How Nespresso's coffee revolution got ground down
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
I have had Espresso in many citys in Italy, all the hip Third Wave coffees, but I can still enjoy a Nespresso, a drip machine, Mokka, Turkish coffee, DeLonghi or Jura type coffee or Aeropress. I even find Starbucks has its own taste.
They all taste different. I just don‘t get the people who insist coffee can not be bitter and Starbucks roast is the devil.
The sneering I get from people who think there is exactly two ways one should enjoy coffee, as super tricked out Espresso, or as mild tea. Seriously.
Yes I have had „good“ coffee. Lots of it. I even had a lot of bad „good“ coffee.
I sometimes have serious nostalgia for good bad coffee and no one will take it away from me!
The only benefit I can think of is that you don't need a sink nearby. But in every case where I have seen a Nespresso machine, there is a sink within at most a two minutes walk.
It’s funny how people are so high and mighty about the small stuff and then let the absolutely enormous stuff pass completely. Are you this judgmental about living in a stand alone house vs an apartment in an apartment building? Taking plane trips for vacation?
Or do those bog standard—celebrated even—parts of upper middle class life get a free pass while you sneer down your nose at people that don’t pull their own espresso shots to save a few hundred ounces of plastic a year “for the environment”?
Making 2 coffees twice a day is something that adds up. Same as with bottled water, you can just buy filter flask/bottle/ etc. and use tap water. Or recycling vs not bothering.
This whole argument of: 'Well you drive, or fly, or use coal power etc, so dont bother with little things' it is just cuddling of mind. Conditioning not to care as you can do nothing to change the outcome of anything. So CONSUME!
Yes those are small things but its the mindset that will make you more conscious and less egocentric in a long run.
Yes, I agree though its a bit of a straw-man.
The world would be a better place if we look inwards for things to improve, instead of outwards for confirmations how everyone else sucks.
Also:
>Getting an apartment instead of a house IS easy in most places If you have 2 kids and you work from home, then a 2 bedroom apt will hardly be 'easy', both logistically and mentally.
The point of the apartment isn't to downsize in terms of number of bedrooms, it's more that heating and cooling something freestanding takes a lot more energy.
>it's more that heating and cooling something freestanding takes a lot more
What about temperate climate without huge swings in temperature, plus its new house with A+ insulation and solar. So you are more green as you save on electricity.
I don’t think rent-seeking applies to Nespresso. Yes they make money from laziness, but it’s not rent-seeking in a parasitic way. You can stop buying Nespresso any day.
I agree with your overall point though. I have a Gaggia Classic. Running with relatively low maintenance for 6 years now. But when I’m on vacation, I actually appreciate a Nespresso machine in an Airbnb.
Frankly, the cups deserve more hate. Companies sold people a clearly inferior product and people keep buying them despite them being objectively worse than any other common coffee brewing method.
Sure, there are plenty of bad things out there, like abandoned fishing nets trashing up the ocean and coal polluting our air. But you can’t get your mom to do anything about that. You can get her to buy a $5 coffee can and make something better than a disposable coffee pod.
Why aren’t you going after the people posting Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat selfies to insta? Not as much fun to be a scold when there are real social consequences?
If there’s one thing I hate about contemporary culture it the puritanical self righteousness.
The one thing I hate more than anything is whataboutism that aims to stall any sort of progress. The “we can’t criticize anything because we still have another problem and only self-righteous people want to better things and appropriately handle things on a per-case basis” crowd is really just pure tedium to deal with.
Plastic isn't ideal, especially when it gets out of our waste system and loose in the environment. However, plastic is cheap to make, convenient, clean, customizable; it's here to stay for many applications, so we'll have to do our part to use plastic wisely.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/global-shift-obes...
What hasn't been around longer than I've been alive is a new way to make coffee have far more environmental impact than it used to. We're supposed to be making things better, not worse. So, yeah, I can be high and mighty about your new way to needlessly generate trash while still living in a standalone house, and not a bit of cognitive dissonance in sight.
Our systemic environmental problems don't mostly come from new concepts, but from population growth and globalization.
This is not correct, also keeping in mind that it doesn't exist a "normal" espresso machine - the setup is espresso machine and grinder.
I'm into espresso, and it takes a lot of effort to make consistent shots.
Independently of the quality (to remove the "snob" factor), Nespresso machines are quite consistent. So if one likes the result, they can stick with that and know what they'll get.
Beginners and/or low-end equipment, produce very inconsistent shots. There's nothing inherently wrong, but that adds a crucial dimension in the comparison.
One may prefer potentially worse but consistent espresso (=Nespresso), than potentially better but wildly inconsistent ones (=beginner+low-end semiautomatic/grinder).
I call bullshit on "a lot of effort to make consistent shots". Unless you are a coffee snob, just putting the same amount of coffee everytime and using a tamper will produce an espresso that is the same than the next one.
The type of coffee you use and how much water you put is what makes an espresso cup different from the next one (again, as a regular Joe who doesn't have any specific training in coffee and is not a snob).
That's so not true and "snobbery" has nothing to do with it.
