I don’t know about you, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not much of a morning person. Well, I do try to be, but ultimately, I’m a bit of a cliche — I can’t do anything before my morning cup of joe. So I decided to embark on an expedition with the goal of finding the quietest Nespresso machines on the market.
If you’re anything like me, you’re a huge grump in the morning, especially if you’ve just been roused from your slumber by a particularly annoying alarm clock. Speaking of which, if that’s a serious problem for you, I highly recommend getting a light alarm that slowly increases the brightness in the room, emulating a sunrise.
Still, even if you do switch to a more tolerable alarm clock, the process of procuring a cup of coffee is usually far too noisy for my liking. Personally, my noise tolerance is even lower than usual before noon, so I can’t abide loud coffee grinders, thundering blenders, and whistling kettles. As you can see, I’ve already written about all of those things, so today I wanted to make my kitchen — as well as yours — even more serene by switching to a quiet Nespresso machine.
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Why You Need a Quiet Nespresso Machine
Let me set the scene. You’ve just rolled out of bed, and your place is as silent as it can get. Whether it’s a lazy Saturday or a stressful Wednesday, you’re probably going to make a beeline straight for the kitchen. You take one of your Nespresso capsules — I admit to favoring the vanilla-flavored ones — load it into your coffee machine, and press your desired drink size. And then you get a rude awakening.
If there’s one thing that can bring a quiet morning to a screeching halt, it’s the gruesome noises that can come from a coffee machine. Suddenly, your morning is no longer the calm before the storm of your regular workday or your weekend activities. Instead, your Nespresso coffee maker betrays you with its racket.
Maybe if I were less attuned to every little sound my house makes, I’d be more tolerant of noisy kitchen appliances. However, I know for a fact that the amount of noise many Nespresso machines make can be avoided. After all, I’ve managed to replace most of the appliances I used to own with quieter ones.
So for the sake of all of our combined family members, roommates, and the society at large, I dove into the depths of coffee lovers’ forums to find the quietest coffee machines available. Before I reveal my results, let’s talk about the guidelines I used while looking for the best of the best.
Features to Look for When Shopping for a Quiet Coffee Machine
As always before my reviews, I like to talk about the features I based my search on. Generally, my favorite products to review are those that were clearly made to operate quietly. Unfortunately, that’s not something I could say when it comes to this particular category of products.
Basically, I ended up having to hunt down the quietest machines and draw my own conclusions without much help from the manufacturers. Luckily, coffee junkie forums have proved to be quite enlightening. So let’s talk about how I made my selections.
Noise Level
As I’ve already mentioned, I really do prefer when the products I review are actually manufactured with silent operation in mind. Usually, that also means that they come with decibel assessments in the product descriptions. However, I haven’t found any machines that make that measurement known.
Still, I did manage to find out the general range of noise you can expect from both a standard noisy Nespresso machine and a quieter model. According to this video, the louder models make anywhere between 70 and 80 decibels of noise. Conversely, one of the quietest models would make about 60–65 decibels of noise.
If you don’t know much about decibels, that may not seem like much of a difference. But remember, a 10 point increase actually signifies doubling the amount of noise you hear. So while 50 decibels and lower would be pretty quiet by anyone’s account, and a 60-decibel sound would be about as loud as a normal conversation, the 70–80-decibel range is closer to the noise you hear from a particularly noisy vacuum cleaner.
Now, enduring anything louder than 70 decibels for a prolonged amount of time would lead to permanent consequences for both your hearing and your mental state. Fortunately, coffee machines don’t need to be on for more than it takes for them to run hot water through the Nespresso capsule. That’s why you’ll want to keep your eye on the brewing time as well as some of the other features of the machines.
General Features
Whether you’re looking for a quiet Nespresso machine or you would settle for a regular one, there are several questions you ought to ask yourself:
- How many kinds of coffee can the machine make? Some can only do hot cappuccinos and lattes, while others have options for cold beverages as well. Consider which kind of coffee you prefer and go from there.
