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Is Nespresso worth a try?

A friend keeps going on and on about their Nespresso machine. I tried some, and it's not bad. I used to have a Keurig ages ago but quit using it. Normally, I grind and brew my own coffee. I like the idea of the convenience of the Nespresso and the Aeroccino milk frother. Any of you Nespresso users? Is it worth the investment? Happy with the quality of the coffee? Thanks, guys!
 
I tried a double pull espresso from one at a local gourmet cooking supplies store. I was impressed.14 oz espresso, no sugar, no milk is a hard one to do and what came out was as good as I had tasted at a good coffee bar.

I did find a current machine at a local thrift store and was excited to taste. Unfortunately when I put water into the reservoir, it started puddling from the machine all over the counter so never got to use it.

Not much help but that was my experience.
 
I tried a double pull espresso from one at a local gourmet cooking supplies store. I was impressed.14 oz espresso, no sugar, no milk is a hard one to do and what came out was as good as I had tasted at a good coffee bar.

I did find a current machine at a local thrift store and was excited to taste. Unfortunately when I put water into the reservoir, it started puddling from the machine all over the counter so never got to use it.

Not much help but that was my experience.
That's still good to know! Thanks, Mick!
 
I like their espresso capsules ("Original") but not their coffee capsules ("Virtuo"). We have the Citiz machine with milk frother. Our typical drink is a flat white, or you could call it a latte. We use one capsule in a coffee cup (or two in a mug), a bit of sugar, and then pour in the milk just when it starts steaming.

You have to try various capsules until you find the ones you like as there are quite a range. Overall, it's good enough that we don't feel the need to walk to one of the nearby, trendy coffee shops, and it's about half the price of those places. My Italian friend put it this way: Nespresso is better than half the coffee bars in Italy (referring to the Original line).

EDIT: They have fairly regular sales where the Citiz&Milk machine is $50 off the regular price, or more.
 
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I like their espresso capsules ("Original") but not their coffee capsules ("Virtuo"). We have the Citiz machine with milk frother. Our typical drink is a flat white, or you could call it a latte. We use one capsule in a coffee cup (or two in a mug), a bit of sugar, and then pour in the milk just when it starts steaming.

You have to try various capsules until you find the ones you like as there are quite a range. Overall, it's good enough that we don't feel the need to walk to one of the nearby, trendy coffee shops, and it's about half the price of those places. My Italian friend put it this way: Nespresso is better than half the coffee bars in Italy (referring to the Original line).

EDIT: They have fairly regular sales where the Citiz&Milk machine is $50 off the regular price, or more.
Good to know! Thanks for that!
 
Worth a try. We have one and like it a lot. The machines are nice and compact. The capsule stay fresh. It’s easy to clean and makes a decent brew.

If you have a big family or make multiple cups often, I would go for a machine that grinds beans. If you only have the odd cup here and there on the weekend the Nespresso is a good bet. Our supermarket sells own brand capsules. Less than half the price of the Nespresso’s and taste pretty good.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
I hate to bad-mouth any systems; they sell millions of units and those are happy people.

But when I read that the popular K-cup's coffee worked out to $55/pound, I about died! Our espresso is great, and $2-6/pound.

We got to the moon on .25 cent cups of coffee ... Man. Don't get me started on Star*****!


AA
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
For me it is tough to accept the single use plastic waste I would generate using any capsule machine. I tried various such machines and liked the coffee but the cost, monetarily and otherwise, is simply too high for me to accept. I am surprised that there are not more objections to the non biodegradable capsules by environmentalists. Plus I enjoy actually grinding beans and making my own coffee.
 
I hate to bad-mouth any systems; they sell millions of units and those are happy people.

But when I read that the popular K-cup's coffee worked out to $55/pound, I about died! Our espresso is great, and $2-6/pound.

We got to the moon on .25 cent cups of coffee ... Man. Don't get me started on Star*****!


AA
When I had a Keurig I had a couple reusable K-cups. Takes an extra 30 seconds to scoop your own coffee into it and rinse it out after use. Cheaper and less waste.
 
The Nespresso capsules are mostly aluminum, and you bring them back in a recycling bag they give you when you buy coffee. I think they may give you a free shipping label if you buy their capsules by mail.

I'm not saying that the whole process is good for the environment compared to buying coffee beans and grinding them, but they do get recycled.
 

jar_

Too Fugly For Free.
I have several of the different capsule based espresso machines, a large Lavazza commercial machine, a couple of the Illy Francis Francis machines as well as an original format Nespresso. With the Illy and Nespresso units I generally use a steel refillable capsule and grind my own beans as well as use the corporate ones. As mentioned above, Nespresso does have a recycling program. The Illy machines are generally slower than the Nespresso but seem to make a better finished cuppa. One of the Francis Francis machine also has a steel frothing wand but since it uses the same pump for steaming it takes longer to cycle than with the commercial Lavazza machine that uses a separate system for espresso than for steaming.
 
