Nespresso Le Cube C185 Espresso Machine Now $100 Off

Normally priced much higher at $299, the Nespresso Le Cube is now only $199 (you can read our full review here). The Le Cube measures 9 by 8-8/9 by 9-inch, and makes an exceptional cup of espresso or lungo coffee. You can even auto-program the amount of espresso you want in each cup. The Nespresso Le Cube works with coffee-filled capsules from Nespresso, and there is 12+ flavors available, along with seasonal flavors too. We imagine they've lowered the price to make way for the new Citiz line of Nespresso coffee makers, but we really love the Le Cube and think at $199 you can't go wrong.

At Nespresso Le Cube C185 Espresso Machine

Nespresso Easy to Use Espresso Machines - about $100

I really enjoy my espresso, and love the push button ease of the Nespresso system; pop in a capsule, out comes great espresso every time. My Back-up Essenza is out on loan right now to a friend who is playing with it for a while to decide if they are going to buy one. I think that they will given that after a few days their reaction was that the "Thing is amazing."

Well, cost can be an issue, and I have pointed out to a few readers that Nespresso runs an eBay store where they sell certified refurbs on a few of the popular machines, including Le Cube, the Essenza and D290's.

So, this Essenza is priced at $66 right now, ending sometime tomorrow, while a few others that I was watching ended up selling for right around $100 - a Le Cube and another Essenza.

Nespresso is trying a few things differently after the holidays on the eBay site, as they experiment with some Buy it Now or Best Offer type sale tools; well beyond the typical auction style.

Nespresso Certified Auctions has sold over 3,000 items with a 99+% satisfaction rate, according to their eBay rating. You might want to check them out for a good bargain on a nearly new Nespresso Machine.

More at Nespresso on eBay

Nespresso Variations 2009 Espresso Capsules Review

Every year, Nespresso comes out with a new set of Variations, flavored espresso capsules, that while not for everyone, they are an appealing and fun way to play with your Nespresso machine and enjoy espresso with others who maybe aren't as into espresso as you are. This year, three Nespresso Variations showed up in early December at the Nespresso Club store and at their boutiques across the country.

Chestnut Cream - "Reminiscent of very sweet and concentrated jarred chestnut cream, recalls the traditional "marron glace," or "candied chestnut." - says Nespresso. For me, I tried it as a straight espresso, and in a latte. The latte was a great way to enjoy the subtle flavors that do admittedly get a bit muted, but complement the cream flavor well. Americans might think of this a bit as a hazelnut cream type flavor, but it is a bit different. Straight, the flavor is intense, and sits on a nice medium dark roast that offers a bit of acidity for the flavors to play off of. I preferred it with a bit of sugar. I do have to call out that the aroma coming off this when it brewed was intoxicating.

Apricot - "Reminiscent of a very fresh, ripe and juicy apricot; unlike the more intense dried apricot flavor." - Says Nespresso. They should have added "It will blow you away with the authentic flavor". This was my least favorite in concept and most favored in tasting. Total surprise. Again, I tried it straight and in a latte, and favored this one as a straight espresso with a bit of sugar. Again the sugar just lengthens the flavor profile enough to enjoy it. No need for over sweetness here, just a touch to bring it out. The flavor truly is like a fresh apricot, which is a great treat. The aroma is not as overwhelming when it brews as the Chestnut Cream, but the nose when drinking is just great. Don't let it sit around long, the aroma is great sooner than later.

Pain d'Espice/Gingerbread - "Reminiscent of crystalized orange zest or peel, honey, cinnamon and ginger in a brown sugar base." - Says Nespresso. I think that it comes across with a strong ginger flavor, reminiscent of my big surprising favorite from last year the Crystalized Ginger Variation. Again, great with a hint of sugar to lengthen the profile, and has some nice subtle spice flavors. It is not over the top gingerbread flavor that you may be use to from store bought gingerbread men. I enjoyed it quite a bit straight, but the flavor also blended nicely with milk based drinks too.
With each of these capsules rated a "6" on a scale of 1 to 10 for strength, Nespresso is appealing to most espresso fans. The base coffee is a clean blend with some acidity to make the flavors pop a bit without being overly sour. At Nespresso.com, they refer to the base blend of the Chestnut and Apricot as the Livanto blend and roast which happens to be one of may favorites along with the Rosabaya Single Origin. So not a surprise that I like the Variations flavors on top of one of my favorite blends.

