The dreaded Nespresso

the beer revolu

Was visiting the in-laws last weekend.
Someone gave them a Migimix Nespresso machine (used).
I was asked to figure it out.

I tried an espresso with a purple capsule.
Crema like a pint of Beamish.
It even took time to settle!
Taste wasn't bad - a little sour - but not bad (don't know how old the capsules were).

Much as I loath to admit it:
A Nespresso machine makes better coffee than the average person gets out of their Gaggia with their pre ground coffee and no clue.
Or even better than my brother with good beans and a rubbish grinder that doesn't grind fine enough for his Gaggia baby.

Now if only we could sort out the fact that one is tied to buying coffee from Nestle:mad:
The price of the capsules:mad:
The unrecyclableity (not a real word?) of the capsules:mad:
Oh, and did I say, the fact that it's Nestle:mad:

Ah, I'll sick to my Gaggia but they do make good coffee for the less enthusiastic.

TKK

I've seen one of those capsule machines where you can get a reuseable capsule via ebay into which you can put your own coffee.

RE*AC*TOR

With expectations of what constitutes a good coffee among the average punter so low, it's no wonder these things seem to be selling so well.

I imagine the creama was like a pint of Beamish alright - pale.

shrapnel222

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

With expectations of what constitutes a good coffee among the average punter so low, it's no wonder these things seem to be selling so well.

I imagine the creama was like a pint of Beamish alright - pale.

nope the cream is golden brown. nespresso isn't that bad to be fair, and the capsules basically cost 20 cents a pop. if like me you like an espresso from time to time, then this is not a bad way to do it. nowhere near perfect but not bad at all, and with the 20 odd variety of capsules on offer, you can pretty much find something you'll enjoy.

and as for the unrecyclability, they can be recycled like all other aluminium products

RE*AC*TOR

I'm just being difficult.

Well, sort of...

shrapnel222

if you're a purist, fair enough, this might not be for you. I really enjoy a good espresso from time to time and am happy to go and buy one, for the rest of the time a decent short shot of coffee like nespresso works well for me

Gran Hermano

I had one of these Nespresso machines in the room in a hotel I stayed in earlier this year - I do not rate them at all and I tried several different
capsule types.

some people like drinking nespresso
some people like drinking instant
some people like drinking their own urine

... I'll continue drinking proper coffee

the beer revolu

mmmm

thought this would stir up some passion:)

Gran Hermano

the beer revolu wrote: »

mmmm

thought this would stir up some passion:)

If we didn't have passion (or taste) we'd drink nespresso

the beer revolu

I love the whole fuss of making proper espresso at home (except when I'm making coffee for 6 or 8 people!) but it's not for everybody and many people do it at home very badly.

I do hate the whole Nespresso aggressive marketing and such (only Nespresso coffee machines in Brown Thomas Cork now) but if the system was available in a generic form (ie buy machine from anybody and the coffee from anybody) then I would recommend it for people who aren't passionate about making coffee but want 'café style' coffee at home.
Results are better than the average Irish café.

the beer revolu

shrapnel222 wrote: »

and as for the unrecyclability, they can be recycled like all other aluminium products

Someone told me that they couldn't be recycled (maybe wrong)
and I was under the impression that they cost more like 30 cents a pop?

shrapnel222

the beer revolu wrote: »

Someone told me that they couldn't be recycled (maybe wrong)
and I was under the impression that they cost more like 30 cents a pop?

okay just checked the website and you're right, capsules are more like 30 cents but my wife (she buys them, as she drinks most of them) assures me there are promos all the time, buy 2 get 1 free etc...

also according to the website, the capsules are 100% recyclable

stimpson

Charlie Brooker on Nespresso and marketing

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/nov/26/drink.comment

Says it all really. It's about "the lifestyle".

shrapnel222

stimpson wrote: »

Charlie Brooker on Nespresso and marketing

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/nov/26/drink.comment

Says it all really. It's about "the lifestyle".

that's a really crappy article, with its premise wrong just so he could say he went and had a look at their website. plenty of shops sell the capsules. I certainly agree that the marketing is absolute crap, and after looking at it once, i'll never look at it again.
people want ease of use and simplicity. this does that very well. if the coffee's not good enough for people fair enough, but to judge a product by its marketing crap is laughable, and a bit sad...sign of the times though

stimpson

You've obviously not read Charlie Brooker before. It is written with a cynical slant. The point is that if people just wanted ease of use and simplicity they would be drinking instant coffee. Nespresso is Gold Blend for the noughites - style over substance.

