capsual coffee machines road test

[mjd]

I have a Nespresso machine & its a few years old now. I must say I love it for its convenience & the flavor is fine. Takes me about 2 mins to make a double shot ristretto at 4:30 / 5:00 am every morning. This gets me out the door & into a good training session 6 days a week. I take it away with me on races away from home for the same reasons. Some of the places I have raced its impossible to find a drinkable coffee & if there is a good coffee shop its usually 50 deep with pesky cyclists. Don't worry plenty of people end up coming to my room trying to sponge a brew. I purchased the Nespresso for convenience first & taste second. I know a few people with expensive machines that cant make a decent cuppa & I know a few with expensive machines that dont use them because it take to long to make, clean & enjoy the machine. So in saying that its each to there own, if you enjoy your coffee machine that's all that matters.
My late morning brew is always from one of my favorite hole in the wall coffee houses nearby. Two cups a day is all I allow myself so the familiarity is something I enjoy.

[Wal42]

Got an Aldi one at home, we looked at most/all/alot/ heaps of forum feedback about them before we bought, it appears that 50% of them don't work, the rest appear to rock, so we took the punt. It don't work as good as the 'proper' expresso machine at work, but I drink bucket loads of coffee when I'm home, the cheap one we got has hacked all the abuse I've heaped on it so far.

My last one was a big ticket DeLonghi one (not capsule), I wore it out (yep took it back for warranty & they said it looked like it had run consistently for the whole period I'd owned it, hey I don't think I get up in my sleep & make myself a flat white, but maybe I do), they asked quite pointedly if I was using it commercially.

So at this stage, the cheap supermarket one is doing the job, I can buy 4 or 5 of those for the price of a 'good' one, not the greatest but good enough if you drink heaps of coffee's at home.

[skull]

A suggestion that might be worth considering is what I currently do now.

When the last cheap $100 machine packed it in we decided to not bother replacing as it we found we were (well I was) drinking to much. Now we just have plunger coffee in the morning or if we are in a real rush use coffee bags. They provide something a bit nicer than instant.

[m@]

I have the deloghi lattissima and love it. The coffee is not stale i normally 2 shot in a big cup and have a variety of strength blends.,now i have it, i would not be without it, and i love the fact there is no mess to clean up.Tim

as a matter of fact i might have one now

Any roasted coffee that is packaged in a container that doesn't have a one-way valve is most definitely stale as it's no longer degassing (or the pod would inflate), though this doesn't mean the coffee will necessarily taste stale to everyone's palate and if you enjoy the coffee that's all that matters.

IMO if you're set on a pod machine for convenience then just go for the cheapest one, they all seem to be compatible with the different brands of pod anyway. But for about the same money you'd get infinitely better results from a hand grinder and stovetop/plunger/Aeropress setup teamed with freshly roasted beans.

[TimW]

http://www.nespresso.com/#/au/en/coffee ... protection

[im_no_pro]

Another Aldi machine owner here. I'm far from a coffee elitist (not that there is anything wrong with that). Looked into the nespresso, at the time the basic machine would not take a decent sized cup, the pods were overpriced IMO and a PITA to source. Couple of people recommended the Aldi machine, I figured for a touch over 100 bucks with a milk frother its no big loss if it didnt turn out (I used to have a manual machine that cost me more than that and expertly gathered dust in the 'rarely used appliances cupboard' alongside the dutch pancake pan and the juice maker).

With the money I saved by not buying coffee on the way to work & when out and about on the weekend I reckon it paid for itself in the space of a month or two. Still going strong best part of a year later (although the milk frother died after a couple of weeks, was as simple as taking it back the next time we went shopping and it was swapped over on the spot). Is it the worlds best coffee? Hell no. Was I downgrading from the worlds best coffee given I was usually swinging past the McCafe drive thru or one of the other drive-thru caffeine dealers that seem to be popping up on every other corner? Of course not.

