# Anyone for Nespresso? (original thread)



## Osh (Jun 15, 2010)

I hope I'm not gonna be lynched for this, but here goes...

Just returned home from a holiday abroad, where my host is a big lover of Nespresso coffee. He is a busy man, with a full schedule, but enjoys and appreciates good coffee.

Up until this trip I have never used or drunk a Nespresso, and my opinion of it was tainted by being a "coffee snob".

But was I surpised with the results it produced! It cannot compare (obvioulsly:act-up, to the real thing, but it makes a really smooth drink. The flavours are quite muted but it comes together very nicely. I was expecting a nasty sour or bitter coffee, but it was extremely palatable.

To add to that, the ease of use is amazing, for someone who doesn't have the time, or can't be bothered for the kerfuffle of grinding, dosing, etc.. and cleaning.

The machines look really nice, and this particular one was extremely quiet, and practical to fill and empty.

The only drawback are the running costs as the capsules are pricey. There are alternative capsule refills out there, such as NexPod. Also, as the capsules only hold around 5.5g of coffee, you're not gonna get a very large shot from it.


----------



## FurryCup (Jun 10, 2010)

Ok! what have you done with the real Osh? Let him go or have you just hacked his account?


----------



## Osh (Jun 15, 2010)

It must have been one of the bugs that came with the upgrade.

Glenn, can you please fix it..?!


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

I might be good, but I can't perform miracles


----------



## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

Osh, I'm with you. Nespresso makes a good-tasting cup every time, and it's what I recommend to any friend who I'm not convinced is really, truly signed up for the whole business of buying fresh, grinding fresh, and the bit of learning, cleaning and maintenance that goes into making espresso and espresso-based drinks as we on this forum know them.

I would rather drink a Nespresso than an espresso from Starbucks or Peet's (I mention US shops because I don't have much experience with the UK High Street chains). Nespresso makes a good-tasting espresso, while Starbucks and Peet's shots are, IMO, optimised to be balanced against a full pint of milk and flavour-syrup-of-the-month rather than to be delicious on their own.

And the capsules essentially never go bad. That's a huge plus for people who don't drink coffee as consistently as we on this forum do. Normal people - at least where I come from - don't think of coffee as going bad like milk or cream. They'll keep a bag of ground Dark Italian Roast in the fridge or freezer forever and spoon some into their DeLonghi espresso machine once in a while, soon finding the results not worth the effort and giving up the whole thing as a bad job and retreating to Starbucks. With Nespresso they will at least get as good a cup at home the tenth time as they did the first time.

Nespresso is not what I drink on a daily basis, but I have no trouble at all recommending it to someone who isn't as willing to dedicate some effort to coffee as I am. I am always happy to have some at a friend's house, and I am always delighted to find a Nespresso machine in my hotel room when I travel.


----------



## sandykt (Dec 3, 2009)

My brother has a Nespresso machine and absolutely loves it, mind you, he is not a "messy" person if you know what I mean. He likes non maintenance things which look clean and requires virtually no cleaning so its perfect for him.

I have tasted a cappuccino from a Nespresso machine and found all I could taste was powdered milk but I put that down to my taste buds being so used to good, fresh coffee.

However, the nespresso machine is far superior to instant coffee. I recently visited a friend who had a Franke coffee machine in her shop and she assurred me she was going to have the machine at her home after her shop nose dived in the recession. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of the instant coffee which was presented to me. I merely said "Oh, I thought you had that lovely Franke coffee machine, does it take a while to warm up, cos I can wait, you know". "No" came the reply - "the leasing company demanded it back".

I had to drink that - what can I say!!!


----------



## Osh (Jun 15, 2010)

ChiarasDad said:


> I would rather drink a Nespresso than an espresso from Starbucks or Peet's (I mention US shops because I don't have much experience with the UK High Street chains). Nespresso makes a good-tasting espresso, while Starbucks and Peet's shots are, IMO, optimised to be balanced against a full pint of milk and flavour-syrup-of-the-month rather than to be delicious on their own.


I second that. Against my common sense, when I was desperate for a shot last week, when I had to leave the house in a rush, I popped in to my local Costa for a double espresso. What they served me had no resmeblance to espresso as we know it.

It was burnt, had grinds at the bottom and was lukewarm. I couldn't even salvage it with adding water in an attempt to make it an Americano.

So for me, I'd take Nespresso any day over that rubbish.


----------



## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

sandykt said:


> However, the nespresso machine is far superior to instant coffee. I recently visited a friend who had a Franke coffee machine in her shop and she assurred me she was going to have the machine at her home after her shop nose dived in the recession. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of the instant coffee which was presented to me. I merely said "Oh, I thought you had that lovely Franke coffee machine, does it take a while to warm up, cos I can wait, you know". "No" came the reply - "the leasing company demanded it back".
> 
> I had to drink that - what can I say!!!


