First time reply for me but this one hit home. My wife & I have a Nespresso - used it fairly frequently for over 10+ yrs. We thought it was pretty good and certainly convenient. Then lats year my dad gave me a relatively unused Rancilio Audrey (pre-Silvia) single boiler. I bought a Rocky grinder as pre-ground coffee (even Illy) gave poor results. We'll never go back to the Nespresso for these reasons: 1) Price - As mentioned, capsules only hold 5-6 gms - on a per cup basis, we've saved over $500 per year by buying 1 kgs bags of whole beans online. 2) Quality of espresso - Semi-auto provides a lot of freedom to adjust dose, etc. - I can get much better flavor & crema now than ever got with the Nespresso. 3) Frothing performance is no contest - I can microfoam 4 oz milk in <15 secs w the Rancilio whereas Nespresso gave big bubbled dense foam.
However, the Nespresso held up well and I'd say it'd be OK if your were a casual espresso drinker. If your going to have 6+ shots a day like my wife & I, go for a single boiler Silvia or the like w a decent grinder - will pay off in the long run.
