Do you know if this is a good price for the Nepresso D290 and if it is a good machine.
http://tarasouth.ecrater.com/p/60565...presso-machine

Has anyone tried the L'Or Espresso Nespresso pods that Sara Lee has launched? I've started to see them appear in Monoprix supermarkets here in Paris. They're about 2.90� for a packet of 10, compared with 3.30� for a pack of 10 Nespresso, so not a whole lot cheaper.

There's been a fair amount of coverage in the press of the new capsules, since Nespresso is in the process of suing Sara Lee for patent infringment. Apparently Sara Lee sold 22 million capsules in France in the first three months of sales.

Yes, the pods were confiscated in Switzerland by the police. A former executive associated with the Nespresso division feels he is entitled to manufacture the pods, despite the patent license held by Nestle/Nespresso.

The Nespresso patents start to expire in 2012, though Nestle is seeking to modify the system in order to obtain new patents and extend the monopoly time. Rather ironically Sara Lee owns Douwe Egbert which has the Senseo system, which was also patented but first successfully challenged in court and then the patents were revoked as not unique, owing to the existence of Nespresso as prior art.

Nexpod appears to still be in business (though it appears they've abandoned selling empty capsules).

From an economics POV :

"What I�m working up to is truly a wonder of modern enterprise. The corresponding Nespresso machine costs about $550 (these are all on-line prices) and you don�t pour beans into a hopper every twenty cups. Instead, you drop a little aluminum �pod� into it for every one cup, close a lid, push a button, and voila! a cup of espresso. The aluminum cup � I just dumped one out and weighed the contents - contains 4g of coffee that was ground heaven knows when and sealed in its little cup to age in a warehouse (g means grams, gentle reader; a gram is about 1/30 of an ounce). These pods cost about $1 each on-line, though the sales clerk at Sur la Table, where I came upon this system today, told me that while they don�t sell them, they are available for $.55. Even at the lower price, which I can�t find on the web, this coffee costs $66/lb, and no, you cannot use the machine with anything else; not someone else�s pods, and certainly not ground coffee. Nestl� pods, pal; it�s a lifetime relationship. That $500 machine is a down payment on a 400-900% tax on every cup of coffee you make with it: three cups a day and you pay for the machine again, or more, every year you own it. Next, a frying pan customized to work only with a single brand of eggs, yup."

complete story at http://www.samefacts.com/ on Dec. 22, 2010

Good points to consider, but somewhat skewed.

The author takes a very high cost of a Nespresso machine available " somewhere online " and then mentions the Sur Le Table store, where in fact the Nespresso machine and aerocchino frother can both be purchased as a bundle for $ 249. USD.

I can verify this as I purchased two as holiday gifts for clients in North America at Sur Le Table. The Nespresso capsule sleeves were available down the highway at Bloomingdales for $5. per sleeve of 10 capsules. I add that the gift bundles also came with 16 capsules included per Nespresso unit.

But the author is very correct that it is a lifetime relationship, which to this flyer relates to the QUALITY and CONVENIENCE of the Nespresso system. And available anywhere in the world.

Coffee for us is a morning and social ritual. Many on this forum have done the same math for the same habit via Starbucks, ( $4.50 USD x 30 or 60 per month = $$$) and that too adds up annually. Further along the economics trail, how does one then justify a $ 2,000.+ ( Euro, CHF, or USD ) coffee machine at home ? I used to bring vacum bags of expresso coffee beans (2Kg at 14 CHF each) back from business trips to Brasil, but could never justify that level of expense for a coffee machine that was not always reliable. To each his own, but to me it was grind, mix, dust, + clean up the mess.

Now compare this all to the Nespresso machine from Sur Le Table. It makes sense.

I can report back on the L'Or Nespresso pods. I bought a box of ten at the local Carrefour supermarket - the Splendente variety which is rated a 7 on the L'Or Espresso intensity scale. They're not bad, but the coffee is not as aromatic or unctuous as an equivalent Nespresso (say Roma) and the texture of the crema is somewhat "thinner". I probably won't be buying again.

Love the Kazaar unfortunately all sold out in Sydney and most other countries.
Luckily I bought 100 capsules and savour one on awaking most mornings.
Capsules in Australia are about 60 cents.

Great idea! Great coffee! I just love Nespresso!

Was in Sydney a month or so ago and entered the Nespresso boutique downtown at the Westfield mall. Saw that they were selling a travel case for their small Pixie line of machines, if you frequent flyers want your fix

Hahaha, I think you just figured out some Christmas presents for the coffee addicts in my family! Thanks!

For any long term travel or business, the travel case is a very good idea for any of the Nespresso models.

I bought one last year taking a Citiz model on what turned out to be an unexpected 3.5 week business trip. I plugged the machine into my hotel room, and enjoyed my coffee choice (Dulsao) whenever I wanted. No going out in the cold or rain either.

I'm considering the smaller Pixie model and case for exactly that purpose.

Gotta love Nespresso! Especially love that the Bloomingdales by our house in SoCal has a Nespresso bar where we can go taste for free and play with new models.

After getting this for my birthday four years ago it would be impossible to go back to drip coffee. The Nestle customer service was fantastic when my original unit started to leak water as well.

Having owned a machine for few months now, I'm completely convinced. It makes great coffee every time, with no effort what so ever. As good as a top of the line machine with freshly ground beans? No, of course not, but in an effort-to-taste comparison, the Nespresso win hands down in my book.

I happened to see the new PIXIE model in a window in Geneve, but walking along with the wife we had other plans and did not visit inside the store.

Persuasion is defined in Wikipedia as: Cause (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument. No argument involved, only the facts. A forthcoming business trip to California will again require some 10-12 hour days x 6-7. Therefore, by this factual logic, I was persuaded to purchase a new PIXIE in Tangerine Red.

Observations:

1. Smaller, and fits into my Citiz travel case with extra room for capsules. 4 sleeves, 16 sample kit, and 22 more can be carried and well protected inside the water container. I also added 4 plastic expresso cups wrapped in bubble wrap and some stir sticks. This could the sugar sticks we have here, but I drink it black generally.

2. The PIXIE heats the water faster.

3. The capsule container is now lighted: White for OK, Red says refill the water supply.

4. No aerocchino frother, but I do not use that accessory either. That and the big Red Citiz will stay behind in the Kitchen for guests and others to enjoy.

A question to FT members:
The padded travel case is similar to a large purse. Should I then take it along as hand-carry ( I would think that TSA would know the devices by now ), or check it through as before packed inside a luggage case ?

Your thoughts ?