I visited my sister a couple of months ago, and while I was confessing my coffee obsession I was directed to a dirty looking Coffee Gaggia (same model as my old one) and then asked if I want a cup. She pulled out a bag of ground coffee that had been open for a year and then told me that if she switched on the machine it would be ready in 5 minutes. I tried to encourage a different way of thinking but she said coffee was coffee and she liked it so I should try it. I made my excuses and left. I'm not looking forward to my next visit


----------



## sandykt (Dec 3, 2009)

I'm glad I'm not the only way who dreads the visits to family & friends when they say "oh, I know you like coffee so I got this jar of instant from Waitrose"!!!

I want to run out the door screaming when that happens!


----------



## coffeemalang (Aug 22, 2010)

That is very interesting story


----------



## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

New York Times story: Nespresso and Rivals Vie for Dominance in Coffee War

Has anybody seen some of these competing/compatible pods in the UK?


----------



## friz (Oct 30, 2013)

for ease of use they are quite good!


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

friz, that's not really a helpful post. Are you saying Nespresso is good or the competing/compatible pods?


----------



## SimonB (Sep 12, 2013)

ChiarasDad said:


> New York Times story: Nespresso and Rivals Vie for Dominance in Coffee War
> 
> Has anybody seen some of these competing/compatible pods in the UK?


You can find Senseo pods in a few different places (even my local co-op had some) but they've not done a very good job of advertising themselves as I only opted for them because the reusable pods are readily available and big enough to hold a decent amount of coffee (compared to Nespresso anyway).

I tried a few of their pre-sealed pods (Dowe Egberts) and they seemed fairly mundane but perhaps that was just down to the limited selection I tried.


----------



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

The pod market is still enormous though, and we have to respect that. there always will be people who want to thinkj that they are getting a fantastic cuppa froma pod, hence all the glossy advertising and the fact that some pod machines look beautiful ion a kitchen. I know BB have made a decision and are now marketing a device which sits in an E61 pf which lets you drop one of their pods in. this means that they can sell nice shiny machines to people who want the experience but not the mes and problems of our extraction process!

They have also upped the pod to a 7 m dose and at the Good Food show re launching it along with a range of flavoured pods, you know, bananas and cream and all that sort of thing. I may not agree with it but as a retailer I think it will be a good move for them


----------



## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

Well, also at the risk of being lynched, I also use pods! There, I've said it!

I bought the Nespresso pod adapted e61 portafilter from BB that Dave referred to and a load of their pods. I often want a coffee late at night and it's much easier to make a quick de-caf shot without having to store de-caf beans, grind them etc.

Also, some of the hotels in the Hilton group have Nespresso machines in their rooms and Colette's pods are much nicer than standard ones. If I know my hotel has one of these then I take a load of pods with me and leave my Handpresso at home.

I think that there is a place for all methods of making our favourite drink!

David


----------



## SimonB (Sep 12, 2013)

I don't think anyone should look down on the pod systems, they're not inherently bad even if they can't compare to some of the best espresso machines out there.

I was happily making tasty coffee with my old Senseo, admittedly I was using good coffee beans and grinding it fresh but it compares quite favorably to something like a bodum or aeropress.


----------



## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

I always thought pods were like coffee teabags obviously not. What are they then?


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

ESE pods are like "teabags", grounds tamped & wrapped in paper, ready to go into the PF. Big variations in quality from brand to brand. Flushed with nitrogen but still sometimes stale flavours get in there, some specialist shops in the US have made their own pods...don't know about the UK.

Capsules vary, but many seem more efficiently sealed, usually more expensive...again quality varies, I've had some very acceptable shots compared to high st/restaurant, semi auto machine produced coffees. Obviously limited to what is available, less choice than grinds/wholebean.


----------



## Elli Dobson (Nov 25, 2013)

ChiarasDad said:


> New York Times story: Nespresso and Rivals Vie for Dominance in Coffee War
> 
> Has anybody seen some of these competing/compatible pods in the UK?


 Ever since the start of the year the market got flooded with all sorts of Nespresso pods replacement and to be honest most of them have been hugely disappointing and significantly inferior as opposed to the original. I would recommend these guys though - Gourmesso. I don't think they are based in the UK, but the coffee they have really impressed me. Plus I managed to save quite some money.

I can understand the dislike of old school coffee lovers towards Nespresso machines, but I have to admit it is really convenient and the coffee is actually quite nice, assuming of course you are suing the right capsules.


----------

