Bezzera NINI Espresso Machine Review

The NINI is a new BZ group, heat exchanger espresso machine from Bezzera. Here at Whole Latte Love we’re carrying both the manual PM and volumetric DE styles of the machine, each with the option to add on the new BZ flow control kit so you can enjoy the fast heat up of the electrically heated BZ group while manually controlling brew water flow rate during extraction.

The Design

The NINI is very compact, at under 10” wide it’s one of our smallest, fully functional heat exchanger machines. While the Stone Lite and Profitec Pro 400/JUMP are narrower, none of them feature the same degree of features, capacity or control that the NINI offers. To me, the standout visual feature is the set of curved side panels that wrap around the machine. Each is held in by a set of four easily removable bolts that give you access to the internals in no time at all.

Style-wise, the NINI comes in three matte colors, black, green and white, and features a printed Bezzera logo and the name “NINI” on the front panel, and a 3D Bezzera Biscione logo badge on the back. All exposed steel is brushed rather than the typical brilliant polish found on Bezzera machines and the PID has been updated with a set of clean steel buttons instead of the typical sticker overlay.

The drip tray on the NINI is quite unique. It connects to the body of the machine with a set of sealed plugs (one of which connects to the machine’s internal drainage) and the bottom of the tray is fitted with a wastewater drainage spout that can be plumbed with the flexible plastic line included with the NINI’s accessories.

Brewing

Featuring a new design of Bezzera's BZ group, the NINI offers a considerable degree of flexibility when brewing, especially on the DE model. The short list of features includes:

• PID Temperature Control
• OPV Brew Pressure Adjustment
• Volumetric Brewing and Pre-Infusion (DE model only)
• Optional Flow Control

Brew Group and Boiler Heating

Boiler temperature reaches 200° F in roughly 8 minutes with the brew group's surface temperature stabilizing between 180-190° at around 20 minutes. It's worth noting that the surface of the group will always be cooler than the internal temperature due to actively radiating heat and being exposed to open air.

Flow Control

A new feature for the Bezzera NINI is its unique BZ style brew group that has been updated to allow a manual flow control device to be installed similar to an E61 brew group.

When installed, a small brass jet and a needle valve control how much water can flow through the group based on the physical position of the valve. Because the valve isn’t as far forward from the front panel of the machine as an E61, the flow control ball used by Bezzera is very small.

OPV Adjustment

The NINI is equipped with an adjustable OPV in line from the pump to the boiler. By using the backflush disc you can view the static pressure inside the machine and adjust in order to raise or lower it to your liking. Accessing it simply requires you to remove the top panel/water tank lid and make adjustments with an Allen key.

PM vs DE

If you’re unfamiliar with Bezzera’s model designations, PM is the manual version of the machine with a single start/stop button that you push to brew. The DE model uses volumetric programming which allows the machine to stop brewing automatically.

Programming the DE

To program the brew buttons on the DE version of the NINI, simply press and hold the “two cup” button until the LED ring around it starts to flash. Then press the button you want to program to start brewing. Once you’ve reached your desired amount of liquid in your cup, press the button again to stop the pump and save your programming.

It’s helpful to get the machine dialed in first, with an espresso scale in particular. Once your grind and flow are set to where you want them to be, place your scale and cup under your portafilter and program the brew button to your desired output. If you’re using a scale, you’ll want to stop the pump slightly before hitting your target weight as espresso will continue to flow for several seconds. If you’re looking to pull a 36g shot for example, stop around 33g.

Shot programming uses water volume as opposed to time. There is a flow meter in line to the machine’s pump from the water reservoir that records the amount of liquid that flows through it. The liquid volume is the target the machine uses when pulling a saved shot, so, if your grind changes or your beans age, you may notice that your extraction time changes. So it’s important to prepare your shots as consistently as possible and to try to keep your coffee consistently fresh for best results with volumetric programming.

Continuous Brewing

The NINI DE can also be used to brew fully manually. To do this, simply press and hold the “one cup” button for three seconds. The pump will start and it will run until you press the button again. This will bypass any programming you have set for the button.

