squeaky clean Nespresso machine!

Can you use any capsules in the Nespresso machine?

It is possible to use any capsule in the Nespresso machine. It does not have to be the special Nespresso capsule – you can consider capsules from other brands as long as they are suitable for the machine that you have.

However, the Nespresso capsules are the best solution if you use a Nespresso machine. If possible, I would recommend that you stick to the reusable Nespresso pods that you can get from the company’s website or the closest Nespresso store.

What’s the difference between Vertuo and Original?

Both Vertuo and Original Nespresso machines are amazing and come with a lot of great features. One of the things that separate the first from the second group is the capsules you can use with them.

The Vertuo capsules are a bit larger than the regular Nespresso capsules. They have a code on top that the machine reads so that it can brew the ideal cup of coffee. On the downside, Vertuo machines can work only with the Vertuo capsules, while the Original machines can work with several different types of capsules.

Nespresso Expert

It doesn’t take much to use Nespresso like a pro barista — that’s the whole point of Nespresso. I hope that this guide helped you learn how to use a Nespresso machine to get the best coffee possible.

Let me know in the comments below if you have ever used any of the Nespresso machines before or if you are yet to try them out. I would love to learn all about your experience, so do not hesitate to share all your stories with me!