Nespresso v Gaggia

Muahahaha

Right so Im thinking of getting either a Nespresso or Gaggia machine but am unsure which is the best for me. The Nespresso appeals as there is little to clean up, no need for a grinder and at about 30c a cup its not prohibitively expensive. The downside for me might be being locked into Nespressos pods. I realise there are ways of hacking pods with your own coffee but as yet none of the reviews of these hacks are glowing. The Gaggia on the other hand appeals as it gives more control on how the coffee gets made and with whatever beans you want too.

My impression from researching both is that the Gaggia is for the coffee purist and the Nespresso is for someone who wants top quality coffee but is willing to sacrifice quality somewhat for convenience. So I guess what Im wondering is how far away is the coffee produced by the Nespresso from the coffee made from a Gaggia? Is there a huge difference in taste and quality, especially given the Nespresso pod coffee beans may have been ground days or even weeks earlier than actual consumption. What Im trying to discover is that if I opt for the Nespresso and gain all the convenience that goes with it am I sacrificing a huge amount of quality or just a small amount over selecting a Gaggia?

Finally I should ask for both machines what is the start up time, i.e. from cold how long does each machine take to produce a hot coffee ?

kenco

In my experience, nail on the head here;

My impression from researching both is that the Gaggia is for the coffee purist and the Nespresso is for someone who wants top quality coffee but is willing to sacrifice quality somewhat for convenience

I had a Gaggia and used it extensively when I was young and reckless and even used it (though less) when shacked up. Once the kids arrived it was too much hassle and I all but gave up using it.

I was very dismissive of the Nespresso till I was given one and now use it daily. Compared to the Gaggia its little or no hassle and clean up is so much simpler. Coffee to cup is usually a matter of seconds compared to all the palaver with the Gaggia. Yes its a bit pretentious and to be honest a lot of the 'crus' taste the same to me but its decent espresso at home with minimal hassle...

Muahahaha

kenco wrote: »

In my experience, nail on the head here;

My impression from researching both is that the Gaggia is for the coffee purist and the Nespresso is for someone who wants top quality coffee but is willing to sacrifice quality somewhat for convenience

I had a Gaggia and used it extensively when I was young and reckless and even used it (though less) when shacked up. Once the kids arrived it was too much hassle and I all but gave up using it.

I was very dismissive of the Nespresso till I was given one and now use it daily. Compared to the Gaggia its little or no hassle and clean up is so much simpler. Coffee to cup is usually a matter of seconds compared to all the palaver with the Gaggia. Yes its a bit pretentious and to be honest a lot of the 'crus' taste the same to me but its decent espresso at home with minimal hassle...

Thanks for the response Kenco. Can I ask if you have ever experimented using your own coffee in the Nespresso and if so how did it work out? For me being limited to Nespresso pods is a big drawback of it but if I knew people are still getting great coffee using pods like the Necap and Nexpod refillable pods then I think Id plump for the convenience of the Nespresso

kenco

No never tried my own coffee as I know what I like in the Nespresso range now and in my view its not worth the hassle.

Tried some non patent pods and they were ok but pretty much the same price as Nespresso so didn't go back

Curry Addict

a good beantocup from ebay.de is better coffee than Nespresso, more convenient, similar outlay, way cheaper to run and no restriction on coffees. check out jura miele mellita, saeco machines there.

Muahahaha

Curry Addict wrote: »

a good beantocup from ebay.de is better coffee than Nespresso, more convenient, similar outlay, way cheaper to run and no restriction on coffees. check out jura miele mellita, saeco machines there.

Thanks Curry Addict, will check out those two machines. Just out of interest when you use bean to cup machines do you lose much quality, is the crema still present do you find ?

