Originally Posted by
Shesells
...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.
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.