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My gf has been hounding me for a coffee maker for the house. She wants a Keurig but I was curious about the competition. She's not a huge American coffee drinker. She does like when we drink cappuccinos at my sister's house who has a pricey coffee machine. I think what she likes about the Keurig is the simplicity of it. Any feedback is appreciated.
i think it just depends on if you want to continue spending money on those little k-cups.
and most of the k-cup flavors are unnatural and have stuff in them other than coffee! (which, I dislike cuz who wants to be pumping their body with weird made up ingredients from chemist?)
I considered a Keurig when I moved out with the gf for the convenience factor but ultimately decided against it.. We had a nice bodum French press lying around so just started using that more often and got into a nice groove . Plus the coffee tastes phenomenally better.
We have had a few Keurigs, and currently have the K500. it is great for the one coffee cup drinkers but should you have friends or family over you burn through a box of K-cups super quick. even using the Carafe option like on the model we have,it doesnt make a lot. for this reason we often go to the old regular 12 cup coffee pot for when guests are over. That and the price....
Also the K cup feels like a lot of waste. depending on your feelings on saving the environment and what not. one other thing, we have foulnd the older Keurig models were much better for using with tea bags just to produce hot water for a cup of tea, the model we have only dispenses 6 oz hot water at a time and you have to run it a few times to "clean" it as it will dump leftover coffee grounds into the cup the first time or two...
My end goal is to eventually get a nice cappucino machine with all the steaming options etc, having been a barista before in high school and college, i like the idea of having a good machine to make up some nice brews with.
I havent used a nespresso machine so cant give pointers on that.
In short, if you want a single cup of coffee quickly i recommend the K cup, more than that and it might not be your best bet.
I have a nespresso. I like it but I tend to just drink shots or cappuccinos. There are two styles of pods. The machines that take the bigger pods also make coffee and have some different offerings.
I previously had the Keurig Rivo, but the quality of the espresso wasn't that great and I got bored of it. I then got a Bosch Tassimo espresso maker that also has pods but instead of creating the whipped milk separately like the Rivo (which sucked at it btw), this one has milk pods, so much easier to use/clean. And the espresso drinks taste a little better.
The Juras make great coffee\cappuccino\espresso, but they don't last. You'll be lucky to get 3-4 years out of them. Until I read that their longevity improves, I'll never go back. (I had the S7).
did you keep up on cleaning the unit and maintenance? it's been good so far... i thought it was going when the unit wasn't flowing as smooth as it used to, but when i called them they told me to straighten a paper clip and clean the nozzle... been working great again...
Yeah, always used their expensive water filters and ran their tablets when the machine told me too.... Good luck with yours, I mean that. I absolutely loved mine until it died.
I only bought one because I got it brand new for 25% off at the military exchange ($1500 out the door). Have fun whenever you have to deal with their support people Read the reviews, their support is notorious for being less than professional.
i think it just depends on if you want to continue spending money on those little k-cups.
and most of the k-cup flavors are unnatural and have stuff in them other than coffee! (which, I dislike cuz who wants to be pumping their body with weird made up ingredients from chemist?)
Oh no! Not another thread on coffee vs synthetic coffee! Or perhaps this is about regular coffee vs premium coffee?
Back on topic, the best coffee tends to be from whole beans you grind yourself. But the machines offer convenience, and they've gotten pretty good! If your gf is not fond of American coffee, check out the Nespresso which pumps out the coffee under pressure, more akin to European style coffees. Keurig is your basic drip machine.
My gf has been hounding me for a coffee maker for the house. She wants a Keurig but I was curious about the competition. She's not a huge American coffee drinker. She does like when we drink cappuccinos at my sister's house who has a pricey coffee machine. I think what she likes about the Keurig is the simplicity of it. Any feedback is appreciated.
The old pump not steam, excellent espresso with plenty crema. strong steam arm makes great cappuccino. It can hold and brew those mini-cups as well.
There are more sophisticated pump machines, which keurig, nespresso et al are not, they are pricier, and espressos are always brewed 1 or 2 at a time anyway.
Oh no! Not another thread on coffee vs synthetic coffee! Or perhaps this is about regular coffee vs premium coffee?
Back on topic, the best coffee tends to be from whole beans you grind yourself. But the machines offer convenience, and they've gotten pretty good! If your gf is not fond of American coffee, check out the Nespresso which pumps out the coffee under pressure, more akin to European style coffees. Keurig is your basic drip machine.
Sorry just read your post.
You're right about pump. But I don't know how the nespresso pumps it.
You're right about pump. But I don't know how the nespresso pumps it.
