I put out a call on Instagram a while ago asking for opinions on the smallest Nespresso machines. Adam had been asking for ages to put a Nespresso in our bedroom, and, while our bedroom is a decent size, there’s not abundant room for a kitchen appliance. I wanted to find the smallest Nespresso possible that would still make espresso worth drinking.
The top recommendation was for the Nespresso Pop, which, while it is adorable and small, uses the Vertuo pods. I’m sure those pods are great — and they have the ability to do both coffee and espresso — but they’re also limited to the Nespresso brand due to the patent. That means no other brand can replicate the pods to use in the machine, which is limiting both in terms of the price tag and the flavors you can get.
I was back to the drawing board to find the smallest Nespresso possible — that also used the classic pods.
What is the Smallest Nespresso?
I found it difficult to get a straight answer while researching online, so I took to the numbers. After carefully comparing the dimensions on all of the small Nespressos, the winner for the smallest Nespresso was the Essenza Mini, which comes in at a demure 4.3″D x 8″W x 12.8″H. The silhouette is purely utilitarian. Sleek, straight, and no frills.
It’s a super simple machine — it has to be at this size — with just two buttons to choose from. You can either make an espresso (40 ml) or a lungo (110 ml). It takes up barely any room on a dresser, and I added a pottery bowl to hold the pods and two espresso cups that match my bedroom. It’s the most darling little setup, and the only thing I can imagine it might need is a mini-fridge to house a small carton of milk.
I’ve loved having the Essenza Mini in our room so much that I wrote about it for Apartment Therapy. You can read the story here.
