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.
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.
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:
IndriyaIndian- "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.
RosabayaColombian- 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.
New Nespresso Capsules - Single Origin and More Lungos
The news just doesn't stop from the house of Nespresso! They are coming out with three new single origin capsules - Indriya from India, Rosabaya from Columbia and DulSao from Brazil. The Single origin coffee trend is a strong one, and clearly Nespresso saw the demand. I like trying them side by side, or sequentially to appreciate the different flavors that the regions have to offer.
Indriya - "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."
Rosabaya - Notes of red fruit, suggestive of wine: black currant, cranberries and red currants.
Dulsao - Sweet notes of honey and maple syrup dominate, on a base of malted cereal.
The new Lungos that can be appreciated in a longer pull/taller shot, are the
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."
Finezzo - "Floral Notes reminiscent of jasmine and orange blossom, and notes of the bergamot fruit."
Might have to grab a few to try out in the New Citiz unit in for review....
All new Nespresso capsules are at available once you log in at Nespresso
Nespresso CitiZ Espresso Machine Arrives for Review - First Impressions
Nespresso has never been short on design quality and the new Nespresso CitiZ line is a new line of slim machines that will certainly help the space starved city dwellers who still want an automatic espresso machine.
The CitiZ line is launching in the US soon, and should will be offering that Nespresso convenience of brewing high quality espresso from their line of over a dozen different varieties of espresso capsules.
The design isn't just for those who live in the city, but is also reminiscent of the city skyline when you consider that the narrow, tall skyscraper was an inspiration for the design. Shown here, it is much thinner than the Nespresso Essenza that I usually crank out my coffees from. Available in eight colors, the red one is striking against the chrome accents. Look for a full review soon.
I know a lot of readers who really want a Nespresso machine but who also feel that they are pretty expensive at the stores. Well if you are OK with refurbished machines, you may not know that Nespresso maintains its own eBay storefront for refurbished Nespresso machines. The most common ones are the Essenza, Le Cube, Romeo and the D90 units.
I have been watching them for some time, and the prices can really be very low; $75 for a Nespresso machine is pretty amazing. The ones that I see feature a "6 month Advanced Exchange Warranty. That means that if the product should need service within the warranty period, Nespresso will send out a a temporary replacement unit while service is being completed. This not only gives you peace of mind but also a working Nespresso machine while yours is away."
Nespresso had their Grand Opening for the Boston boutique tonight and Single Serve Espresso was there along with Single Serve Coffee and a whole lot of the Boston press to celebrate the Grand Opening of the newest boutique in the Nespresso collection. While it actually opened in December, the celebration held off. The Nespresso boutique is in a killer location next to the Taj, in the heart of the shopping district of Boston.
The fun part of the Grand Opening, other than the great hospitality, was some great art. The Ray Charles above and the Obama below, were there as well as Princess Diana, and Gandhi. They were impressive; up close, a bunch of Nespresso Capsules and you are hard pressed to see the art and the design, but from a few feet away, the portraits came alive. Nespresso is working to auction these off with charities across the country. Each 61/2' square portrait takes around 2500 capsules. For more information on the "Nespressions" art as it is called, see the Nespressions website. The artist, Ricardo Bellino, was there for the evening and the showing of his fun and surprising art. The Press Release about the Nespressions art is attached after the jump, where it explains a bit more about the philanthropical pursuits of Nespresso and Mr Bellino.
Plenty of capsules, plenty of coffee and plenty of fans from the neighborhood. If you are around any Nespresso boutique, you should stop in for a quick shot and see the array of offerings. If you want to see our reviews of the Nespresso machines, or of recent capsule launches, see our Nespresso Category.
The surprise of the night though was the sining of Charice; the 16 year old singer who has found fame and has been described as the most talented girl in the world. While that may be a stretch, it's not a huge one; she blew the doors off the place from this pint-sized frame.
Nespresso Boutique Grand Opening in Boston - Tonight!
