I know that some of you fellows are serious espresso enthusiasts, possibly even baristas. I wonder what folks think of Nespresso - the technique embodied in the machines, the resulting beverage, or whatever angle one wants to approach the subject.
I was not a coffee drinker when I first encountered espresso at lunch with a customer in a good restaurant in Sao Paulo Brazil, back in 1985. I also had work in Italy, France an Germany, and continued to have espresso now an then in those countries as well as in the USA. The results varied considerably, but I got the habit. I knew basically nothing about espresso. Italy was the best; even the espresso from their vending machines was better than anything I had gotten in the US, except for maybe one restaurant in New York City. The Italians also will put in a shot of good grappa to make what they call a corretto (correct, or made correct) -- that with some good Italian pastry will get you going in the morning! The espresso I had in France and Germany was uniform, but the roast must always have been very dark, so the coffee flavor was always dominated by bitterness, not of the coffee, but more so of the burnt sugars in the over-roasted beans. Determined to understand espresso, I studied the process, bought a decent (I thought) Breville portafilter machine, and I dilligently tried to make consistently good shots. I often made what I thought to be acceptable espresso - not great, but certainly acceptable by my standards then, though the time spent to pull a shot got to be a burden.
Then I got on to Nespresso -- I got a free Nespresso shot in a cooking store, if I recall correctly, and bingo, I bought a machine - a Citiz. The machine and the coffee impressed me with how very little time and counter space were required. The coffee was consistent, and I had a decent variety of coffees and roasts from which to choose. Cleanup was a breeze, alongside of other equipment said to produce espresso. I'd say the coffee was on par with what I'd had in Italy. Many folks complain about the price of the capsules, but truly good coffee has always been relatively expensive. The whole Nespresso set-up I had was less costly than decent equipment for espresso (burr grinder, espresso machine, good tamper,etc, etc.), and frankly the shot-for-shot consummables are less costly, too, in the end.
So that's what's working for me on the espresso end of coffee. Every now and then I'll try a shop-made espresso, but it is a rare experience ehn that beats what comes out of my Nespresso machines.
Any of you fellow compare Nespresso with espresso you're making.? I'd like to hear about it I'm tempted to try a Flair or an AeroPress, but when I see comments about AeroPress coffee turning out less like espresso than even a moka pot, I resist.
Cheers!
Tony
I was not a coffee drinker when I first encountered espresso at lunch with a customer in a good restaurant in Sao Paulo Brazil, back in 1985. I also had work in Italy, France an Germany, and continued to have espresso now an then in those countries as well as in the USA. The results varied considerably, but I got the habit. I knew basically nothing about espresso. Italy was the best; even the espresso from their vending machines was better than anything I had gotten in the US, except for maybe one restaurant in New York City. The Italians also will put in a shot of good grappa to make what they call a corretto (correct, or made correct) -- that with some good Italian pastry will get you going in the morning! The espresso I had in France and Germany was uniform, but the roast must always have been very dark, so the coffee flavor was always dominated by bitterness, not of the coffee, but more so of the burnt sugars in the over-roasted beans. Determined to understand espresso, I studied the process, bought a decent (I thought) Breville portafilter machine, and I dilligently tried to make consistently good shots. I often made what I thought to be acceptable espresso - not great, but certainly acceptable by my standards then, though the time spent to pull a shot got to be a burden.
Then I got on to Nespresso -- I got a free Nespresso shot in a cooking store, if I recall correctly, and bingo, I bought a machine - a Citiz. The machine and the coffee impressed me with how very little time and counter space were required. The coffee was consistent, and I had a decent variety of coffees and roasts from which to choose. Cleanup was a breeze, alongside of other equipment said to produce espresso. I'd say the coffee was on par with what I'd had in Italy. Many folks complain about the price of the capsules, but truly good coffee has always been relatively expensive. The whole Nespresso set-up I had was less costly than decent equipment for espresso (burr grinder, espresso machine, good tamper,etc, etc.), and frankly the shot-for-shot consummables are less costly, too, in the end.
So that's what's working for me on the espresso end of coffee. Every now and then I'll try a shop-made espresso, but it is a rare experience ehn that beats what comes out of my Nespresso machines.
Any of you fellow compare Nespresso with espresso you're making.? I'd like to hear about it I'm tempted to try a Flair or an AeroPress, but when I see comments about AeroPress coffee turning out less like espresso than even a moka pot, I resist.
Cheers!
Tony
