Nespresso: Loving the Machine, Loving the Coffee :)

The long wait is over. We finally found the right Nespresso machine for us.

The Husband learned about the wonders of Nespresso when he worked in Dubai. That was in 2007. When he arrived here in Sydney, one of his gifts to me were two sets Nespresso cups, spoons and a sugar holder. He told me that one day, we will have our own machine.

It was a mixture of prolonging my love affair with a French press and finding the right machine for us. 

Everytime we're at a department store, we always find ourselves passing by the coffee machines, thinking and dreaming of having one. Every visit, we'd have a favourite but we were never certain which one to bring home. 

One major reason why I've been hesitant to buy a Nespresso machine is because I love that I have different coffee brands at home. I've always loved making coffee manually, via a grinder and French press and with these two around, I can freely buy coffee beans anytime I want. I thought that having a Nespresso machine will curtail that. So everytime the Husband told me, "Come on, let's buy this machine." I would always say, "Not now, later." 

In August, we learned that Nespresso came out with a new machine. It was called Nespresso U. We liked its simple yet sophisticated design. It was love at first sight, I guess, because I kept thinking of it for days and imagining how it would look in our kitchen.

We read and asked the staff at Nespresso Boutique about the machine and here are some of its features:

• pre-programmed cup sizes. The three buttons on top of the machine refers to three cup sizes: Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40ml), and Lungo (110ml).
• soft touch interface
• automatic piercing and brewing
• automatic capsule injection
• modularity – adjustable water tank according to space availablility
• magnetic dip tray
• automatic power off mode
• no drip technology (stopping drips and automatically ejecting each capsule in the used capsule container)  which makes it one of the cleanest machines in the market.

On our last visit at Nespresso Boutique, the staff informed us that they were having a promo for some of their machines in store, that if we buy a machine we'd get a AUD$50 cashback. The promo was until September 9. So I had to think about it fast. Four days before the promo ended, we bought our first Nespress machine, U.

Nespresso U is reasonably priced at AUD$299.00 and it comes with an Aericcino 3 Frother and 16 coffee capsules. Because of the AUD$50 cashback promo, it means the total cost of the machine and frother for us would only be AUD$249.00. Great timing and value!

Nespresso Capsules. Better known as the Grand Crus, it comes in 16 different coffees. That means sixteen flavours, aromas and different levels of intensity. The intensity is defined by a coffee's degree of roasting, its body and its bitterness; it does not refer to the amount of caffeine found in the coffee.

Best to note that their decaf capsules are decaffeinated using the Swiss Water method to remove all the caffeine naturally and leaving a smooth full tasting long coffee. So their decaffeinated capsules are perfectly safe and healthy.

Nespresso currently sells a Limited Edition capsule, the Crealto. It's strong and rich but smooth. You can buy a pack of 30 capsules for only AUD$25.++. We were told that it will only be available for a few more weeks so if you haven't tried it, get it soon.

Current favourite Grand Crus. Of all the Grand Crus I've tried, I enjoy Crealto, Arpeggio, Dulsao de Brasil and Decaffeinato Lungo the most. It seems that my taste palette leans on the high intensity coffees. 

Blessing from blogging. The money I used to buy this machine came from what I earned from blogging. At least everytime I see our Nespresso machine, I can always say "This one came from my blogging efforts." I'm so grateful that I'm able to buy something useful from my writing endeavours. Like I always mention, never in my wildest dreams did I see myself being active in the blogosphere. God knows how long I've hesitated and resisted to be active in this digital world but believe it or not, it is only recently that I've fully embraced it. So far, the universe has been very kind to me. And I'm very grateful to everyone who reads and supports my blog (Thank you, dear readers and advertisers!). 

The perks of being a Nespresso Club Member. Every member gets to have a card or key once a machine is purchased. Members get discounts in some Nespresso accessories or capsules. Given a minimum order of 200 capsules, they will deliver to you for free.  They also offer machine assistance service and if your machine needs repair, they can loan you with a machine (depending on availability). My favourite benefit is dropping by the Nespresso Boutique and going to the Piano Tasting Bar where you can have a cup of coffee to taste. 

They can recycle used capsules! Just go to Nespresso ecolaboration website and know more of this project.

We are very happy with our Nespresso U. It's so easy to use and the Nespresso Grand Crus tastes so good. We are enjoying every cup that this machine is making. If you're thinking of buying one, it's a good investment for the home especially if you love having great coffee all the time.