The grind size is one of the ways you have for controlling extraction pressure.
You can only tamp so hard on the coffee. If the grind is too large there's no way for you to get the pressure up to 9 bars that's usually given as the espresso range.
Your coffee will taste sour, like a low pressure moka pot would make. Such a low pressure won't be able to extract the oils that make the creme, so it will also look "flat".
Equally if your store pre-ground coffee is ground too small you won't be able to lower the pressure and you'll end up with a bitter tasting, over extracted shot because you're pulling stuff out of the beans you don't want.
Different beans will have different amounts of oil in them, even for the same brand. That oil affects water pressure too.
So there isn't one "perfect" grind size. Every bag of beans is different and needs to be adjusted to keep in the pressure range.
It's not a particularly complex process. Grind size is just a pressure control and pressure affects taste. The grinder has a setting for grind size and a setting for the amount it produces. You just dial them up or down until you get the result you want.
That's before you even consider how freshness affects taste...
I just want a consistent, fresh, and marginally professional espresso without having to become an expert at all the above. It also goes without saying that getting all these variables dialed in, for the most part, doesn't even happen at local coffee shops. There are a few in my area, but they're all at least a 10-15 min bike ride away.
I used to run a coffee shop for a little over a year, and the factors that the parent mentioned are true, but it's mostly a function of using freshly ground beans and making sure they're ground to the right consistency. We had an auto-grinder, but if we had to do it by hand it was about 20 seconds of holding down the button for a darker roast, a little longer (~25?) for the lighter roast.
The home user won't notice the difference too much, and the commercial customer won't notice it at all if you start frothing some milk, adding a little cocoa powder to the top, and putting in a ton of sugar -- which was the bulk of the drinks we sold (sugary lattes and stuff).
What makes an espresso cup different from the next one is not only the beans and how much water you put through it, but also what is extracted from the beans. Even a regular Joe can tell the difference between a under-extracted sour shot and something closer to proper extraction.
That's why I bought a grinder, since the whole beans don't go stale so fast.
If you don't have a pressurized basket you really need to dial in the grind setting for each coffee, have a good grinder that doesn't make the machine choke and have a good machine that doesn't "channel", i.e. a lot of effort to make consistent shots.
I seriously recommend anyone thinking about a pod machine consider a cheap manual machine instead. I then recommend buying fresh ground beans from a local cafe. Not only are you reducing landfill but also supporting local business.
The problem is that at a minimum I'd be looking at $1000-1500 for a decent grinder and machine and (at least currently) that's up in the realm of luxury items I might buy someday but can't justify right now. Even the passable all-in-one consumer machines like some of the Brevilles are up in the $800+ range and I hesitate to buy anything that expensive that is not repairable.
So instead I just buy beans roasted within the past couple of weeks, grind when needed with a cheap blade grinder, and make drip coffee with a basic machine. Once in a while I do a moka pot and whip up hot milk in a french press for a fake latte but that's usually not worth the effort. When I want an espresso or a latte I go to the cafe and buy one maybe once or twice a month.
I have never considered buying any sort of pod machine. Way too wasteful and expensive for what you get out of it.
Low-end machines have very fluctuating temperatures. Therefore, when one buys a machine in this range, they have to perform tricks, or accept inconsistency.
With my machine for example, I have to run two empty cups before reaching the acceptable temperature, for _every espresso_ (as it drops quickly); I'm fine with it. Machines like the Gaggia Classic require the so-called "surfing", which I've never tried.
I suspect that Nespressos have a very small group, which makes temperature more predictable and quick, for the intended use, which I guess is less frequent shots. This is speculation on my part.
Again, one can be perfectly happy with low-end machinery. There's nothing wrong; just let's be clear that consistency is not what you get with it.
Beans (roast and freshness)
Grinding (depends on freshness of the beans as well)
Amount of coffee ground (get exactly 14g)
Pressure applied with the tamper (consistent pressure every time)
Extraction time (possibly different grind to get right volume)
Getting all these roughly the same isn’t trivial.
Coffee drinking lately regained its kinds of ritual, which come with proper inventory and attributes. Mini ceremonies we create for ourselves in the name of caffeine jolt.
I once attended an Ethiopian coffee ceremony [1], a bit theatrical, but it has social function, and indeed showcases coffee as it passess from green beans to your cup. By the way, the grounds can be rebrewed twice at least (like good tea).
My first feeling was that the ceremony celebrates the coffee, but then I realized that it's really a way for a host to celebrate the guests, basically the result is not in the cup but in the preparations.
All of us coffee drinkers maintain some kind of the ceremony, for many (pre COVID19) it was standing in the morning line at whatever coffee-'temple', accepting whatever ended up in the cup with your(?) name.
It's when this cult aspect is detached, suddenly all attention is tied to the devices, consistency, origin, etc.
Confession: I was once a missionary. We had a saying about used tea bags: good enough for a missionary.
My housemate had a "proper" coffee machine and it was ok for one cup, but it temperamental. If I packed it too tight it wouldn't work. I couldn't reliably get the same result.
