Nespresso C520 Gran Maestria Espresso Maker, Titanium
Price:


Product Feature
- Easy insertion and ejection of capsules, Holds 10 to 14 used capsules
- Fast preheating time: 25-seconds
- Automatic and adjustable coffee volume quantity dials
- Pivoting cup shelf accommodates tall recipe glasses, Automatic cup heater
- Aeroccino 4 stainless steel milk frothier, Ability to froth cold or hot milk
Product Description
Gran Maestria, the ultimate in luxury and convenience with features such as a cup heater and Aeroccino4 milk frothier. Master the art of making coffee like a professional Barista. Thanks to the new Gran Maestria Nespresso machine, you can master the artistry of the Barista at home. Share delicious Nespresso moments by creating your own customized espressos, cappuccinos and latte's. Nespresso began more than 25 -years ago with a simple but revolutionary idea, to create the perfect cup of Espresso coffee with exquisite cream, tantalizing aroma and full bodied taste - just like skilled Baristas. As the worldwide pioneer, Nespresso redefined the way coffee lovers around the world enjoy their espresso coffee through a unique combination of premium quality Grand Cru coffees, stylish coffee machines and exceptional customer service. To obtain the perfect espresso, Nespresso Experts seek out only the finest Grands Crus green coffees, which promise to offer the most tantalizing aromas. The virtuoso 'alchemists' compose the blend from these diverse origins and decide upon a speci ��c roasting and grinding profile. Each of the Nespresso Grands Crus has a distinctive character. You can, depending on the variety of different recipes, enjoy Nespresso with milk. When combined with creamy milk foam, you will experience a whole new variety of flavors.Nespresso C520 Gran Maestria Espresso Maker, Titanium Review
I'm back from a recent trip to Italy where I drank cappuccinos nearly all day long. I have a Starbucks Barista, but it takes too long to make cappuccinos and clean up. The Nespresso machines make nice drinks that are quick and easy.I read a lot about the Maestria (and other Nespresso machines) being DOA. Well, mine was too. It made all the right noises, just didn't pump water. I figured the pump wasn't primed so I ran the descaling procedure a couple times and pumped a lot of water through the cup heater. Then I put it on the regular, espresso-making cycle and hit the luongo button several times. Each time the pump sounded a little different until finally the water made it out of the nozzle. So if your Maestria makes a pump sound but doesn't pump water, don't get upset, just be a little patient and do what I did.
It takes only 30 seconds for the machine to come up to temperature (lights on front stop blinking) after the power is turned on. That's how long it takes me to get a cup ready. After that, you can make espressos one after another without delay. This machine would work well for entertaining a lot of people. The temperature of the espressos and cappiccinos it makes is good. If you want a really, really hot temperature you might be disappointed. Yesterday I want to a Nespresso outlet in Costa Mesa California. The espresso I had there was much hotter (too hot in my opinion). The people working said the machines are used constantly and are hotter than normal home use.
The cup heater on the left side of the machine shoots a stream of hot water inside an inverted cup. The water drains into the drip tray. It has limited usefulness since it only works on very small cups. It's OK for espresso cups, but won't work with most cappuccino cups. The problem is that 3 switches on the Nespresso need to be pressed at the same time by the rim of the cup. But only the smallest diameter cups will press the switches. If the cup diameter is more than about 2.25 inches, it won't press all 3 switches. I've been warming my cups by filling them with a luongo shot of hot water. That way both the cup and the machine gets pre heated and primed. I wish they would have left off the cup warmer and made the footprint smaller.
The Aeroccino 4 froths the milk really well. You fill the cup up to the "Max" mark (which is a little difficult to see in poor light) and press the "on" button. There are 4 settings, cold frothed milk, warm milk, warm milk with loose froth (perfect for lattes), and warm milk with dense froth (perfect for cappuccinos). There is a circular wire wisk inside the Aeroccino 4 that sticks to the bottom on a small post by a magnet. It's really easy to remove and install. The wisk is spun quickly with a magnet under the cup. The milk doesn't burn since the inside of the cup has a non-stick coating. It's really easy to clean too. It's dishwasher safe, but it's just as easy to wipe out with a sponge. Advantages the Aeroccino 4 has over a steam wand are: 1. you can make cold frothed mild for cold drinks, 2. it is much quieter. Advantages of the steam wand are: 1. you can make much more frothed milk if you are making many drinks at once (the Aeroccino 4 is only good for about 2 drinks per batch), 2. you can make frothed milk much hotter).
The Aeroccino 4 is really quick and nearly silent too. It takes only about 90 seconds to make enough frothed milk for one or two lattes or cappuccinos. I found the temperature to be fine, but if you want really hot drinks you might be disappointed.
I really wanted to get the Maestria (not Gran), but I found a new Gran Maestria in Titanium color (a medium gray color) from a liquidator for half price. It was probably a return or store model. The box was a bit thrashed, but all the parts were present and accounted for.
I was surprised how small the unit looked on my kitchen counter. It's low enough to fit easily under my wall cabinets (which are 18.5 inches high) even with enough room to lift the capsule lever. He lever requires about 17.5 inches to open fully. The footprint is a bit big, so measure first if you're space limited. The footprint of the Maestria would be much smaller.
The construction and build quality is extremely nice. Most of the machine is cast aluminum with a nice paint job. The rocker-type power switch on the back and the two dials on the front have a silky smooth feel and look great. The grates that the cup rests on are chrome plated steel, not plastic like most. The machine rests on 3 small, rubber feet. When the pump is on, there is some noise, but not overly loud or obnoxious and the machine does not vibrate or walk around on the counter.
The two knobs on the front of the machine control the volume of each shot. The one on the left goes from 0.8oz - 2oz and the one of the right from 2.35oz - 5oz. I was skeptical how accurate these were, and I had read that the shot size wasn't consistent. So I tested the accuracy and consistency. After a lot of testingI found the shot sizes to be extremely consistent (within 1ml, or 0.03oz), and the volume was within 10% of the volumes stated on the Nespresso operator's manual for each setting.
The water tank is large enough that you don't have to fill it often. I suspect the Maestria with the steam wand uses more water. The tank is easy to remove and install. The used capsule holder and drip tray are also nicely sized for daily use without the need for constant emptying.
It looks like there is a cable routing feature to shorten the length of the power cable, but I can't figure out how it works. The cable is too thick to route around the tortuous path. So I coiled the cable up behind the machine and used cable ties.
Overall a really nice machine. I hope that helps.
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