It depends what you want:
I roast my own coffee and have a semi-automatic espresso machine (that means it's not a hand pull). So I go full geek.

If you want really authentic espresso and the ability to try things that don't come in pods, this is the way to go but it means spending a minimum of $300 on a grinder and $600 on an espresso machine.

If you want convenience, fairly good espresso and the ability to use things other than pods, get a grinder/espresso machine. The big difference here is that in the full geek method, you essentially control the brew by grind size and thus need a precise (and pricey) grinder. In the so-called "pressurized" machines, the flow of the water is provided by the filter.

Nesspresso: decent and extremely convenient espresso.

Do you want espresso or brewed coffee? If you much prefer espresso than pick one of the above methods.

If you prefer brewed coffee (as I do) then you're already set. If you often do one cup at a time there are nice pour over type devices that have a valve so that you pour in the water, wait 4 mins and then put it on a cup to drip out.

As someone pointed out above Keurig + refillable cups is a very viable method though it's inferior to brewing so why bother? It is the method I use at work though. I grind in the morning and load up 2 or 3 refillable K-cups with my own coffee.

One issue with K-cups or Nesspresso is that the coffee is obviously never ground fresh and is fairly old (unless you do it yourself) which means you're starting with an inferior product that has degraded rapidly since being ground.
 
It depends what you want:
I roast my own coffee and have a semi-automatic espresso machine (that means it's not a hand pull). So I go full geek.

If you want really authentic espresso and the ability to try things that don't come in pods, this is the way to go but it means spending a minimum of $300 on a grinder and $600 on an espresso machine.

If you want convenience, fairly good espresso and the ability to use things other than pods, get a grinder/espresso machine. The big difference here is that in the full geek method, you essentially control the brew by grind size and thus need a precise (and pricey) grinder. In the so-called "pressurized" machines, the flow of the water is provided by the filter.

Nesspresso: decent and extremely convenient espresso.

Do you want espresso or brewed coffee? If you much prefer espresso than pick one of the above methods.

If you prefer brewed coffee (as I do) then you're already set. If you often do one cup at a time there are nice pour over type devices that have a valve so that you pour in the water, wait 4 mins and then put it on a cup to drip out.

As someone pointed out above Keurig + refillable cups is a very viable method though it's inferior to brewing so why bother? It is the method I use at work though. I grind in the morning and load up 2 or 3 refillable K-cups with my own coffee.

One issue with K-cups or Nesspresso is that the coffee is obviously never ground fresh and is fairly old (unless you do it yourself) which means you're starting with an inferior product that has degraded rapidly since being ground.
Thanks, BarryR!
 
I have several of the different capsule based espresso machines, a large Lavazza commercial machine, a couple of the Illy Francis Francis machines as well as an original format Nespresso. With the Illy and Nespresso units I generally use a steel refillable capsule and grind my own beans as well as use the corporate ones. As mentioned above, Nespresso does have a recycling program. The Illy machines are generally slower than the Nespresso but seem to make a better finished cuppa. One of the Francis Francis machine also has a steel frothing wand but since it uses the same pump for steaming it takes longer to cycle than with the commercial Lavazza machine that uses a separate system for espresso than for steaming.
Good information! Thanks!
 
I've tried Nespresso at friends' places and could not get over the needless waste involved with the capsules. For me, an Italian moka pot on the stove is all I need and better than any espresso I've had in local American cafes (except for one, which makes espresso the "right" way).
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Nespresso can make good coffee. I've had some good coffee from the ones in hotel rooms and other such places, and a friend of mine has one that does good things. It's certainly a damn sight better than anything I've had out of a Keurig or a Starbucks. I assume there's a fairly decent selection out there, too, although I've not really looked into it to find out. If something there makes you happy, then it may very well be worth it.

That said, it'll never be what you can get out of any espresso machine with freshly ground, good quality beans. Then, there's the cost of those pods--you're gonna pay a premium one way or another.

I don't know what you've brewed in the past, so (as said before) it really is a matter of what you want. If you've just been grinding and brewing drip or French press, you might just want to stick with that.
 
I went from Keurig to Bonavita (drip), and while I still use the Bonavita every day, I got a Nespresso Vertuo to try and I really like the convenience to brew a hot cup of coffee or better an expresso. Mine came with the milk frother and my wife and daughters occasionally want something with it, but I really like the taste of strong coffees and am still enjoying trying the different flavors I ordered when I got the machine. I'd advise you to get the original... I have read it makes a hotter cup since it uses pressure instead of centrifugal force, and you definitely have more pods to choose from. Plus, Nespresso seems to have gone the way of Keurig ans uses bar codes on the Vertuo pods, so you are more locked into Nespresso pods.
 
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