George Clooney who escapes certain death by handing over his Nespresso at Heaven’s Gate. With this Nestlé tries to establish the exclusivity of the Nespresso. The taste of the coffee is heavenly and especially for those people who want to enjoy the better things in life. How justified is Nespresso’s image?
The Nespresso brewing system was introduced in Switzerland in 1976. It was invented by Eric Favre, who worked at Nestlé at the time. However, it was not a commercial success in the early years. It was not until around 1989 that the system started to take hold. From that time contracts were also concluded with manufacturers who were allowed to make Nespresso machines, such as Krups, Philips, Siemens and DeLonghi.
Is Nespresso for real coffee lovers?
Now that the system has been in existence for more than 25 years, it is still a success. The coffee capsules are expensive, which makes Nespresso a very interesting brand within the Nestlé concern. Nespresso has an image of exclusivity. It is the coffee machine for real coffee lovers. You pay between 35 and 39 cents per cup of coffee. Another striking feature of Nespresso are the many flavors of coffee you can choose from. And with that, Nespresso also responds to the real coffee purists.
Where do you buy the capsules?
If you look for the Nespresso capsules in the regular supermarket, you can search for a long time: they are not there. The capsules have always been exclusively available through the website and by telephone. Nowadays the capsules are also for sale at a number of branches of the Bijenkorf. There, too, the capsules are still sold by Nespresso itself.
Order capsules online
Most people therefore buy the capsules via the webshop. The capsules are sold in quantities of 10. Prices vary slightly. Some espresso flavors cost 35 cents, others 39 cents. The lungos cost 37 cents. The shipping costs expire when you buy large numbers. You can have them sent to your home, but you can also have them delivered to a collection point. Orders are shipped quickly. Normally you will receive your coffee within 24 hours.
What can you make with the Nespresso?
You can only make coffee with the Nespresso. The machine pumps the water through the coffee at a pressure of 19 bar. As a result, you can rightfully speak of a real espresso and you also get that typical crema layer on your coffee. You can vary the amount of water you want to use. Typically 40 ml is for an espresso, 25 ml for a ristretto and 110 ml for a lungo. You can choose from eight espressos, three lungos, three decaf variants, four special flavors and three coffee variations.
If you want cappuccino, latte macchiato or another coffee with milk, you have to provide the milk yourself.
The machines
Nowadays you can choose from a wide range of Nespresso machines. In the Netherlands, these are mainly machines from Siemens, Krups and Delonghi. The cheapest models cost between seventy and one hundred euros. The most expensive models cost four hundred euros or more. The more expensive machines usually have an integrated milk frother. Ideal for cappuccino drinkers. With most machines you can easily set exactly how much water you want to use. The machine will remember this, so next time you just have to press the button.
Coffee capsules from another brand
Nespresso has always been very active in trying to allow other coffee manufacturers to enter the Nespresso capsule market. They succeeded for a long time, because they hold no fewer than 70 patents around the Nespresso system. However, a number of patents expired in 2012. This gave more opportunities for other parties to also start selling Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules. For example, Douwe Egberts now makes capsules for Nespresso under the name L’Or. Not only are they cheaper, but you can buy them in most regular supermarkets.
Maintenance of the machine
The maintenance of a Nespresso machine differs slightly per model. If you have a machine with a milk frother, you will of course have more cleaning work. In addition, it is recommended to descale the machine regularly. Special descaling sets are available for sale via the Nespresso website. In addition, it is recommended to run some water without a capsule after you have used the machine. This ensures that any coffee residues are removed.
How good is Nespresso
You cannot argue about taste. But many people still agree that with Nespresso you get a delicious coffee at home. You also pay for that. Compared to a Senseo, the price is almost four times as high. Everyone will have to determine for themselves whether that price difference is justified. But with a Nespresso you get a real espresso. You also have a wide choice of different flavors. There is undoubtedly a flavor that you like best. A disadvantage is that you have to put in a little more effort to get the capsules.
The different Nespresso flavors
As mentioned, you can choose from many different flavors at Nespresso.
The following espressos are in the range:
- Cosi: Intensity = 3.40 ml
- Volluto: Intensity = 4.40 ml
- Capriccio: Intensity = 5.40 ml
- Livanto: Intensity = 6.40 ml
- Roma: Intensity = 8.40ml (or 25ml as ristretto)
- Arpeggio: Intensity = 9.40ml (or 25ml as ristretto)
- Ristretto: Intensity = 10, 40 ml (or 25 ml as ristretto)
- Dharkan: Intensity = 11, 40 ml (or 25 ml as ristretto)
- Kazaar: Intensity = 12, 40 ml (or 25 ml as ristretto)
You can choose from three different lungos at Nespresso:
- Linizio Lungo: Intensity = 4.110 ml
- Vivalto Lungo: Intensity = 4.110 ml
- Fortissio Lungo: Intensity = 8.110 ml
Then there are four special flavors that fall in the ‘Pure Origin’ series:
- Bukeela ka Ethiopia: Intensity = 3,110 ml (Lungo)
- Dulsã0 do Brasil: Intensity = 4.40 ml
- Rosabaya de Colombia: Intensity = 6.40ml
- Indriya from India: Intensity = 10, 40 ml (or 25 ml as ristretto)
There are three different decaf coffees to choose from:
- Decaffeinato Intenso: Intensity = 7.40 ml
- Decaffeinato Lungo: Intensity =, 3 110 ml
- Decaffeinato: Intensity = 2.40 ml
Finally, there are three special coffee flavors that fall under the heading ‘Variations’:
- Ciocattino (coffee with dark chocolate): Intensity = 6.40ml
- Vanilio (Coffee with vanilla): Intensity = 6.40 ml
- Caramelito (Coffee with caramel): Intensity = 6.40 ml