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  • anyone using a nespresso machine?

    Am a one/two cup coffee drinker. I have been considering a purchase of an espresso machine for a while. My budget is < $500, given that I am not a huge coffee drinker. I saw a demo of a Krups nespresso the other day and was quite impressed by the quality of coffee that this pod system used. I had considered a manual system with separate grinder but this seemed to be pretty good given it is a pod system. Admittedly I havent seen the quality of shots that other machines costing a similar price can produce. My question is, has anyone experienced one of these Nespresso machines and if so how did you find the quality of shots, given my limited experience with machines/comparisons.

    Thanks

  • #2
    Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

    Personal opinion, Pods suck. At *any price.

    Java "Runs from the Pods" phile
    Toys! I must have new toys!!!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

      Ditto that, Javaphile.

      Pods lock you in to the one supplier at great expense. Sure, the system is clean and simple....but is there any substitute for freshly-ground?

      However, with that budget theres nothing left for a grinder, so unless you raid the piggy bank it may be you only option.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

        The subject of pods was rasised in an earlier thread:

        http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1127816102

        -Robusto

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

          Pods are indeed TERRIBLE. Stay away from them.

          If you are after a sub $500 machine then its a little harder to get the machine and grinder for that price. Here you go.... research, and this is a steal, and its new for about $400 - but it means you have to go a bit cheaper on the grinder.
          http://tinyurl.com/dm74j

          Magic price for this machine! Propper portafilter (chromed brass 58mm) like a commercail machine.

          As for the grinder - Id get a cheap one to start if you cant wait (Delongi or something), or stretch the budget. Think youll get a "burr" one (NOT BLADE!) from target or somewhere for round $100, maybe watch on eBay for a second hand one. But if you want something new then youll have to stretch the budget - a LUX (New) at $250 is a good option.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

            Im not going to poo-poo nespresso as much as the other boys. I started my coffee journey with a little sunbeam, then moved to nespresso. Nespresso introduced me to drinkable espresso and for that I am forever thankful.

            Nespresso gives you a consistently good espresso. I would rate the espresso as 6/10. It was low fuss, low mess and a dummy could use it... Let me warn you that the steaming of milk on those machines is a pain.

            I do agree that to move up into the 7-8/10 range you really need to have your own grinder and machine. After the nespresso I switched to a gaggia (around $170 on ebay). And a bottom of the line bur grinder (around $50). This made nice coffee but the espresso was still around 6/10 mostly because I didnt know how to tune the grinder in and the steps were huge.

            I then went nuts spent thousands of dollars, but that is a story for another day.

            I have my nespresso at work so if I want a quick coffee I can just bang a pod in and away I go.

            Let us know which way you decide to go :-).

            Nyg

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            • #7
              Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

              Sorry, I dont really have anything interesting to add, but I would like to jump on the bandwagon and bag pods

              My $0.02, you can get the Iberital Challenge grinder for a little bit more than the Nemox Lux, maybe even for the same price. It is just as loud and messy as the lux, but has a much more satisfactory grind adjustment system for espresso, making it, in my opinion, the absolute minimum for espresso.

              Cheers,

              Luca

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                Do you want to play with coffee or just drink it? If you just want coffee that taste better than instant but not interested in knowing any more, than the pod system would be OK. If you want to go further, you either save up or like me, start with second hand equipment.

                My initial budget was around $500. I bought an Imat Mokita for $200 and a Lux grinder for $250. This setup produced very good espressos and I was able to experiment with different beans and have recently started roasting.

                I have now progressed to a Silvia (also second hand) and a Rocky (new). BTW, if you want a reasonably priced grinder, my Lux is listed on Ebay. I am a one cup a day drinker but I do enjoy tweaking with the machine, and seeing what happens when I change each variable.

                My wife at first thought I was mad spending all this money, but guess what?, this household can no longer drink instant anymore!!

                Im sure youll make the right decision. If not, start all over again!!!

                Cheers

                franjae

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                  My main gripe with pods, is that it locks you in to a very limited range of coffee grounds. That alone would take away a lot of the enjoyment that I get out of drinking coffee, and being part of coffeesnobs.

                  I started off with a machine that had a pod adaptor, and could use both normal grounds, and pods. The pods almost always gave me a better cup, but that was because I was using the grounds that was purchased off the shelves of supermarkets.