I liked the brews overall, with the Apricot being my hands down favorite for surprising quality and experience of a flavored brew. not for everyone though, but well worth a try in everybody's next order. I liked the Gingerbread flavor for its wide appeal - a lot of visitors tried these this past month or so and liked this one the best. I happen to think the trio is well worth the try in your next order if you are open to the flavored coffee idea. I am usually not when I go to a coffee shop, but still look forward to these every December.

A quick check today has all of these capsules in stock but sadly not the matching espresso cups. A quick thanks to Nespresso for sending a set of these for this review, which only added to the stockpile that I bought on my own.

Nespresso Variations Espresso Capsules - 2009

Each winter Nespresso launches a set of Nespresso variations that have are built around unique flavor profiles. Three new varieties, "Gingerbread," "Apricot" and "Chestnut Cream," launch this year and are available at Nespresso's site. I still have some of last year's Ginger flavored Espresso capsules in the 'frige for safe keeping - they were definitely my stunning favorite.

• CHESTNUT CREAM Reminiscent of very sweet and concentrated jarred chestnut cream, recalls the traditional "marron glace," or "candied chestnut."
• APRICOT Reminiscent of a very fresh, ripe and juicy apricot; unlike the more intense dried apricot flavor.
• GINGERBREAD Reminiscent of crystalized orange zest or peel, honey, cinnamon and ginger in a brown sugar base.

I already ordered mine this week, and I would suggest that you order yours quickly. These have a tendency to sell out and they are well worth the wintertime treat.

At Nespresso

Nespresso Boutique Tasting Event - Grand Crus

Sorry if you missed it, but there was a tasting event in Boston at the Nespresso Boutique last night that explored the Grand Cru line of capsules with several corporate Nespresso representatives who walked a packed audience through the delicacies of the three grand cru espresso capsules and if you wanted the two Lungos in the line. Not only were there plenty of coffees to be had, but a nice complement of some amazing hor'derves and wine.

After a short run through of a talk about the coffees selected and the various distinctive attributes of these coffees and their flavors that went into these blends, Karsten Ranitzsch, head of green coffee buying, led people through the tasting of each of the three espressos, Dulsao, Rosabaya and Indriya, noting the differences and pointing out their strengths. While most were sipping, Karsten brought out his cupping spoon to taste his; there certainly seemed to be interest in everyone in the audience using a silver cupping spoon to taste their coffee. While regular people may think it a luxury, it is clearly a tool of the trade and something that went home in its own protective cloth drawstring bag.

Most people went home with bags of nespresso capsules bought from the boutique's sales counter; if you haven't stopped by for a taste and a demo of the machines, you should. The espresso is free and they have lots of it.

Nespresso - Fast Brews a New Store

Newpresso has opened up a "Pop-up Boutique" for the holidays, apparently bullish on what could be the bounce-back holiday shopping season. They positioned their new boutique well in Bloomingdales on 59th St. in NYC with espresso demonstrations and the new Nespresso Citiz line - (See my Full Review). Not a bad little pick-me up for the busy shopper.

Press release below.....

Nespresso--the worldwide pioneer in premium portioned coffee--celebrates the opening of its first-ever Pop-Up Boutique at Bloomingdale's 59th Street, a holiday installation open now through the end of the year. The temporary retail location offers coffee lovers the opportunity to discover their ultimate coffee experience as they enjoy the ultimate shopping experience offered by the most famous store in the world.

"Our Boutique partnership with Bloomingdale's has been a very successful retail model, and we are excited to expand our partnership to this iconic location. As well, to share space on the newly renovated main floor which has just undergone a stunning transformation," said Frederic Levy, president of Nespresso North America. "As the perfect holiday gift for the coffee lover on your list, we look forward to fulfilling the needs of both new and current Nespresso customers."

"To offer our guests at Bloomingdale's 59th Street the opportunity to experience Nespresso coffee on our main floor during the holidays is a real treat," said Michael Gould, chairman and chief executive officer at Bloomingdale's. "Holiday shopping at Bloomingdale's will be a lot more fun and a bit warmer this year."

Sleek and stylish, the Pop-Up Boutique offers Bloomingdale's customers the opportunity to peruse Nespresso's extensive selection of espresso machines and sample Nespresso's Premium Blend Grand Cru coffees. Nespresso coffee specialists will staff the Pop-Up offering demonstrations of the single-serve coffee systems, including the new Nespresso CitiZ range.