The Nespresso will create a nice crema layer. I've used a different model of DeLonghi a long time ago, and DeLonghi would be the next step up. It provides a milk frother / steaming arm, and I think it pumps out at even higher pressures. But the convenience is gone as you have to grind your own beans and tamp them down. On weekend mornings, it was fun. On a workday, not so much. The Nespresso uses coffee pods, which come in various strengths and flavors.
A friend once owned a coffee bar. She had a commercial espresso machine which pumps out at pressures higher than any home machine could. And they were pricey! But her conclusion was if you want a really good espresso, you need to go to a coffee bar.
My gf has been hounding me for a coffee maker for the house. She wants a Keurig but I was curious about the competition. She's not a huge American coffee drinker. She does like when we drink cappuccinos at my sister's house who has a pricey coffee machine. I think what she likes about the Keurig is the simplicity of it. Any feedback is appreciated.
We kind of went off on the deep end, didn't we?
What is her preference? Does she want coffee or cappuccino or convenience? You're not going to get all of these in one machine unless you are willing to pay at least ~$500. You could get a Keurig for convenience/coffee and a cheap (but decent) espresso/cappuccino machine for ~$145 (Mr.Coffee makes a highly rated one, check Amazon). But with this level of machine, you'll have to add a grinder (~$30) or buy pre-ground espresso coffee and you'll have to manually tamp the ground into the filter. It's not difficult, it's just not convenient, but it will give you very decent espresso/cappuccino.
But if you buy a Keurig, an espresso machine and a grinder, you're already at at least ~$250. For another ~$250, you could purchase a machine that would do it all, automatically....
The Nespresso will create a nice crema layer. I've used a different model of DeLonghi a long time ago, and DeLonghi would be the next step up. It provides a milk frother / steaming arm, and I think it pumps out at even higher pressures. But the convenience is gone as you have to grind your own beans and tamp them down. On weekend mornings, it was fun. On a workday, not so much. The Nespresso uses coffee pods, which come in various strengths and flavors.
A friend once owned a coffee bar. She had a commercial espresso machine which pumps out at pressures higher than any home machine could. And they were pricey! But her conclusion was if you want a really good espresso, you need to go to a coffee bar.
Oh you turn it on, fill the cup, by a minute its ready, you brew for 15 seconds. It's pretty quick, delonghi top quality is preserved in this little under 100 bucks gem. I'm still amazed. Same as the coffee bar.
For beans, you don't have to grind every morning. You do a whole bag for a month. Keep a coffee-container of ground powder for the machine out on counter, and the rest in the freezer.
I personally have plenty of little shops in little Italy close by that have many choices of beans, they brew it for you espresso style.
I've done this for a year now. Easy, pain-free and fun experience.
For those calculating costs: My cappuccinos have cost me 55 US cents. Machine's already paid out.
I have two Nespressos - a Delonghi unit at home that takes the original Nespresso capsules, and a Vertuoline in my office at work.
I prefer the Vertuoline machine for its simplicity of operation and ease of maintenance compared to the original. I prefer to use a separate milk frother rather than the built in steamer on my DeLonghi. Cleaning the built-in unit is a comparative hassle. The original has a little more variety to the coffees.
It's hard to find a good tasting Keurig coffee for me. The Nespressos are more consistent in quality. There are some tastes I don't care for (mostly the more bitter ones) but there are quite a few flavors for each machine that I enjoy.
My recommendation: Nespresso Vertuoline with an Aerocinno frother.
Been rocking a Cuisinart Grind and Brew for years and love it. It makes a single cup or a whole pot, and since it grinds fresh on-demand, it always tastes good. Good beans in means good coffee out.
Mine has the original glass carafe, not the insulated one.
I have two Nespressos - a Delonghi unit at home that takes the original Nespresso capsules, and a Vertuoline in my office at work.
I prefer the Vertuoline machine for its simplicity of operation and ease of maintenance compared to the original. I prefer to use a separate milk frother rather than the built in steamer on my DeLonghi. Cleaning the built-in unit is a comparative hassle. The original has a little more variety to the coffees.
It's hard to find a good tasting Keurig coffee for me. The Nespressos are more consistent in quality. There are some tastes I don't care for (mostly the more bitter ones) but there are quite a few flavors for each machine that I enjoy.
My recommendation: Nespresso Vertuoline with an Aerocinno frother.
The Vertuoline looks pretty good, and it does make both coffee and espresso. It sure has great reviews on Amazon. I may have to set aside my "pod aversion" and get one of these...
And if you're ordering on Amazon, be sure you get the A+GCC1 model (latest version with the 54 oz water tank), not the A+GCA1 model (older version with 40 oz water tank).
