keltbraz Senior Member Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Italy Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Nespresso
Posted Tue Oct 31, 2006, 1:40pm Subject: Nespresso
I'm surprised to see that no one knows Nespresso over there. I live in Italy and must say that I'm so satisfied with my Nespresso coffee machine. Blends are OK and recipes are so much easier with the Siemens version. Any comment about Nespresso ?
iZappa Senior Member Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 129 Location: Norway Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Isomac Millenium Grinder: Anfim Haus, Ascaso i-2,... Drip: French press will do Roaster: Gene Cafe
Posted Tue Oct 31, 2006, 2:07pm Subject: Re: Nespresso
It is easy to use and super clean.
Unfortunately I have never had a nespresso that could even come close to a bad espresso done on a home machine and a small grinder. And I have tried nespresso and other pods machines like LaVazzas big model and Ascaso Steel, with a pure mind. But I still think it tastes very very bad compared to a real espresso.
But that is my taste. Guess you get spoiled after working two years on a La Marzocco :-)
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,608 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Wed Oct 5, 2011, 11:56pm Subject: Re: Nespresso
Who says CoffeeGeeks don't know Nespresso. It's just that most of us don't like it, simply because we don't consider it to be real espresso. With 5 g of ground coffee in a standart capsule and 40ml for a Nespresso (so called) espresso it's the wrong dose and the wrong volume.
The Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano has a very strikt definition of espresso:
• Necessary portion of ground coffee 7 g ± 0,5 • Exit temperature of water from the unit 88°C ± 2°C • Temperature of the drink in the cup 67°C ± 3°C • Entry water pressure 9 bar ± 1 • Percolation time 25 seconds ± 2,5 seconds • Viscosity at 45°C > 1,5 mPa s • Total fat > 2 mg/ml • Caffeine < 100 mg/cup • Millilitres in the cup (including crema) 25 ml ± 2,5
These may be regarded only to be guidelines to work with, but Nespresso doesn't comply at all.
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
keltbraz Senior Member Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Italy Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Nespresso
Posted Thu Oct 6, 2011, 12:52am Subject: Re: Nespresso
Thank you for this outstanding piece of instruction ! Your mindset about espresso worries me. Who said that this Insitute hold the TRUTH ? From what I feel, as average citizens espresso making is not ruled by a bible, talmud or coran ??? It is not forbidden to re invent the rules, to break the dogma ? Nespresso has, I think about 10 kinds of coffees
carlsilver Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 228 Location: Portugal Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: La Pavoni Europiccola/La... Grinder: la Pavoni Jolly/Ascaso i... Vac Pot: Normax Drip: Melitta (manual) Roaster: no
Posted Thu Oct 6, 2011, 1:59am Subject: Re: Nespresso
I have a pump machine, a lever and a Nespresso so I know well the differences between them. We're talking about different things here. Nespresso is all about convenience - it's a fast, clean, consistent way of having ok coffee in the home, that is acceptable (if you are prepared to accept some lost of quality) compared with the majority of what you get served in the average cafe or restaurant (even in Italy). But it is a world away from espresso prepared with good quality freshly roasted and freshly ground beans using a good grinder and machine. Now we are not talking about convenience any more but about a gourmet food. It's a completely different beverage from nespresso especially if you take it straight (no milk, no sugar). The big problem with Nespresso is that it's not made with freshly roasted, not even freshly ground coffee.It's several months old coffee and you can feel that that in the cup no matter how well the capsules may conserve it. Besides, like Nobby said the dose is too small. Of course you can make less than 40 ml (for me the best way to consume nespresso is in ristretto form) but even then the dose is too small. I say this not because the Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano says so but just because I get too little concentration in the cup for my taste. Nespresso has also another "con" but this one of a different kind. The more Nespresso machines are sold (and their sales are a real success) the less there will be people taking the pain to make real gourmet espresso in the home...
Steve_C Senior Member Joined: 12 Nov 2005 Posts: 125 Location: Singapore Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Speedster Grinder: Mazzer Mini E Type A Vac Pot: Hario Tabletop, AeroPress Drip: Hario V60, Bodum Press Roaster: Gene Cafe
Posted Thu Oct 6, 2011, 2:07am Subject: Re: Nespresso
My company has placed a Nespresso machine in the pantry of every office globally - covering 70 countries. We use the commercial Nespresso machines and capsules, supplying the offices with a variety of their grand-cru blends (the only difference that I can tell is the colour of the crema).
Whether you agree or disagree that Nespresso meets the criteria of 'real espresso', there is no denying the fact that the quality of beverage in the cup is not exactly spectacular. Varying degrees of bitterness, generally thin bodied, hot on the tongue and no obvious tasting notes to speak of (the notes, the notes, the notes ...). I certainly don't sit there enjoying my Nespresso in the same way that I do with a shot pulled from my Speedster (generally after breakfast and dinner). The experience is like comparing grape juice with a spectacular Bordeaux to be honest. I can sit there and almost chew the syrupy espresso from my home machine, with the moment of enjoyment lasting for hours. The post-lunch Nespresso is thrown back in a wince-inducing moment and I have to brush my teeth 30 minutes later to get rid of the taste.
I understand that consumers drink millions of cups of Nespresso every day. Each to his own. What can I say?
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,608 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Thu Oct 6, 2011, 2:12am Subject: Re: Nespresso
keltbraz Said:
Thank you for this outstanding piece of instruction ! Your mindset about espresso worries me. Who said that this Insitute hold the TRUTH ? From what I feel, as average citizens espresso making is not ruled by a bible, talmud or coran ??? It is not forbidden to re invent the rules, to break the dogma ? Nespresso has, I think about 10 kinds of coffees
As long as you don't plan to serve certified Italian espresso, the INEI criteria are only guidelines, as I said, not asolute rules. But they give you a general idea what espresso is about and can be a good starting point for further experiments. A lot of GCs dose up (up to 9g for a single shot and 18g for a doppio) and then brew their espresso with 30ml for a single shot, for example. That's perfectly okay. Chucun à son goût as the French say.
Nespresso certainly offers better coffee than – let's say Senseo, but:
carlsilver Said:
...Nespresso ...is a world away from espresso prepared with good quality freshly roasted and freshly ground beans using a good grinder and machine. Now we are not talking about convenience any more but about a gourmet food. It's a completely different beverage from nespresso especially if you take it straight (no milk, no sugar). The big problem with Nespresso is that it's not made with freshly roasted, not even freshly ground coffee.It's several months old coffee and you can feel that that in the cup no matter how well the capsules may conserve it. Besides, like Nobby said the dose is too small. Of course you can make less than 40 ml (for me the best way to consume nespresso is in ristretto form) but even then the dose is too small. I say this not because the Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano says so but just because I get too little concentration in the cup for my taste...
carlsilver Senior Member Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 228 Location: Portugal Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: La Pavoni Europiccola/La... Grinder: la Pavoni Jolly/Ascaso i... Vac Pot: Normax Drip: Melitta (manual) Roaster: no
Posted Thu Oct 6, 2011, 2:31am Subject: Re: Nespresso
Steve_C Said:
Whether you agree or disagree that Nespresso meets the criteria of 'real espresso', there is no denying the fact that the quality of beverage in the cup is not exactly spectacular. Varying degrees of bitterness, generally thin bodied, hot on the tongue and no obvious tasting notes speak of
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