It is also very hands on. Nespresso machines let me make 2 within a few minutes while I prepare breakfast. Start warming up machine, milk in frother, cup under nozzle, press start.
[0] https://www.nespresso.com/uk/en/recycling-initiatives?name=n...
That they have a recycling program isn't that interesting. Nespresso creates a waste/problem, they should be ensuring the waste is minimized. Meaning, not just a recycling program (I doubt it's used much), but also do something if it appears customers are ignoring the recycling program. It feels too much like an easy excuse otherwise.
In Netherlands the industry used to also point towards largely ignored recycling programs. For some cases (plastic bottles) the government actually did something with that, then ensured it was used. Basically the measure taken by many countries, small fee which you get back as you hand it in. Handing in is the same place that you get the bottle from. This continues to work with Internet (delivery only) supermarkets; next time they arrive you can hand in the bottles + plastic delivery bags.
Maybe recycling bags could be easily weighed (as pods should have a similar weight?) and the persons account could be credited. Balancing the price/reward would be difficult, especially now as thirdparties could easily undercut with no care for the environment.
I suppose I'm glad they have a recycling program and it helps me feel like I'm not negatively contributing, but I agree its a shame that the scheme isn't more popular considering how easy it is.
What happens is simply that, on the day you receive your order, somebody will also come and collect your bag - no need to mess with labels. If you need a bag just order it on the web - it's free with any coffee and you can get multiple ones in one go.
Otherwise, when you go buy the coffee, just bring the bag with you. Actual Nespresso shops will all accept it, popup stands might not. The last option (imho the less convenient) is to print a label then bring the bag to one of those delivery-pickup places like cornershops and petrol stations.
Whenever I order new coffee they ship a bag with a pre-paid label on it. I just keep it in the freezer until it's full. Then I drop it off at UPS once a month.
However, I see a lot of Nespresso machines in hotels and it somewhat makes sense, because what else could you put there? A decent Jura would be too expensive, a drip coffee maker not "good enough" (see my post). With an espresso machine, you'd also have to provide a grinder and a barista, because no one would want to spend time learning the setup up on a trip.
And unlike other brands, Nespresso pods are made of aluminum, so they can be recycled. In the US, when you order the pods or pick them up in a Nespresso shop, you get a UPS mailer bag. When you use a pod, drop it in the bag. When the bag is full, seal the bag and drop it in a UPS mailbox to recycle the pods with Nespresso. That's something I can't do with the bags from the coffee beans I get in stores here.
This article makes a big deal out of the fact that people don't recycle their pods. I'm not sure why that's Nespresso's fault. At least in the US, it's pretty damn painless.
Hmm, I'm curious about how many pods fill the bag; just wondering about the efficiency/waste of individuals mailing a small bag of aluminium potentially thousands of miles. I can't help but wonder if this system is little more than a platitude from Nespresso to make people feel like they aren't being wasteful.
(I don't mean this as an attack on your choice to use a Nespresso machine - I'm just musing about the recycling system you described)
I received my machine as a gift. I probably wouldn’t have kept it if it weren’t for their recycling program (it’s also not my main method for making coffee) - but you're right, it might just be platitudes.
It’s worth noting their recycling program also composts the used grounds.
So just like a regular espresso machine. You put espresso powder for one or two cups in the portafilter, put some water in the tank, done. Tank doesn't need to be filled completely, but you can just keep the water in there for the next espresso. No waste created, and you can even reuse the powder as fertilizer.
It took me way too long to realise you mean coffee.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-16/most-nespresso-coffee...
Erm... all nespressos are aluminium.
I'm not sure if you're just using "Nespresso" as shorthand for "pod-based coffee machine" but the unique thing about the Nespresso system is its use of aluminum (recyclable) pods.
Recycling rates may not be high enough, but that's a marketing/UX problem that can be addressed.
That said if people started to make coffee in espresso machines that would if anything be even more wasteful.
One, most espresso machines sol are the cheap machines. And they are rickety, poorly made, unrepairable and low longevity. You see lots of them at the local household waste center piled up next to other consumer electronics junk. I could see a proliferation of them being a bigger environmental nuisance than pods.
Two, a proper espresso machine takes a fair bit of time to warm up and I wouldn't drink the first shot out of the machine, so they need to be run through a few times, wasting electricity and coffee.
I can see the appeal of Nespresso. I don't personally want one, but their convenience and ingenuity is undeniable. If anything Nestle should double down on ensuring the pods are either compostable or that recycling rates improve markedly.
I was recently given a second-hand Nespresso vertuo machine and I'm very happy with the re-use options.
There are stainless steel refillable pods as well as single-use film lids to apply to emptied pods.
I'm giving the film lids a go first as the stainless steel pods are quite pricey (around £20 each).
I'm able to re-use the pods that came with the machine, refilling with the large supply of ground coffee that I receive as gifts and would otherwise use in a cafetiere.
My stash of bagged pre-ground coffee produces excellent results in the vertuo machine with a good crema on top as good as most coffee shops that I've been to.
With some freshly-ground good quality coffee, a re-usable vertuo pod or two and a vertuo machine you can make barista-quality coffee with zero non-degradable waste.
