Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsIT'S A KEEPER
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018
I've owned a Nespresso machine for years and recently decided to upgrade to the Creatista. My old machine, the Citiz, was fine, but I wanted more functionality. I originally tried the Lattissima Pro but promptly returned it - the frothed milk was not up to par for cappuccinos and settings were confusing to adjust. The Creatista has been a great purchase, makes incredible coffee/milk drinks, and is simple to use.
The Good:
1) Large water reservoir and good overall design. Actually smaller than my Citiz as far as counter space goes and looks great in the kitchen
2) Everything is adjustable - the temperature, coffee volume, froth level can all be adjusted on the interface using dials. I can get my coffee steaming hot like at a coffee shop or dial the temp back. It's intuitive to use and makes a big difference in the taste. The machine tells you the ideal volume and temp for each drink (latte, cappuccino, espresso, etc.), but you can adjust to your hearts content. I like my cappuccino with more espresso volume so I dial it way up and stick a large (Lungo) pod in, and it's perfect.
3) Great frothed milk.This was a must for me. Nothing worse than flat froth on a cappuccino. I like the steam wand method of this machine and it's much easier to clean The stainless steel milk jug goes right into the dishwasher and the steam wand is self cleaning. It works fine automatically, but I slightly lift and tip the jug during steaming, and I find it makes a sturdier froth. You'll have to play with it to find your perfect setting. Tip - increase the heat on the milk setting and it creates more micro bubbles.
The Not so Good:
1) The drip tray could be bigger. Especially considering the self cleaning wand steams water out after each use, and it empties into the drip tray. Not a big deal, but it needs to get emptied.
2) The adjustments don't give you specific temperatures or volumes. Not on the interface nor in the manual will you find what the settings correspond to. I'd like to know exactly how hot I'm dialing up the temperature, or how many more ounces of espresso I'm getting if I crank the setting up or down, but it's not possible. You just have to eyeball to see what works for you. I suppose I could use a thermometer or get a measuring cup, but seems they should provide this info considering how the ability to adjust is such a big part of this machine's personality.
3. You can't steam the milk at the same time you're making coffee. Why? It would save some time and be nice to walk away from the machine and have milk and coffee going at the same time. Once the coffee part is done, you'll have to go back to the functions to allow for the milk process to begin.
Overall:
Great looking machine, easy to use, and versatile. The ability to tailor milk based coffee drinks to our specific tastes is a huge plus. Milk froths better on this machine given the wand design. It's a keeper.