Favorite Espresso Cups - #3 - Nespresso

Nespresso has a simple design to their white espresso cups that mirrors their simple approach to making espresso. Put in a capsule, push a button and excellent espresso magically appears each and every time. Their designs are not simple to get such a simplified experience, and offer total eye candy in the dizzying array of beauty when they put out new machines - their most recent is the Nespresso Citiz.

For me, the Nespresso cups are a classic design with gradual sloping sides to cradle the top notch crema you get every time. The cool, contemporary spoons are a great way to finish the presentation. I use these when I entertain, and crank out a few espressos at a time after dinner.

At Nespresso

Nespresso: Singatoba Special Edition Espresso Capsule Review

Singatoba is this season's Special Club Capsule from Nespresso, hailing from the island of Sumatra. The 100% Blue Batak Arabica beans are sourced from the northern part of the island and goes through a ferment and wash type process that has it acquiring both flavor complexity and its characteristic blue hue. Nespresso seems to have gone all out here and split roasted the coffee, light roasting some portion of the blend to keep the fruity and earthy notes, while dark roasting a portion of the batch to develop the body and the strength of the espresso.
I bought some Singatoba as soon as it was available and then also received some from Nespresso along with the signature cups for this review. After drinking for the last couple of weeks, I have come to appreciate the complexity of the espresso both in simple form and in lattes also. Below you'll see the overall description from Nespresso, and they are right on with a lot of complexity and rich intensity. I saw earthy tones mixed with fruity and woody top notes in the aroma. The flavor is dark, but not burt or ashy, with a good lingering espresso base and simple but noticeable acidity. I like acidity, and count the Rosabaya as one of my favorites, where the strong acidity presents itself as an extreme brightness in the cup, dominating a lot of the show. The Singatoba, is not anywhere close to that level, but offers an acidity that keeps the flavors flowing and balanced, throughout the experience. I also drank the Singatoba in a latte several times and thought that the base notes stood up well to the milk. You lose some of the complexity, but it you want a versatile capsule, this can handle both duties.

I was brewing the Singatoba up in the Nespresso CitiZ brewer for this review, and into the Singatoba signature cups. The cups shown here were designed to reflect the coffee bean and a group of children offering protection as they encircle hand in hand. Using the classic Nespresso shape, the cups and saucers continue to be some of my favorites.
Overall, if you like darker espresso without going to the extreme, the Singatoba is a great choice. I thought that the flavor complexity was great, with aromas that I haven't seen in an espresso in a long time. I came to appreciate it most with a small amount of sugar that I thought filled out the flavor even more. These usually sell out fast, you can get them at the Nespresso Club.

At Nespresso Club


Below is Nespresso's description of this year's Special Club - Singatoba:  

Special Club 2009 - Singatoba

ORIGIN Made in Indonesia from 100% Blue Batak Arabica grown around Lake Toba in northern Sumatra, Singatoba is subject to a complex treatment process which gives it a unique aromatic bouquet.

FRUITY AND WOODY This Blue Batak Arabica from Sumatra is a full-bodied espresso revealing refreshing notes of blackcurrant buds and grapefruit along with sweet notes reminiscent of licorice sticks and conifers.

Espresso 40 ml Intensity 8

Nespresso Singatoba Special Club Capsules Now Available

Nespresso has released their Singatoba special Edition for the fall, and it is available now from the Nespresso Club. The special edition is make from "100% Blue Batak Arabica grown around Lake Toba in northern Sumatra." Nespresso is using a technique called split roasting from the sounds of their description to do a shorter roast on the early harvest in order to preserve the light fruity notes, while roasting more slowly and to a darker endpoint for the more mature beans in order to develop the flavor intensity and strength. With a "fruity and woody" flavor profile, the capsules sound interesting. They have an intensity rating of 8.

The Nespresso Limited Edition Singatoba cups are designed by Laurence Bost, to have a gentle dance interspersed with small highly prized coffee beans, representing a circles of children dancing hand in hand.

I already ordered mine up from the Nespresso Club store; hurry, these usually sell out.

At Nespresso Club

Brewing this Weekend: Nespresso Capsule Pure Origin Colombian Rosabya

Regular readers know that I love the ease of use and general high quality quick brews that I get out of my Nespresso machines. I recently reviewed the coming Nespresso Citiz brewer which combines the power of the Nespresso brewing machine into a slim, counter saving space; I loved it.