- How large is the water tank? If you anticipate having to use your machine for several people at once or you prefer sipping from large mugs as opposed to small espresso shots, you might want to get a model with a large capacity.
- How quickly can the machine dispense the coffee? Most models can warm up within 30 seconds, but there are also faster brewing times.
Furthermore, you’ll also want to consider how easy the machine you’re looking into is to use. Most of them are fairly simple to figure out after a brief perusal of the manual. To begin with, you should have a cup or a mug on the drip tray. Then, you can fill the water tank, and add in your Nespresso pod at the top of the device.
Finally, press the button that corresponds to the type of coffee you want and the volume of your mug. And that’s another question you ought to ask: how many different cup sizes is the machine programmed to make?
Cleaning
Before you can make your first brew, and after making each subsequent cup, you need to thoroughly clean the machine. Usually, the device instructions state that you are to brew plain water two or three times before making your first beverage.
In my experience, you should be doing that after you make your coffee as well, just to keep the inside of the device clean. Furthermore, you’ll also want to fill your tank with filtered water, if you want to avoid hard water buildup and prolong your machine’s lifespan.
Machine Size and Design
While looking for the quietest Nespresso machines on the market, I’ve also noticed that the amount of noise they make often corresponds to their size. Specifically, the larger devices seem to make more noise — which is pretty understandable.
After all, larger machines need stronger motors, which usually cause excess vibrations and noise. As a case in point, I’ve discovered that some of the quietest models on the market are the smallest ones, like the Essenza Minis.
If your primary concern with a Nespresso machine are the vibrations it makes, though, you can always place it on an anti-vibration mat.
Lastly, if you’re a bit of an aesthete, you might also want to choose your machine based on its appearance. They come in all shapes and sizes, but if you’re working with limited counter space, you may want to stick to the smallest ones. As for the design of the machines, I’ve yet to find a completely unattractive model, so I’m sure that you’ll be able to find one that appeals to you in my reviews.
Best Quiet Nespresso Machines on the Market
As I’ve already mentioned, it appears that the size of the machine often plays a part in the amount of noise it can produce. With that in mind, I’ve decided to present the following 5 machines in an order going from the biggest to the smallest one. That way, you’ll find the quietest Nespresso machines at the bottom of the list. So let’s dive in.
1. Nespresso VertuoLine Evoluo Coffee & Espresso Machine by De’Longhi
The first Nespresso machine I wanted to talk about is the VertuoLine Evoluo. In fact, this model has introduced some really revolutionary technology into the world of single-serve coffee makers. But before we talk about those let’s go over the basic specs of the VertuoLine machine.
Overall, the coffee maker itself is fairly narrow. However, the removable transparent containers on either side of the machine bring its width to 9 inches total. The model is also 12.2 inches tall, and the whole top part can be opened for capsule insertion. Finally, your counter should also be at least 12.3 inches deep for this machine to fit on it.
The tank on the left side of the machine has a capacity to hold 53 ounces of water, while the spent capsule container can hold as many as 13 large Nespresso pods. Speaking of which, Nespresso actually introduced a whole new lineup of capsules with this product.
These new capsules are also more dome-shaped than the original coffee capsules. They’re also available in two sizes, the smaller ones being for espresso shots while the larger ones are for regular coffee. Even more impressive, the bar code that’s printed on the rim of the capsules can help the machine itself automatically determine which settings it needs to use to give you the perfect coffee.
When you turn the machine on, you can set the cup size you want to use. There are 5 size options with the 2.7-ounce Espresso being the smallest, and the 14-ounce Alto Coffee option being the largest. Depending on the size of the mug you want to use, you can either pull out the drip tray altogether or move it higher. That feature will also come in handy when you want to clean the tray.
But the truly innovative piece of technology is the centrifusion that is involved in producing your cup of coffee. After you put your capsule into the machine and wait for it to warm up for 15–20 seconds, the machine will spin the capsule at 7,000 revolutions per minute.
At that point, it will also push water into the capsule and start pouring the coffee into your mug. When you open the top of the machine again, the capsule will automatically slide into the capsule container. You’ll also notice that the capsule has had a series of holes punched into the top, where the machine gripped onto it before spinning it.
