Brewing Brilliance: Nespresso Evoluo Review And Buying Guide

If you love lattes, cappuccinos, or other gourmet coffees you get at a coffee shop, but want something simple to use in the convenience of our own home we might have the answer for you. As we give our Nespresso Evoluo review you’ll learn enough about this machine where you can decide if it’s right for you and your home.

It’s a high tech machine that packs a punch. But don’t let that scare you. I love my coffee, and the one button operation is much easier to use then the espresso machine I have in my home. So let’s take a look at everything in this coffee maker so you can see if it’s right for you.

Nespresso Evoluo Review Of The Brew Process And Taste

OK lets face it, the technology and brew cycele of the Nespresso Vertuoline Evoluo is pretty cool! It’s certainly a highly intuitive and technological coffee maker. The Nespresso Evoluo review wouldn’t be a review at all if we didn’t first look at the brew cycle and taste. So now let’s start at the beginning see how it works.

Nespresso VertuoLine Capsules

Nespresso VertuolLine Capsule showing the laser barcode system.

With a lot of other single cup coffee makers or Keurig machines it’s mostly a one-size-fits-all when it comes to the cups or pods you can use. But that’s not the case here. You must use these Nespresso VertuoLine Capsules to brew your coffee.

These capsules are barcoded! No, they’re not keeping track of the coffee you drink or how much you drink it. But they’re barcoded around the rim, which a laser in the machine scans, and it tells the machine about the coffee that it should be brewing. This barcode system is also what allows the Nespresso Evoluo to have a one button operation to brew coffee.

There’s 5 different things this barcode tells the coffee maker:

  1. What cup size the coffee maker should brew.
  2. What temperature the coffee should be brewed at.
  3. The rotational speed of the Centrifusion™ technology.
  4. The contact time the water has with the coffee.
  5. Flow rate of the coffee.

Nespresso And Sustainability With The Capsule To Help The Environment

The capsules are made of aluminum. If you’re interested in sustainability and the environment then these capsules have a large advantage over other K-cup style single coffee brewers. There’s also another advantage to using aluminum. It helps to keep the coffee fresher for a longer period of time.

The capsules can also be recycled by sending them back to Nespresso using UPS. They’ll recycle these into new products so the capsules don’t just sit in a landfill. They also put the used coffee grounds to new use. The used grounds are composted to help create a nutrient-rich topsoil.

What Is Centrifusion, Anyway?

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of this word before. It’s a word that Nespresso invented. They even trademarked it. It’s a combination of the words centrifugal and fusion. Most of us have heard of centrifugal force where something revolving around something centered is forced to the outside. Fusion in this case is how the water is forced (or fused) into the coffee to add flavor.

Infographic showing Nespresso centrifusion technology and how water is forced through the capsule to brew coffee

So what happens in this centrifusion brewing process? After the barcode is scanned and the coffee type is determined the coffee maker punctures holes in the center and along the outside to allow the flow of water into the pod. Then the capsule spins incredibly fast at up to 7,000 revolutions per minute. This spinning forces the coffee beans to the outside.

Water is injected into the center hole, and because of the centrifugal force the water is also forced to the outside and forced through the coffee beans. This is a different method to create the high pressure created in other espresso machines. The coffee is then brewed out of 20 openings around the edge to finally give you your cup of coffee, and the capsule is automatically disposed of into a used capsule bin.

How Does The Coffee Taste?

I think the taste of the Nespresso coffee is surprisingly good. You get a nice crema in each of the coffee’s that’s brewed from this machine. However, there are 27 different styles of coffees between the coffee type, cup size, and strength. You may want to check out the Nespresso page to help you find the coffee you’ll like best if you don’t already know what you like.

But in the end you will find a coffee you like, and it’s not difficult to find the coffee you’ll like the best. When you do find that cup you’ll find that the coffee does taste good and it also tastes very fresh. The aluminum capsule really does help with the fresheness.

If you have a frother you’ll find that you can do a little bit more with you’re coffee to make it taste even more like it comes from a coffee shop.

Nespresso ENV135S Vertuo Evoluo Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi, Silver Nespresso Vertuoline Coffee, Assortment, 30 Capsules

Technical Specifiations, Features, And Design

Technical Specifications

Dimensions (in Inches):9.0″ x 12.2″ x 12.3″ (WxDxH)
Weight:11 Pounds
Power:1350W
Centrifuge Speed:Up to7000 RPM
Power Chord Length:29.13″
Water Tank Capacity:54 oz
Brew Cup Sizes:14 oz, 8oz, 5 oz, 2.7 oz (Double Espresso), 1.35 oz (Espresso)

Features And Design

Removable Water TankPower Save Mode/Automatic Shut Off
Adjustable Drip TrayAutomatic Blend Recognition
One-Touch Brew Button15-20 Second Heat Time
Automatic Pod EjectionAvailable Colors: Black, Graphite Metal, Red, Silver, Titan

Cleaning And Maintenance

The outside of the Nespresso VertuoLine Evoluo can be wiped with a warm damp cloth. That’s usually all it’ll take to clean this coffee maker up.

