Which coffee machine to buy for coffee lover

Pepp1989

Hi guys. My other half loves coffee and also drinks green tea. She doesn't have a coffee machine atm and was thinking of picking one up for her for Christmas. Did a bit of research but I'm far from being well versed. I was thinking of buying her a dolce gusto machine? I have a budget of between 80-120euro. Any advice/thoughts appreciated. Thanks!

Gran Hermano

What type of coffee drinks does she like?

Morpork

Does she just like to drink coffee a lot or is she into coffee? If it's the former, then a machine is a good gift and I'd recommend a Nespresso as the capsules are easier to buy. I have a Tassimo myself and the discs can be hard to come by though they can be bought online.

However, if she is into the whole coffee experience, may I recommend a subscription to coffee instead?
Different coffees from around the world delivered to your door.
As far as I know http://www.hasbean.co.uk/ is the best for this.

Pepp1989

Gran Hermano wrote: »

What type of coffee drinks does she like?

She drinks americano's usually. Also has the odd espresso.

king Henry 14

I'd go with Nespresso. Good choice of coffee and easy access to capsules. I'm having one now.

Pepp1989

@morpork thanks for the response. She drinks one to two cups of coffee a day with a green tea as well usually! I thought nespresso pods could only be bought in Brown Thomas or online and that dolce gusto pods are available in supermarkets. Or am I wrong there? I'll look into the subscription idea as well now thanks!

Pepp1989

king Henry 14 wrote: »

I'd go with Nespresso. Good choice of coffee and easy access to capsules. I'm having one now.

Are nespresso's limited to the smaller cup of coffee or do people just add two pods together etc?

Muff Richardson

Pepp1989 wrote: »

Are nespresso's limited to the smaller cup of coffee or do people just add two pods together etc?

as far as I know, all nespresso pods are essentially espresso's, the traditional espresso and then a lungo which is basically an espresso with more water. i could be wrong but I think they are not for americano's at all. depends on how particular she is about her coffees i suppose.

the espresso machine is your easiest option for your price range, i have one and have mixed feelings regarding it. the espresso's/lungos are nice without being too good, and are never really hot enough.

again regarding the price, I think nespresso's are bit like the printers, you get a nice bit of hardware for what is a great price but you get shafted on the print cartridges and thats where they make their money. the nespresso pods are pricey and are not readily available everywhere...i got a bit of a pain in the hole with it all at this stage and have just gone back to a paper filter and buying ground beans, its cheaper and is not really that much hassle and tastes a whole lot better.

dont get me wrong, i got good use out of it and enjoyed the coffee, the machine is nice and they are quick and handy with very little maintenance...just personal preference i suppose.

Pepp1989

Muff Richardson wrote: »

as far as I know, all nespresso pods are essentially espresso's, the traditional espresso and then a lungo which is basically an espresso with more water. i could be wrong but I think they are not for americano's at all. depends on how particular she is about her coffees i suppose.

the espresso machine is your easiest option for your price range, i have one and have mixed feelings regarding it. the espresso's/lungos are nice without being too good, and are never really hot enough.

again regarding the price, I think nespresso's are bit like the printers, you get a nice bit of hardware for what is a great price but you get shafted on the print cartridges and thats where they make their money. the nespresso pods are pricey and are not readily available everywhere...i got a bit of a pain in the hole with it all at this stage and have just gone back to a paper filter and buying ground beans, its cheaper and is not really that much hassle and tastes a whole lot better.

dont get me wrong, i got good use out of it and enjoyed the coffee, the machine is nice and they are quick and handy with very little maintenance...just personal preference i suppose.

It would the bit in bold above that would worry me. She is definitely more of an americano drinker. That is why I was leaning more towards the Dolce gusto type machine. Something like the Krups Melody 3 machine but ive never tasted coffee from it. Ive had a nespresso before and they are lovely but I drink more espresso's than she would. And then there is the hassle of the pods!