I don’t understand the 2nd issue: isn’t coffee already solid/frozen?
If you're using it in an office, it's going to get used 50x as much, and you want a sink nearby to refill the water, empty the drip tray, and house the cleaning supplies for spills - all of which will happen 50x as often.
And clean mugs will take a trip via the sink/dishwasher anyway....
Only time I've seen coffee machines away from the sink was in cheap shared office space, where different companies shared the same kitchen but didn't share coffee supplies. People shuffling along corridors with perilously full coffee machine drip trays was a regular sight :)
I’m that monster that uses the same mug every day and just give it a quick rinse. Since I finish off the mug each day, it ends up dry (inhibiting growth), and I put nearly boiling weak acid in it daily.
I only clean it good when there’s a long weekend or I’m back from holiday.
I suspect it's the personal preference of a lot of people. Pods typically have 5g of coffee. A typical portafilter basket holds 12..21 grams. It's not a small difference.
What's the best instant coffee out there? I've honestly never had a good one before, but I've only tried instant coffee in Japan.
Sadly I think some of the products featured aren't available outside the UK.
Sadly I have no better metric than expensive = good and it isn't really true for most products. There is cheap stuff that tastes really bad though. If you look closely, you can see a difference between more expensive and cheaper products, probably resulting from different production methods.
I'd love a proper espresso machine or even a moka pot but alas, small children.
I'd say at a minimum, such a product should always come with postage paid recycling envelopes.
> This simply isn't good enough. Recycling doesn't work if it either isn't convenient enough
I hate this attitude that one cannot be bothered to do a thing that is universally good, unless it's convenient, easy, and painless.
I am an espresso "snob", whatever that word means. I have had a lot of espresso in many places, from excellent to very bad. There's a wide range of good-enough which Nespresso consistently hit, and thus I have forsaken my quest to grind my own beans and be my own barista. Nespresso is better than many high-end coffee shops as well as fine dining establishments, surprising to me.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-16/most-nespresso-coffee...
Have you tried the 12 and 13 out of 10 intensity capsules?
Also while the single-origins are good, the arabica and robusta blends are pretty awful in my opinion.
I enjoy pizza, usually I want the heat pizza I can find. But everyone I've in a while I enjoy a pizza from Domino's as well. Yeah the quality is different, but it's not bad in the sense that it's literally inedible. It's the same reason I enjoy good burgers but also crave McDonald's every so often too. I've bought really good, hard to get beer that was $40 for a 22oz bottle, but I also like a Budweiser every so often too.
Having only the best of everything all the time is not only boring, it's expensive too!
"Wine snobbery" for STEM nerds is craft beer and coffee snobbery.
For me personally I like any type of coffee, not picky at all. I do mostly drink Turkish because that's what I can make at home. But when here I would just mix the different blends together, not with the purpose of making something special with just too have more coffee
In my humble opinion McDonald's coffee offers the best price to cost ratio of any takeaway coffee (at least that I've found)
It's far from the best coffee I've ever tasted, but I've yet to have a bad one anywhere.
I read some where once that, despite the quality of a cup of coffee, the thing that will make it the most memorable is the people you're with.
I just like coffee.
Have you tried Wiener Melange?
(Not necessarily recommended)
> In the summer of 2020, buffeted by Covid-19, Nespresso trundles on. In a recent email, a spokesperson reported “mid single-digit growth”
This article has failed to do anything other than convince me that the Nespresso is one of the most impressive products every launched, and has room to take on the US still.
Even when inflation is close to zero, interest on debt means that a company that isn't growing won't be able to service it's creditors forever, and it'll fail.
There are plenty of reasons why 'growth at all costs' is a stupid goal, but there does have to be some growth for a business to survive.
That depends on what exactly is growing. As long as profits are growing by more than 0%, then the company is growing, regardless of inflation. If its only revenues that are growing in the low single-digits, then still the company could be growing! Inflation is the phenomenon of prices generally increasing, but no matter what anybody tells you it is not distributed equally. Just because the overall rate of inflation is 5% does not mean that your costs have increased by 5% YoY.
Growth is desirable for investors, but it's not at all necessary for a company to continue operating.
The only criticism I have is that most of their varieties are not 100% Arabica, and often it’s hard to find out if their “special editions” are. Robusta is bad for your blood pressure, but sadly it’s cheaper so it ends up in most mixes. This said, I think their last batch was almost entirely Arabica flavours so maybe they are improving. If you care, I’ve done a bit of analysis two years ago that covers all classic varieties (I really should update it) at http://blog.pythonaro.com/2018/04/nespresso-blends-comprehen...
(Oh, and fuck Vertuo. I’m happy to read it was an attempt at courting Americans, because from here it looked like just a simple money grab to raise the cost of capsules and maintain exclusivity on the format. No thanks.)
+1 to fuck Vertuo. If someone wants their coffee by gallons - let them get a dripper or kettle plus family-size bag of instant powder.
It grinds from beans and is a semi-automatic machine but it's so quick to use it's not really any slower than using a capsule machine but without the waste capsules.