I still like to have a quality coffee every now and then, when I do I will go somewhere that I know does a decent coffee. I liken it to food & other drinks. I eat every day, but not every meal needs to be a roast with all the trimmings. I like to drink fine whisky and well crafted beers, but that doesnt stop me from knocking back a carlton draught or two with mates (johnnie walker red on the other hand, is the international roast of whiskeys ).

[m@]

http://www.nespresso.com/#/au/en/coffee_nespresso/nespresso_blend/aromas_protection

I'm surprised they didn't sneak an "Italian-deigned" in there You can read similar marketing on 'premium' instant brands and vacuum-packed supermarket beans. My point is that the coffee has to be stale when it goes into the pods, otherwise they'd inflate like balloons as the beans expelled CO2... But as I said, if you're happy with the coffee that's all that matters. Heaps of people are happy drinking instant, or even (shudder) decaf

@INP, I've had similar thoughts but since I save close to a grand a year by making coffee at home and it's negligible extra effort to make a decent espresso, it's pretty easy for me to justify spending a bit extra on equipment and beans and drinking better coffee at home than I could buy anywhere hereabouts... moving to Melbourne next month though, so that may all change depending on which suburb we end up living in...

[hannos]

My new coffee machine
http://www.sunbeam.com.au/products/kitchen/em6910/

and my grinder
http://www.sunbeam.com.au/products/kitchen/em0480/


Still perfecting the art of making a coffee though.

[im_no_pro]

@INP, I've had similar thoughts but since I save close to a grand a year by making coffee at home and it's negligible extra effort to make a decent espresso, it's pretty easy for me to justify spending a bit extra on equipment and beans and drinking better coffee at home than I could buy anywhere hereabouts... moving to Melbourne next month though, so that may all change depending on which suburb we end up living in...

On the move again? You will be spoilt for choice in Melbourne thats for sure.

I thought about doing it myself, but I know what im like. If I cant have/make the best (or close to), then chances are I wont do it. It would just become my 'hobby of the month' and six months later I would have something else the GLW could tell me I spent a ton of money and time on and didnt use (like my bike , golf clubs, DJ console, etc etc. Latest fad is the Digital SLR camera, although hoping that one sticks around for a while as junior_no_pro was the motivation behind the GLW buying it for me for xmas). Golf was great when I was younger and had the time to play 1-2 times a week, meaning I could play to a single figure handicap even though I played high risk golf. Nowadays I play 2-3 times a year and its just not the same. Not even close

[simonn]

My brother has a nespresso. Is actually pretty good as far as home machines go, but pricey.

We went old skool. My mum bought me a stainless steel cafetiere/plunger a couple of years ago. $10.50 for a packet of coffee from Bellaroma which lasts us ~ a couple of weeks. Saves a motza on the coffee bill.

[g-boaf]

@INP, I've had similar thoughts but since I save close to a grand a year by making coffee at home and it's negligible extra effort to make a decent espresso, it's pretty easy for me to justify spending a bit extra on equipment and beans and drinking better coffee at home than I could buy anywhere hereabouts... moving to Melbourne next month though, so that may all change depending on which suburb we end up living in...

On the move again? You will be spoilt for choice in Melbourne thats for sure.

I thought about doing it myself, but I know what im like. If I cant have/make the best (or close to), then chances are I wont do it. It would just become my 'hobby of the month' and six months later I would have something else the GLW could tell me I spent a ton of money and time on and didnt use (like my bike , golf clubs, DJ console, etc etc. Latest fad is the Digital SLR camera, although hoping that one sticks around for a while as junior_no_pro was the motivation behind the GLW buying it for me for xmas). Golf was great when I was younger and had the time to play 1-2 times a week, meaning I could play to a single figure handicap even though I played high risk golf. Nowadays I play 2-3 times a year and its just not the same. Not even close

It looks like you are doing alright with the camera from what I've seen. Just take more pictures and experiment with photos in different conditions so that you use different techniques and all of the features that the camera has to offer. That's how you get better at it and know how to get the best shot in any given conditions, and reduces the fear factor a bit. Though that never does go away when it's an important person behind the camera or someone really famous like John Travolta. (who is actually quite easy going and very cool!) It keeps you alert and on your toes. When I'm not doing that, I get out and photograph planes at night when almost nobody else is around. I personally find it totally relaxing, almost cathartic - it just purges your mind of any other thoughts.

