I really love BREVILLE’s product design. A week ago, I took advantage of a NESPRESSO sale and bought another CREATISTA PLUS. Although I’ve used the CITIZ and PIXIE models before—and they’re still in use among my friends to this day. As soon as the machine arrived, I couldn’t wait to try it out. It looks beautiful and very elegant, but… After brewing my first cup of VOLLUTO, I was actually able to drink it right away—but something wasn’t right. It was too cold and tasted too weak, like water; it lacked the signature Nespresso character entirely. Come to think of it, could it be because I had the VOLLUTO’s “Intensity” set to level 4? Switching to “INDIA” did improve things, but it still didn’t have that familiar taste It was a bit disappointing. When made into a latte, the milk foam was very fine—almost latte art-worthy—and the temperature was easy to control; but as for the coffee itself, I personally felt the flavor wasn’t rich enough—it was almost entirely the aroma of rich milk! So I conducted an experiment to compare it with my other PIXIE, which has been in service for less than half a year. Test conditions (applicable to both machines): • Capsule: Nespresso Arpeggio (Original Series) • Mode: Black coffee, espresso program, 40 mL • Cups: Two ZWILLING double-walled glass cups (134 mL), at room temperature (unpreheated) • Preheating: Both machines were preheated for 2 minutes before extraction • Temperature Measurement: Using a handheld infrared thermometer, multiple temperature readings were taken at the liquid’s surface immediately after extraction; the three highest readings were selected and averaged. Results: • Pixie (used for half a year): Approximately 56°C • Creatista Plus (in use for 3 days): approximately 50°C Under these identical conditions, the espresso brewed by the Creatista Plus was noticeably lighter in flavor, thinner in body, and cooler in temperature than that from the Pixie. Given that the Creatista Plus is a higher-end model, this performance is unacceptable for everyday use. I have: • Used the same capsule type and volume (40 ml espresso mode) • Used the same coffee cups and measurement methods • Allowed both machines to preheat for the same amount of time I tested this repeatedly, and even after brewing five consecutive cups, the CREATISTA PLUS’s temperature remained at least four degrees lower than the PIXIE’s Therefore, I decided to return it. However, it features a sturdy stainless steel body, fast heating, an excellent milk frother, and a sleek design—for these aspects, I give it five stars. As for the temperature being insufficient to bring out the coffee’s full flavor, if you’re not particularly sensitive or a coffee connoisseur, most people should still find it acceptable. Therefore, taking all factors into consideration, I give it three stars.

I have unknowingly been in a longer relationship with Breville appliances than I have with any romantic spouse. As a frugal student, I survived on cheese toasties courtesy of my Breville sandwich press (which lives on a decade later). This was coupled with instant coffee served in boiling Breville kettle water. Years on, I graduated to a Breville drip coffee maker and have now reached a peak in home caffeination with my Creatista. In between these upgrades I had flings with a Breville blender (my green smoothie phase) and an Air Fryer Chef which gets more use than my kitchen most weeks. What's evident is that I will always default to Breville as it has been a solid life partner.

Makes the best coffee there is until something breaks down. From there, its all painful. No chance of replacement even under warranty. You pack it all up carefully and send for repair. It comes back with still some issues. Your only option is to repeat the process. We also have a Citiz machine, and that seems better than this expensive - and unfortunately more conplex - machine.