My favourite coffee brand is Illy and that comes in an easily recyclable aluminium can, so you can avoid the little plastic coffee bags too if you're careful.
It was maybe a little more expensive than a high end Nespresso machine but not much more for a "real" coffee machine.
Try roasting your own beans. It’s fun and you can do it on the stove with a pan. It’s quick too.
There’s a lot in there from the author. It’s marketing and building an ecosystem. Surprised this doesn’t happen with other drinks like carbonated water.
Like you go to Marriott hotels, low and behold there is a sign on the bathroom towel that says "Please help save the planet" by reusing the towel. Sure it helps, but that's not the reason why they put that sign up. It is to save costs of laundry. If they really want to save the planet, how about cutting down private jets for their executives?
It never feels genuine and unless the product/service is directly contributing help to the environment - like an advertisement for a Solar panel company or a Wind Turbine brochure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing
"Greenwashing efforts can range from changing the name or label of a product to evoke the natural environment on a product containing harmful chemicals to multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns portraying highly polluting energy companies as eco-friendly. Greenwashing is therefore a "mask" used to cover-up unsustainable corporate agendas and policies."
If private jets are taxed appropriately they'd cost the company more and they'd reevaluate their use too.
e.g. https://mitte.co/ but I'm sure there are competitors (that was the one from the article/ad-itorial)
https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/how-to-recycle-coffee-capsul...
(I'm no Nespresso shill, I grind and Aeropress - I think my biggest source of waste is on power from boiling too much water)
But I also thought Apple with its long support lifetimes for products and good resale values was probably better for environment than the android junk with uncertain supply chains, but HN regularly has stories trashing apple has terrible for environment and never says anything about android so who knows.
It makes professional grade shots, has no unnecessary waste, and has nothing to really break.
With regular descaling, backflushing, and sometimes repair or upgrades an espresso machine will easily last more than a decade.
To others, if you are not familiar with espresso, avoid manual espresso machines - even with consistent top quality semi-auto machines good espresso is not easy, let alone adding even more play into it with a lever machine.
I recommend not getting a home espresso machine at all unless you are really into it. Moka pots, pour over, aeropress are all far far easier, much cheaper, and far less finicky. Save the espresso for a trip to your neighborhood cafe instead - they'll make it far better without the hassle.
This simply hasn't been born out by my experience making espresso at home. By spending about $7-800 on a Rancilio Silvia and a Baratza Vario, and dialing in my process a bit, I'm able to consistently pull as-good or better shots than the premium coffee places around me (LAX). Granted, you have to be detail oriented to be consistently good, but once you've figured out the variables, it's just process.
This whole experience has taught me that a multi-thousand dollar HE machine is truly only as good as the person behind the portafilter.
> and dialing in my process a bit, I'm able to consistently pull as-good or better shots than the premium coffee places around me (LAX).
Man, that's sad. There are a lot of bad cafes out there - but there are many good ones around me, and I live in a midsized city.
> This whole experience has taught me that a multi-thousand dollar HE machine is truly only as good as the person behind the portafilter.
The consistency is what matters - a bad barista makes bad coffee no matter the machine. But expensive machines and grinders make more consistent coffee, period, and offer much more chance for variation with PIDs, pressure change, temperature change, etc.
Look, for us espresso afficionados, it may seem easy. But I remember my first machine - it took me a year to pull consistently good espresso shots. Perhaps our expectations are simply different.
They don't even pretend to be.
I think it's pretty easy to get a good, consistent espresso from something like a cheap home Breville/Sage/Solis machine.
You don't really need to be very "into it" for that. Just buy good beans and adjust the grinder as per the instructions and feedback either from the timer or pressure gauge.
They're just a few hundred bucks for a decent single boiler machine.
Too many cafes just service customers wanting milk based coffee these days to really care about espresso drinking customers. IMHO that's why they have these weird "espresso" roasts which are really just over-roasted or overly acidic (to my pallet) "green" roasts.
Just get a decent medium roast, a conical burr grinder (can be built into the machine) and you're good to go.
It isn't - but what most people want is coffee. They think they want espresso - until they realize how expensive and truly difficult it is to dial in.
> You don't really need to be very "into it" for that. Just buy good beans and adjust the grinder as per the instructions and feedback either from the timer or pressure gauge.
Which grinder? Most grinders don't properly grind for espresso - you need a solid burr grinder specifically for espresso to get consistent results. You're starting at $400.
Which Cafe's are you guys going to? So many great espresso options in my city (A mid-sized city). I highly doubt you can't find good espresso in any major city.
It’s fool proof, really.
1. https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/breville-barista-express-e...
Either get a mocha pot at home, or get a real espresso machine and open a coffee shop.
On the positive side, capsule-based espresso machines do deliver consistent, good quality coffee at home, better than you would get with a consumer espresso machine using pre-ground coffee that you keep in a vat for a couple of weeks.
On the negative side, I am often disappointed by the quality of espresso in (Italian) coffee shops. It used to be that the quality of coffee was paramount for a coffee shop, and a good barista either learned how to get good coffee quickly or went home; now it seems this is perceived as a much less important part of the trade, and you regularly get restaurant-quality (as in very mediocre) coffee in coffee shops. Not sure if Nespresso played a role in this too, as less people are walking to a shop to get their coffee.