Because the coffee maker uses such a high number of rotations, the noise from the vibrations is actually minimal. The number of rotations is also the reason why this machine is capable of making some of the thickest and softest crema you’ll see.
After you have your coffee, the machine will automatically go into power saving mode after 9 minutes of inactivity. If you’re interested in this product, you should know that it comes in 4 colors, including red. Additionally, every purchase also comes with a free welcome kit with 12 different Nespresso Vertuo capsules, so you can discover your new favorite flavor.
Features:
- 5 cup sizes from 1.35 to 14 ounces
- 54-ounce removable water tank
- 20-second heat-up
- Centrifuge technology
- Black, graphite, silver, and red versions
2. Breville Nespresso Creatista Single Serve Espresso Machine
At 15.5 inches wide and 12.13 inches tall, the Nespresso Creatista machine is certainly one of the biggest ones on my list. However, because it is only 7 inches deep, it may actually take up less space on your counter than the previous product we looked at. Even its removable water tank, located at the back of the device, has a slightly smaller capacity of 50 ounces.
Still, this Nespresso machine certainly has plenty of features to choose from, allowing you to completely personalize your cup of coffee. The machine caters to 3 cup sizes, from 0.5 to 5 ounces. It can also make a cappuccino, a latte, a latte macchiato, or a flat white with excellent microfoam. If you want to use a small cup, you can remove a part of the drip tray and move it up, to avoid spills.
All of these settings are accessible at the top of the device. The start button will fire up the device, and there’s a selection dial you can use in combination with the small display above it to choose your drink. The capsules are inserted into the compartment at the top of the device as well.
Furthermore, this machine comes with a stainless steel milk jug that can make the perfect milk for various types of coffees. You’d pour the milk into the jug and set it into place with the automatic steam wand inside. The wand can heat the milk to one of 5 temperatures in the 133–169 degrees Fahrenheit range. It can even produce 8 different textures of froth.
Additionally, this model only takes about 10 seconds at the very most to heat up. Actually, it can manage it in 3 seconds as well, if only for making Espresso shots. Unlike the previous machine, this one can use traditional Nespresso capsules. The product also comes with a free welcome kit full of differently flavored capsules.
The container for used capsules inside of the machine can hold between 8 and 10 capsules. When the container is full, you can take out a little drawer above the drip tray and empty it. Several minutes after you get your coffee, the machine will turn off automatically. Best of all, this product has an automatic cleaning setting, which would save you some trouble.
Features:
- 3 cup sizes from 0.5 to 5 ounces
- 50-ounce removable water tank
- 3-second heat-up
- Stainless steel milk jug
- Black and champagne colors
3. Nespresso Inissia Espresso Machine
The one thing I’ve noticed through research is that the smaller machines, although they do tend to be quieter, also have fewer features. That much is evident when you compare the Nespresso Inissia machine with the previous products we looked at. It’s slightly louder than the next two products I’ll show you, but it’s definitely the cheapest small coffee machine you can get without sacrificing quality.
This machine is only 4.7 inches wide, 9 inches tall, and 12.6 inches deep, with the removable 23-ounce capacity water tank in the back. It is U-shaped, which is pretty common with these kinds of smaller units. It’s also pretty easy to use, although the lack of settings may be confusing at first.
However, it boils down to the two buttons that adjust the quantity of the coffee. You can choose between 2 cup sizes, Espresso and Lungo, with the smaller one being 1.35 and the larger being 5 ounces. The drip tray on the machine is adjustable — you can fold it up or remove it entirely. Sliding the tray drawer out also allows you to empty out the capsule compartment that can store up to 10 pods.
Loading the machine with one of the capsules is fairly easy: you just need to slide the horizontal horseshoe-shaped lever. That will push the front section of the machine out and leave a capsule-shaped hole at the top of the machine, where you can position your pod. Should you choose to purchase this product, you’ll find a welcome pack of 16 Nespresso Grand capsules in the package.
