Nespresso Pixie Single Cup Coffee Maker Review

Looking for a Nespresso Pixie on sale? Check out Amazon. They have a wide variety of colors available.

Anyone who has followed my coffee review websites will already know I’m a little biased towards Nespresso Machines. There is just something about their looks that makes me feel like I’m back in Monaco at some ultra-trendy hotel, just oozing with euro styling… They just look cool! However, for the sake of professional journalism, and Mike’s high standards, I will do my best to keep my preferential treatment to a minimum.

As a company Nespresso coffee machines have followed one of the golden rules of business. Some call it the ‘K.I.S.S’ principle, others just say, “Do one thing, and do it well.” However you choose to put it, Nespresso machines have all pretty much stuck to doing one thing — make espresso!

Of all the cool color combos, I love the Indigo Blue.

This newest addition to the Nespresso range — the Pixie, has slotted very nicely into the ‘Have a tiny espresso machine, will travel’ niche. The footprint of this machine is just tiny. You can take this unit to the office, the work shed, the dorm room, the toilet, the bedroom…the options are endless! Yet it still somehow manages to pack in a walloping 19 bars of pump pressure, and heats up in just 25 seconds. It has two programmable brew size buttons, which can also be manually overridden, has an auto-off feature, and a foldaway drip tray if you want to use a larger mug.

As far as ‘bells and whistles’ goes… other than a warning light that flashes when your water is low, or your coffee capsule bin is full — that’s about it. The Pixie keeps things very simple, and that I believe is a huge advantage! For all you cappuccino fanatics out there, the Pixie works really well with the Nespresso Aeroccino — A unit that makes pretty decent milk froth.

Isn’t it just gorgeous to look at?

For those of you who think I talk too much, here are the bullet point features of the Nespresso Pixie:

• Absolutely tiny espresso pod maker measuring 12.8 x 4.3 x 9.2 inches
• Comes in 6 color choices and 2 different finishes
• Works exclusively with Nespresso coffee capsules
• 19 Bars of pressure for the creamiest espresso crema
• Thermoblock heating system that dramatically reduces heating time to just 25 seconds
• Improved internal system means the Pixie needs to be de-scaled 3 times less than standard machines
• Choose from Espresso or Lungo size
• Manual override of brew sizes
• 24 oz. water reservoir
• Foldable drip tray to accommodate larger mug sizes
• Auto power off after 9 minutes
• Warning lights for ‘low water’ or ‘full capsule bin’

PROS:

• To get 19 bars of pressure from such a small unit is incredible
• Tiny footprint makes it fit in even the smallest kitchens/offices
• Very fast warm up time — just 25 seconds
• A true rainbow of color options
• Handy cord storage system
• Works well with the Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother for milk based espresso drinks

CONS:

• Not too many features (though I view this as a plus – as there is less to go wrong)
• Only uses Nespresso capsules, which some feel are expensive and limited in range
• Can only buy the Nespresso capsules through the Nespresso site
• Will not fit the taller travel mugs under the spout, even with the drip tray folded up
• Too many color choices to choose from
• At $250 a pop, they are far from the cheapest coffee pod maker out there

Final Words

Nespresso gets a lot of flack from some people due to the expensive price, small variety of Nespresso coffee capsules, and having to buy through Nespresso… However I have to disagree (as I often have to do). I find Nespresso machines some of the highest quality, best-designed and beautiful coffee machines on the market.

Yes, they are a bit more expensive than some, but if they produce a good consistent product, with little fuss and look great doing it… isn’t that worth a little more? Also, I don’ t find that the selection of coffee capsules is prohibitive. Honestly, how many styles of espresso do you need? We aren’t drinking candy flavored K-cups here… it’s espresso!

OK, so to sum up: The Nespresso Pixie is a very small, very cool coffee pod style machine that offers simple yet well thought out design features. It makes consistently above average espresso, and with the addition of the Nespresso Aeroccino unit, you can also make milk based espresso drinks. Rate it how you will — 4.5 out of 5, 8.5 out of 10, two thumbs and one big toe up… this unit is a winner in my books!

Category: Coffee Equipment Reviews