I’ve spent the last few years developing my passion for coffee and the remarkable espresso machines that produce the best espresso. So it is dismaying to think that more and more people are shifting to the convenience of single serve coffee machines. The new CitiZ espresso machine, manufactured by Nespresso and available for purchase in the United States on August 1, is an example that makes me cry into my cup.  For the espresso geeks this machine isn’t going to cut it, but for everyone else, here’s a short summary:  The Nespresso CitiZ produces a good cup of espresso, one almost similar to the quality served in European restaurants.

Yes, you read that here – the Nespresso CitiZ is more than decent, its good. If you’re researching espresso machines for home or the office, you probably already know this basic fact. The key to high quality espresso is a thick layer of Crema and the maximum extraction of flavor and this connects to the amount of pressure an espresso machine produces. Most consumer-level espresso machines produce 15 bars of pressure. The newly released pump-driven Nespresso CitiZ outputs 19 bars -nothing over the top here but similar to the pressure of most good quality espresso machines.  The results create a more than satisfactory cap of golden Crema and Nestle’s Espresso (thus the name Nespresso) is really a good tasting cup of coffee. I hate to admit it but the flavor profile is strong, succulent and tasty. My only negative – and a very major one at that – is that the people who buy this will never really explore coffee, just Nestle’s offerings.

From a design side, the CitiZ offers a real simple user interface and there is no learning curve to get through.  The 1 liter Water Reservoir is efforlessly detached from the back of the machine, letting you carry it to the sink. Once the Water Reservoir is full, plug the CitiZ into the nearest outlet (safety first don’t forget) and turn on the power. You immediately see two buttons on the machine’s top of the machine start blinking. One is for standard 1.5 oz shots, the second for a larger “lungo” shots – approximately 1.85 oz. The machine takes about 2-3 minutes to heat up and the lights will remain lit telling you the CitiZ is ready to do its thing.  Here’s where the machine will shine for the average Joe – all you do is lift the lever, drop an espresso capsule into the machine, close the lever, and push a button.  Yes, a good espresso has come down to this – turn the machine on, lift to load a capsule and push a button. Is the Star Trek medical scanner far behind? After the machine is finished dispensing a 2nd tug on the lever ejects the used capsule into a holding area. This holding space is cleverly concealed behind a frosted panel so chance observers don’t see the capsules.

The Nespresso Citiz’s physical dimensions take up a mere 5 inches of horizontal space on your kitchen counter – so you can see again how they are going to win over the soccer moms who wants her Starbucks at home. However, be aware that the machine is approximately 14 inches deep – so you may need to angle it to prevent it from poking into your Kitchen counter’s work space.  And at just under 11 inches tall this single serve espresso machine is built to fit underneath most cabinets.

I’m not an espresso snob when it comes to the coffee – I love a good good cup – but I am a semi-elitist when it comes to the espresso machine. I firmly beleive that it is part of the whole espresso experience to measure, tamp, and pull my own shot.  After all, I spent a few years as a barista and I do consider using capsule-based systems to be bluffing.  The Nespresso CitiZ really forces me to consider changing my mind.  It’s obvious that a good amount of research went into creating the machine. The Citiz is calibrated to deliver a consistent and very good espresso shot.  Maybe this is why I recently Tweeted about an Globe & Mail article that shows Italians are dismayed that Nestle recently became the best selling brand in their homeland.

So even as I cry over the fate of mankind & its own enjoyable work to produce a great cup of coffee I have to admit that there is a real convenience here. Sure there will always be purists – those passionate enough to roast their own beans, grind with an $800 or more grinder, measure with a digital scale, and then go through the hand pulled lever shot motions (you know who you are – homebarista.com loonies). Yet, when you’re pressed for time, like most of us, or entertain and want to make coffee for a crowd of guests and get right back into the conversations, you’ll fall in love with the push-button simplicity of this machine.

So yes, this machine has some great features but please, please remember that if you love your coffee and don’t want to be limited in exploring the wonderful world of espresso there are better espresso machines out there for you. You’ll interact more with people because of using a Briel, Solis, Pasquini, Rancilio or Saeco machine as you actually understand how to make the best espresso, not just push a button to get a good one.