                  When I "discovered" I needed to control the grounds, and started using a coffee grinder, that was when I made real coffee from the machine.

                  I am quite sure you dont get Brazilian Cup of Excellence pods, nor Yemeni pods.

                  If that does not bother you, then its a very neat and clean system especially for the office, where most of your time should be spent working and not making coffee and cleaning up.

                  Try visiting a shop which can demo other non-pod domestic machines, and compare the coffee that is produced to the pod machine.

                  I have tried the coffee that came from the nesspresso and my personal opinion is that its not great. The salesperson tried to sell the machine to me on the basis of it being Thermoblock(?), and ease of making coffee.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                    Originally posted by Javaphile link=1129844239/0#1 date=1129844636
                    Personal opinion, Pods suck. At *any price.

                    Java "Runs from the Pods" phile
                    The coffee pods are fantastic and I have hundreds of customers who agree good full flavoured coffee, no messy grinding etc to deal with and with all the different flavours there is something to please everyone(well almost everyone).
                    And just to add an additional very cost effective.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                      Hmmm...

                      Well, its a pretty old subject being revived, but Ill play!

                      McDonalds sell a lot of burgers, but I wouldnt regard them as top shelf.

                      Im sure your customers are happy (people in my office swoon at the fact that the instant coffee is supplied for free!), but I think people who have come upon this web site during their research for a better coffee, are not going to be impressed by pod coffee.

                      Considering a majority of us roast our own, theres not much hope of pods competing for freshness.

                      I was happy with mediocre until I learnt more.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                        Originally posted by susan09@optusnet.c link=1129844239/0#9 date=1180564371
                        Originally posted by Javaphile link=1129844239/0#1 date=1129844636
                        Personal opinion, Pods suck. At *any price.

                        Java "Runs from the Pods" phile
                        The coffee pods are fantastic and I have hundreds of customers who agree good full flavoured coffee, no messy grinding etc to deal with and with all the different flavours there is something to please everyone(well almost everyone).
                        And just to add an additional very cost effective.
                        I dont think so Susan...

                        Stale coffee is stale coffee... Corporates like to make you think it is... but it is NOT... and if coffee is either Instant "reconstituted brewed coffee" , pre-ground (inc PODs) or roasted 6 months ago... ITS STALE!!

                        Sadly, many people dont know any better

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                          I use a Nespresso.....It makes a great boat anchor

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                            Hi Susan,
                            Welcome to the forum. As you have seen you probably wont get much (any) support in regards to pods on this site. You will probably find some people who "used" to use pods though. So people will be trying to convert you to see the light of fresh roasted beans that are ground as they are used. I am sure the pods are an improvement over instant etc... But are no match for fresh roasted even in a plunger. Not too many of us are introduced to great coffee at our first cup when we start to drink coffee and all of us have been on a journey up to this point. I am sure you will find a great community of coffee lovers here though to offer advice along to way.

                            Where you from maybe we can point you in the direction of a very nice cafe (not somewhere that uses stale coffee, as most do you will find) to see what we are talking about. Or get along to a CS day where you can see how obsessed coffee snobs brew their coffee. If you get the chance I am sure you will see why all the fuss is made, and probably more to come regarding this I am sure.

                            Brett

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: anyone using a nespresso machine?

                              Susan,

                              If rating coffee quality depending on source from worst to best my list would be:

                              1. Instant coffee (an easy winner)
                              2. Any machine using stale beans (beans more than 3 weeks post roast or grounds 3 minutes post grinding) - includes pods which are probably at the better end of this range.
                              3. Super automatics using fresh beans (well they were fresh when loaded into the hopper)
                              4. Super automatics using fresh beans loaded as required
                              5. plunger / french press coffee using freshly ground fresh beans
                              6. Automatic machines with freshly ground beans (used as an automatic)
                              7. Automatic machines (used manually) and all other machines using freshly ground beans....

                              The placement of plunger / french press coffee could be considered equal to coffee produced by those in 7 (depending on taste preference).

                              Pods are convenient, not that cost effective and must use stale coffee- regardless of how it is packed - it is stale..... and can never taste as good as real espresso. But for those who only buy stale supermarket beans (especially pre-ground) it probably is a slightly better alternative!

                              And if you use the number of satisfied customers as a benchmark of quality and convenience.... instant wins hands down :P :P

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