The Nespresso CitiZ&milk is a great espresso machine that uses pods to make smooth coffee drinks. With a wide variety of pods available, this machine is easy to use and has a built-in milk frother for lattes and cappuccinos.
To read our round up of all the machines we’ve reviewed, check out the best espresso machines around, or read our handy guide to the best coffee makers overall.
Nespresso CitiZ&milk C122: What you need to know
The CitiZ&milk scored highly on every test we put to it. In our espresso quality test, this machine scored an 8 out of 10, which is significantly higher than the category average of 6.4 out of 10. The individual flavored capsules gave each drink we made a unique and tasty flavor. This machine produces the most crème of all the machines we evaluated.
Part of the reason this espresso machine scored so highly in our quality tests is that it has more pressure bars (a measurement indicating the amount of water pressure the machine uses to create espresso) than nearly all of the other machines we looked at. All other things being equal, the more bars, the better espresso you’ll get. This espresso machine has 19 bars of pressure, which is significantly higher than the 15 pressure bars featured on almost all the other machines we evaluated.
Nespresso CitiZ&milk C122: Features & performance
The milk frother included with this machine was hands-down the best one saw during our evaluation. Most of the other frothers require you to have a milk jug that you place under a nozzle and froth the milk yourself. This machine gives you a thermos style jug that froths the milk to near perfection. All you have to do is fill the thermos, place its base connected to the machine, push the frother’s button and it will automatically swirl the milk into smooth, tasty froth. This is made possible by a small frothing spring in the bottom of the thermos.
No other espresso machine we looked at has this technology. The froth received high marks from both our barista and reviewing team, with an overall score of 9 out of 10.
Additionally, this espresso maker is the easiest to use of any machine we evaluated. As mentioned above, all you need to do is insert flavored pod you want, close the lid and select whether you want a single or double shot, and you’ll have ready-to-drink coffee in less than two minutes.
The trade-off for this kind of convenience is that you need the special pods to make it work. Buying pods can be expensive and the capsules themselves are heavy on plastic, making them pretty un-ecofriendly.
Using pods can also be slower than other machines as you have to load in the capsule and make each drink separately, rather than making a few drinks at one time.
Having said that, using pods can mean less mess than if you use ground coffee or grind coffee beans.
Should you buy the Nespresso CitiZ&milk C122?
This espresso machine is very easy to use, makes excellent espresso and is ideal if you want something simple. We had no issues with its performance, but it's definitely worth considering if you're willing to keep buying the capsules or whether you'd like a cheaper alternative.
Contributing Reviewer: Danny Chadwick