It's going to be a hot weekend around the Single Serve Espresso kitchens, and I have the Nespresso Rosabaya lined up to enjoy - a capsule that I think is great as a single shot hot, or iced as a black iced Americano. Even great with a splash of milk. The bright flavors tend to soften a bit when you add milk, but the overall base coffee flavors remain, and it is well suited to offer a nice flavor profile that is just great chilling out in the afternoon. Hot; I love it. Hands down one of my favorites; acidic, bright, clean and flavorful.

You can order Nespresso Capsules at the Nespresso site and they will deliver them in a couple of business days.

Outpresso - Recycles your Nespresso Capsules

Coming off our review this past week of the NexPod refillable plastic capsules for the Nespresso machine, reader Geoffrey turned us onto the OutPresso, a device to help press the coffee out of the Nespresso capsules and recycle the aluminum pod. Nespresso maintains a recycling program in Switzerland, but where you can't get to one, you can certainly use an Outpresso to recycle your capsules in a municipal recycling stream with other metals.

The cost is just under $30 where available at their website - they appear to ship all over.

More at Outpresso

NexPod Review - Load Your Own Nespresso Capsules

NexPod is a new pod system for the Nespresso line of makers that allows you to use your own capsules with your favorite espresso coffee. You might even be able to save a little money over the ~$0.55 cost per Nespresso capsule; I paid $23 on eBay for mine that shipped from Switzerland. That puts it at about $0.28 each empty capsule. Adding up the cost of about 4-5g of coffee per capsule, that adds about a dime to the cost of each unit. These can save about $15 - $20 per box of 80 units; not bad.

It arrived in about two weeks. The box is packed with 80 plastic capsules and a bunch of paper disks, the filters the you will load into the plastic capsule.

To make the review as fair as possible, I cut into a Nespresso Ristretto capsule and poured the coffee into the NexPod, and closed it. There was some coffee left over; I didn't realize how packed the Nespresso capsules were! Rest assured, I packed as much into the NexPod as I could and only left a small amount out. The loading of the capsules is easy, but if you were to do several of these, you would want to keep them in an air tight container, as the capsules have the little holes to let the water flow in and the espresso flow out.

I had a little trouble jamming the NexPod into my Nespresso Essenza C-100 and a yet to be launched Nespresso Citiz brewer as it hung up just before getting into position. I gave it a quick tap, and the capsule fell into the bin, opening up and dumping the ground coffee all over the spend capsule bin. After being a bit more precise, I did it again, tapped it and got it into position quickly closing the lever to keep it from falling again.

Brewing gave it a good head of crema, about half of the level I usually find in the regular Ristretto, and sadly the cup was a bit weak too. I ran through a few of these, and continued to pack as tight as I could, with similar results. It's too bad, because the promise of a decent alternative is there. In the end, with the hassle of making up the pods, the somewhat weaker results and the concern over the pods not quite loading as easily as the Nespresso capsules, I have to say that these are not for me. If you are interested in getting some to pack in your favorite espresso that you just can't match at the Nespresso store, go for it. I just don't see the value in saving up to $20 across a few months' time given the trade-offs.

ReadMore at NexPod

Nespresso Single Origin Capsule and New Lungo Review

Nespresso launched a series of single origin capsules that come a little late to the recent single origin craze that has made for some interesting drinking among those who are experimenting. I would have loved to have seen a mico-lot or single estate based capsule, but maybe we'll see that in a Special Edition sometime. There are three new single origin capsules available hailing from India, Colombia and Brazil. From the Nespresso site, they describe the Single Origin capsules like this:

Indriya Indian- "The Arabica is lightly roasted, to allow its subtle aromas to remain. In contrast the Robusta is well roasted to allow its intensity to be expressed and to develop a full body. Moreover, very fine grinding supports the body and enhances the flavor." - After re-reading this description from Nespresso, I am not surprised to see a split roast on this, where they roast the different beans and then blend after roast to obtain more complexity. The up front (Arabica) flavors are lighter, not smoky or pungent, but good coffee flavors leading to the Robusta flavors that follow. The Indriya blend has a definite Robusa finish that lingers without too much bitterness. The flavor is just a little earthy for me, and while I really like a Robusta blend for espressos, this was a little too earthy for me. Nicely complex and balanced though. If you like a "Blend" type espresso, you should give this one a try.