Or maybe it's just me, trying more and more different coffee places around europe.
There are some truly great coffee experiences in the US and Australia too - really stretching boundaries, or doing the classic style, much better than in Italy. It seems that Italy has been less innovative in this space - probably because it is "Just coffee" in the way drip is in the US - it is more functional, which is sad, because truly great espresso is a treat.
Italian cities used to be "large towns", where people lived and talked to each other - which meant a low-quality bar would whither and die while good ones thrived, since word of mouth and time availability would allow people to be selective.
These areas are now increasingly adopting suburban models, forced by growth and new ways of life. People commute to work, get coffee quickly from the closest bar or from vending machines inside their offices and capannoni, then go back to the 'burbs. There is rarely time to be selective and go "da quello che lo fa buono".
Also, in my experience, a lot of bars now make money (and their name) on the 7pm aperitivo rather than on espresso.
I haven't been there for, well more than a decade, but coming from Vienna, one of the greatest things when visiting Italy (and what I missed most when I was back home) was that you usually got good espresso even in the smallest shack in the middle of nowhere.
In general I agree. It seems that other areas have been doing much more in this space in the US, Australia, etc.
At home I like to do things more in the Italian style - but with higher quality beans, and the difference is remarkable.
I was always able to get something I enjoyed drinking out of an entry level, single boiler, home espresso machine. It was also fun and meditative learning the skill and doing the routine.
I'd take a less than perfect home espresso over just endless other brewed methods. I love an occasional pour-over, but not every day.
Everyone always says to avoid it, and that's true if you can't envisage doing it a couple of times a day (in which case, the cost and kitchen workspace requirements make it silly), but personally, I'd take an 80% espresso at home over not.
It might be more worth it to someone to enter at this price point than having to pay for semi-pro gear as the "you can't get good espresso at home" comments suggest.
I just don't want people who might want an alright drink at home to be put off, you can get ok results at home with cheap equipment. It won't be as good as what you can get with a GS/3 and a Sette, but won't be too bad.
The number one complaint I get from new hobbyists is "some shots are amazing and some aren't, why?" It's almost always using a stepped burr grinder, like the Baratza encore, for espresso. It just doesn't produce consistent enough grinds and because it's stepped sometimes it will be impossible to dial in.
> I just don't want people who might want an alright drink at home to be put off, you can get ok results at home with cheap equipment. It won't be as good as what you can get with a GS/3 and a Sette, but won't be too bad.
The problem is the consistency - you'll have more bad shots than good. I always tell people get a cheaper machine and a better grinder and you'll be better of for it.
I don't want to turn anyone off either. But I know quite a few people who have went down the rabbit whole to be upset.
> you'll have more bad shots than good
For me, using a basic machine and a stepped burr grinder I had substantially more "ok" and "good" shots than "bad" ones. I guess it depends on your tolerance, but whilst it might not have been absolutely consistent, it was well within an acceptable percentage of good.
We still swear by our Moka pot for home coffee. It's so much less finicky and combined with a hand-grinder is ridiculously portable. Easy to throw into a backpack when you're travelling!
Hmmmm I think I'll go make a coffee now...
What grind setting? Temperature fluctuations matter - too hot and the coffee tastes burnt. Pressure changes the profile. The key to good espresso is consistency - for someone who is using a manual, typically they have experience with espresso. They think surely it is easy, the way a math PHD thinks calculus is easy.
But it isn't that easy - and once you realize you need a good grinder and not a baratza encore, you'll see the cost further increase.
Also, manuals lack a steam wand which is a real downside.
you'll see the cost further increase
Of course. But making consistent espresso without a decent grinder, now that's hard, so you know on beforehand it's in the price. And a grinder lasts years or decades and it's pretty likely a decent manual machine does so as well.
Also, manuals lack a steam wand which is a real downside.
Only if you want it, which I don't.
> but: have you ever tried a manual machine yourself and got a decent espresso out of it?
Oh I have. This is my manual, well, the older version: https://www.cerinicoffee.com/products/olympia-cremina-sl. I like to experiment a lot with it and have a pressure gauge attachment on the top.
You can certainly get good espresso out of it - that isn't my point. my point is, it isn't as easy as people think - and you far overestimate based on hobbyists on coffee forums (of course they produce good shots, they're hobbyists) and people who just want coffee.
> Only if you want it, which I don't.
Well of course - but that is a downside that would turn off a lot of people.
Those are not my words though, I was merely giving some alternative view because your posts make it sound (to me) like it's not easy at all.
olympia-cremina
Would have to compare irl, but from the looks and manual that does actually look a bit harder than the Robot which is the most basic it can get.
Anyway, I agree it's tricky and not for everyone ... just came here to tell others it might be worth a try. I'm really glad I went for it.
It truly is worth it if you really value good espresso and like espresso based drinks. But if you're not going to use it every day, it probably isn't worth it.
