Nespresso

Thinking about getting a Nespresso machine, and would welcome any advice.

I’m liking the idea of convenience vs our Breville infuser which gets sporadic use. I’m not really an espresso geek and think I can live with the Nespresso eco system. I think we’d go for Vertuo for its greater range of brew sizes (but wouldn’t use the carafe pour over as well stick with the Moccamaster which we love for brewed coffee). For us that’s a big deal.

I have seen a few comments the Original makes slightly better espresso than the Vertuo, but it doesn’t sound we’d really detect it (see above - not an espresso geek).

My first question is - is the Lungo an Allongée type drink or a brewed coffee?

Second question is can any one comment on quality ( of the coffee) and reliability of the Breville vs DeLonghi machines? Should I pick simply on features / price? My Google efforts haven’t really turned up anything.

Third, how much clearance behind the machines is needed to remove the water tank. We plan to put it in our appliance garage.

Fourth, can the used pods be recycled? I’m a bit concerned about that.

Finally, can any one reason to get the Next, given that we would not use carafe? I’m sceptical about the value of the connectivity and firmware updates.

Richard, we are not espresso geeks either and I can only address questions #3 and #4. Only an inch clearance is needed, enough to get your fingers in, to remove the water tank. And Nespresso makes it easy to recycle the pods. They will send a free sturdy bag (holds hundreds of pods) with a label on it and you just drop it off at a UPS store.

Richard, I returned my Vertuo back to Costco, as the coffee was coming out lukewarm. The clerk who took it back told me that returned his for the same reason.

But I do love my Lattisima and LeCube.

We have the very basic Essenza Mini, purchased within the last year. If you scroll down this link you will find a lot of 1 star reviews for the Vertuo.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/nespresso-vertuo-next-classic-by-breville/?catalogId=79&sku=6089915&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=MSN&cm_pla=Electrics%20>%20Espresso%20Makers&adlclid=396c36812d901a21b7f65467f061ff56&cm_ite=6089915_267837417&msclkid=396c36812d901a21b7f65467f061ff56

Thank you both. Interesting comparing the reviews on Amazon with W-S, Amazon has far fewer 1s, relatively. Does that say something about the supply chain or customer demographics?

Still not sure about diff between Breville and DeLonghi quality wise

We had a Breville. It took more work than our Nepresso. Some may enjoy that, we didn’t.
You only need enough space to be able to grab the water tank.
A lungo is meant to be a double, so it’s a bit stronger.
Pods are recyclable. Nepresso provides a postage paid envelope to ship used pods back for recycling.

Is it the best espresso? No. Is it enjoyable and do they have many options for flavors/blends/strengths, yes.

There are several extensive coffee threads if you do a search. Machine recommendations, grinding vs pods are all covered.

I’ll try again but first attempts didn’t yield anything useful.

Not sure this helps much but my mom has had a Nespesso machine for maybe 10 yrs. It has been reliable and she likes it. Lots of pods to choose from. Occasionally the pump runs dry and is a bit tricky to reprime but nothing bad.

On first taste I though it was pretty good but the more I used it the less I liked the brew. Prefer regular coffee or a “real” expresso and find these somewhere inbetween in no man’s land. I am also a home roaster of beans so much more picky than most.

A non espresso snob here too. A few thoughts as I went through this back in December:

1. I tried the VL model a few times, both in a Nespresso store as well as well as 2 different hotels over like a 4 month period and never cared for it much compared to the OL. The VL did seem a bit watery and not as hot and given it was three different machines, I figured that was the style versus a bad machine. But that is a personal preference.

2. There are more 3rd party capsules with the OL because the patent ran out. The VL is locked and I think it is just Nespresso and maybe Starbucks

3. If you like cold drinks, get the Aeroccino 4. It does a good job at making a cold froth. I believe the 3 can maybe do it too. The all in 1 units that have the built in frother cannot do cold foam frothing.

4. re: the quality of the machines, I have had different appliances by both of those brands for many years. I’d pick the form/function and not be as worried about the name on the machine/

5. yes recycling the pods are free as mentioned above - they will give you a free bag with a prepaid label on it to return it to Nespresso so they can recycle it.

6. Lungo - as far as I know (again not a snob) has more water used to pull the espresso shot - I believe ~2x the water. So oz wise it is bigger, usually less bitter/more mild in flavor

Last point, I like Nespresso because it is easy to use, and I like the variety of the pods. Sometimes I want something bold, other times something with a fruit note or perhaps a dessert flavor (like the éclair) may fit my mood. So it is fun to have varieties without having to have different bags of beans kept cool, etc.

Thanks for these. 1st thread has nothing really on Nespresso but the second does of course.

Im still having trouble sifting through google search results - they are swamped by basic explanations of diff between Vertuo and Classic; and enumeration of features.

But I am getting a sense that, as stated here, I should not be too fussed by which manufacturer but focus on features design etc.

= Geek level 2 at least!

I’m not a huge fan of the Nespresso pods, so we use these: World's Tastiest, Sustainable Coffee Pod - Pod & Parcel – Pod & Parcel US

There are different intensities based on your palate and we have been happy. Not an espresso geek at all, so take it with a grain of salt.

The patent protection came off the pods a few years ago so there are options. We found most of the knock offs are cheap, but aren’t a true replacement for the Nestle produced ones.

Illy makes Nespresso capsules that I think are pretty good, if you can find them. Sur la Table had them, but our store closed during the pandemic. Starbucks capsules are actually made by Nespresso/Nestle. Peet’s are readily available at many supermarkets and worth a try. (All of these are aluminum, not plastic, capsules.)

FWIW, I roast beans (lighter roasts) for morning coffee (pour-over or French press). We use the nespresso machine for quick caffeine fixes now and then.

As Michael said, the original nespresso capsules are no longer protected by patent. Which might help to explain why nestle came out with the vertuo line…

“No man’s land” is a great way to put it. Seems to embody my least favourite parts from each of drip and espresso. I use it as a caffeine delivery device only when there aren’t better options (in a hotel or Airbnb early morning and nothing good is open). But if you’re not a coffee snob it’s fine.