By looking at how tiny those nespresso pods are, and how much coffee goes in a regular espresso arm-cup, it makes me question. Plus the flavors = artificial stuff - not a fan. A company that sells instant coffee like Nescafe found a way to continue in the new wave of Keurig etc. Plus the pods have already become an environmental hazard... .
I forgot to mention I have used both the Nespresso (pixie) and the Keurig.
Nespresso - Flavor is great, pods are expensive and the serving size is small (espresso, not mug of coffee). even their Lungo capsules, which produce more liquid, do not equal a full "cup" of coffee. If you just love espresso, these are great.
Keurig - I could never find a pod that actually tasted like a brewed cup of coffee. They were all slightly fake, no body, flavorful in a artificial way. I am sure there are some pods I have not tried, but overall, for me, this would only be a choice based solely on convenience. I drink my coffee black and none of the pods I tried could ever hold a candle to a drip, pour over, percolator, french press, etc.
The Vertuoline looks pretty good, and it does make both coffee and espresso. It sure has great reviews on Amazon. I may have to set aside my "pod aversion" and get one of these...
And if you're ordering on Amazon, be sure you get the A+GCC1 model (latest version with the 54 oz water tank), not the A+GCA1 model (older version with 40 oz water tank).
Nespresso offers free recycling bags with UPS tags on them. Fill with used pods and drop off at your local UPS store or drop box.
By looking at how tiny those nespresso pods are, and how much coffee goes in a regular espresso arm-cup, it makes me question. Plus the flavors = artificial stuff - not a fan. A company that sells instant coffee like Nescafe found a way to continue in the new wave of Keurig etc. Plus the pods have already become an environmental hazard... .
It supports 2 sizes of pods, the large size makes 8 oz of coffee. The reviews are pretty unanimous for great taste. The Nespresso Club does have a pod recycling program, don't know the details.
And there's always this option for reusing the pods:
I forgot to mention I have used both the Nespresso (pixie) and the Keurig.
Nespresso - Flavor is great, pods are expensive and the serving size is small (espresso, not mug of coffee). even their Lungo capsules, which produce more liquid, do not equal a full "cup" of coffee. If you just love espresso, these are great..
Yeah, the pods aren't cheap compared to straight ground coffee, but still cheaper than Starbucks. As near as I can tell, the Nespresso pods are about 2x the cost of K-cups.
The My-cap products will drive the price down even more. There does seem to be a learning curve to using the my-cap product.
It supports 2 sizes of pods, the large size makes 8 oz of coffee. The reviews are pretty unanimous for great taste. The Nespresso Club does have a pod recycling program, don't know the details.
And there's always this option for reusing the pods:
Damn you guys got my head spinning. Let's narrow it down some because I am overwhelmed LOL. And once again THANK YOU for all your feedback.
I can't go back and really ask her if she values convenience over quality since it's a surprise. I get that the Keurig pods' quality are average. To give you an idea she is perfectly fine drinking a caramel latte from McDonalds but sometimes would like to opt for a Latte with soy milk from Starbucks. She's not one to get Starbucks everyday either. We're going to my cousin's for Thanksgiving and she has a Keurig so I'll ask my cousin beforehand to insist on serving coffee to get a better read if she likes it. So I'm leaning on convenience and if she thinks meh then maybe we'll eventually upgrade.
Well, if you're going for convenience and you want coffee AND espresso/cappuccino, I'd go with the Vertuoline. I just ordered one and can give a second opinion later this week
Thanks looks good. $150 and it's any of those pods or regular cappuccino/espresso? This is what I was looking for. What's the frother for and do I need it?
Just be aware that this makes coffee with a crema head, which many aficionados prefer but your girlfriend may not (watch the end of video below [5:25] and I think there are also vids on the Nespresso site).
There are 2 types of pods: 1 type if you want to brew an espresso/cappuccino, 1 type if you want to brew coffee.. The pods run $0.85 - $1.10/each at the Nespresso website (which seems to be the cheapest).
The frother is to heat/froth milk for a cappucino (add it to an espresso shot) or to just add warmed milk/cream to a coffee shot.
As I posted earlier, you can buy the my-cap foils/caps to use your own coffee/espresso. (Less convenient: yes, much cheaper than ~$1/pod: yes). This guy did a video of using the my-cap foils and Lavazzo coffee. I purchased both along with some Vertuoline pods and will give them all a try.
FYI, Jet.com has 15% off the first 3 purchase (new customers only). I'm doubtful that you can apply that to a Nespresso appliance (no retailer seems to allow a coupon code for Nespresso), but I might be wrong. It probably IS good for Keurig, but dunno.
Read the reviews, their support is notorious for being less than professional.
