Consolidated "Nespresso" thread
 

Normally I'm a "do it right or don't do it at all" sort of fellow, but I've been impressed by the Nespresso system on my most recent trip to Europe.

The machines, and the little tins, are everywhere. Our offices. My vendor's offices. My hotel. About half of the restaurants as well seem to have these little devices.

I've been living off of the Ristretto, which does taste over-extracted and burnt (but most high volume roasted espresso coffee does, so I'm not going to hold that against it), for the past week. I'm surprised at how good it is (given how low my expectations were). I'm not sure I'd drop $300 for one of these machines when I have a grinder and a nice machine already, but... this is far better than other options, and I don't have to think about it while making it.

I'm probably going to get struck by lightning on the way to the office for such coffee heresy... are FT'ers pro or con the Nespresso system?

Cheers,

-Andrew

I'm not a coffee drinker, but the marketing campaign starring George Clooney has been widely shown all over Europe ........ talk about stunningly-successful product promotion!!!

Hi there,

2 comments:

1. Personally, I prefer choosing my own coffee beans ... and thus has a full-fledged espresso machine at home, which does the grinding on the spot.

2. Price-wise, Nespresso is 5 x more expensive per cup ...

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

I was a non-coffee drinker, only really having expresso when out at a decent restaurant.
HOWEVER the Mrs loves her coffee and after sampling Nespresso, we're converted.
I even now drink coffee on a more regular basis.
The main reason I let the Mrs buy a machine is that it is a stylish addition (Cube) to the kitchen, it's easy to maintain and quick to make a coffee.

I'm a fan, however there's only the one outlet in London (Selfridges) as far as I know.
Although the Mrs works close, she prefers that we drive into town to buy it so we can stock pile!
You can do mail order, but that way you can't sample the special edition blends.

We don't have a Nespresso but sent one to our daughter for her birthday. It's good if there's only one coffee drinker in the family. She traded it in for one that could make tea and hot chocolate. We noticed "bars" in the London and Paris stores this August but weren't sure if you must pay or not. We're used to Bloomingdale's where a cup was free. The South Coast Plaza store now has a beautiful-all those colors-very long bar near the kitchen dept. On the other side of this bar they may still make you a free cup, we haven't asked yet. We were certainly not going to pay $6 plus for one in London.

Hi

I'm also considering a Nespresso machine. I have tasted some of the varities they offer and I have also been impressed. The cons are that it is easy to use, you can store the coffe capsules for a long period of time and hence offer guest different kinds of coffe, it is simple and easy to use etc.

I do have an espresso machine at the moment and I never use it. The main reason is that I feel that the result vary from time to time (due to my lack of skills of course) and due to the fact that I have to clean it after I'm done. So I would be more than happy to pay a bit extra for a cup of coffee from a Nespresso machine. It is way cheaper than buying it from the local coffee shop at least :-)

The Nespresso store on Beauchamp in London is so small that I didn't even notice a "bar". The best we've seen is the huge Vienna store, friendly staff and its help yourself free "bar". On the other hand, the Amsterdam store will grudgingly offer you a freebie, but you will be scolded if you start to make it yourself. :(

From a marketing standpoint, what a brilliant idea! A revolutionary way to sell coffee at what are no doubt obscenely wonderful margins. ^

It depends.

Is it as good as a proper Gaggia (or similar) machine? No, the pressure isn't as high and as said above if you like to grind your own preferred types beans then obviously you can't do that. Also, if you like your coffee really, really hot its not great.

BUT for people who don't want to grind their own, want a small one box solution that doesn't take up too much counterspace, doesn't make a mess then its a great product and way ahead of other capsule devices.

Its one of the few kitchen gadgets I use every day and the range of pods is good, with special editions and the like. Decaff is also good.

Also, the Aerocino milk foamer that comes with some of the smaller ones is pretty impressive.

I was just in Paris and felt as though it was an example of the Emperor's New Clothes. Several of my friends have purchased the machines and insisted that I visit the Nespresso cafe in the old Air France building on the Champs Elysees. I think that the coffee is good enough, but not better than the coffee that I make at home, grinding beans, etc. The advertising campaign seems to be hugely successful. With that said, the Nespresso system works very well for people who live alone or are the only coffee drinkers in a household.

We have a regular coffee machine and a Nespresso. We tend to use the regular machine in the morning to make a pot of coffee. Otherwise, we use the Nespresso (e.g. to serve coffee to guests, to make cups when studying or afternoon coffee on weekends). I also use it to make coffee early in the morning before going to the gym.

A regular automatic espress/coffee maker with grinder is probably still the best. Still of all pad and capsule system the Nespresso system is the best one. We have it in our office and the coffee is really good.

Swiss uses Nespresso machines for their business and first class I think.

