Nespresso
Nespresso is a division of Nestlé, concentrating on the high-end of the coffee market. Nespresso products range from patented coffee-capsule technology and the associated machinery, to the actual coffee capsules.
History
The first patent application for the process of extracting coffee from capsules containing ground coffee was filed in 1976. Starting from 1986 the system was first introduced to the business market, and subsequently to the domestic household market.
There are two types of Nespresso capsules available - one intended for domestic use, and another for office use. The domestic capsules, at least, are exclusively available from Nespresso, cost $0.52 per capsule, and are available only in packs of 10.
The Nespresso coffee machines are widely sold in electrical retail stores, but the capsules can only be bought in Nespresso stores, called "Nespresso boutiques", via mail-order or the company web-site.
The company also sell a plethora of other Nespresso-branded products, such as coffee cups, sugar and capsule holders, and even Nespresso spoons.
Nespresso capsules are 100% recyclable [1].
Technology
The Nespresso capsules (as seen on the right) are made of pressed aluminium foil, with a plasticised liner to limit contact between the aluminium and the coffee grounds. Different blends contain different types of coffee, and also are ground to different grades of fineness, to bring out the intended flavour.
The capsule top and sides are made of thick aluminium foil, and the base is covered with a thinner layer of foil. When the capsule is inserted into the machine, the top of the capsule is pierced (some machines make a single large hole, and others make a number of smaller ones). When the machine is activated, the machine pumps hot water under pressure (Nespresso quote 19 bar, or approximately 275 PSI) into the top of the capsule.
This causes the base of the capsule to bow out, as it is made of thinner foil than the rest of the capsule. The base of the capsule holder (on which the capsule sits) has a number of raised squares, which causes the foil to rupture at these points, and the brewed coffee then exits the capsule, and flows into the cup.
Depending on the particular machine being used, the spent capsule may then be ejected into a holding chamber within the machine. This ejection process is automated on certain higher end machines.
There is a pressure release valve sited inside the brewing chamber, which prevents an explosion occurring if the small holes in the base of the holder become blocked.
Criticism
While grassroots and Blog support of Nespresso coffee abounds, various criticisms have been raised.
First, the unique design of Nespresso capsules prohibit customers from purchasing coffee made by any source other than Nestle.
Another issue: Nespresso machines do not allow users to fine-tune the strength of a beverage as can be done by a traditional pump espresso machine, which allows more control over the amount of ground coffee used per shot. Nespresso users do, however, have the option of making a 'long' or 'short' espresso with any of the blends.
No Fairtrade coffee is available as a Nespresso capsule[2]. Instead Nespresso have devised their own scheme known as AAA Sustainable Quality[3] in conjunction with the Rainforest Alliance[4].
Although the aluminum capsules are recyclables, Nestle has only implemented a recycling concept in Switzerland. Customers in all other countries must remove the coffee grounds prior to recycling the aluminum capsule.
Range of machines
Nespresso designs a wide range of machines, many of which are manufactured by well known kitchen equipment producers, such as Krups, DeLonghi and Siemens, but which all seem to conform to a restricted set of standardised designs. In 2000, Nespresso began distributing its own machines independent of Krups. In the USA, 27 machines are available for home use (as of March 2008); the majority of these are manufactured and distributed by Nespresso USA.
The features of these machines vary, with the more expensive machines possessing features such as automatic capsule ejection and milk frothers. All machines take the same capsules and Nespresso sets minimum mandatory specifications, such as water temperature and pressure requirements which all machines must meet, in an effort to standardize the quality of the coffee produced across models.
Nespresso considers the smaller machines to be portable and sells 'carry cases' for them.
Accessories
Nespresso sell a range of branded accessories to accompany the machines.
These include:
- The Nespresso coffee capsules, sold both as packs of ten, and as a 'taster box', including several capsules of each blend.
- Capsule holders
- A range of different cups (some branded with the colours of a particular Nespresso coffee blend)
- Milk frother jet tools
- Spoons
- Serving trays
- Sugar sticks
- Amaretto biscuits
The photograph below shows a small part of the range - on the left is a Nespresso 'taster' box, and on the right are a range of coffee cups and sugar sticks. These particular cups are designed to complement the decaffeinated coffee range (The three different coloured red 'wave' designs match the colours of Decaffeinato, Decaffeinato Intenso and Decaffeinato Lungo capsules).
Coffee Blends
Although the machines are available retail, The Nespresso capsules themselves are only available from one source, Nespresso, via mail, phone or internet. This means that the capsules, while of uniform quality, also have prices that are fixed at a relatively high cost (currently around 52 cents U.S. per use/capsule, much higher than loose coffee or some other brands). By buying the system, one is committed to only using the Nespresso capsules, as there is no way to use anything else in the machine.
The coffee for all markets is processed in one factory in Switzerland, thus guaranteeing consistency in the flavor across all blends. Nespresso uses Arabica beans as a base and some stronger flavors have Robusta beans also. The blends make it difficult to identify an origin for the coffee.
The Espresso capsules contain an average 5.5 grams of coffee, and the Lungo capsules contain an average of 7 grams of coffee. Each capsule makes one cup of coffee.
Nespresso have 12 premium blends, which come in a variety of different strengths:
The Espresso Blends
- Ristretto - Strength: 10; Acidity level: 1/3; Bitterness level: 3/3;
- Arpeggio - Strength: 9; Acidity: 0/3; Bitterness: 3/3;
- Roma - Strength: 8; Acidity: 1/3; Bitterness: 2/3;
- Decaffeinato Intenso - Strength: 7; Acidity: 0/3; Bitterness: 3/3;
- Livanto - Strength: 6; Acidity: 0/3; Bitterness: 2/3;
- Capriccio - Strength: 5; Acidity: 1/3; Bitterness: 2/3;
- Volluto - Strength: 4; Acidity: 2/3; Bitterness: 1/3;
- Cosi - Strength: 3; Acidity: 3/3; Bitterness: 1/3;
- Decaffeinato - Strength: 2; Acidity: 1/3; Bitterness: 1/3;
The Ristretto is probably the capsule with a flavor and creme that comes closest to an espresso obtained in Italy.
The Lungo Blends
- Vivalto- Strength: 6; Acidity level: 1/3; Bitterness level: 2/3;
- Decaffeinato Lungo - Strength: 5; Acidity: 1/3; Bitterness: 1/3;
- Finezzo - Strength: 4; Acidity: 1/3; Bitterness: 2/3;
Limited Edition Blends
- "Goroka"- Strength:6 - Year: 2008 - Origin: Papua New Guinea
To provide a added variety, Nespresso introduces two special blends each year, both of which are available for a limited period of time. These are sourced from a particular region and reflect the characteristics of that region.