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Nespresso

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File:Boutiques Nespresso worldwide.jpg
Nespresso Boutiques
Passeig Gràcia 55,Barcelona; Gaben 10,Vienna ; Ion Orchard Centre,Singapore ; Champs-Elysées,Paris; Mazaryk, Mexico City


Nespresso is the brand name of Nestlé Nespresso S.A., an operating unit of the Nestlé Group. Nespresso products are based on a proprietary system of single-serving "capsules" containing ground coffee, and specialized machines to brew espresso from the contents of the capsules. Capsules are available in a wide range of coffee varieties. The company is based in Paudex, Switzerland and has more than 4,500 employees worldwide. Its machines are sold through retail channels, while the capsules are sold online and in the "coffee boutiques". Nespresso will have about 195 boutiques in 35 countries by the end of 2009.[1][2]

History

The first patent application for the process of extracting coffee from capsules containing freshly 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 only available from Nespresso.

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 website.

The company also sell a plethora of other Nespresso-branded products, such as coffee cups, sugar and capsule holders, and even Nespresso spoons

A high point for Nespresso came when Nespresso was prominently featured on the Beverley Turner vehicle, 'Taste'.[3]

Technology

The bottom of a used nespresso capsule, showing the ruptures in the foil from which the brewed coffee flows.

Nespresso developed the concept of the hermetically sealed aluminium capsule(as seen on the right).

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 quotes 19 bar) into the top of the capsule.

The base of a Nespresso machine capsule holder. As well as the raised squares which rupture the capsule, you can also make out the holes between the squares through which the espresso exits the holder.

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

The concept of Nespresso does not allow the customer to purchase coffee from any source other than Nestlé.

Criticisms have been raised regarding the ecological implications of Nespresso. In terms of ecological impact, each cup of Nespresso coffee produces aluminum waste, the main material of the capsule. There is 1g of aluminum in one capsule (including the cover) compared to 13g for one light-weight drinks can. Recycling aluminum represents energy savings of up to 95% in comparison with the production of primary aluminum.[4] However, Nestlé has not implemented recycling programs outside of Switzerland, France and Germany.[4] This leads to a large per-cup waste generation, and some user groups have criticized this.[5] Some consumers empty out used capsules and put the aluminum capsules in their recycling waste.[6] [7]

Range of machines

Nespresso designs a wide range of machines, many of which are manufactured by well known kitchen equipment producers, such as Krups, Magimix, Siemens and Delonghi, 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, around 20 are available for home use.

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 make the same quality Nespresso coffee however, as Nespresso sets minimum mandatory specifications, such as water temperature and pressure requirements, which all machines must meet.

The smaller machines are considered portable, and Nespresso sells 'carry cases' for these, allowing their owner to take them on holiday if desired. Another option is for company representatives to bring them to trade shows.

Nespresso is now also being used by top name German company Miele in some of their high end coffee machines.

A pair of Nespresso Magimix M100 machines

Accessories

Nespresso sell a range of branded accessories to accompany the machines.

These include:

  • Capsule holders
  • A range of different cups (Limited Edition cups are released along with seasonal coffee's 3 times a year)
  • Aeroccino (Milk frother)
  • Spoons
  • Serving trays
  • Sugar sticks
  • Amaretto biscuits and other bites
  • Chocolates (as of May 2009 nespresso is looking into expanding their range of chocolates)

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).

Nespresso tasting box and cups

Coffee blends

Although Nespresso machines are available in many retail stores, the Nespresso capsules are only available from Nespresso, via mail, phone, or Internet, or in Nespresso Boutiques. This means that the capsules, while very high quality[citation needed], also have prices that are fixed at a relatively high cost (currently around 55 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.

16 different "Grands Crus" blends offer 16 different types of coffee and also are ground to different grades of fineness, to bring out the intended aormatic notes and flavour.

Each capsule makes one cup of coffee. The capsules contain an average 5.7 grams of coffee, and the Lungo capsules contain an average of 7 grams of coffee. An espresso is ideally served at 40 ml (1 imp fl oz; 1 US fl oz), a half espresso at 25 ml (1 imp fl oz; 1 US fl oz) and a Lungo at 110 ml (4 imp fl oz; 4 US fl oz).

Nespresso has a permanent selection of 16 premium blends (originally 12), which come in different strengths:

The Nespresso blends for consumers

File:16CAPSULES.jpg
The 16 Grands Crus of Nespresso


Ristretto (far left), Arpeggio, Roma, Livanto, Cappriccio, Volluto, Cosi, Rosabaya, Dulsao, Indriya, Fortissio Lungo, Vivalto Lungo, Finezzio Lungo, Decaffeinato Intenso, Decaffeinato Lungo, Decaffeinato (far right)

Blend Intensity (0-10) Acidity (0-3) Bitterness (0-3)
Indryia from India 10 1 3
Ristretto 10 1 3
Arpegggio 9 0 3
Roma 8 1 2
Decaffeinato intenso 7 0 3
Fortissio Lungo 7 1 3
Rosabaya de Colombia 6 2 1
Livanto 6 0 2
Dulsão do Brasil 5 1 3
Capriccio 5 1 2
Volluto 4 2 1
Vivalto Lungo 4 1 2
Finezzo Lungo 3 3 1
Decaffeinato Lungo 3 1 2
Cosi 3 3 1
Decaffeinato 2 1 1

The types named Lungo contain a rougher ground coffee especially for larger cups of coffee. The red cups which have the name "Decaffeinato" in them contain a decaffeinated blend.

The Ristretto is probably the capsule with a flavour and crema that comes closest to an espresso obtained in Italy. It is in fact described as "the classic Italian espresso" in the Nespresso brochures.[citation needed]

In 2009, Nespresso introduced 4 new flavours, 3 pure origin espressos (Indriya from India, Rosabaya De Colombia and Dulsão do Brasil), and a new lungo: Fortissio Lungo. Also the blend of the Finezzo Lungo was modified. In addition the intensity measurement of lungos was changed from an espresso sized cup to a lungo sized cup. So Vivalto Lungo and Decaffeinato Lungo have changed from intensity 6 and 5 to intensity 4 and 3 out of 10. The modified Finezzo Lungo blend changed from intensity 4 to 3. At intensity 7, the newer Fortissio Lungo is much more intense than the other lungos.

In addition to the 16 permanent blends of coffee, Nespresso release seasonal blends twice a year. They are always a very high quality bean from a grower who can not produce enough coffee required for one of the permanent blends. Nespresso will purchase the whole crop and produce one batch of capsules which run out in a couple of months and are never repeated. A medium strength coffee (5-7 intensity) will generally be released in May and a strong blend (8-9 intensity) will generally be released in September. For Christmas Nespresso release flavour infused coffees, these are generally released on the 1st and sell out in a couple of weeks.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Nespresso: HJR/WSW Corporate Backgrounder" (PDF). Nestlé Nespresso SA. 2009-06-22. Retrieved 2009-06-22. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ "Our Company" (PDF). Nestlé Nespresso web site. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
  3. ^ "Taste, Sky1". Youtube. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  4. ^ a b The 100%recyclable capsule: [1], Nespresso website, 13 May 2007. In English. URL last accessed 2007-05-13.
  5. ^ http://coffeemachine.com.au/coffee-pods-what-waste-a-11.html
  6. ^ http://www.singleservecoffeeforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5550
  7. ^ http://thetreehuggerblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/recycling-nespresso-coffee-capsules.html
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