I ve had my Nespresso machine for about 4 or 5 years.Life is so much simpler first thing in the morning when the first caffeine fix is required .Also grind my own beans and stuff.All really depends if i can be bothered or not:)

I have had one for about three years - use it off and on as I am more of a tea drinker so it is a bit of a gadget. It's convenient though and easy to maintain but I don't use the nozzles that come with it. I also live close to Selfridges which makes it easy to buy supplies though mail order works fine as well.

I've had a series of Nespresso machines for 15 years now, along with at least one other (better) espresso machine concurrently. They really are a different category. Nespresso is quick, easy, and surprisingly good for what it is (much better than the other pod systems that came later). It makes espresso that is about half the quality of a high-end machine with properly kept coffee; or about the same quality as your local Starbuck's. The cost is not really expensive per cup for the low-volume environment that it is intended for. Some surprisingly high-end restaurants and airlines use Nespresso, fwiw.

I went into the Nespresso boutique in Amsterdam with a friend (I don't touch the stuff). We were both totally shocked that no less than 4 staff people and a manager came up to us to see if they could help. I have shopped all over Holland and never seen such customer service.

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. ;)

A Nespresso Convert
 

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Nespresso is served at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck
 

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

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.

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.

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. :o

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.

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

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.

We are totally addicted to our Nespresso Machine.^

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.

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.

Just back from Paris where I came across three of the stores, a new one across from the Opera (which is one of the few launching their line of specialty chocolates) and the rue de Bis flagship store (didn't bother with the one on the Champs d'Ellysée on my Sunday stroll past it) both of which I dropped in to check out and enjoy a couple of small cups and some biscuits. Rather interesting to watch the store traffic and the clientelle. Seems lots of chic Parisians know where to find a free cup of coffee!

The big news is the release on March 4th of 5 new coffee blends -- or is that March 5th of 4? -- though I have yet to drop by my local outlet to see if we in North America will also see these new offerings next month.

I did notice a capsule is 10% cheaper than we pay in Canada, and that includes VAT (we pay no tax on ours). Curiously, the FOB that I use at the shop over here did not register over there, so I guess the North American data base is not integrated in the French/European one.

Nespereeso is insanely popular in Europe, but I am not to fond of it, just slightly better than sanka, really don't like it at all.

No particular fan of the concept, since most of the "normal" coffee I've had from my daughter's machine falls short of my usual expectations, I do like some of the specialty products (and the "expresso" comes closer than I expected.

Personally, I'd like to see them in hotel rooms (anything to replace some of the presetn coffee and makers), but wonder how the pods could be handled. Draw them at the desk when I check in? My hands are usually full.

I've found capsule machines in a few properties lately, though not a Nespresso yet. In those cases there has just been one basic regular and decaf offering, two capsules of each.

I agree that these should become the norm as I've seldom been able to make a decent pot from the regular type of machine. But I would expect Nespresso is too expansive for most hotel chains, though I notice the Westin in Seoul actually advertises Nespresso machines in its rooms.


One problem many Americans may find difficult to accept with the Nespresso system is the small size of the cup that each capsule delivers. Trying to make a "cup" of American proportions really requires using two capsules, not one. I still find the system an improvement over my old grind and filter (and I am spending much less on coffee too)...and I drink far less coffee now, which is not a reflection on the quality, just the sensibility. Again, Europeans have a very different approach to their coffee-taking than Americans, a reason Starbucks tends to not catch on over there...save for travelling and expat Americans who really want a "grande"!

....I don't know about those crafty tiny-cup swilling Uropeens. Back in my penurious younger days, I was introduced and took a lifetime subscription to that French working man's custom, a "soup bowl" of milky coffee and fresh bread to dunk in it, truly a breakfast of champions if followed by a quick "fin".

Among the best of ways to start the day....

There's one right near Sloane Square...

I simply buy Eduscho's Gala Nr. 1 in Germany - the best pre-ground vacuum-packed coffee I have tasted - found this out in CH when they had boutiques in the malls there...

Yes, and then you'll have a massive caffeine "hit", if you drink two of those "cups" (4 total) in quick succession...

I am at work and was falling asleep. Just had my Nespresso to keep me going. Fast easy and tasty ^

Reply to Docklander,
You can grind your own bean and use it in your nespresso machine (to have your first caffeine fix) !
http://www.ecospresso.fr/?q=node/13

great invention, and a very smart sales and marketing strategy.

we do not own one. the strongest CON: all those pods / capsules are additional waste.

then again, that is a very old world p.o.v.

;)

Anyone try the new offerings yet? In Hong Kong at the moment and the outlet here in Time Square won't have them until the end of the month. Guess same for Seoul where I'm at next. The Bay outlets in Toronto got them Wednesday, though I had an early morning flight to get here, so will have to wait until Thursday or Friday when I'm at home. Looks like they are extending the Lungo offerings, which is an essential for those who like regular sized cups of their java.