Coffee is pretty easy to do. You don't even have to roast your own beans if you don't want to. I just buy the Illy beans in the tin and grind them up. The rest is just a bit of practice (and maybe a few visits to Youtube). But a good coffee machine and decent grinder is a must. The little department store grinders like they have at DJs or Myer usually won't do the job - you need something a little bit more heavy duty, like a Rancilio Rocky:

http://www.jetblackespresso.com.au/shop ... lio-rocky/

For the machines, I personally like the heat-exchanger ones, although they are more expensive.

[Cruiserman]

@INP, I've had similar thoughts but since I save close to a grand a year by making coffee at home and it's negligible extra effort to make a decent espresso, it's pretty easy for me to justify spending a bit extra on equipment and beans and drinking better coffee at home than I could buy anywhere hereabouts... moving to Melbourne next month though, so that may all change depending on which suburb we end up living in...

On the move again? You will be spoilt for choice in Melbourne thats for sure.

I thought about doing it myself, but I know what im like. If I cant have/make the best (or close to), then chances are I wont do it. It would just become my 'hobby of the month' and six months later I would have something else the GLW could tell me I spent a ton of money and time on and didnt use (like my bike , golf clubs, DJ console, etc etc. Latest fad is the Digital SLR camera, although hoping that one sticks around for a while as junior_no_pro was the motivation behind the GLW buying it for me for xmas). Golf was great when I was younger and had the time to play 1-2 times a week, meaning I could play to a single figure handicap even though I played high risk golf. Nowadays I play 2-3 times a year and its just not the same. Not even close

It looks like you are doing alright with the camera from what I've seen. Just take more pictures and experiment with photos in different conditions so that you use different techniques and all of the features that the camera has to offer. That's how you get better at it and know how to get the best shot in any given conditions, and reduces the fear factor a bit. Though that never does go away when it's an important person behind the camera or someone really famous like John Travolta. (who is actually quite easy going and very cool!) It keeps you alert and on your toes. When I'm not doing that, I get out and photograph planes at night when almost nobody else is around. I personally find it totally relaxing, almost cathartic - it just purges your mind of any other thoughts.

Coffee is pretty easy to do. You don't even have to roast your own beans if you don't want to. I just buy the Illy beans in the tin and grind them up. The rest is just a bit of practice (and maybe a few visits to Youtube). But a good coffee machine and decent grinder is a must. The little department store grinders like they have at DJs or Myer usually won't do the job - you need something a little bit more heavy duty, like a Rancilio Rocky:

http://www.jetblackespresso.com.au/shop ... lio-rocky/

For the machines, I personally like the heat-exchanger ones, although they are more expensive.

HX is the way to go unless you want to shell out big bikkies for a dual boiler for the ultimate in temperature control for the brew water.

If you would like to improve your coffee experience, ditch the illy coffee and try either a local to you roaster or as I have suggested before Coffeesnobs. Andy Freeman set up a roastery after many years coordinating a green coffee bean co op type arrangement through the coffee forum coffeesnobs.com.au He has since won several roasting awards. 50c from each and every kilo of either green or roasted beans goes to a fund called faircrack which directly supports small coffee growing communities. Definitely a great experience. Sign up at coffee snobs visit the bean bay and get going. Freshly roasted well packaged beans will arrive at your letterbox, doorstep, or PO box in a couple of days. If this does not improve your experience - whilst providing you the opportunity to try our some of the worlds best single origin or blended coffee's I will be very surprised. Andy is as passionate about his and your coffee experience as anyone on here is about their bike and cycling. BTW as per usual I have no financial arrangement or ties with coffeesnobs and Andy Freeman other than to give him money in exchange for in my case green beans.