Pepp1989

Actually if there is anyone who has experience of dolce gusto then that would be really helpful!:)

Jezek

Some people that are fanatical about coffee wouldn't like a pod machine like dolce gusto - others swear by them . Do you know if this lady has a problem with them? For example i would prefer an aeropress and a coffee grinder to a pod machine!

Gran Hermano

With any prepacked pod/capsule system you're drinking stale coffee.
I'd also prefer an aeropress and freshly ground/roasted coffee.
If you're buying for someone who likes americanos the aeropress would be an ever better option.
Whilst the coffee will be better you won't win on the ' look at my sexy machine with led lights and lcd display' front.
You're also not tied into any proprietary system and can buy beans wherever.

A far superior option to the pads/pods/capsules would be an entry level bean to cup machine.
Amazon UK and Amazon Germany often have special offers on the delonghi or Phillips/saeco/gaggia range. http://www.amazon.de/Saeco-HD8761-Kaffee-Vollautomat-Milchschaumdüse-keramisches/dp/B00BCQIAA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415370924&sr=8-1&keywords=saeco+minuto

Batesy

If she doesn't mind doing the coffee ritual of grinding the fresh beans just before making a cup the aeropress is the way to go.

People frown on the blade grinders but I find them fine. I've a small krupps blade grinder and a basting brush to clean out the grinds.

A grinder, Aeropress + a couple of bags of fresh beans would cost you around €80.

It's a little work but the cup of coffee is amazing.

Pepp1989

Thanks for all the replies. I'll try to subtlety find out her preference as she has no machine at the moment for monetary reasons! I don't think she would mind the effort of a bean to cup process so maybe that's the way to go. Thanks v much!

hardCopy

Muff Richardson wrote: »

as far as I know, all nespresso pods are essentially espresso's, the traditional espresso and then a lungo which is basically an espresso with more water. i could be wrong but I think they are not for americano's at all. depends on how particular she is about her coffees i suppose.

the espresso machine is your easiest option for your price range, i have one and have mixed feelings regarding it. the espresso's/lungos are nice without being too good, and are never really hot enough.

again regarding the price, I think nespresso's are bit like the printers, you get a nice bit of hardware for what is a great price but you get shafted on the print cartridges and thats where they make their money. the nespresso pods are pricey and are not readily available everywhere...i got a bit of a pain in the hole with it all at this stage and have just gone back to a paper filter and buying ground beans, its cheaper and is not really that much hassle and tastes a whole lot better.

dont get me wrong, i got good use out of it and enjoyed the coffee, the machine is nice and they are quick and handy with very little maintenance...just personal preference i suppose.

All Americanos from anywhere are just espresso with extra water.

maxwell smart

Get her a Nespresso machine. You can programme the cup length on some of them (at least you can on the Citiz I have) so you can have an Americano. But once she starts using it she might get used to the shorter measures. Gives a better taste.
Plus it's easy to use and clean

Gran Hermano

There is a taste difference between making an espresso and topping up with hot water and running a mug full of water through one capsule. Run too much water through and you'll over extract the coffee and have a bitter cup.

uberalex

I would also suggest the Nespresso is a great option.

I make americanos with it by filling part of my cup with hot water, then using a lungo capsule.

To clarify, some of the machines have pre-sets values ('ristretto', 'espresso', 'lungo'). They are essentially different amounts of water passing through the cap. All the machines can reset their specific measure sizes easily.

Nestle sells two types of capsule: lungo and espresso-size. The lungo ones have more coffee in them. Putting lots more water than intended through either will taste a bit bitter in my view.

I order a bunch of capsules on-line in one go, there are also ones available from Lidl, M&S, and several known- and unknown-brand coffee companies. I've yet to find a third-party one as nice as the real ones, and some of them are a bit of a rough fit.

vibe666

I recently had my first nespresso experience whilst staying with my brother in Perth and I have to say, after expecting to be disappointed by it having gotten used to my bean to cup machine at home, I was pleasantly surprised by everything except the price of the pods, which are about $15 for 20 pods in Oz, which is scandalous compared to the cost of beans, but i guess you're paying for the packaging and convenience even though it's not any more convenient than a B2C machine imhoand you are limited by what capsules you can find at the right price.

