Nespresso Creatista Coffee Machines
Nespresso have pulled out all the stops to show us what a real top-of-the-line Nespresso machine looks like, and the Creatista (and Creatista Plus) is the result. It’s a real high-end coffee statement, made by premium brands on both sides of the pond. It works and looks great, and it’s not cheap! Let’s take a look at what it can do: here’s our Nespresso Creatista review!
Nespresso Creatista Coffee Machine Review
Before we start, it’s worth mentioning the Nespresso Creatista has some seriously heavy-hitting partners – Sage by Heston Blumenthal are making this machine in the UK and coffee experts Breville are manufacturing this Nespresso machine in the US. These brands are very highly regarded and would not associate their names with a product or design that wasn’t worthy!
The Long Awaited Nespresso Milk Steamer
For people who have owned or seen other Nespresso machines, the first thing you will notice is the steam pipe / steam wand that features boldly at the front of the Nespresso Creatista. That’s right – Nespresso are encouraging you to froth your own milk!
Now, before you jump into “But plenty of Nespresso models can be used with an Aeroccino!”, let me explain. Getting a ready-to-go tasty frothed milk is great (and we love what the Aeroccino does!) but being able to customise how this works by holding your own pot and even creating your own latte art (!!) is definitely another level.
By introducing the steam pipe as part of their offering, Nespresso have genuinely taken their product and combined it with a barista-style milk offering! This is perfect for the absolute do-it-yourself coffee enthusiast. We cover more about the Nespresso Creatista steam pipe and compare it to the Aeroccino in the below sections.
Nespresso Creatista & Creatista Plus Product Specifications
Let’s take a look at some of the top-line numbers from the Creatista & Creatista Plus. For further analysis and looking at what numbers stand out, scroll down to our Nespresso Creatista vs Creatista Plus section below.
| Product Name | Nespresso Creatista | Nespresso Creatista Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing Material | Plastic & Metal Hybrid | Stainless Steel Alloy |
| Length | 48cm | 48cm |
| Depth | 40cm | 40cm |
| Width | 23cm | 23cm |
| Pressure | 19 bars | 19 bars |
| Heat-Up Time | 10 seconds | 3 seconds |
| Capacity | 1.5L | 1.5L |
| Weight | 5.5kg | 5.5kg |
| Milk Frother Included? | Yes | Yes |
| Steam Pipe Included? | Yes | Yes |
| Adjustable Temperature Control | Yes | Yes |
| Cup Warmer | No | No |
| Texture Levels | 4 | 8 |
| Milk Temperature Settings | 5 | 11 |
Froth vs Texture: The Nespresso Creatista Steam Wand and the Nespresso Aeroccino
Nespresso has a very successful and really good milk frothing product in the form of the Aeroccino. With pretty much any Nespresso machine out there, the Aeroccino add-on allows you to transform a short (or tall!) regular coffee into a nice, frothy cappuccino or latte.
However, froth and texture are different things! The texturing of milk is more difficult to achieve with an Aeroccino, and you’ll be able to see the difference when you use the steam pipe of the Creatista or Creatista Plus. The frothed milk you get can be a lot less ‘bubbly’ but still maintaining a good, sturdy texture. This is important for a latte where you actually want less bubbly foam than you would on a cappuccino. Foamed milk creates volume and thickness, but it’s textured milk that helps develop flavours and provides creaminess.
In fact, if you have a good texture on your latte it makes it a lot easier to craft your own latte art – the uniformity of textured, rather than foamed, bubbles means you can control this a lot better. You can even do things like ferns (or free form rosettas to use barista language!) and hearts with your Nespresso Creatista machine.
Nespresso Creatista vs Creatista Plus Comparison
There are two main differences between the Nespresso Creatista and the Nespresso Creatista Plus – one cosmetic, and one functional.
On the design front, the Creatista Plus uses a stainless steel alloy throughout to provide a more premium feel, compared to the Nespresso Creatista’s hybrid of metal and plastic to achieve the same effect. The Creatista’s use of plastic reduces the production costs slightly, but the internals are broadly identical. It comes down to personal taste if you prefer the look and feel of the full-metal version in your home or office.
Functionality-wise, there are a few minor differences and, depending on your opinion, one major difference. First, the minor ones – the Nespresso Creatista Plus has 8 different texture settings for the automatic steam pipe / steam wand and 11 different milk temperature settings. Each machine also includes a stainless steel Creatista milk jug.
This compares to the 4 different milk texture settings and 5 milk temperature settings available on the normal creatista.
The major one – for those in a hurry or appreciate not having to wait around, the Creatista Plus has an ultra-fast heat-up time (this is water / getting the machine ready, not milk!) of 3 seconds! The normal creatista is 10 seconds, and most other Nespresso coffee machines sit between 25 and 30 seconds. As you can appreciate, this is incredibly fast!
Creatista and Creatista Plus Review Summary
The Nespresso Creatista coffee machine is a bold move by Nespresso to push the boundaries on their premium range. It comes at a higher price tag, but you also get the barista-style milk texturing that you can’t quite achieve with a normal Aeroccino and a chance to perfect your own latte art at home, too. For someone who appreciates Nespresso coffee, the Creatista really is the top-of-the-range option that has everything you could hope for out of both a regular / black coffee and milk-based creations.
The finishing touches like the faster start-up / heat-up time and attention to the number of different temperature and texturing settings available also helps to craft the perfect cup of coffee for you – which is important given the investment, but at the same time lives up to the hype. We love it!
The Creatista Plus comes down to stylistic preferences and whether you appreciate the even faster heat-up time for super-fast coffees when you need them. Going from 4 to 11 different texturing options is really for the refined palate, and while we could taste a difference on some of them it depends on how far you want to explore and try all the different options. The stainless steel alloy finish, we have to admit, is a beautiful touch.
To conclude, we think the Creatista is a gorgeous machine and if you’re a true Nespresso coffee lover, you can’t go wrong with their new top-of-the-line range. If you appreciate the extra sprinkle of style on top we think the Creatista Plus is a decent choice, however you also won’t regret it if you stick with the normal Creatista model. That decision is best left down to the individual and what you feel would suit well in your home or office.