Personally, my issue with it is that you have no idea what's in the pods. How do you know the crema is not produced by adding surfactants to the pods??

The reason I grind my own beans is the reason I brew my own beer - I know exactly what goes into it. The head on my beer is formed by the reaction between yeast and sugar not from a concoction of chemicals.

shrapnel222

stimpson wrote: »

You've obviously not read Charlie Brooker before. It is written with a cynical slant. The point is that if people just wanted ease of use and simplicity they would be drinking instant coffee. Nespresso is Gold Blend for the noughites - style over substance.

Personally, my issue with it is that you have no idea what's in the pods. How do you know the crema is not produced by adding surfactants to the pods??

The reason I grind my own beans is the reason I brew my own beer - I know exactly what goes into it. The head on my beer is formed by the reaction between yeast and sugar not from a concoction of chemicals.

i get ya!! it tastes 100 times better than gold blend though:pac:

i guess i'm not too picky when it comes to coffee and beer, but food would be a different matter

Slaphead07

the beer revolu wrote: »

Ah, I'll sick to my Gaggia but they do make good coffee for the less enthusiastic.

The few times I've had a Nespresso, at meetings, shops and a mate's gaff (and he's a Michelin Star chef!) it's been ok. Certainly no worse than what's sold in most cafés as espresso. In fairness it is somewhat better than "Gold Blend for the noughties" and I was glad not to have been offered instant but it's no substitute for a proper cup of coffee either.

Mr Magnolia

Slaphead07 wrote: »

The few times I've had a Nespresso, at meetings, shops and a mate's gaff (and he's a Michelin Star chef!) it's been ok.

I'm a bit shocked that he'd be using a Nespresso. What does he use at the restaurant* and how does he think it compares? How does he think it compares to other good coffee such as your own brew with the Gaggia Syncrony?


*I assume he has a good set-up at he restaurant if it's rated with a star(s) by Michelin?

RE*AC*TOR

I've had crap coffee in Michelin starred restaurants. It's common enough.

Slaphead07

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

*I assume he has a good set-up at he restaurant if it's rated with a star(s) by Michelin?

He left the restaurant business quite some time ago. Obviously he's still an excellent chef and I was just a little surprised to see him using what I'd regard as a fashion item.

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

How does he think it compares to other good coffee such as your own brew with the Gaggia Syncrony?

Well remembered!
Obviously the Syncrony isn't the best possible brew either, a compromise I'm happy to accept for now, but it's far far superior to Nespresso stuff. He enjoys a good coffee but he's not that bothered.

stimpson

Oh dear God...

Not only is Clooney an hypocritical corporate shill, the ad is directed by Michael Gondry.

I wish I'd never joined this thread. (I'll still be going to the new Coen brothers flick this weekend though)

dudara

The capsules may be marked 100% recyclable - but my local council don't accept any form of plastic other than bottles.

Nespresso machines, and their like, are hugely popular over here in Belgium. Easily 1/2 of the coffee section in any supermarket is given over different forms of pods.

I've had some coffee from those machines as some cafes here use them, and to be honest, it's fine. Nothing great, nothing bad. Average.

bonkey

dudara wrote: »

The capsules may be marked 100% recyclable - but my local council don't accept any form of plastic other than bottles.

I could be wrong, but anywhere that sells nespresso capsules should take them back as well.

shrapnel222

dudara wrote: »

The capsules may be marked 100% recyclable - but my local council don't accept any form of plastic other than bottles.

Nespresso machines, and their like, are hugely popular over here in Belgium. Easily 1/2 of the coffee section in any supermarket is given over different forms of pods.

I've had some coffee from those machines as some cafes here use them, and to be honest, it's fine. Nothing great, nothing bad. Average.

the capsules are aluminium and go in the green bins

Morgans

I remember reading Hestor Blumenthal has a nespresso machine in The Fat Pig restaurant.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/the-cult-of-nespresso-could-it-really-be-the-best-cup-of-coffee-money-can-buy-395944.html

Not a huge fan of coffee but from what it reads like on here, the purists seem to take pride in their role of coffee snobs and regardless what Nespresso coffee tastes like it will be poo-pooed by the cognescenti. Convenience, cleanliness and consistency bedamned.

