In the UK there has been a huge growth in the popularity of coffee pod machines over the past few years, with the leading brands being Nespresso, Tassimo, Nescafé Dolce Gusto & Douwe Egberts Senseo (see my coffee pod machine comparisons post). But what is Nespresso Coffee?
Im going to start off by answering some questions specifically about Nespresso coffee, but Ill then go on to discuss some of the other coffee pod & disk machines, as the same isnt necessarily the case with all coffee pod & disk systems.
The Nespresso capsules contain only fresh roasted and ground coffee with the exception of the flavoured coffees (Vanilla Éclair, Caramel Créme Brulee, Cocoa Truffle) which also contain natural flavours added to fresh roasted and ground coffee.
What is Nespresso coffee?
Nespresso is a coffee pod machine invented by a clever chap by the name of Eric Favre.
The story of how Nespresso coffee came about is quite remarkable, and Im quite surprised its not been turned into a Hollywood blockbuster yet. This Swiss engineer came up with the idea for what is now known as the Nespresso machine, as part of a bit of healthy banter with his Italian wife about his “bland Swiss coffee”.
He gave himself the challenge to create a machine that allows people to make Italian-style espresso at home, which involved visiting lots of acclaimed Italian coffee shops. In short, what he invented wasnt another espresso machine, it was different. Nespresso uses finer ground coffee, greater pressure, completely different flow rates, slightly cooler brew temp, and less coffee than a standard espresso, to result in a different kind of short coffee that resembles espresso but isnt actually espresso.
Eric actually joined the staff of Nestlés packing department early on in his development of Nespresso, to learn the inner workings of the company, and he tried to pitch his idea for a new kind of domestic espresso machine to Nestle, who rejected the idea, partly because they didnt want to rock the boat with sales of instant.
Years later when working as a food scientist for Nestle, Favre had the opportunity to pitch the idea to the CEO of Nestle Japan, who was sold by the idea, and Nespresso was born. For more on the history of Nespresso read: Éric Favre – the Swiss inventor who put coffee into capsules.
See my Youtube post on Nespresso Machines:
Are Nespresso Coffee Pods Vegan?
Yes, Nespresso coffee pods are vegan. There are no animal products of any kind within Nespresso pods, the contents are purely ground coffee beans, and the pods themselves are made of Aluminium and plastic.
The PROBLEM With Nespresso Coffee Pods
FAQ
Can you get Nespresso pods that aren’t coffee?
Does Nespresso only make coffee?
Do Nespresso pods have dairy?
What does Nespresso have in it?
What is the difference between espresso and Nespresso?
While Nespresso produces decent shots, they are milder in flavor and have a lighter body and airy crema layer than traditional espresso. The difference in taste can be attributed to the difference in coffee to water ratio. Espresso machines usually use a ratio of coffee to water between 1:2, while Nespresso machines use a ratio of about 1:3.
Are Nespresso machines espresso machines?
Nespresso machines are technically espresso machines, but they’re also not! Nespresso machines use 19 bars of pressure to brew a shot of coffee from grounds packed in a capsule. Nespresso and other manufacturers make a large variety of capsules that contain different coffee blends.
Are Nespresso capsules better than espresso machines?
Secondly, Espresso machines use fresh ground coffee beans to brew a shot, whereas Nespresso capsules are also fresh thanks to their specialized packaging, but they’re certainly not as fresh as freshly ground coffee beans. Traditional espresso machines require expertise to brew a good shot of espresso, which can be challenging for beginners.
Can Nespresso make a full cup of coffee?
Nespresso’s original line machines can’t make a full cup of coffee. However, they can make Caffe Americanos, which I think are more flavorful than a regular 8-ounce cup from a pod-based drip machine. Americano is prepared by adding hot water to Espresso. This gives it a similar strength to drip coffee but differs in flavors and aroma.