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Nespresso Tips 2006!
Nespresso Price Hike 2005
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Nespresso Lifestyle & How to Order
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Fitting that this entry be put in the "Lifestyle & Home" category, methinks.
So why do I bring up coffee on this fine Monday morning? Obvious -- My next order of coffee capsules arrives via the magic UPS bus this afternoon.
Mmmm... Let's talk about the Nespresso Lifestyle...
MY STORY
Last summer we spent time in the South of France for the wedding of some good friends of ours.
During our stay in Le Pal--the bride's family farm & resort they operate for about 4 months each year--I would drive down to the main farmhouse kitchen every morning from our apartment to get the baguettes and pain au chocolat for the day. They don't eat day-old bread in France. Week old? Fuhgeddaboutit. I'd also loiter around for a bit and have an espresso served up by my main man Flor (the bride's father and all-around great guy).
It was a wonderful experience to have enjoyable, consistent espresso from this strange little machine he used.
It was called Nespresso, and I quickly associated the wonderful capsules and flavors that eminated from it with my enjoyable, peaceful, culinarily salivating stay in France.
Then I was sad, for I was going home to the U.S., and they weren't letting me take the little machine with me.
But, wait, there's a light at the end of this tunnel! A couple years ago, the Nespresso Club moved into the US market after exclusively serving Europe for some time.
I was in luck! I quickly went through the math and decided that I could have Nespresso every day for the same price as one Starbucks moment a week. I even like it better, get to make it at home while my son eats breakfast, and have never looked back. In fact, my Dad & Peggy recently joined the Nespresso Lifestyle and they, too, love their life! (since then I've added more family and friends to the lifestyle)
When you get the Nespresso machine, you then have to use Nespresso's capsules. So, you really are buying into the Nespresso Lifestyle. But that's okay, I really like the lifestyle!
Nespresso has 9 flavors, 7 plus 2 decaf (2005 update: and now 3 Lungo large cup varieties as well as 2 "special" edition varieties a year) and it's wonderful to have them all on tap, from the super-light and enjoyable Volluto to the dark and robust Ristretto. Every flavor is great, Decaffeinato Intenso is wonderful, and my favorite is the purple capsule, Arpeggio. The machine is, well, machine-like in its consistency, which is something I always strove for with my $50 espresso maker, but never, ever achieved.
Also, with 19 bars of pressure, the Nespresso system produces the magic "coffee créma" which is frothy coffee, not cream, and is the secret behind great European coffees. It also has a nozzle for on-demand milk froth and steamed milk. Enjoyable, fantastic. Easy clean-up, no muss, no fuss, good stuff.
ORDERING THE NESPRESSO EXPERIENCE ™
Are you enjoying your first Nespresso Experience (tm) Yet?
I just got "The Moments of Nespresso" in the mail, a bunch of recipe cards for more great drinks... :-)
Check out the Nespresso Lifestyle when you get time. Sign up for an account, order yer nespresso D150 (or one of the funky, expensive models) and off ya go!
It takes 2 days to deliver (if you order online early enough in the day).
I'd suggest getting:
1. D150 Nespresso maker: approx. $199
* includes 1 sleeve (10 capsules) of Cosi and 1 sleeve of Decaffeinato
* includes 2 espresso (small) cups & saucers
* includes the sampler box with 2 capsules of each kind (18 capsules total)
* my Dad purchased the cappuccino cups, they are very good ones, wide mouth, just the right size.
My favorite machine version is the D150. I like the manual lever and look. You might like the more expensive "electronic" version or their funky, ultra-mod looking ones.
2. Cappuccino milk kit with the aluminum jug and chocolate sprinkler: $26.95
Cheaper to buy the aluminum jug at a place like Bed, Bath & Beyond, but this IS the Lifestyle, so go ahead and buy here if you want.
3. Capsule holder tray that goes under the D150: $13.95
* This is a must. Makes the machine look cooler, and is the best and cheapest way to store capsules. Ignore the very expensive alternatives for this, they take up more counter space you can't afford to lose!
4. Order some coffee!!! Each sleeve of 10 capsules (equals 10 cups of espresso or cappuccino) is $4.50. Shipping is $4.95 per order. So, ordering 100 capsules is $45.00 + $4.95. Ordering 200 capsules is $90 + $4.95. (Update 2005: coffee now $4.90 per sleeve and $5.95 s/h per order)
THE COMPETITION
So, yes, we've joined the Nespresso Lifestyle. Now corporate Global is joining in on the fun, too. Well, Nespresso is Nestlé, so I should say other corporate Global is joining in.
If you think Nespresso is a bit indulgent ($180 for the machine and $.49 each drink capsule), then you'll appreciate that more options and some competition are entering the fray for your coffee-luvin', sumptuous lifestyle of morning and evening drinks.
There's the Germanic-sounding Keurig system which my next-door neighbor has. But, it's a coffee maker, not an espresso/cappuccino system. Also, I think the word "keurig" is Dutch for excellence, and the company is American. It's good coffee, I've tried it, and they also can get Celestial Seasonings™ green teas.
Then there's the Senseo home coffee system by Sara Lee, recently introduced and only available for pre-sale on Amazon.com. Capsules are about $.25 each. Again, it looks like they only make coffee, not quite the Euro-experience. (Update 2005: now on sale everywhere... Having used one, I am very unimpressed. Shoddy design, poor coffee)
Finally, Proctor & Gamble has come out with a clone of the Senseo system (or vice versa, not sure who was first) called Home Café.
Whatever you choose, choose to enjoy life!
More Nespresso News:
Nespresso Tips 2006!
Nespresso Price Hike 2005
More Tips 'n' Maintenance
Tips 'n' Maintenance
Nespresso Lifestyle & How to Order