Rosabaya Colombian- Notes of red fruit, suggestive of wine: black currant, cranberries and red currants. - This was my favorite and while I usually like a bit of robusta in my espressos, but this was excellent. Clean flavor with bright floral notes and enough acid to make it interesting but not so much that it makes it sour.

Dulsao Brazilian - Sweet notes of honey and maple syrup dominate, on a base of malted cereal. This definitely has a grassy and caramelized cereal flavor to it and some amount of sourness. Not as clean and crisp as the Colombian, but still a good brew.

The new Lungos that can be appreciated in a longer pull/taller shot (3.75 ounces/110 ml) are:

Fortissio - "A full body and bitter base from which a note of intensely roasted grains develops, along with plant and woody notes, reinforced by a typical cereal note from the hint of Robusta." - I went through this set of capsules in a few days. I loved it, and is at the top of the list when I go back to re-order. I never really liked the Lungo's before, but the Fortissio is a great few ounces of coffee; well balanced and a nice strong cup of coffee.

Finezzo - "Floral Notes reminiscent of jasmine and orange blossom, and notes of the bergamot fruit." - I was not able to get this one with the early order I placed, but will grab this in the next order.

The one thing that I like on the new packages was the strength ratings for the capsules inside - a nice reminder of what you have there when you have a bundle of cartons in the cabinet.

Nespresso Citiz Capsule Brewing Espresso Maker Full Review

I've been happily brewing with the Nespresso Citiz for a couple of weeks now, taking some extra time to bring in some of the new Nespresso Single Origins capsules to do things up right. The Single Origins are great, and I'll do a full review on those later next week. The Nespresso Citiz espresso maker is coming to the US this Fall, and I was able to get a sneak peak at a US version now ahead of the launch. From what I see, it's a fantastic design and a great espresso machine and I am ready to trade in my Essenza for one. Why? - Three reasons 1) Small Footprint - it's the width that counts here and it just takes up less room at only 5.1 inches wide 2) the ability to accommodate taller glasses/cups for Lungo's and 3) The standby mode that saves energy when I forget to turn the unit off.

The Nespresso Citiz will come in two basic versions for the US, the regular single version that I used, and the Citiz and Milk which essentially offers an Aeroccino on the side to whip up frothed milk while brewing. There is a Citiz & Co, a dual maker "machine" that offers two side by side machines for serious households that need to brew two shots at a time.

The Nespresso Citiz comes with a 19-bar pump, and a 1 liter (~34 ounces) reservoir which is plenty big for espresso brewing, and reasonable if you are making Lungo's all the time (110 ml/3.75 ounce coffees). The heating time is similar to my Essenza, and has you brewing in a minute or so. The unit brews nicely, but with the shorter lever action (about half as long as the Essenza), it takes a little getting used to. the brewing buttons have moved to the top, still offering the short and lungo brews that automatically shut off. Open the lever, drop in a Nespresso capsule, close the lever, and punch a button. In about 30 seconds the frothy espresso with rock star crema will be waiting. If you want a lungo, the brew time is a bit longer, but not too bad. Lift the lever again for the next brew and the capsule drops into the spend capsule chamber that holds about ten spent capsules comfortably.

Auto Standby

I like the automatic standby, and see it as a great convenience. They were smart, and didn't design it to go into standby mode too quickly, as I typically have a shot ahead of eating breakfast and one after - when doing this, the machine was still ready to brew and hot. When it is in standby mode, the brew buttons flash on and off in an alternating mode. One quick push of either and the Citiz heats up and is ready to go.

Flip up Cup Holder

I loved the flip up cup holder, because I started brewing Lungo's with the new Fortissio capsules and the cups just fit well under the brew head a lot better. It's that simple.

Review Summary

After brewing several dozen espressos through the new Citiz, I can say that I really love it. Same Nespresso quality, with a smaller footprint, and some nice convenient features. I brewed a lot of variety from the new single origin nespresso capsules to old standbys like the Ristrettos, and even the new Lungo's. All very good. My Nespresso Essenza has moved over and is in retirement with a fresh new face on the counter handling the brewing. The thin profile is just too good not to pass up.

Available at Amazon:

• Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker or
• Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker with an Aeroccino Frother Sidecar