Maintenenance is not very different from many other espresso machines. If you are part of the Nespresso Club you will get a free cleaning and descaling kit from them. You can become a member of the Nespresso Club at the same time you register your coffee maker with them. A lot of people use vinegar to descale the machine, but it’s best to follow the manufacturers instructions. The nespresso club offers everything you need to clean your coffee maker and was specifically designed for this machine. Total time to descale them machine will be about 20 minutes.

Nespresso also recommends that you run water through the machine without a capsule in place after every brew cycle. This cleans out any ground coffee beans from the lines and will prevent water lines from clogging. So basically run another brew cycle after you brew your coffee. There’s surprisingly very little cleanup after the brewcycle, however, Nespresso still recommends this cleaning.

The video below will show the entire process you need to go through in order to descale and clean the Nespresso Vertuoline Evoluo.


Nespresso Evoluo Pros And Cons

Pros of Nespresso Evoluo
  • Large water tank.
  • One button operation.
  • Capsules automatically eject into storage container after use.
  • Fast 15-20 second heat up time.
  • Automatic shutoff after 9 minutes of inactivity.
  • Adjustable drip tray for easy use from espresso cups to travel mugs.
Cons of Nespresso Evoluo
  • You MUST use pods from the VertuoLine as they’re designed to fit this machine.
  • Replacement pods are expensive and between $0.85 to $1.20 USD per pod.
  • Recommended cleaning after every brew cycle.
  • Temperature of the coffee is less then the recommended 195-205 degree temperature

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What’s the difference between Nespresso, Nespresso by De’Longhi, and Nespresso by Breville?

Nespresso is a popular coffee brand of premium coffee makers. Nespresso has partnered with De’Longhi and Breville to use the Nespresso name and inrease their retail distribution in North America.

Which replacement POD’s should I use for the Nespresso Evoluo?

You need to use the Nespresso VertuoLine capsules for this coffee machine. They offer a variety of different sizes and flavors to suit your needs.

Can refillable POD’s be used with the Nespresso Vertuoline Evoluo?

No. You must use Nespresso POD’s with this coffee maker.

Is there a built in frother to make a latte or cappuccino?

Unfortunately, there is no built in frother on the coffee maker itself. However, some models do include the Aeroccino3 frother in the box. The frother sold with the Nespresso Evoluo can be purchased later if you decide not to purchase it right away.

What do I do with the spent capsules after they’re used?

The capsules are made of aluminum and recyclable if properly cleaned. However, the capsules can also be brought sent back to Nespresso through UPS so they can recycle and repurpose the aluminum and the coffee grounds are composted to make nutrient rich topsoil.

About The Nespresso And De’Longhi Partnership

As we researched our Nespresso Evoluo review we found that one of the most common questions is surrounding the confusion of what coffee machine you’re buying. Who really makes it? Are different companies making the same product? What’s going on? Well, let us explain.

First let’s look at all of the companies involved who make the VertuoLine coffee makers. You have Nespresso, De’Longhi, and Breville. The actual maker of these products is Nescafe and Nespresso is a brand in the Nescafe umbrella of products.

Nescafe licensed the technology to De’Longhi and Breville because they wanted to increase their distribution in North America. So when it comes to the VertuoLine of products that Breville and De’Longhi are making there is no difference in the product. Becuase Nescafe is still the manufacturer. And on top of that De’Longhi also decided to brand their version of the VertuoLine coffee maker the Evoluo.

Yes, it’s confusing. But this line of coffee makers is all the same and made by Nescafe.

Nespresso Evoluo Review And Final Thoughts

There’s a lot of information in here and all you wanted to find out was if the Evoluo coffee maker was any good. From the high end technology with a barcode and the centrifusion technology you’ll get the most out of every capsule you use.

We also can’t forget about the advantage of the capsules over other single cup coffee makers. Nespresso thought about sustainability and the environment with this coffee maker and definitely solved a problem over other brands.

What we also learned as we had our Nespresso Evoluo review was that you can get very delicious coffee at the touch of a button. The machine is able to know the settings for each capsule and you’re off to an excellent coffee each time you brew.