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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy a Nespresso machine?

92 replies

goodasgold · 21/07/2012 20:15

Two of my friends have them and are able to produce lovely coffee. Just like that. I was brought up on a Nestlé boycott, and understand the reasons why. I still avoid Nestlé products, but this one is testing me.

My friends have made me so much nicer coffee than I can burn for myself on my stovetop expresso maker.

I have had the odd Kitkat over the years, don't tell my mum! But with these machines you have to buy pods or tabs from Nestlé to fit in the machine.

One of my friends said they have created a formula pod that goes in the machine and comes out regulated, right temp formula.

OP posts:
Original poster
goodasgold · 22/07/2012 00:56

Cheers Gingereodgers, I have just about decided, but what? Please tell me.

OP posts:
OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 22/07/2012 01:03

Nespresso makes something drinkable, even enjoyable sometimes, but it's not coffee.

Get a gaggia.

Original poster
goodasgold · 22/07/2012 01:23

Off to look at gaggias on amazon. Thank you. That is what I wanted to hear.

OP posts:
OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 22/07/2012 01:32
Smile

Hope you like the look of them. I love mine, it's just one of the simple espresso maker ones with a milk frother. I'm a latte fan, but I make all types of coffee with it for other people. I used to use ground coffee but my Gran gave me a grinder for Christmas and now I love my gaggia even more. Proper coffee is awesome.

Original poster
goodasgold · 22/07/2012 01:47

Brilliant thanks. That is exactly what I wanted to hear. Sending you a burnt best effort Outraged Oh actually help me more. What is the code or price of that machine? Cheers and a big barista up yours.

OP posts:
Ozziegirly · 22/07/2012 06:16

They are such a good buy - my husband loves coffee and it's so nice to be able to try out the coffee without having to buy loads of beans etc. Plus I don't even drink coffee but can make lovely coffee for my friends in seconds.

Gingerodgers · 22/07/2012 06:54

Vibiemme! In my view the best, make sure you get a decent grinder. Enjoy your coffee x

KittyFane1 · 22/07/2012 07:21

I admire you for sticking to your ethics/ values OP but there are quite a few companies with dubious morals.
Will you be looking at the background of other companies before you choose?
Nestle is the well publicised 'badboy' which gets the huge amount of press. Are other big companies really so ethical? I doubt it!

dazzlingdeborahrose · 22/07/2012 07:50

Love mine, love it love it love it. The coffee is great and I'm very fussy about my coffee. I got a mixer pack and then stuck with the ones I liked. Some are definitely better than others. The pods get recycled. The service is outstanding.

I did have a traditional espresso machine but there's only me in the house that drinks coffee so it was a lot of faffing on for one cup of coffee. I keep one in the house and one at the caravan.

Don't be sucked in the tassimo and senseo experience. The coffee is horrid.

Get one now!!

Bertrude · 22/07/2012 08:00

YANBU

I love my machine. As I live on my own most of the week, I love having decent coffee but can't be arsed making loads - I'd never sleep if I made a full pot every time I fancied one brew. This way, I get a nice brew in, what, 30 seconds? I have the Pixie as I have a dairy intolerance so no need for milk frothing. Before having this, I never had a brew in the mornings before leaving for work because it seemed like a faff, but now I have a morning brew and its quick and easy

Pods are recycled so no hassle there, only downside is the limited number of places you can buy them from.

I may also be alone in thinking this, but it doesn't look as though the pods are going to be obselete anytime soon and the machine was about 100 quid so therefore, so what if in 2 years time I can't get them? Its a kitchen gadget, not a long term investment, and I've not spent '000s on it.

lauraandeve · 22/07/2012 08:26

I love my dolce gusto thingy! had all the other coffee making things and never used them due to the faffing about but this I love - lovely strong coffee in the less time than it takes to open the fridge and locate the milk Grin

Nandocushion · 22/07/2012 08:37

A Nespresso machine is about the naffest thing you could possibly have in your house. If you can manage to forget about the environmental waste - please don't tell me that the majority of owners actually recycle their pods - just think what you're saying to your guests: "Learning how to make coffee is simply beyond my intelligence. It was this or Nescafe".