[Cruiserman]

My new coffee machine
http://www.sunbeam.com.au/products/kitchen/em6910/

They are a nice machine the pick of the thermobloc machines with a block for brewing and one for steaming meaning the delay between steaming and brewing or vice versa is eliminated.

and my grinder
http://www.sunbeam.com.au/products/kitchen/em0480/

These are also a pretty reasonable grinder - small conical machine. This would be your first upgrade path on the journey to coffee nirvana. If you pick up the next grinder up the rung - my first grinder the Rancilio Rocky you will immediately notice the difference in weight - with grinders it is the polar opposite to bikes, the heavier and more sturdily built will produce a more even particle size and noticeably improve the taste.

Still perfecting the art of making a coffee though.

Keep working and enjoy the journey, remember a sink shot should go down the sink. Life is too short to drink bad coffee.

[yarravalleyplodder]

ok my 2 cents and please note I am an unashamed beer, wine and coffee snob

Instant coffee is not real coffee and I would rather drink tea

pod coffee is glorified instant coffee and thus I would rather drink tea

Unless you can afford a decent machine I go for the stove top option with freshly ground coffee beans, hell of a lot cheaper and you get a half decent coffee out of it

Having said that I do prefer a barista made coffee and I swing between a double espresso or a very strong long black both with 1 sugar, which is the only thing that should be added to coffee, milk ruins it and you should be shot if you add flavouring or any other crap offered by starbucks or gloria jeans

I cant stand any of the chain coffee shops, when you have to explain what a double espresso is to the person behind the counter they are not a real coffee shop. Give me to independent coffee shop owner who prides themselves on service and taste and I am happy to hand over my $3.50 per day

[Cruiserman]

$3.50 per day

Wow we were just up in Townsville for the last few days. $4 was the starting price, 4.5 to 5 the norm and that is not for supersized but rather regular cups. 3.5 is a very good price these days.

[RonK]

Instant coffee is not real coffee and I would rather drink tea

I'd rather drink water.

pod coffee is glorified instant coffee and thus I would rather drink tea

I'd rather drink water.

Unless you can afford a decent machine I go for the stove top option with freshly ground coffee beans, hell of a lot cheaper and you get a half decent coffee out of it

I'd rather drink water.

I swing between a double espresso or a very strong long black both with 1 sugar, which is the only thing that should be added to coffee

Sugar? No thanks, I'll have a drink of water.

[rkelsen]

You had me up to this point:

... 1 sugar, which is the only thing that should be added to coffee...

Putting sugar in coffee is like putting lolly water into scotch.

[herzog]

Putting sugar in coffee is like putting lolly water into scotch.

There are cultural differences on this one.

In Italy they pile it into their doppio, give it a quick stir and throw it down the hatch while standing at the bar.

The saying is "Quando il cucchiaio sta a piedi, c'e abbastanza zucchero nel caffe"

In other parts of the Mediterranean like Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, they indeed pile the sugar in so hard that the spoon stands upright when you let go of it.

One thing that is definitely not acceptable in any culture is putting hazelnut syrup in!

[im_no_pro]

I just realised if you change 4 words in this thread it's basically a carbon copy of god knows how many other threads on here.

Instant = Alloy
Pod = Steel
Plunger/Stovetop = Carbon
Deluxe fancy machine = Titanium


















































Lets not go there though

[/sarcasm]

[rkelsen]

Putting sugar in coffee is like putting lolly water into scotch.

There are cultural differences on this one.

In Italy they pile it into their doppio, give it a quick stir and throw it down the hatch while standing at the bar.

The saying is "Quando il cucchiaio sta a piedi, c'e abbastanza zucchero nel caffe"

First time I've ever heard that one. Whoever told you that must have liked sugar more than coffee. The running joke in my family is more along the lines of coffee being so strong that you can stand the spoon in it.

In other parts of the Mediterranean like Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, they indeed pile the sugar in so hard that the spoon stands upright when you let go of it.

The Turks and Greeks don't drink coffee. They drink mud.

[yarravalleyplodder]

You had me up to this point:

... 1 sugar, which is the only thing that should be added to coffee...