I think this, from his book, The World Atlas of Coffee, is very telling:
> "Making espresso is both incredibly frustrating and also very rewarding. I must offer a word of caution here: don't invest in an espresso machine unless you want a new hobby. The fantasy of whipping up a couple of delicious cappuccinos...is a very long way away from the work involved in preparing the drinks."
This thing doesn't even boil the water for you.
It absolutely is a lil messier and more work, but there's something to the ritual of it.
The grind is the problem that has not been solved yet. You need uniform and adjustable grind size and there is no cheap way to make a mill for that. Entry level espresso grinders are starting with hand-cranked ones at $200+, a decent electric one will be at least $500 and the good one will be $1000+. Just the replacement burrs for mine are $250 and these are not some one-off hipster burrs, they are mass-produced for commercial machines. Making precise shapes out of hard steel is very expensive.
So there are essentially two solutions for at home espresso-like drink: various pods (ESE is apparently from 70s and was designed for commercial use, I imagine very light one) and machines with a pressure valve on the exit from the portafilter (essentially all machines you can buy in department stores), those take pre-ground coffee and use the exit valve to create espresso-like "crema". It's not espresso because there is no noticeable pressure difference over and under the grounds and espresso needs the layer of coffee to provide enough resistance to get to 7-9 bars on top of it. I think some pod systems could be more like espresso, at least in principle.
I don't know how much coffee you grind, but unless you run a coffee shop, replacing burrs shouldn't really happen until after several decades.
Great taste, effortless, no waste, cheap. What else?
A real espresso machine produces 8-9 bars of pressure for extraction, and a Bialetti is about 2 bars, so it's not technically espresso.
It's also very quick, you can have your cup of coffee within a couple dozen of seconds. Not very hot in this case, but still very tasteful.
Were you unable to recycle your pods?
Despite their claims of how green they are, only 30% of their pods are recycled [0]
[0] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-16/most-nespresso-coffee...
Cardboard is biodegradable, but waxed cardboard is lined with plastic meaning it needs to be handled separately, and if your recycling center doesn't handle it, it goes in the trash where it doesn't biodegrade because it's coated in plastic.
The reason the plastic lined pods are important is because it means you can't just chuck them in your household recycling, they have to be sent back to Nespresso. Anyone who doesn't send them back to Nespresso is throwing them in the trash, or throwing them in household recycling, where they're separated from and put in regular waste.
What does it mean?
Also, can you tell us more about Flair? Very curious.
This article is timely for me I've only just discovered how to make great coffee. I've had a French press and a cheap coffee bean grinder for decades. With a little knowledge I finally made a really good cup of coffee. Nabob beans $4 and a few minutes makes great coffee. It's so great that I went from milky lattes and double-doubles to drinking it black. It's amazing how much a tiny bit of milk or sugar muffles the taste great coffee.
30g coffee beans freshly ground, 450g water, 5 minute brew. It's so simple with a French press no filters no electricity no pressurized steam.
With the help of Google I've seen that I perfectly know what it is, but we don't call it that way here and furthermore it's not a popular way of making coffee.
But thanks for the knowledge !
IMHO, it’s only slightly better than using that next-gen juice machine we all know.
I have a small espresso machine at home and a 5€ coffee dispenser: 2 flicks and you’re ready to brew.
This is a great story about origins, marketing, and pivoting your product.
Usually, it's drop coffee ... in fact my 10 year old $35 Mr. Coffee machine broke recently and I had to (shock horror) resort to a cafetière & kettle (the $30 Mr. Coffee burr-grinder thankfully still worked!). You know what? It's fantastic, 4 minutes and push the plunger. Great tasting coffee ... maybe the Mr. Coffee stays dead. In either case, at least the only environmental impact is bio-degradable coffee grounds (maybe paper filter) and energy to heat water (and grind coffee!).
In my work with residential maintenance I find Nespresso machines extremely common but also frequently broken. They are not easy or cheap to repair so often there is an upgraded unit which also breaks. This raises significant issues with durability and design for disassembly. Going for cheap with a high end product may end up cursing the line over time. What I find enduring are the older type of Cuisinart brewers which are made of relatively robust components that are easy to replace. They are nowhere near as good but endure actual use much better.
Ironically this is what turned me off. After borrowing a Nespresso machine from my brother and buying ~50 different capsules to try out I got stuck in analysis paralysis and decided to go back to my trusted Bialetti moka.
If anyone's curious out of all the variants I've tasted my favourite were two of the cheapest off brands, Kimbo Armonia and Starbucks Blonde - the rest just felt either too "fruity" or too "acidic" for my taste.
I currently have a Nespresso, Aeropress, V60, a few Moka pots, and probably a couple other devices I've forgotten about.
The Nespresso is super convenient and not bad tasting, but I put sugar in my espresso - a grave sin according to coffee snobs in America - so ymmv.
Sometimes I want a shot of coffee but don't want to wait for the Moka pot. Yes a Moka pot is convenient - versus an actual espresso machine - but it's lightyears away from the Nespresso in that respect.
After that, I started using a french press, which was nice, but I like espresso more, and so I got a Sage Barista Express. Great machine, no plastic waste, once you learn to use it you can create coffeeshop-quality drinks at home for very little money–plus you can experiment with different beans.