Nespresso has a series of shops across the country in an effort to reach out to the masses, and tonight is the grand opening of the Boston Nespresso Boutique along with a press event. We'll be there along with Jay from SingleServeCoffee.com to check the whole thing out. The Nespresso machines are not the most inexpensive, but offer some amazing design work, and a consistency combined with ease of use that no one can match. Check out our news and reviews on Nespresso capsules and Nespresso espresso makers, while we're off to the Grand Opening.
Nespresso always puts out a few great flavored capsules this time of year, and in years past, the quality has been fantastic, surprising me since I am not a big flavored coffee person. The Three variations come as a surprise every year, offering Nespresso a chance to compound a great blend and flavor system allowing the flavors to dance and play off of each other as you experience the espresso from aroma to aftertaste.
This year is no disappointment in the line of Variations successes. Some better than others, the line is worth getting across the board to see what you like, unless you are absolutely against trying one particular flavor. I say this because when I got the three in, I was expecting one toe be my favorite, and another be passable. After sipping and shooting these baby's for a few days straight in all kinds of combinations, I have to say that I have a clear favorite and it's a big surprise.
All three flavors are subtle and not overwhelming, blended in more of a high cuisine soft, layered approach instead of an over the top candy-sweet style. I like that, it fits with the Nespresso heritage.
Caramel - This is a subtle flavor, and does best with a little sugar and milk - I like caramel flavors and subtle hints in all kinds of ways. This was my most anticipated flavor, and I will say that I could have used a bit more caramel coming through in the cup. The nose was good, and again, it's a subtle, roasted, browned flavor versus a sticky-sweet one.
Mandarin - I will start with the admission that I am not a big orange flavor fan - love oranges, but not with chocolates, coffee, etc. The mandarin Nespresso capsule as surprisingly good, and again, with touches of orange woven with the coffee flavors make it an enjoyable cup. I drank it as a latte, as a shot straight and with a bit of sugar. I think that this does well as a shot, with or without sugar - offering nice orange finishes that remind you of a beautiful base orange flavor.
Crystalized Ginger - My hands down favorite of the bunch. The flavor is more true ginger, and is not a spiced up gingerbread flavor, but that's what I like. With a bit os sugar to lengthen the flavor profile delivers a subtle ginger flavored that lingers swirling around the coffee flavors along giving you glimpses of the flavor that is surprisingly good.
So, again, I think that they are all worth checking out - $6.20 for a sleeve of 10 from Nespresso for a limited time. These tend to sell out quickly, so jump on them and they will have them out to you pretty quickly. The sleeve of ten is about the length of my Christmas stocking - get the hint?
I was also able to check out the Variations recipe glasses this weekend, making some fun drinks, and just drinking double shots. The glasses are 150 ml (about 5 fl. ounces), so they have plenty of room for a quick drink, offering a nice way to enjoy your new flavored shots. Some people balk at the idea of a glass with no handle because of it's ability to be too hot, to the touch, but I thought these were a great change to the normal routine. Hey, we're into it here at SingleServeEspresso, and playing with these glasses was fun. I pulled successive shots into mine in the morning for a double to get going, and added some steamed milk later in the day for a different treat. The little Nespresso sugar spoons in the box are a nice touch and add a bit of formality to the very casual glasses without being overt he top. With these glasses, you can even experiment with layered drinks if your hand is steady enough and your luck is running strong. Again, you have to be into it, but these can make a fun gift too.
"How do you prime the pump on a Nespresso machine?"
A lot of people have writing in on this, and I have had to look it up myself a few times after forgetting to write it down.
According to Nespresso - the steps are similar for a few machines that I have checked out:
1) Open top lever and push it back as far as it will go for 3 seconds.
2) With the lever still open, press the cup button until water flows.
3) Close the lever and press the cup button to stop the flow of water.
Yes - that was easy. I usually forget to fill up the water and run the pump dry every now and then, maybe you do the same. Not good for a pump to do that too much. Good luck and enjoy.