Putting sugar in coffee is like putting lolly water into scotch.

dont drink scotch and I went a whole 3 months without adding sugar but in the end I relented each to their own

Putting sugar in coffee is like putting lolly water into scotch.

There are cultural differences on this one.

In Italy they pile it into their doppio, give it a quick stir and throw it down the hatch while standing at the bar.

The saying is "Quando il cucchiaio sta a piedi, c'e abbastanza zucchero nel caffe"

In other parts of the Mediterranean like Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, they indeed pile the sugar in so hard that the spoon stands upright when you let go of it.

One thing that is definitely not acceptable in any culture is putting hazelnut syrup in!

Love Turkish coffee and it is not acceptable to add any kind of syrup to coffee, it surely should be a crime

[g-boaf]

HX is the way to go unless you want to shell out big bikkies for a dual boiler for the ultimate in temperature control for the brew water.

If you would like to improve your coffee experience, ditch the illy coffee and try either a local to you roaster or as I have suggested before Coffeesnobs. Andy Freeman set up a roastery after many years coordinating a green coffee bean co op type arrangement through the coffee forum coffeesnobs.com.au He has since won several roasting awards. 50c from each and every kilo of either green or roasted beans goes to a fund called faircrack which directly supports small coffee growing communities. Definitely a great experience. Sign up at coffee snobs visit the bean bay and get going. Freshly roasted well packaged beans will arrive at your letterbox, doorstep, or PO box in a couple of days. If this does not improve your experience - whilst providing you the opportunity to try our some of the worlds best single origin or blended coffee's I will be very surprised. Andy is as passionate about his and your coffee experience as anyone on here is about their bike and cycling. BTW as per usual I have no financial arrangement or ties with coffeesnobs and Andy Freeman other than to give him money in exchange for in my case green beans.

I've been a member of the coffeesnobs forum for a long time, but I've made probably only 1 or 2 posts on there since I've joined (which was years ago). I do get his emails about those coffee beans, but never bothered to do anything about them. Maybe I'll try it some other time.

Since I'm back at work next week, it's inevitable that my coffee drinking habits will go back to rushing out the door in the morning without breakfast and getting a coffee at Bar Bello along with breakfast take-away and consuming it all at my desk while dealing with emails and phone-calls. It's just not the same.

Got an Aldi one at home, we looked at most/all/alot/ heaps of forum feedback about them before we bought, it appears that 50% of them don't work, the rest appear to rock, so we took the punt. It don't work as good as the 'proper' expresso machine at work, but I drink bucket loads of coffee when I'm home, the cheap one we got has hacked all the abuse I've heaped on it so far.

My last one was a big ticket DeLonghi one (not capsule), I wore it out (yep took it back for warranty & they said it looked like it had run consistently for the whole period I'd owned it, hey I don't think I get up in my sleep & make myself a flat white, but maybe I do), they asked quite pointedly if I was using it commercially.

So at this stage, the cheap supermarket one is doing the job, I can buy 4 or 5 of those for the price of a 'good' one, not the greatest but good enough if you drink heaps of coffee's at home.

These big ticket super-automatics like Krups and others are ridiculous. When they go wrong, the repair price appears to be enormous - a colleague of mine had a repair bill quoted at over $500 for a name-brand large automatic machine. Mine could get a major overhaul of just about every part inside it for that price I think.

[herzog]

The Turks and Greeks don't drink coffee. They drink mud.

Yes it can be overpowering, but again it's a case of different cultures having different styles.

Ethiopia for example has a strong coffee culture and their own distinct style, which is taken quite sweet.

The Arabs also typically sweeten it.

[im_no_pro]

<snip snip>
...each to their own...

<snip snip>

...it is not acceptable to add any kind of syrup to coffee...

FWIW though, i'm with you on the syrup.

[rogan]

Quite a few people saying that capsule coffee is not as good as a good real coffee. Quite honestly, that would be my perception too. But have you done a blind taste test?

Someone has...

http://www.aeonmagazine.com/being-human/julian-baggini-coffee-artisans/