Once the capsule is in the machine, your coffee should be ready within half a minute. Finally, the machine will shut down automatically in about 9 minutes. Granted, this whole process isn’t exactly the quietest experience. Still, this machine is pretty convenient, and it does have some convenient features — which is why it’s a fan favorite.
Features:
- 2 cup sizes: 1.35 or 5 ounces
- 23-ounce removable water tank
- 25-second heat-up
- Black, silver, and several other colors
- Very affordable
4. Nespresso CitiZ Espresso Machine
Now, these last two machines are considered to be some of the quietest ones on the market. Unsurprisingly, they’re also some of the smallest ones I’ve found, which is why I made the connection between machine size and the amount of noise it produces in the first place.
Like the previous compact coffee maker, the Nespresso CitiZ Espresso machine is U-shaped. It’s about 5 inches wide, 11 inches tall, and 14.6 inches deep. Also like the previous device, this one has a removable water tank in the back. However, this machine’s water tank has a capacity of 34 ounces, not 23 ounces.
The one thing that distinguishes this model from some of the other ones is that it has programmable volume buttons. Unlike the previous device, this one does have a traditional power switch in the back as well. However, the Espresso and Lungo buttons can also be reprogrammed fairly easily.
First, you’ll want to lift the metal lid at the top of the device to insert your capsule. Like some of the other products on this list, this machine comes with a kit of 16 free capsules. Make sure that your cup is positioned where you want it on the adjustable drip tray. Then program the amount of coffee you want to get on the receiving end.
After the capsule has served its purpose, it’ll fall into the used pod compartment which can hold about 10 pods. You can remove the pod drawer by pulling the drip tray shelf out. The machine will shut down automatically after 9 minutes of inactivity. However, you can also prolong the automatic shutdown to 30 minutes after use.
According to all of the coffee lovers’ forums, this is certainly one of the quietest machines on the market. However, it’s certainly not the only quiet Nespresso machine.
Features:
- 2 cup sizes, programmable volume
- 34-ounce removable water tank
- 25-second heat-up
- Black, white, and several other colors
5. Nespresso Essenza Mini Original Espresso Machine
As I have already mentioned in these reviews, the Nespresso Inissia is far from the quietest machine on anyone’s list. The model might have been impressive at one point. However, it has since been overshadowed by the very machine I want to discuss now: the Essenza Mini.
Lauded as the quietest machine on the market, the Essenza Mini is a fairly tiny device. It’s only 3.3 inches wide, 13 inches tall, and 8 inches deep. Despite the differences in design, it’s actually quite similar to the previous unit I reviewed. Like most small coffee makers, this machine has a 20-ounce removable water tank in the back.
Furthermore, it also has two programmable volume buttons which allow you to adjust the amount of coffee you get. After loading a pod into the capsule slot, you should get your coffee in half a minute or so. The drip tray and the capsule compartment are removable, which is good since it can only store 5 capsules anyway. Speaking of which, this machine also comes with 14 unique flavors of capsules.
When your coffee is ready, the machine will shut down automatically after 9 minutes. The Essenza Mini is by far the quietest Nespresso machine on the market, at least according to what I’ve heard. However, some people have said that the limited edition matte black machine is even quieter — barely audible, in fact. Still, since that version is nowhere to be found at this point, you’ll have to settle either for the piano black or white option.
Features:
- 2 cup sizes, programmable
- 20-ounce removable water tank
- 25-second heat-up
- Black and white options
A Word or Two in Closing
Any one of the machines on this list should be a great addition to any morning routine. However, I must admit that the last one is my favorite. Not only is it incredibly compact, but it’s also the quietest machine on the market right now.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to constantly have to empty out the spent capsules, get one of the bigger models. Ultimately, my tour of the Nespresso junkie side of the internet has taught me one thing. Always buy your capsules on sale — and use all of the coupons you can get your hands on!
Those things can get pretty expensive fairly quickly if you don’t watch your wallet. Fortunately, all of the machines I’ve told you about come with complementary capsule kits. So, if nothing else, you’ll at least get your money’s worth. Now, go forth and caffeinate!
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