Pre-Infusion

You can enable a pre-infusion option on the NINI for both the volumetric brewing buttons and the continuous brewing mode. Pre-infusion will cause the solenoid valve to very briefly close (while the pump still runs) at the start of a brew cycle.

There is essentially no soak time, so for extended pre-infusions, your best bet is to opt for flow control to manually reduce water flow rate.

The PID

All versions of the NINI we sell at Whole Latte Love are equipped with a PID controller to regulate boiler temperature. For heat exchanger machines, Bezzera’s PIDs allow you to set your desired brew temperature (200°) for instance. This is different from how the PIDs operate on machines from Profitec and Rocket Espresso where you set the actual temperature inside the boiler and use an offset chart to program your brew temp.

Because the PID displays your set brew temperature, the PID NINI models have only a single brew pressure gauge.

Steaming

Steaming on the NINI is very similar to Bezzera's similarly compact ARIA series machines. With its 1.5L heat exchange boiler, once heated it can steam and produce hot water on demand. Boiler recovery is quick, and steam pressure is competitive with many similarly priced heat exchangers on the market.

Steam Performance

Speed-wise, the NINI can heat 5oz of refrigerator temperature milk to 140° in around 18-20 seconds on average. Water added from steam was consistently below 10%, meaning that the steam is quite dry.

Wood Accenting

The NINI is available with a wide range of wood accents from our friends at Wiedemann Manufaktur. On NINI machines with flow control, the Wiedemann flow control ball and wooden flow paddle will not permit the valve to rotate past the front panel of the machine. This is similar to the paddle on the Lelit Bianca and you will need to set the paddle’s position to achieve your desired range of flow rates. This can be done by adjusting the valve and measuring the flow rate with a scale in order to determine the minimum and maximum flow rates that can be achieved by the valve.

Bezzera NINI vs LUCE Fast Heating

With Bezzera recently releasing a fast heating version of the popular LUCE espresso machine that is priced similarly to the NINI, I wanted to compare the two to help explain the differences between these two machines.

How is the Heating Different?

Both the NINI and the LUCE Fast Heating can be ready to brew and steam in roughly 10 minutes. Though it isn’t advertised as “Fast Heating” the NINI is just as fast if not faster than the LUCE. Because the NINI is equipped with Bezzera’s electrically heated BZ brew group, the heat up time for the machine is dramatically reduced and unlike the Fast Heating models, you don’t need to press an additional switch in order to activate it or perform a flush.

The Verdict:

If you want a simpler fast heat up, choose the NINI.

BZ Group vs E61

Bezzera’s BZ group is a very simple design that heats quickly like I just mentioned and is connected to a solenoid valve for easy puck cleanup. The E61 group is a near ubiquitous design for home prosumer machines and is compatible with a wider range of third party accessories, but it does have more mechanical parts and seals that can require maintenance or replacement over time.

The Verdict:

For simpler maintenance and fast heating, choose the NINI. For more access to third party shower screens and portafilters, choose the LUCE.

What is a One-Piece Frame?

On the LUCE, you’ll see that the machine is listed as having a “one-piece’ frame. What that means is that the machine and all its components sit on a frame that runs from the back of the machine all the way up to the drip tray.

On the NINI, the frame does not extend past the front panel and the front feet are attached via two separate steel legs that rest beneath the drip tray. My preferred method when lifting the NINI is to remove the drip tray and place one hand between the back feet and one right below the front panel.

The Verdict:

Despite being lighter than the LUCE by about 6 lb, the NINI is a bit more awkward to lift.

Final Thoughts

The Bezzera NINI is one of the most compelling alternatives to the traditional E61 heat exchanger design popular in today's market. It heats fast, has stable brew temperatures and consistent steam, it's easy to open and maintain, and it offers control of numerous brewing variables at a very affordable price. If you're interested in brewing specialty coffee at home and have found yourself straying from the E61 orthodoxy, the Bezzera NINI breaks the mold in the best way.

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