The Nespresso Le Cube Black colored edition came in for review recently and we are are pretty happy to check this one step easy espresso brewer out. The Le Cube is one offering in the line of Nespresso capsule based brewers that at their heart have ease of use and high quality brewing at their very core. The recent line refresh includes the New Black version of the Le Cube. The Le Cube is a simple design statement that fits in a small footprint on the counter with some bold lines and innovative design elements making it a great looking unit as well as a highly functional one. It's got a 1-liter reservoir, has cup holder space for up to 6 espresso cups and a chamber that holds up to 15 spent espresso capsules. The 19-bar pump driven extraction is impressive for its crema creation, while its 1260 watt thermoblock heating element powers the unit. Le Cube retails at $349.
We took the Le Cube for a spin while we were trying out our Jinogalpa Special Club Capsules that are offered as a limited time offer, it's been fun mixing them in with a lot of our standards.
Top Seller - Nespresso Essenza C100 Expresso Machine
One of my favorite machines is a top seller at Amazon these days, and for good reason. The Nespresso C100 Essenza, a stylish looking little machine that takes the Nespresso capsules. These foil wrapped capsules are packed with coffee blends that come in a nice amount of variety; adding seasonal products to keep things interesting. All of this can easily be accessed through the Nespresso website or the handful of Nespresso Cafes across teh country. For most of us through the downside is that coffee can only be bought through the Nespresso website. I tend to buy a bunch of 10-packs at a time to keep a good inventory hanging around. The capsules cost $0.55 each, which can seem like a lot when you are only getting a tiny little shot of espresso, but if it's good espresso that's this easy, the cost isn't too terrible. It's in the ballpark with ESE Pods.
The Nespresso C100 Essenza is a compact little brewer that takes the Nespresso capsules, brews your cup and then dumps the capsule into a waste bin for clean up later. Very fast, very easy. This little brewer packs a punch though with a 19 bar pump, 1200 watt heating and a 34-ounce water reservoir. The machine and capsules can make a standard espresso, or a 5-ounce lungo for larger cups. For more information see my Full Review of the Nespresso Essenza C100.
If you haven't already it's time to order the next Special Edition from Nespresso, Jinogalpa. Nespresso puts out special editions every year, and Jinogalpa is a good one that is worth putting on the shopping list.
Jinogalpa comes from Nicaragua's best arabica coffee and is split roasted to reach different roast colors then blended after roasting. Nespresso describes it as having "full body, and a smooth crema that reveals soft tones of sandalwood as well as subtle and refreshing herbal accents." Jinogalpa is to be made at a 40ml brew setting into an espresso shot, the Intensity "6" shot.
I got mine along with the special edition Jinogalpa Espresso Cups, which carry the hummingbird logo for the design. I like the cup shape, and they fit well in the Nespresso C185T Le Cube
maker that I have in for review right now.
Brewing the Jinogalpa in any Nespresso maker is pretty easy and I like my own Essenza for it's easy and simple operation. Flip up the lever, drop in the capsule and you are ready to go. The Nespresso brewers have an integrated reservoir and a system that holds spent capsules. When you lift the lever for the next brew the spent capsule will drop into the chamber for dumping later. The chamber in the Le Cube holds upwards to a dozen spent capsules in my usage.
With the capsule loaded, and the maker up to temperature, you just need to punch the single cup button and out comes the espresso and crema. The Jinogalpa does have the pronounced acidity of an arabica only blend. It's very up front but not so acidic that it is outright sour. The thing is that the Jinogalpa is also a good blend with a lot of complexity that I would attribute to the complexity of the blend and the split roasting. A lot of 100% arabica espresso blends that I see and taste are sharp and acidic, but have nearly not aftertaste and little body if not formulated to have one. I like the Jinogalpa for its complexity and its full body flavor. The blend is definitely dark roasted and carries with it some complex dark flavors that are earthy, woody, spicy and pungent without tasting burnt. As always the espresso can come out shot after shot with excellent crema looking awesome and tasting good. This one one be around for long and it's always great to get a little variety in the mix.
Outpresso - Recycles your Nespresso Capsules
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maker that I have in for review right now.
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