BabysCoffee

Pepp1989 wrote: »

Are nespresso's limited to the smaller cup of coffee or do people just add two pods together etc?

To make an americano you just add water to your espresso

Love my nespresso coffee! There is a new store in Duke street and they have an offer of 90 euro worth of coffee for free when you buy a machine

vibe666

also, either lidl or aldi (or maybe both) do compatible pods for 1.99 for 10 i think, which actually isn't bad value.

caffaddict

If she likes a filter type coffee and likes trying different flavours/beans, and doesn't mind spending 3-5 mins making a cup, then an aeropress and a hand grinder is the way to go. If she prefers an americano-ish coffee then argos seem to have quite a few decent looking machines for a good price.

I personally don't like the taste of nespresso and you're fairly limited in your choice of pods. But if she likes Nespresso, it is a very convenient way of making a cup.

Padraig Mor

If she mostly drinks mugs (200ml+) of Americano, I wouldn't get a Nespresso as you'll definitely need two capsules each time and the costs will soon mount up. Having had both, I'd give the nod to a Tassimo instead. The Costa Americano capsules make a surprisingly good, reasonably large Americano. You can also get green tea capsules AFAIK. Capsules available from Tassimo online and also Amazon, with regular offers. A bean to cup may be preferable (I have one), but you'll be doing well to get one for your budget!

just-joe

vibe666 wrote: »

also, either lidl or aldi (or maybe both) do compatible pods for 1.99 for 10 i think, which actually isn't bad value.

1.99 for 10 coffees, that is way too cheap. I feel like something is going wrong somewhere if a coffee only costs 20 cents..

Having said that if it tastes exactly the same as more expensive Nespresso capsules, and the product is just the same, then that would suggest Nespresso's marketing plan is working well.

hfallada

just-joe wrote: »

1.99 for 10 coffees, that is way too cheap. I feel like something is going wrong somewhere if a coffee only costs 20 cents..

Having said that if it tastes exactly the same as more expensive Nespresso capsules, and the product is just the same, then that would suggest Nespresso's marketing plan is working well.

No there is nothing wrong with the coffee. Its how things are done in Germany. I have gone into super rich neighbourhoods in Munich and found stores that make Lidl look like Marks and Spencers. Yet all the rich people shop. The German mind set is shop smart and then have a minimum of 2 foreign holidays a year. I have heard this from several Germans.

Even if you go to a German version of Boots. Most products are own brand and excellent quality. A branded product has to pay for its advertising through a higher price. It also charges a high price to show that its a "luxury good". Because just like you said, a cheap good cant be good. But in Germany, a cheap good is brilliant and likely better than the branded version.

Jezek

hfallada wrote: »

No there is nothing wrong with the coffee. Its how things are done in Germany. I have gone into super rich neighbourhoods in Munich and found stores that make Lidl look like Marks and Spencers. Yet all the rich people shop. The German mind set is shop smart and then have a minimum of 2 foreign holidays a year. I have heard this from several Germans.

Even if you go to a German version of Boots. Most products are own brand and excellent quality. A branded product has to pay for its advertising through a higher price. It also charges a high price to show that its a "luxury good". Because just like you said, a cheap good cant be good. But in Germany, a cheap good is brilliant and likely better than the branded version.

Still, there are minimum costs associated with growing, processing, transporting and roasting coffee.

However 20 cents per coffee isn't that cheap.

Let's look at the third wave option: Coffeemojo.ie - 6.60 for the FAzenda Pantano. 250 grams, that's 35 coffees of 7 grams each. thats 19 cents per single coffee. The coffee in the pods is cheaper, but they have more packaging costs, and it ends up costing the same

Slaphead07

hfallada wrote: »

No there is nothing wrong with the coffee. Its how things are done in Germany. ......in Germany, a cheap good is brilliant and likely better than the branded version.

Let's not forget that the quality of coffee in Germany is generally horrendous.

