BiziBB

Good summary, number_6!
IMO it's a refinement/hybrid taking the convenience of instant coffee (ie the pod contents) with an espresso-like system to extract the flavour.

The F and C lounges we were in used this system and considering I requested and was given an 'espresso' (an americano aka a long black in Aussie) inflight on QR, I think it had to be a Nespresso too.

There is your opportunity - ask for an espresso inflight - then check with the FA if it is a Nespresso AFTER you've enjoyed it.

I prefer using beans, despite the hassle of cleaning etc and using a semiauto machine.

For a hassle free coffee, the Nespresso is a good alternative and a great way to get a caffeine hit. I'd still get a small (non-cappucino/espresso only) Jura auto machine and use beans though.

Mountain Man

I have to admit I was somewhat sceptical at first, but I was staying with friends in Paris two years ago who had a Nespresso machine and was converted. The choice of ten different capsules means that you have a pretty wide choice of different strengths and flavors (personally I like the Roma which is rated 8/10 in terms of strength). The quality is on a par with your average home espresso machine, but it beats them hands down on consistency and convenience. You know what you'll get every time, and it only takes 30 seconds to make. I'm currently working in Paris and to be honest Nespresso is way better than 90% of the coffees that I buy in bars and cafes. I find it's getting harder and harder to find a decent espresso in France, the only exception being high-end restaurants.

Shareholder

Bought one a few months ago at the boutique they have in The Bay department store here in Toronto. At first I did think it a gimmick, but I am now a convert. For decades I have ground my own beans selected from various gourmet shops, but I was finding I had to make at least a pot of three or four cups to get the filter machine to work properly. And this meant drinking far too much coffee, or leaving quite a bit. So after an unpressured tasting of the various blends -- I felt I was buying a high end automobile -- I set out to decide on a machine...opting for the very basic model but a colour and design that fit my kitchen. I have not regretted the purchase and am particularly enjoying the current Special Club selection. (In fact, I will head to The Bay to pick up a few more sleeves before it vanishes forever, the one drawback, this weekend. For me, it is just as convenient as any place I had bought coffee beans since my condo is about five blocks from The Bay. So no need to rely on mail order.)

As for cost, I don't think it is all that more than grinding my own since I limit myself to no more than 2 cups a day, and of course Nespresso cups are smaller than the traditional coffee mug. That's C$1.12 a day for the coffee and 30¢ for the machine, amortized over a single year, or about two Starbucks coffees a week. Factoring how much bean I went through, and the waste, it has become cost-effective. And when I have friends around, everyone can get a cup to their liking.

I am always offered a free cup when I drop into the boutique, so schedule my visits at an appropriate time of day. However, I am not sure how large a market they have here in Toronto, let alone Canada. Not sure how long the boutique will last, but I will enjoy it while its there.

BlindPilot

I am a recent convert to Nespresso. I have the C100 and the Aeroccino combo and I love it. My mornings are much more simplified. Good espresso in less than 30 seconds. Caramel macchiato is less than 2 minutes. ^

I just wish there is a Nespresso boutique in my city so that I buy the capsules easier than mail/internet order.

divjan

hello there,
i am also impressed and a convert of the nespresso system , personally I think they really have developed a good marketing strategy here in the USA and finally I think people are becoming aware of it..
Here is my dilema....
I would like to bring/buy a nespresso unit back at home, Sarajevo Bosnia but they are not being sold there...can I pick this unit up somewhere in VIE or MUC Airport while wating for my connecting flight....better yet is there a website for the USA that would sell 220V machines, this I would just stuff it and take in with me next time I go
when I back at home visitin I really miss the nespresso machine,
Tx

Mountain Man

I'm not aware of a store selling Nespresso machines at MUC.

I would recommend buying a 220v machine on one of amazon's European websites. You can get one of the basic Krups machines for under $150 on a number of their sites: 106 € on amazon.de, £99 on amazon.co.uk, 139 € on amazon.fr. Amazon can typically ship a package anywhere.

Mountain Man

I came across an interesting artcle on Nespresso in the Independent - apparently if you go to Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck in Bray, which is widely regarded as Britain's finest restaurant, and where the 12-course tasting menu (with wine) costs almost £300, the coffee served at the end of your meal will be Nespresso!

See the whole article here: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...uy-395944.html

atl801

I have the Nespresso Lattisima and I love it. It is simple, no muss no fuss. I can make espresso, cappucino, latte's and reguar coffee all at the push of one buttom. I order all my coffee on line and it usually arrives on the second business day. I think there are 10 or 12 varieties always available and seasonal and special varieties continually change. I highly recommend the machine.

Swanhunter

Pro. We got one last year and I've been very happy with it. Consistently decent coffee (Arpeggio delivers a pleasing espresso hit) with no fuss at all. The pods are hugely expensive v the cost of the coffee but the convenience is well worth paying before.

HIDDY

I first came across a Nespresso machine for the first time last year in the Radisson Arlanda Hotel in Stockholm.
There were no instructions on how to work the bloomin' thing but eventually after a bit of fiddling about I managed to get something out of it. Must admit I wasn't too impressed with the results, the coffee looked a bit lifeless to me.Tried all the varieties of pods on offer and none really floated my boat BUT I may not have been operating it properly.

So, although I prefer my ordinary filtered coffee machine for taste as well as expense I would like to try the Nespresso coffee again but only if it was operated by someone who knew what they were doing.

Swanhunter

You found the one weakness. It doesn't make an especially good cup of 'normal' coffee.

number_6

I suppose that is why they picked the name "Nespresso" ... it is much better for espresso than for regular coffee (but I only use it for espresso and sometimes for cappucino). I've only tasted the regular coffee in their stores -- so presumably done by an espert under the best possible conditions -- and it was poor (compared to an "Americano" for example).

Over the years the pods have gotten markedly better (despite being the same technology). Nestle must be getting better beans or figured out better processing prior to packing the pods. I was forced to buy supermarket coffee in the US recently, and the Nespresso pods are far better than the mass market whole beans. So for many people/locations it might be the best easily available coffee, period.

obscure2k

We are totally addicted to our Nespresso Machine.^

Shesells

I love my nespresso machine, it's quick and clean. One of the best parts was the sample pack that came with the machine with one of each pod variety so I could choose which coffees I preferred. I had a separate Espresso machine but spent a fortune on buying coffee without finding one that I ever loved.#

Nespresso.com had a special offer for new purchasers which gave a box with 2 or 3 sleeves of each variety which was great to stock up. Also got the presentation box which takes one of each pod and is very presentable when asking guests to choose a variety.

We delayed getting a machine thinking it was one of those fads and the pods would disappear from general sale within a year but have had ours for 2 years now and wouldn't be without it.

Incidentally the machines seem to be more expensive in the US. We were in Macy*s in South Coast Plaza CA last week and I noticed the Nespresso Cube (Krups) was priced at about $100 more than I paid for ours in Ireland.

number_6

Nespresso has existed for over 20 years now so it is safe to conclude that it is not a fad. And Nestle can afford to keep making the pods forever (esp. as they are the primary profit point, the machines are often sold "at cost" though this varies by market, as your Ireland vs. US example points out). In the US it seems that a lower price hurt sales -- making the machine less exclusive; speaks volumes about the Starbucks market here. Nespresso doubled the machine price and sales rose dramatically; the much-higher end machines came later (actually providing more function for the higher price). Part of the beauty of the Nespresso system is that the coffee maker has very little to do (so it can be made simply, reliably and cheaply). The key technology is in the pod.