RE*AC*TOR

Oh dear god. Ok we get it! Out of all the options for mediocre coffee, Nespresso is the most convenient. Grand.

Le Piat D'Or has always been very consistent too. Why bother with other wine?

Morgans

It just struck me that it is strange that someone who suffers for his food and drink to the extent that Hestor Blumenthal does is satisfied with the spawn from nespresso. Yet from reading these forum is seems to be universally disgusted as being cheap poor rubbish. What piqued my interest was that recently I had a coffee after dinner that really hit the spot and it was nespresso based. Which shocked me after reading the stuff on here.

Again, labelling Nespresso as simply convenient is part of the criticism. Throughout this thread you questioned the crema on the nespresso, even though the OP had made it clear that it was very acceptable another labelled it the new Gold Blend, and again you re-iterated your frustration in calling nespresso the most convenient mediocre coffee.

I'm sure there are people out there who crab Bollinger and Dom Perignon champagne and wouldnt allow anything other than Krug to pass their lips. And I'm sure that is part of the fun of being passionate about coffee/wine/beer. Just because its is a step away from the most pure way of making coffee, the actual quality coming from nespresso machines appears to be underplayed by most on here. Each to their own of course.

Mr Magnolia

Loads of people rave about starbucks too, doesn't mean it's the be all and end all. If you take an average of all the espressos served in cafes around the country then nespresso is probably above average. If people are happy with nespresso - that's genuinely great. I know full well that it doesn't compare with anything I'm brewing at home, or what most of the other regulars here are brewing up.

The Fat Pig uses Nespresso, maybe they're just using it because they couldn't be arsed training their staff in the use of better machines. You can buy the best coffee in the world, if you haven't got a good barista to look after the pour then you're most likely going not going to get a good espresso.

Now the marketing sceptic in me reckons they're using Nespresso because of the wonderful royalties that they're from getting from Nestle for that piece of advertising gold, but hey, who am I to say.

Morgans

Mr Magnolia. I think that attitude is very fair, and I think that you are very right to be cynical about nespresso being able to point to Heston Blumenthal as a supporter. If Mr Blumenthal served Starbucks as his coffee you'd have to question.

Nespresso above average but not suitable for purists. And not good enough for the most discerning coffee drinkers is a fair assessment I would suggest. I'm sure those who brew their own can and do make superior coffee. If people thinking that by buying a Nespresso that they are getting the ultimate coffee experience, then they are idiotic. From my experience in restaurants that serve Nespresso, its a good way above Starbucks, Gold Blend etc.

That is a long way from the idea that Nespresso is muck that seems to be universally accepted through the forum.

stimpson

The point is that it's not just a step away from how to make a proper cup of coffee - it's miles away. You have limited bean choices, it's not freshly roasted, it's not freshly ground, you don't know what else is in the capsules, it's made at too high a presure (19 bar I believe) and sold by a company almost universally regarded as one of the most evil of all multinationals.

I'm unlikely to go out an purchase a Nespresso machine just because Blumenthal has one, he seems to get column inches in the Nespresso magazine and I'm sure it's sold to the Fat Pig demographic. How can he loose?

I stand over my comparisons to Gold Blend as far as marketing goes. I'm sure it's a far superior drink to Gold Blend in the way that lighter fluid is a far superior drink to meths. Well, maybe thats overstating the case a little If you were on a Ferarri forum and suggested that a Ford Mondeo was a almost as good because it was better than avarage you'd be laughed at.

Morgans

Ok. I'll add lighter fluid to the list of drinks that nespresso is compared to.

I think the wine (le piat d'Or was mentioned earlier) is far better example. Nepsresso isnt Blue Nun or the boxed wine of the 80s but its hardly the greatest example of coffee in the world.

While I agree with Mr Magnolia in being skeptical about Hestor Blumenthal's motivations, it still would be a huge departure from everything Ive seen and read about the man, something out of character for him to serve up "lighter fluid" to his customers, regardless of the possible perks. I think its a big leap to think that because he is serving Nespresso its becuase he is sponsored to do so. Maybe, just maybe its not as bad as some purists believe or this forum suggests.

I am not a nespresso salesman , and the idea the capsules are more expensive online than in BT is off.