Batesy

There are also loads of reports of people damaging their Nespresso machines with the Lidl pods.

Apparently the lidl pods are slightly larger and after a period of using them the mechanism that pierces the pods struggles to pierce the original nespresso pods.

just-joe

Jezek wrote: »

Still, there are minimum costs associated with growing, processing, transporting and roasting coffee.

However 20 cents per coffee isn't that cheap.

Let's look at the third wave option: Coffeemojo.ie - 6.60 for the FAzenda Pantano. 250 grams, that's 35 coffees of 7 grams each. thats 19 cents per single coffee. The coffee in the pods is cheaper, but they have more packaging costs, and it ends up costing the same

Just out of interest, is 7g the amount of coffee in a nespresso capsule?

I don't own a scales, just use the scoop, but I imagine when making a coffee (for aeropress) I use around 20g.

This would be almost 3 times as much, so 3 times more expensive.

Of course it depends how much coffee you use for each coffee. I don't want to jump to a conclusion, but I imagine the farmer who grows for specialty/3rd wave coffee gets more per kilo than for the farmer who grows for nespresso.

Also, I understand German people have a cheap, no-frills shopping mind set. And much of the price you pay for Nespresso or for other products in supermarkets goes for the branding and advertising. But at the same time supermarkets do drive the prices down which can result in lower yields for farmers/producers.

Sorry to bring this thread way off topic...

Jezek

just-joe wrote: »

Just out of interest, is 7g the amount of coffee in a nespresso capsule?

I don't own a scales, just use the scoop, but I imagine when making a coffee (for aeropress) I use around 20g.

This would be almost 3 times as much, so 3 times more expensive.

Of course it depends how much coffee you use for each coffee. I don't want to jump to a conclusion, but I imagine the farmer who grows for specialty/3rd wave coffee gets more per kilo than for the farmer who grows for nespresso.

Also, I understand German people have a cheap, no-frills shopping mind set. And much of the price you pay for Nespresso or for other products in supermarkets goes for the branding and advertising. But at the same time supermarkets do drive the prices down which can result in lower yields for farmers/producers.



Sorry to bring this thread way off topic...

7 grams is the old, italian standard for a single espresso. maybe 9 grams is a single espresso in more modern shops. The internet says nespresso contains 5-6 grams , so not really enough to make a proper espresso, but then it's not really a proper espresso. Those 2 grams they save on each coffee must add up

The aeropress is a different beast, so I wouldn't compare it to espresso.

katydid

king Henry 14 wrote: »

I'd go with Nespresso. Good choice of coffee and easy access to capsules. I'm having one now.

I second that. I have a Nespresso, and it's so handy and stylish. And makes great coffee.

The only thing would be that the cup sizes are not huge. The "lungo" setting would be smaller than your average Americano that you get in a coffee shop. But then some of those are ridiculously big. A properl café lungo is the business...

Zagato

20g is a lot for an aeropress, I use 16g, and it is more equivalent to a double espresso

Jezek

katydid wrote: »

I second that. I have a Nespresso, and it's so handy and stylish. And makes great coffee.

The only thing would be that the cup sizes are not huge. The "lungo" setting would be smaller than your average Americano that you get in a coffee shop. But then some of those are ridiculously big. A properl café lungo is the business...

an americano is a pulled espresso topped up with water. It's not a very long espresso. So really can't compare the two!

Jezek

Zagato wrote: »

20g is a lot for an aeropress, I use 16g, and it is more equivalent to a double espresso

would really depend on how much you plan on extracting, with an aeropress you can go for a lower extraction, filter type coffee, to something more resembling a moka pot coffee, so you can get away with a surprising range of coffee/water ratios!

just-joe

Yeah so maybe not good to compare aeropress to nespresso. But that's interesting, I didn't realise there was only 9grams in an espresso. Would that mean that when you get a double espresso they use 18 grams?

katydid

Jezek wrote: »

an americano is a pulled espresso topped up with water. It's not a very long espresso. So really can't compare the two!

