As a jet fuel connoisseur, do you recommend any particular year or vintage? Is domestic jet fuel better or the Middle Eastern stuff more quaffable?
Instant stuff I get now is 100 percent arabica. Perhaps the guy was trying to muddy the waters … or coffee.
There’s also the CoffeeB “pod” machine that uses fully compostable, seaweed-wrapped coffee balls. It was introduced to the European market about 1-1/2 years ago.
James Hoffman did a humorous/informative video on it.
My wife had to go to her brother’s last night to take him in to day surgery. At four a.m. breakfast for her was a bran muffin and a cup of Keurig coffee. She recently bought a can of Pacifica chicken noodle soup. It was so devoid of flavor that adding salt just made it taste like salt water. She compared her Keurig coffee to that soup. Meanwhile, I felt like Kevin in Home Alone. “My very own pot of delicious French roast coffee, all to myself.”
Now you struck my nerve. I’m 56 and have driven since 16 YOA. These screens are dangerous. In an older car, you can feel the climate controls, like with your hands. Screens you have to look at and manipulate. Now, these huge screens are going to demand more attention.
K cups are what they are: mediocre but convenient fresh coffee. Like drip without the warmer plate (which is what usually ruins drip coffee.) I hate the garbage end of the KCup; but whatever. K coffee is better than no coffee.
They are no replacement for the real deal; but doggone convenient.
Sometimes analogue is superior, but ya gotta dance with the one what brung ya. In cooking, too, as in life.
Is there a Safeway near you? I tried their brand and it kicked butt. “Signature Select” was n the label I remember. Best instant coffee I’ve had. Tasted like the real deal, whereas the Folgers is gawdawful. I don’t like their ground coffee.
I tried the $1.25 Tree instant (Hecho en Mexico) and the fragrance was great, tasted like arse, though. I usually get Aldi’s instant. If you work in a jail, it fits the narrative.
No Safeway anywhere near.
The recent shift to empty nester has nudged me back to Nespresso. More expensive on the front end, but delicious and no stale coffee poured down the drain.
I collect the pods and send them back to Nespresso for recycling.
Let me ask you: What does an entry-level Nespresso cost, and does it make lower quality coffee than the more expensive/top models?
They’re not outrageous. The newer Vertuo models (use a lozenge shaped capsule) start just over $100.
Both of mine are the original capsules. The Essenza is currently about $170 on the Nespresso site, and the Latissimo that Ive had for a decade is currently about $400. Both can be found a little cheaper at discounters and online.
We’d had a Latissima in France so this was a priority replacement when we returned.
The Essenza was sitting neglected at a thrift store a few months ago for $10. I had to order another $10 of parts. The footprint is tiny, which is nice in my small kitchen.
The difference is the bells and whistles…the Essenza makes only espresso shots and lungo and the reservoir is small…about 4 lungos.
The Latissima has a huge reservoir, and has a milk steamer/frother for cappucinos, lattes, and fancier long drinks (and it works well, even with plant milk). It lives on a cupboard in my laundry room because its a space hog.
I havent done a side by side, but my perception is that the coffee itself is the same. I havent tried the Vertuo model so cant tell you how it stacks up.
It’s really nice to have coffee (and tasty decaf) literally on demand through the day. I WFH so a fresh cup between meetings is a godsend.
They do not make good coffee. Just better than nothing. The capsules from Nespresso are pricey. You can buy from Amazon but if you find one you like you may not be able to get it again. I would not buy a Nespresso again.
This. This is what I miss from nespresso. I used to drink nespresso. The taste was good, but indeed too expensive.
So, I switched to a semi automatic set up with an e61 prosumer machine and dedicated prosumer grinder. The espresso I now make is better than what nespresso offers, but warming up the machine takes at least 30 minutes. So, I basically only drink espresso in the morning. For this reason I’m now considering switching to more modern prosumer machines, where even e61 versions have fast heat up settings. Still, making coffee will then still take around 10 minutes, whereas nespresso is ready within 2-3 minutes or so.
The cheap nespresso machine I had made better coffee than the more expensive one from my mom,
Im one of those people who doesn’t function well in the mornings…if I need a cup of coffee and and 10 minutes to get a cup of espresso, it aint happening in my house.
As to cost…the capsules are $0.80 each from Nespresso. Even if I pound coffee til noon (because after a certain age, caffeine after noon isn’t allowed ) its still less than a single takeout coffee.
This hasn’t been my experience with the Breville Bambino+. I go from pushing a button to drinking a latte in about 1 minute.
I don’t “feine” after noon, either. $.80 isn’t bad, and I bet it’s decent stuff. Even at a gas station, they pay $1.30 or so for something probably inferior. I used to make drip for all the teachers in our school. Nobody drinks coffee like that anymore. All stop and buy their own. Now, I’m instant. Yawn.
I still have my drip machine* so when I havr company, I still make a whole pot (necause 2 or 3 people can go through some coffee!) But for just me this is a good solution (and it is really good coffee)
*and a pourover…and a Turkish pot…and a moka…and a French press…a Keurig I dont use …the two Nespressos,…the camp percolator…and some instant. I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM.
What, no Aeropress?
I checked into an AirBNB yesterday and this morning I was jet lagged and looking forward to a nice espresso from the Nespresso machine in the kitchen.
Vilest concoction I have run into in years.
I think it is not the machine, though it might need a cleaning. I think the capsules are years old and stale. So I checked Google Maps and there is a Nespresso store just 550 meters from me! Yea!
And it is temporarily closed… Argh!
I ought to buy coffee machine cleaner of some sort and more Nespresso capsules.
It does not take a lot to make me satisfied, my Illy machine is not the greatest but I like it a lot. This Nespresso is failing, big time.
I have the feeling that the answer is lurking in the background, but i just can not figure out what it is…