The difference between a proper espresso and pods is huge.
I would love to give a shot to aforementioned competitors, which would offer comparable coffee quality, equipment price, fully automated brewing process and variety of blends within walking distance in any major city on the planet. Nice boutique-style retail store with competent personnel would be appreciated.
The fact you need to go to a Nespresso shop and/or order online is actually fairly annoying. Most people want to buy coffee alongside their groceries. That's probably biggest reason behind the Starbucks partnership.
According to the article itself Nespresso is still growing:
> In 2013, the most recent year it released figures, Nespresso’s revenues totalled $10.8bn.
> In the summer of 2020, buffeted by Covid-19, Nespresso trundles on. In a recent email, a spokesperson reported “mid single-digit growth”
These days I just have a Nespresso machine which makes great great coffee and if I run out i just drink instacoffee. Once in a blue moon I will have coffee beans lying around and I will make coffee press.
There are coffee puritans out there but they are just not the majority. Nespresso coffee with the right machine and the right flavour is just as good as any barista made coffee.
And with regards to waste, Nespresso offers free recycle bags if people want to be environmentally friendly their is nothing to hinder them (my guess is that most don't really care)
Nespresso offers a great product, great service I don't think there is any risk of them going out of business anytime soon.
I work for a company too frugal to buy an espresso machine and Nespresso is perfect for me at work. Cheaper and quicker than the cafe downstairs, decent taste, and we recycle into a bag and drop them off at the local Nespresso store. It's not a revolution though.
There is a potentially significant difference between a Nespresso and an automatic machine, which is qualitative and adhoc grinding. Producing "nespressos" is fully vertically integrated. They have control over the coffee beans, the grinding process (which can potentially be high quality), and the machine. I doubt that a fully automatic sports a high-quality grinder (I guess that most, if not all, don't have an acceptable quality one).
Regarding moka, there's no comparison. It makes a watery coffee. It's very popular because it's the cheap and easy way to make an "espresso".
You didn’t read the article and you’ve misidentified the product.
Normally each desk of traders has one shared machine for people to shotgun espressos when they need to.
Capsules are wasteful and expensive and you have no idea what's in them.
No capsules for my home use thank you.
I considered getting a fancy expresso machine that grinds the coffee for you in place at the press of a button, but I decided against it because I'm likely to overdose on coffee with one.
Filter coffee is good enough for me thank you.
P.S.: I won't comment about the filter coffee remark as it's clearly bait ;)))
A decent burr grinder, a Nanopresso and a milk frother is much cheaper than a Nespresso and does something as good.
$AUD 10 Aldi beans with that is cheap and excellent.
Depending on the machine you can either time the shots, use a pressure gauge or just look at the flow coming out and verify by taste.
It's not much more complicated than if the pressure is too low the shot will taste sour. So you adjust the grinder to grind larger.
If it's too low the shot will be overly bitter. So then you grind smaller.
I'm told the ideal pressure is 9 bar but really taste is the real test.
Once you have the grinder dialed in it will probably be fine for the entire batch of beans and only need tweaking when the next batch comes in. (Although if you may have to tweak it as the bag ages.)
Telling someone who uses a Nespresso to shell out 50 bucks for a Hario skerton, and spend a couple of minutes cranking the hand grinder is probably not going to be the most successful conversion path!
Likewise, you really want to be using beans within 2 weeks of them being roasted, which will never happen either.
Nespresso suffers from old stale coffee, plus each pod contains nowhere near enough coffee grounds to make even a vaguely strong cup of coffee.
Separate to all the waste issues, the coffee is weak and tasteless and to be honest, I'd prefer a high end instant coffee vs. Nespresso any day, as I can at least make it stronger.
To get nice coffee you need to start with fresh beans, and use enough of them. I find a quick filter coffee to be much preferable 100% of the time.
Note that I'm not saying that there aren't coffee snobs who feel strongly about this. I'm saying that the nature of the product is that there will never be enough of them to matter.
Because of oxygen, which the Nespresso pods are sealed against.
A Nespresso machine certainly isn't the pinnacle of coffee perfection -- I've just found that it makes a decent and very consistent espresso, lungo or Americano for me. There are times, particularly in the evening, when I just don't want to mess around with grinding and brewing, and I'd much rather have a Nespresso coffee drink than a Keurig one.
That being said, I was under the impression moka pots require a lot of cleanup. For drip, there's a lot of competition, notably the AeroPress, that's only slightly less convenient than the Mr. Coffee machine. But I'm not aware of a product like that for espresso-like drinks.
Moka pots are a little fiddly to clean and, well, a little fiddly in general, I think. I use an Aeropress for brewing most of the time because it's less so. You can make, hmm, "espresso-ish" coffee with it -- it's also actually brewing coffee for a shorter amount of time than usual with greater than usual pressure, when you think about it! -- but I'm generally aiming to get an 8 or 12 ounce cup of normal brewed coffee.
They are typically aluminum so it's not like you have to worry about almost anything growing on/in them