Expert review Nespresso Sage Creatista Plus
In short
- Frothing milk is fully automatic and results in beautiful and soft milk foam.
- You can make coffee and milk specialties super quickly, because the machine heats up in just 3 seconds.
- It's a user-friendly machine, thanks to the large water tank and the display with automatic cleaning programs.
- After frothing, you still have to pour the milk into your cup.
- The stainless steel casing will quickly show fingerprints.
First impression of the Sage Nespresso Creatista Plus
I take the Creatista out of the box and fall in love right away. What a beautiful machine! The stainless steel finish feels sturdy and luxurious. The compact model takes up little space. Because the water tank has a handy round handle, you can easily take it out and refill it. The box also contains a stainless steel milk pitcher and a box with Nespresso coffee cups. This means I can get started right away.
Milk foam settings
I can choose from 7 different coffee specialties, including a macchiato, flat white, latte, and a cappuccino. I decide to make my favorite coffee: the flat white. I fill the milk pitcher with fresh whole milk and put it under the steam wand. I set the coffee strength, milk temperature, and the thickness of the milk foam to my liking. There are 7 different settings for the milk temperature and foam thickness. You can make a thin layer of foam, or a very thick layer of foam.
Quality of the milk foam
The foam has a tasty soft finish, without any large bubbles. I wasn't surprised either, since the steam wand is also used in piston machines. Once the espresso machine has finished frothing, I remove the pitcher from under it. I tap the bottom of the pitcher on the counter twice. This way, any air bubbles disappear and you get even softer and more compact milk foam. To finish off the flat white, I have to pour the milk into my cup myself.
User-friendly coffee machine
The device is heated up and ready for use in just 3 seconds. You can easily control the machine via the display, the dial, and the button. If you want to place a small espresso cup, press the step under the coffee spout once so it extends. What's also nice is that the large 1.5-liter water tank doesn't become empty quickly and you don't constantly have to refill it. The stainless steel casing is very susceptible to greasy fingerprints, though.
Maintenance
You can easily select the automatic descaling program via the menu. The display indicates what you have to do with each step, with images to clarify. This is nice because you'll no longer need the manual. Once the milk has been frothed, the steam wand automatically cleans itself. Use a tea towel to clean the exterior of the wand. For a thorough cleaning of the steam wand, choose an automatic program that lasts 10 minutes.
Conclusion
The Nespresso Sage Creatista Plus has exceeded my expectations. The automatic steam wand makes thick and soft milk foam, so you can make tasty cappuccinos and latte macchiatos. The machine is easy to control with the dial and the button. You set the desired coffee strength, milk temperature, and foam thickness yourself, so you can make each cup to your taste. The steam wand cleans itself automatically after frothing. When it's time to descale the machine, you do this by simply following the program on the machine.
