Nespresso VertuoLine

Some Thoughts on the Latest and Greatest in Coffee

I have been meaning to write about this new machine and coffee system for a while. Because of the unnamed company I work at, I have been fortunate enough to try quite a bit of coffee from this machine.

I will admit a Nespresso bias, since it is a coffee system I personally sell for work, and something I have been to their specialized training for sometime ago. My destiny is somewhat tied to this doing well.

Therefore, I will not get into a heavy review, and I spent few weeks waffling about what I want to say about the machine. After all, this blog is a portion of my personal "journey with coffee" or some such nonsense.

For those who have not seen it, or had a chance to sample it, the Nespresso VertuoLine is Nestle's attempt at winning over America's drip coffee drinkers. The United States still has not fully been won over by pure espresso. The bulk of American's first instinct to a shot of espresso is to pour in enough milk and sugar into 1.3 ounces that it swells to two cups, and one more ticket in the diabetes raffle. Crema is a foamy substance on the top that is fairly alien to the average drinker.

With the VertuoLine, they created a new proprietary capsule with a bar code reader on it, then changed the extraction method to centripetal force to reach the usual 19 Bars of Nespresso pressure. When I heard about this machine, and the details, I thought that Nespresso is copying, or adapting The Remington iCoffee (a machine I'd like to get and try out for myself, honestly.) However, the VertuoLine is still not this, and could be something better. The coffee pods themselves make up for the difference.

What you get with the "coffee" coffee pods looks like 8 ounces of Guinness with a thick, foamy head that would impress any barkeep in London. The resulting coffee is still the dependable, excellent coffee that most people but the snobbiest of coffee snobs consider great.

No matter how they sell it, it is not drip coffee. It is not even amazing drip coffee that one would get from a Chemex.

With any of the coffee Grand Cru's, the resulting cup is closer to an Americano with a thick, two inch crema, or a a French Press with the mythical crema on the top. The coffee is thicker and silkier than anything out of most drip machines. (One of the reasons my mind went to the iCoffee.)  Nespresso recommends folding the crema back into the coffee itself to rebalance the cup. I haven't seen anyone do that, yet. The crema holds just too much wonderful aroma though.

The few purely drip coffee people I have talked to about the machine report that they are getting upset stomachs after drinking the coffee. I chock it up to that big difference in intensity. Potentially, due to the method of extraction, the VertuoLine has a hell of a hit of caffeine. It will be surprising to regular espresso drinkers.

So is this American style coffee? I really don't think so, and I think calling it that is a mistake.

For marketing towards a traditionally conservative portion of coffee drinkers, I think the VertuoLine is too much. For drip, the VertuoLine does not beat the purity of pouring a cup from the Chemex.

The VertuoLine is a new experience in coffee, and Nespresso marketing it the way they are could be a mistake. Secondly, I wonder about its price point in comparison. The machine is pricey, outside my range, even discounted through my employer. The coffee at just below a dollar a pod is pricey for cup of joe, and a capsule based system. Its still cheaper than McDonalds or Dunkin, and tastes better, but still not as convenient, nor is it quite the portion size of either. Also, the crema maybe too much if a change to bear, even as wonderful as it smells.

For espresso drinkers looking for something a little different, or looking for a cup they can enjoy a bit longer than a shot, this is the real deal. I honestly can't wait until someone reverse engineers this so someone can use their own beans, and coffee people can tweak and play with it.

CNET has a comprehensive review of the machine and some comparisons. If you're looking at this machine, I'd recommend checking it out. It is the first fully fledged consumer review I have come across.

http://reviews.cnet.com/espresso-cappuccino-machines/nespresso-vertuoline-red/4505-17878_7-35837779.html

Chemex Tutorial

One of these days, I'll work on a fast and dirty tutorial for brewing with the Chemex. This is a good step by step with ideal conditions and EVERYTHING you need to do it right.

Also, is using a Chemex and taking control of your coffee experience all that of a hipster thing? When did simple craftsmanship develop such a bad reputation?

I also disagree that Chemex makes the absolute best coffee you will ever have. I have this firm opinion that the coffee should be the focus, and everything should flow from that, including the method of preparation.

Each method of preparation will remove or highlight certain aspects of a coffee different than others. Therefore, its not unreasonable to expect to try different extraction methods.

Still, this is another good, step by step if you have everything you need: scales, gooseneck kettle, hand crank burr grinder.

http://coolmompicks.com/blog/2014/01/07/how-to-make-coffee-with-a-chemex-in-other-words-the-best-coffee-of-your-life/

Pour Over Coffee - The DIY Edition.

I finally pitched my old drip coffee maker. Now, it was just a cheap Mr. Coffee, and I did set it next to the dumpster rather than simply tossing it. It should still work even it needs a good cleaning. I felt I just needed to make a bit of room in the kitchen, and the big thing was just taking up a space on top of the refrigerator.

Actually, I thought I got rid of it months ago, but oh well. It was sitting there, hidden behind paper towels, colanders, and other assorted crap ... the sort of crap that accumulates on top of a refrigerator.

However, I kept the coffee carafe, and gave it a good cleaning with white vinegar and soap. It is squat and cylindrical. The glass is thin, and I hold no hopes for how long it will hold the heat from the water.

Then, using the funnel from the Aeropress and one of the Hario filters I used up more of the Michael's coffee. Even though it is not the most visually appealing pot, it at least has the measures of cups on the side.

When I use the flavored coffees, I find filtering them helps out immensely. The process with the French Press holds the grinds and the oils. As much as it preserves the flavors, the flavored oils wind up overpowering the cup, so much that I find the bottom of the pot undrinkable.

Using the Pour Over method, I still retain the flavors, but I have a much smoother cup. In time, if this secondary pour over method works out, I would like to retire the Chemex to a special shelf, only to be brought down for special occasions. It is a pretty pot, as are the Bialetti's, but using it can be nerve-wracking. I am much too attached to it to accidentally break it, then have to replace it.

Therefore, repurposing an old coffee pot seems like the best thing to do.

On a side note, we've been in and out of being sick here at the roasters, and I just have not had the voice to do proper recordings.

I will do a few more soon, I promise!