How much hassle does the Nespresso C100-US-AERO Essenza save?

Part of the Nestle Group, and a brand name of the Nestle Nespresso S.A., Nespresso is based in Paudex, Switzerland and offers a specialized type of brewing system that utilizes single serve "capsules" of ground coffee. These capsules brew single cups of espresso.

Nespresso and the idea of a single serve coffee capsule began in 1976 when the first patent for the specialized process was filed. The entire brewing system was perfected a bit and by 1986, the Batelle Institute and Eric Favre introduced the idea to the Swiss business world. The system did not catch on well, and experienced little success.

Jean-Paul Gaillard decided to revisit the single capsule brewing process in 1988, and started to market the product with more success. Gaillard signed a deal with Turmix in 1990, which began to manufacture and sell the Nespresso machine throughout Switzerland. From this point contracts were signed with Alessi, Philips, Krups, and Magimix.

The specific type of machine, as well as the exact type of coffee capsule needed are manufactured and sold by the Nespresso Company. The capsules can only be purchased through Nespresso, by mail order, via the company website, or through Nespresso stores known as "Nespresoo Boutiques". Even though the company offers a wide variety of machines, many of which are manufactured by other companies such as Siemens, Delonghi, Krups, and Magimix, they must all conform to an exact set of guidelines and design specifications set forth by Nespresso.

There are many types of coffee capsules available for purchase through Nespresso. They are fairly expensive with an average cost of about fifty-five cents per capsule (per use). However, if you have purchased a Nespresso machine, you cannot use anything other than an official Nespresso capsule.

Available coffee varieties include: a mixture called "Grands crus", which is a blend of sixteen different types of coffee ground to varying levels of fineness; 100% Arabica from Arpeggio, Livanto, Volluto, Cosi and Vivalto; as well as other blends that have been combined with less than 5% of Robusta. The coffee contained in the Nespresso capsules comes from many different coffee regions throughout the world, and on average holds about five and a half grams of coffee.

So, is this process worth the extra effort and expense? Is the coffee even any good? The company's world ambassador, George Clooney certainly believes it is. However, Nespresso has come under a bit of fire for not purchasing its coffee through fair trade markets. The company also has been criticized for having a negative impact on the environment due to a large amount of aluminum waste. Aluminum is what makes up the majority of the coffee capsule. The company has recently started to promote proper recycling of the spent capsules; however the key to making this effort work is customer compliance, which is varied throughout the world.

Espresso is a relatively simple drink, however to make the perfect cup is quite complex. Espresso aficionados are quite particular about the drink and very strict guidelines have been set in order to brew up the ideal cup. So, what exactly makes a good espresso?

To answer this question generally, you should be aware that espresso should have a very strong scent, it should be semi-sweet, and the crema should be a very dark reddish-brown color, as well as be smooth and thick. Espresso should be strong enough that it does not dilute entirely in milk, and it should be able to be enjoyed without any added ingredients. The pleasant taste should linger on the taste buds for several minutes after the drink has been finished.

So, how exactly do you go about creating the prefect espresso?

You first need to begin with a good coffee bean blend. Ideal beans for espresso are blended to be aromatic, sweet, yet smooth and strong. Many people insist on using a very dark roast; however this can lead the taste to become bitter. Try using a medium or medium-dark roast instead. The beans need to be extremely fresh (used no more than four days since roasting) and ground finely right before brewing. When grinding the beans, a high quality grinder is essential. A conical burr grinder tends to provide a more even grind, and they tend to last quite a bit longer than flat grinders.

Once you have ground your beans, you will need to tamp the coffee with about five pounds of pressure to get everything into place. Then tamp again with thirty pounds of pressure to form the tight pellet of coffee that the water will go through, and finally polish by twisting the tamp round twice on the top of the coffee. This will create an ideal setup.

The water should be fresh, filtered, and free of minerals if possible. It should be heated to between ninety-two and ninety-six degrees Celsius. You will need to ensure your espresso machine stabilizes the temperature to ensure the best possible taste. The water should then be forced through the ground coffee between nine and ten atm. This is what will develop the crema.

It should only take between twenty-five and thirty seconds of extraction time to fill two, one ounce cups. You need to act quickly, and use a bit of care to ensure this process takes no longer than thirty seconds. This includes dosing, distribution, tamping, pre-heating, and brewing.

Aside from the above mentioned tips, you cannot have good espresso with a dirty machine. Make sure you regularly check your machine and clean the basket and portafilter frequently.