Once the mornings turn properly cold, a decent coffee before you leave the house starts to feel less like a treat and more like a necessity. The problem in a lot of UK flats is the worktop. Between the kettle, the toaster and the microwave, there’s often a gap about the width of a bread bin, and most espresso machines simply won’t go in it.

The Nespresso Essenza Mini is built for exactly that gap. It’s the smallest machine in Nespresso’s Original range, and the version we’ve looked at here is the De’Longhi EN85.B, sold on Amazon UK as a bundle with 50 pods. Here’s what it does well, where it falls short, and who should probably buy something else.

Quick verdict

  • What it is: a pod machine for Nespresso Original capsules, with two programmable cup sizes (espresso and lungo) and nothing else to fiddle with
  • Size: roughly 11cm wide, 32.5cm deep and 20.5cm tall, according to De’Longhi’s spec sheet. It’s narrow, but it’s deeper than you’d expect
  • Heat-up: under 30 seconds from cold
  • Best for: one or two people who mostly drink espresso, lungo or milky coffee made with a separate frother
  • Skip it if: you want a big mug of coffee in one go, or you’d rather use ground coffee or beans
  • Owner rating: 4.6 out of 5 from 75 ratings for this bundle on Amazon UK at the time of writing. The older Krups version of the same machine sits at 4.0 from over 21,000 ratings

What you actually get

The machine itself is very plain, which is mostly a good thing. There are two buttons on top: one for a short espresso, one for a longer lungo. Lift the handle, drop a capsule in, close it, press a button. It pierces the pod and stops on its own when the cup’s done. You can reprogram both buttons to pour a bit more or less if the defaults don’t suit your cup.

Inside there’s a 19-bar pump, which is the same pressure figure Nespresso quotes across most of its Original machines. Water comes from a removable 0.6 litre tank at the back. Used pods drop into a small container at the front, and there’s a drip tray underneath.

It also manages power for you. After a couple of minutes without use it drops into an energy-saving mode, and after 9 minutes it switches itself off. If you’re the sort of person who forgets to turn things off at the wall, that’s a genuinely useful feature, and if you’re curious what your kitchen kit actually costs to run, the same approach we used in our air fryer running cost guide works for a coffee machine too.

This particular listing comes with 50 Nespresso pods across several blends, which is enough to work out what you like before you start buying in bulk.

How small is it really?

This is the bit worth measuring before you order. The Essenza Mini is narrow, about the width of a mug and a half, so it slots easily between other appliances. One owner says it fits between their toaster and microwave, and another has it tucked in the corner of the worktop.

Depth is the catch. At around 32.5cm front to back, it’s longer than it is tall, so check it’ll sit under your wall cupboards with room to lift the handle and reach the tank at the back. It weighs about 2.3kg, so you can slide it forward to refill and push it back again without much effort.

If you’re comparing compact machines, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop is the other obvious small option from the same brand. It uses a different, barcoded pod system and is better at larger mugs, while the Essenza Mini is better if espresso is your main drink.

What owners like

  • The footprint. This comes up again and again in reviews. People with small kitchens say it takes up hardly any counter space
  • Coffee quality for the effort. Owners who traded up from older pod machines are generally happy, and one who switched from a Dolce Gusto says it makes a better cup
  • Easy cleaning. Emptying the pods and rinsing the drip tray is quick
  • Pod choice. Original-line capsules are widely sold, and owners report using third-party compatible pods from supermarkets without problems
  • It copes with more than you’d think. One owner says it handles 10 to 12 coffees a day for a family of four, filling the tank once or twice a day

What owners don’t like

  • Tall mugs don’t fit. The spout is low. To get a standard mug under it, you’ll need to take the drip tray off, which one owner found a bit of a nuisance
  • The pod bin is tiny. De’Longhi rates it at about six capsules. In a busy house you’ll be emptying it every day
  • The coffee isn’t scorching. One reviewer found it came out cooler than they’re used to. Warming the cup first and adding hot milk helps
  • Noise. Opinions vary here. One owner calls it quite loud, another says it’s much quieter than their old machine. It’s a pump machine, so expect a short burst of buzzing
  • Long-term reliability. On the long-running Krups listing, reliability is one of the most common complaints, and one owner bought this bundle because their previous Essenza Mini started leaking after several years
  • No window on the capsule slot. It’s easy to forget whether you’ve already put a pod in
  • Not every third-party pod works. Most do, but one owner found some brands didn’t pierce or brew properly

A word of warning about plugs

This one caught us out while researching. Some third-party sellers on Amazon UK list the Krups version of the Essenza Mini with a European two-pin plug and a UK adapter in the box, and several reviewers were unhappy about it. Apart from looking clumsy, the adapter makes the plug stick out much further from the wall, which defeats the point of a machine you want to tuck away. The De’Longhi bundle we’ve linked below is sold by Amazon directly and we found no plug complaints on it, but whichever listing you go for, it’s worth checking the seller and the reviews before you buy.

Who it suits (and who it doesn’t)

It’s a good fit if you live alone or as a couple, you have a narrow gap on the worktop, and your coffee habit is mostly espresso, an americano topped up from the kettle, or a latte made with a separate frother. If you drink oat milk, our look at whether the Dualit Milk Frother Max handles oat milk covers the milk side.

It’s less suited to people who want a big mug of filter-style coffee every morning, since you’ll be running two lungos or topping up with water. And if you’d like to use your own ground coffee and learn to steam milk, a compact espresso machine like the De’Longhi Dedica is a better long-term hobby, though it takes up more space and needs more effort every morning.

Still weighing up your options? Our roundup of the best single-serve coffee makers for one person puts it in context against other pod and drip machines.

Getting the best out of it

  • Run a cup of plain water through it with no pod when you first set it up, and again if it’s been sitting unused for a while
  • Warm your cup with hot water from the kettle first. It makes a noticeable difference to how hot the coffee stays
  • Reprogram the lungo button if you like a slightly longer drink. The manual walks you through it, and it only takes one cup to set
  • Empty the pod container and drip tray daily, and leave the tank lid off for a bit now and then so it dries out
  • Descale it regularly. Nespresso suggests at least once a year in soft water areas and twice a year in hard water ones, which covers a lot of the UK. Our guide to how often to descale a coffee maker goes into more detail

FAQ

Does the Nespresso Essenza Mini have a milk frother?

No. It only makes black coffee. For lattes and cappuccinos you’ll need a separate frother, either a standalone electric jug or a cheap handheld wand.

Can I use supermarket pods in it?

Yes, as long as they say they’re compatible with Nespresso Original machines. Owners report most work well, though a few brands don’t pierce or brew as cleanly as Nespresso’s own capsules.

Is it the same as the Krups Essenza Mini?

Essentially, yes. Nespresso licenses the design to both De’Longhi and Krups, and the core machine is the same. Check the plug and the seller rather than the brand name on the front.

Will it fit under my kitchen cupboards?

At about 20.5cm tall it sits under standard wall units easily, but leave space above to lift the handle and enough depth to reach the tank at the back.

Final thoughts

The Essenza Mini doesn’t try to be clever, and that’s why it works in a small kitchen. It heats up fast, makes a proper espresso with almost no effort, and takes up less worktop than your kettle. The trade-offs are real, though: a low spout, a tiny pod bin, coffee that could be hotter, and some question marks over long-term reliability. If you mainly want a quick, good espresso on cold winter mornings and you’re short on space, it’s one of the easiest machines to live with.

You can check the current listing for the De’Longhi Essenza Mini bundle on Amazon UK here: Nespresso Essenza Mini by De’Longhi with 50 pods (EN85.B).