No, that's true, I expressed myself badly. You don't get an Americano from a Nespresso, you would still have to boil a kettle for water. What I suppose I meant was that if you want an Americano, you'd have to settle for a long lungo...

(That probably makes even less sense)

Jezek

just-joe wrote: »

Yeah so maybe not good to compare aeropress to nespresso. But that's interesting, I didn't realise there was only 9grams in an espresso. Would that mean that when you get a double espresso they use 18 grams?

classic italian coffee - 14 grams in a double.
modern, third wave coffee - 17- 21 grams in a double

JTMan

There are a lot of capsule recommendations here, for those what want a good bean-to-coffee machine, what would people recommend? Thanks.

Jezek

JTMan wrote: »

There are a lot of capsule recommendations here, for those what want a good bean-to-coffee machine, what would people recommend? Thanks.

something expensive, like a high end Jura. I have heard some positive reviews of the 'Sage' bean to cup.

In my opinion these machines are rarely worth the high cost, most people would be better off getting a grinder and an espresso machine. However I see that for some people a bean to cup is in the sweet spot of taste and ease

Nijo1821

I just saw your post. We have a dolce gusto machine and we love it. We bought the cheapest one in the shop! The pods are easy to get and the Americano and espresso are lovely. The grande intenso is also nice too. We wouldn't be overly fond of the cappuccinos/lattes but the normal coffee is lovely

keith_d99

JTMan wrote: »

There are a lot of capsule recommendations here, for those what want a good bean-to-coffee machine, what would people recommend? Thanks.

Would recommend the Delonghi Magnifica looks to be reduced now also!

Fully adjustable (strength/volume of water) .. probably more suited to espresso/cappuccino/latte drinkers!

JTMan

keith_d99 wrote: »

Would recommend the Delonghi Magnifica looks to be reduced now also!

Fully adjustable (strength/volume of water) .. probably more suited to espresso/cappuccino/latte drinkers!

Thanks.

I assume you could easily make a large americano from this also?

keith_d99

JTMan wrote: »

Thanks.

I assume you could easily make a large american from this also?

Absolutely ... top up espresso with boiling water from kettle

nc6000

vibe666 wrote: »

also, either lidl or aldi (or maybe both) do compatible pods for 1.99 for 10 i think, which actually isn't bad value.

It's not good value if it breaks your machine though.

Gran Hermano

Amazon UK have this range offer at the moment
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=gb1h_tit_c-5_1667_1fded14c?rh=n%3A11052681%2Cn%3A!3147411%2Cn%3A391784011%2Cn%3A3147441%2Cn%3A516075031%2Cp_6%3AA3P5ROKL5A1OLE%2Cn%3A368204031&bbn=516075031&sort=relevancerank&hidden-keywords=B002NKT3HQ|B002NKR4VI|B004WZ6CRO|B004WZ6CLU|B0058U1ULK|B0058U1UWY|B005HDLLFS|B005HDLLCG|B003TS9SUS|B003TSFDM0|B003ZYWR18|&suppress-ve=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1414579109&rnid=516075031&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-5&pf_rd_r=0MSTN1RTQK9CP761ZSRM&pf_rd_i=161428031&pf_rd_p=527241667

jeanrose770

Oooh A Nescafe Machine! They are espresso machines, and they have so many yummy blends. Just pop em in, and put your cup under. Ready in less than 2 min!! SO AMAZING!

Gran Hermano

jeanrose770 wrote: »

Oooh A Nescafe Machine! They are espresso machines, and they have so many yummy blends. Just pop em in, and put your cup under. Ready in less than 2 min!! SO AMAZING!

Sure it's almost instant in every sense. ;-)

maxwell smart

jeanrose770 wrote: »

Oooh A Nescafe Machine! They are espresso machines, and they have so many yummy blends. Just pop em in, and put your cup under. Ready in less than 2 min!! SO AMAZING!

Never heard of them. (perhaps I am missing the sarcastic tone there?) Are you speaking about a kettle?