Sofitel has Nespresso chain wide (at least in the deluxe rooms, maybe in all rooms). Don't think any other chain does this.

As a gesture to rental clients, I placed Gaggia Carezza expresso machines in properties we own over the last 10 years, and despite weekly cleaning and quarterly descaling, each and every one was ultimately damaged via misuse.

The current models of Nespresso machines are are inexpensive, and simple to operate. No more reports of exploding portafilters or clogged panarello wands. Keeping the full range of capsules in stock is the only concern these days.

Being held hostage by Nestle to buy capsules is an issue for some.....

The Nestle pricing is not exorbinant in some countries (where fresh roast coffee is expensive, eg. US and Europe) but more out of line with local prices in other countries. I pay USD 60 per kg for coffee beans making my espresso cost close to Nespresso prices. For me the issue is quality.

This may be the biggest marketing hustle since the Gillette brothers thought up their razor blade scheme--and the environmental impact is large. All those wasteful capsules.

I was recently in the fancy, dancy story in Lisbon. It was impressive--and indicated by its very fanciness how huge the margins must be.

Personally, I find Peet's coffee and many others to be at least as good, if not better--and a whole lot cheaper.

Nice looking machines, though.

Apparently more ecologically responsible ways to use the machines are coming soon--there are several lawsuits about Nestle's claims no one can put out compatible pods.

The main selling feature for me is that Nespresso is easy to use. My steam phobic grandmother (who does not drink coffee) likes to borrow my machine so that she can serve good coffee to her guests. My own mother, who is unable to open a ketchup packet without squirting herself or someone else in a 3-foot radius, is able to use the machine incident free (11-months and counting woo-hoo! )

Has anyone tried the 3rd-party refillable nespresso capsules from Germany?

Regarding the environmental concerns, our used Nespresso pods are collected with the other household metal containers and recycled each week. I've been to the recycle centres nearby and they are in fact separated and compacted for combustion-melting and reuse. Aluminum like plastic, paper, and asphalt is safely refired, melted and reused.

The aftermarket refill capsules is another story. Admittedly I haven't used them, but those neighbors who have purchased said capsules in Switzerland report some problems. Capsules stick in the machine, paper inserts (?), refills do not fully allow the heated water to flow through the capsules, etc. Not sure how or where they are made and if these are the German capsules you refer to. This is all that I have heard.

Nestle and Nespresso on the otherhand has a history of proven, excellent quality control standards, including capsule manufacture and coffee quality control. This can be verified for 20+ years, enjoyed with consistency, and fine with me.

I only wish they had a unit for my car: A single shot is a nice option in the Alps in the Winter.

I'm hearing that while the big N claims its capsules can be recycled it ain't necessarily so.

Apparently, it is only in Switzerland that big N does this--because mandated by law.

As Which? (UK equivalent of Consumer Reports) notes, recycling is not available in the UK. And, based on my observations of "recycling" in US, those little capsules likely end up in landfill.

What's wrong with the paper pods? I used one at the Chelsea Grand hotel in London recently and found it to produce fine coffee.

PS Here's the Which? link: http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/coffe...res-explained/

You've not heard of patent laws? Just like Apple, Nestle opted for a proprietary closed system for which it holds the patents. This means it has an exclusivity to its invention and process for a period of time to allow it to recoup its investment. Like LEGO a decade ago, Nestle's patents will be coming to an end in a year or two and any company can make and sell compatible capsules. Nothing sinister about how patents work.

Yes, a recycling program has started up in Europe where this is far more advanced for every product than in the USA. It will eventually become commonplace world wide.

As for cost, that's a personal cost/benefit analysis you'll have to make. Many of us have adopted this system because we used to waste as much as we drank, so this is a very effective means of eliminating this waste and over consumption of coffee.

No recycling option in the US yet either, though their website says they plan to have a system in place by 2013.

The lawsuits mainly have to go with Nestle's patents. The comparison to Gillette and razor blades is a good one. There is a fortune to be made on the capsules, so not surprising that Nestle is fighting the generic makers every step of the way.

Some South Korean company began selling generic Mach3 razors in the US a few years ago, and of course ended up in federal court with Gillette. The case was settled, but as the ripoff razors are still for sale I'm sure Gillette just gets a piece of the action now. I wouldn't be surprised if Nespresso did something similar...

just got mine that I got via eBay for 260USD.....works really good! I enjoyed my first cup last night and it was perfect

I defly recommend one...

If you have signed up with Nespresso in the UK, you would have been contacted to participate in their test recycling program, a message which I received more than 6 months ago...

I did not take them up on this, because I spend most of my time elsewhere...

Yep, recycling will be coming real soon now.

As to the patent claims, seems to me Pez has a better claim to the idea of inventing putting something in a container before consuming it.

Or, maybe Lipton's--didn't they invent the tea bag?

And, what about mandatory patent licensing--often used to combat corporate efforts to monopolize via patent claims.

In any event, the coffee's okay--the garbage (and phony claims of soon to arrive recycling) is not.

After using Phillips' Senseo for quite some years I've bought a Delonghi Nespresso and though the capsulles are rather expensive the coffee is amazing good. The only brand of coffee that is even better then Nespresso is the Italian brand Lavazza, I hope they launch their own capsulles someday, sometime... Though I doubt this will happen (soon).

I think Lavazza does in fact have this in India - one of the "clubs" in Mumbai uses a couple, side-by-side, for cappuccino orders, using capsules.

PS: My Delonghi Nespresso machine's quality sucks totally - I wish Krups made the version I have...