Nespresso Inissia Review: Tiny, Expensive, But Great

By Shabbir
Last update:

When you think of Nespresso machines, you usually think of expensive, wallet-breaking coffee makers. The Nespresso Inissia espresso machine is actually a really budget-friendly machine that brews great espresso and is easy to use.

Learn more in this Nespresso Inissia review.

Nespresso D40-US-BK-NE Inissia Espresso Maker, 24 ounces, Black (Discontinued Model)

Nespresso Inissia Review: In short

If you’re into single serve coffee machines and you love your espresso, there’s nothing you can fault about the Inissia. It’s small, it’s easy to use, and brews good espresso using OriginalLine Nespresso capsules. What’s not to like?

Design and build quality: 5/5

Nespresso machines are usually pretty solidly built, and the Nespresso Inissia is no different. It’s nice and compact so it won’t take up too much space on your kitchen counter. Even though it’s tiny compared to other espresso machines, it has a 19 bar pressure pump that extracts a lovely shot of espresso every time.

The water tank is pretty small at just 0.7 liters, but since you’re only going to pull shots and not full cups of coffee, you can pull up to 9 shots before needing to refill the water tank.

The color tones are pretty elegant and the materials feel high quality in your hand. There are just two buttons for using the machine: one to brew an espresso and another to brew a lungo.

Once the shot is brewed and you re-open the pod bay, the old pod is automatically ejected and tossed into an internal pod receptacle, which can hold 11 pods before needing to be emptied.

There is no included milk frother, though you can purchase the Aeroccino milk frother separately or as part of a bundle.

Functionality & Use: 5/5

As we mentioned above, there are just two buttons, so there’s not much in terms of functionality except for the fact that you press one button for an espresso shot and another button for a lungo!

To use the machine, press the power button to get the water heating and pop open the capsule bay and insert your preferred Nespresso OriginalLine pod.

Please note that this machine is an OriginalLine machine, so you can get it to work with reusable pods as well as a large variety of compatible Nespresso capsules by third parties. This is an advantage not found in the newer VertuoLine machines, which are locked into the Nespresso ecosystem.

It will take the Inissia espresso machine just 25 seconds to heat up and be ready to pull a shot. Once the machine has heated up, the buttons for espresso and lungo will indicate that they’re ready to be pulled. Just place your cup on the drip tray below the nozzle, and select which size you want.

The machine will fire up, whirr, buzz, and extract a delicious shot of coffee. How easy is that!

If you like to have espresso first thing in the morning but can’t be bothered to grind, tamp, and brew, the Nespresso Inissia can have a shot ready in just under half a minute.

There’s not much else to be said about use or functionality, since this espresso machine is just designed to do two things: brew espresso and lungo. It does both very well!

There is an auto shut-off feature so in case you forget to turn it off manually, the Nespresso Inissia will shut itself down after 9 minutes of inactivity.

One interesting feature built into the machine is the ability to program water volume preferences. To do so, place whichever cup you’re planning to use under the nozzle, and press and hold either of the two buttons. As you’re holding, the machine will dispense coffee and continue to dispense. Just release the button once you get the desired level of coffee.

The machine will then store this preference in the system.

You can program both buttons, but we recommend programming the lungo button only, so you have one button with the default espresso size and one button with your custom size.

Please note that brewing a larger cup will result in weaker coffee.

Maintenance: 5/5

Since the Nespresso Inissia is so well built and so compact, maintaining it is quite easy. You should periodically empty the drip tray and wipe down the externals of the espresso maker.

The water tank is removable, so you can easily pull it out for rinsing and washing with soap every once in a while.

If you’re not using the machine, you should keep the water tank empty as this prevents scale buildup.

As with all espresso machines, you need to descale once every 3-6 months to kill any bacteria and remove any scale that has built up in the inside of the machine.

Overall Value: 5/5

For less than $100, you are getting a 19 bar espresso machine that’s easy to use and brews a consistent cup of coffee every single time.

Coffee purists may argue that single serve coffee is not true coffee, and maybe there is substance to that argument, but there’s no doubt that the Nespresso Inissia is convenient, tiny, and brews great espresso every single time.

With your initial purchase, you’ll get a welcome set of 16 capsules so you can try out the various flavors and see which ones you like the best.

While the machine itself is quite inexpensive, the cost of the pods can definitely add up over time.

Interestingly enough, single serve machines are sometimes cheaper at the get go since there are no extra purchases such as grinders or scales, but the cost does add up in the long run as the pods are not cheap.

However, when convenience and low effort is concerned, Nespresso is unbeatable.

It’s important to note that this is a standalone espresso machine, which means there is no milk frother built in. You can purchase an Aeroccino frother separately, but that’s an added cost.

You’ll need a frother to be able to enjoy milk based speciality coffees like cappuccino and latte.

Setup tips

The first time you get your Nespresso Inissia and set it up, you need to rinse it three times before using it. To do so, rinse the tank, then fill it up, then power on the machine and wait about 25 seconds for the machine to heat up.

Press the lungo button to run one cycle of water through the machine. The machine will dispense water into a cup you place below.

Repeat this process a total of three times before using it to brew a shot of espresso.

Pros

  • One touch and easy to use
  • Nice and compact
  • Very competitive and attractive price point
  • Brews great espresso every single time
  • Wide variety of pods to choose from
  • Fast brewing
  • Comes in many colors to match your decor

Cons

  • Can only make espresso or espresso based black coffee
  • Frother not included
  • Locked into Nespresso pod ecosystem
  • Smaller water tank

Conclusion

Overall, the Nespresso Inissia espresso machine is an excellent entry level Nespresso machine that costs significantly less than most Nespresso machines(see reviews here). It brews great coffee and is ridiculously simple to use. The size and convenience make it a great choice for homes and even small offices. You could just lay out a variety of pods and people can come, brew the pod of their choice, and be on their way!

Frequently asked questions

Is Nespresso Inissia discontinued?

The Inissia is now discontinued, but you can still find it with some retailers. A newer, similar model to consider is the Nespresso Pixie.

Does Nespresso Inissia make coffee?

The Inissia is an espresso machine by design, but you can use the programmable buttons to brew a 6 ounce cup instead of the typical 2 ounce cup. This will be similar to an Americano, but a little stronger.

Last update on 2024-03-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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About Shabbir

Shab is the Chief Caffeine Officer at Coffee Brewster. When he's not weighing out coffee beans for his next brew, you can find him writing about his passion: coffee.