Curry Addict

Muahahaha wrote: »

Thanks Curry Addict, will check out those two machines. Just out of interest when you use bean to cup machines do you lose much quality, is the crema still present do you find ?

a decent beantocup will give a good crema every time. the freshly ground beans means the flavor of fresh coffee is there and it is considerably better than nespresso.
The two main issues with beantocup machines are, it leaves about 25% of the ground coffee in the space between the grinder and the brew unit so about 25% of the coffee in your current cup was ground for the last cup so is not as fresh as you would like.
The other issue is the grinders don't grind as fine as you would like for espresso. the other components are optimized to help though so the result is decent but lacking the full flavor profile of true espresso.

the beer revolu

I have a gaggia classic and grinder at home and have used that set up for about 7 years.
My niece got a nespresso for christmas. I've had a few espressos from it and while not bad there is just no depth or complexity to it. I've had worse coffees in cafés but there really is no comparison between freshly ground and extracted coffee and nespresso.
It is very convenient, though, and quick.
My gaggia heats up in about 6 minutes - the nespresso, I'd say, is a bit quicker.

sarkozy

You can have both.

My Dad has a fully automated Gaggia espresso/cappuccino/whathaveyou machine that grinds the beans, loads the shot, tamps it, brews and disposes of the grounds automatically. The only thing you need to do is steam milk, fill the water tank and hopper and empty out the grounds every 10-15 coffees depending on what you're making, and this only takes 30 seconds.

Something nearly identical to this: http://www.gaggia.ie/machine/gaggia-brera/

It can be fully calibrated to taste and it makes really excellent coffee.

It's fast, too. From turning on to sipping coffee, it might take 1 minute.

The water is at a certain temperature so that milk never burns when steamed (unlike professional machines in the hands of the unskilled). The only thing it doesn't do is heat the cups, which few household machines do. It's rarely any trouble to heat a cup with freshly boiled water.

It's very reliable - literally no problems so far, and that's a good few years.

FYI: Saeco bought Gaggia a few years ago. They're the same machines, now, basically different badge and price-tag, so look at Saecos, too.

I've never had a good Nespresso coffee. I also think they're a gimmick and incredibly environmentally destructive. Interestingly, I'm a dad now and still find the time to make good coffee - I grind my own beans and only use French press, Bialetti Moka stovetop espresso or Aeropress methods.

kop-end

You really need to decide what you require:

Good Quality & Fast, Clean : NESPRESSO
Great Quality & Time Consuming: Fresh Grind Gaggia, etc...

I have had a few systems but I am currently using the Nespresso Citiz at the moment. I have kids and I don't have time for the 'Barista' process crap in the mornings or evenings. I just want a good espresso and I am gone.

I do not think their is any richt or wrong system for you, just one that suits you most. Personally, I would reccomend the espresso range...

Bluefoam

I also used to have a Gaggia machine & only used it on Sundays because it was way too much hassle + the steamer never worked consistently (I like a milky coffee). I'd never even consider making a coffee to take into work because of the hassle and cleaning involved. I'd have had to get up at all hours to do that...

I got a present of a Nespresso last year & bought an Aeroccino milk frother to go with it. Now I have a good coffee on the way into work every morning.

I love the Nespresso coffee, so it doesn't effect the quality of coffee for me when others rant about the lack of quality etc... that's all about perception.

livingthedream

I have a Gaggia Classic ( with a Rancilio Silvia steam wand attached) and a Gaggia MDF grinder and I find the combination great even if it is 'entry level' compared to what you can dish out for a real coffee head setup!

I have always hated proprietary products like nespresso/iPods etc and like to be able to choose where and how I purchase consumables which turned me off the nespresso range in the first place...

There is a bit more work involved in pulling a good shot from a proper machine but I quite enjoy the fact that you can change and improve things as and when you want to.

Someone posted that they stopped using their Gaggia when kids arrived well my 4 year old loves helping me make the coffees, he turns on and off the machine and grinder and tells me when to stop steaming the milk etc when the temp reaches the red mark on the thermometer and he even helps to tamp the coffee too!

The machine heats up relatively quickly too, I usually turn it on after dinner while clearing away dishes etc and it's usually good to go by the time all has been put away....

So in short there is more effort with the Gaggia but you reap what you sow!

LTD