I love coffee. I need to consider buying an espresso machine: would I buy Sage again?

These days I am enjoying my morning cappuccino but not as much as I used to. The reason? Nothing wrong with my tastebuds but there is definitely something wrong with my espresso machine. It is only six years old and was the most expensive of its type. What is wrong with modern design and manufacture? And would I buy Sage again?

The Sage Creatista Pro is the most expensive Nespresso machine you can buy which, in my book, means it should last a long time – ten years at least. At 10 years old it would have cost me £64.90 a year, but at the age it is now it has cost me £120 a year. That is a great deal of money – and very poor value. Incidentally, the Creatista Pro is £729 these days (July 2026).

In all honesty I had less than four years of good trouble-free use, which is shocking. The pod mechanism broke, which means loading pods is a hit and miss affair that sometimes requires a mixture of patience and luck. That was nearly two years ago, and I have adapted. The leak however is an altogether different proposition. It occurs with increasing frequency and of varying intensity, requiring regular mopping-up. The coffee dose is also variable with an espresso no longer being a reliable 40ml, which is particularly distressing given the cost of pods.

But it gets worse. My Creatista Pro was a replacement for one that failed within the guarantee period and was therefore replaced. Perhaps I should have learned the lesson. However, a mixture of brand loyalty – I generally like Sage products – and the unique machine features like programmability, made me stick with it. Give Sage the benefit of the doubt. Clearly I was wrong.

Despite the flexibility of the Nespresso system, enabling me to enjoy a variety of coffees during the day, I am close to ordering an espresso machine, where I will be limited to whichever bag of beans I happen to have that week. Same old taste all day everyday until the next bag is opened. Will I buy Sage?

Tempting though that thought is, as the Sage espresso machines are highly thought-of and well reviewed, the answer is an emphatic ‘no’. Would you, having gone through the experience I have?

Since I became a pensioner on a low income I must make decisions like this with great care. My budget is very limited and espresso is one of very few ‘luxuries’ left to me that I get great pleasure from in an otherwise dull subsistence. It makes me feel good. Based on my experience of quality appliances my natural inclination is to turn to Miele. The Miele appliances I have are true to their word, such as the longest lasting and never even slightly malfunctioning washing machine. Boy was that worth the high price. Miele espresso machines are pricey and seem quietly understated, with good simple design and no fussy dials and switches. Style and quality – suits me just fine. However, they are very expensive, but at the same time that ten years plus lifetime is a major draw, especially at my time of life!

Miele may be at the top of my wishlist, along with Jura, but I almost certainly cannot afford them. I have read umpteen reviews and it would appear that there are a number of brands that are considerably less expensive and which have most, but not all, of the features I would like. Reviews are not entirely helpful so this is a case of getting on a bus to Exeter to visit John Lewis, a reliable retailer with a selection of machines, though sadly not Miele, that I can see in the flesh. What are their weak points? How flimsy or strong are they? How plasticky? How easy to clean? Do they have features that I would be paying for but which I will never use?

And what of Nespresso? I have had Nespresso machines since 2011 and I enjoy the experience, so I will not give it up entirely. If I purchase an espresso machine I will go for the Citiz Platinum Titan at £149 with a subscription. That way I can enjoy a decaf in the evening if I want to, and enjoy a change of flavour from time to time. Surely the best of both worlds?