Love how people who say they are "fussy about my coffee" are happy to have mass-produced crap from a 'pod'. Yummy!

DitaVonCheese · 22/07/2012 09:22

Kitty other companies being dubious too doesn't make Nestle better Confused Nestle have a bad reputation for good reasons!

IvanaHumpalot · 22/07/2012 09:39

I understand the anti Nestlé feelings, but why only Nestlé (in relation to formula)? There are many formula providers ie Aptimil (Danone). Have Nestle been the only company who have broken/bent laws and guidelines? Do anti Nestlers avoid all formula companies and their subsidiaries/products?

If you start with a company and work through all its products and then the subsidiary companies and their products you could end up with a long list of potential banned products. In the end the profits are for the parent company.

For instance I use Liz Earl and eat Green & Blacks. Liz Earl owned by Avon (don't know much about them, but don't use them) and G&B owned by Cadbury now Kraft. I use them because of their ethical stance and they're good products. Do I still use them now, if they are no longer self-owned? The larger companies buy them to diversify in the market, to take a larger overall market share and to pick up the specialist sales.

So, going back to coffee (sorry if i'm whiffling, and hijacking) do you enjoy your coffee but not buy the formula, or deny yourself the coffee?

I use a cafetiere.

coffeeinbed · 22/07/2012 09:39

I can get a perfect cup of espresso in 1minute on my machine.

Real coffee, not a foil pod.

difficultpickle · 22/07/2012 09:46

I've had mine over 8 years. Before that I was having to get a new coffee machine every 2 years (that is all they lasted - a variety of different makes from John Lewis). Pods get recycled. Service is very good - order one day and delivered the next. Easy to clean. I've got one with the milk frother attached and use it to make hot chocolate and other milky brews too.

DitaVonCheese · 22/07/2012 09:53

Ivana Nestle because it is the worst and most persistent offender.

Yes, lots of companies are morally dubious but I don't understand how that's an argument for not at least trying to use the ones which are less dubious if not actually good. It's my money and if I don't want to give it to companies whose morals I disagree with then that's my right as a consumer.

My head is completely fried by lack of sleep (thanks for that, DS) but hopefully someone more eloquent than I am this morning will be along soon.

Likewise, it's up to you who you give your money to. Generally I personally will avoid subsidiaries of companies which I don't like.

As to the Nestle boycott, at one end of the scale plenty of people just don't use Nescafe, as their flagship product, while others avoid all Nestle and subsidiary products.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 22/07/2012 09:54

This is the Gaggia I have. DH bought me it 4-5 years ago now, and it's still going strong.

LookBehindYou · 22/07/2012 10:04

Gaggias are noisy and slow.
I have a nespresso krups and it's fab. It the machine breaks down they come and collect it and give you a loan machine while they're fixing it. I drop the pods off at the shop but they'd collect them if I didn't. Love the decaf lungo too. Nothing is more destined to bring out snobbery than coffee machines but I like my shiny red machine.

GretaGarbage · 22/07/2012 10:08

I saw a groupon deal for one this weekend for £49. I don't drink coffee, so I don't know if this is good, but when I saw the thread title I thought I would mention it.

twofingerstoGideon · 22/07/2012 10:10

Get yourself a decent cafetiere and some Fairtrade coffee. Easy. Ethical.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 22/07/2012 10:13

Noisy and slow?

Noisy, maybe, for less than a minute that it takes to produce espresso, but I can live with that.

Slow, I disagree. It takes me around three minutes to make a latte when I'm rushing in the morning, and that includes grinding fresh beans.

LookBehindYou · 22/07/2012 10:16

Outraged, I had a look at your link and it seems they've moved on since I had one.

Waspie · 22/07/2012 13:04

I wouldn't buy anything that was restricted to one type of capsule like a Nespresso. We got our Dualit from John Lewis in the sale (so much cheaper than the link below) a couple of years ago.

Dualit

It's great, we use it several times a day and we can use ground coffee or espresso pods so it's far more versatile, and less gimmacky, than a nespresso. You may as well just get a vending machine in the kitchen Wink

LookBehindYou · 22/07/2012 13:24

I'm not sure a nespresso machine is constricting. You'd have to have 15 or more different types of ground coffee to have the same choice with a different machine.