I started drinking coffee when I was 5 years old. I drank coffee off and on much of my life, never really giving the taste of coffee much thought until the summer of 1999 when I drank my first Italian cappuccino in Italy. I now consider myself a coffee snob. I no longer drink American coffee and am very picky about my espresso.
I have owned two espresso machines. The first was a Capresso I bought at Macy's. It never really made a great espresso but it was better than Starbucks. It lasted three years. The second was a Gaggia. Sadly, my Gaggia espresso machine bit the dust in September.
My Gaggia was not the greatest machine, but it was a much better espresso machine than the Capresso I owned. With perfect conditions, I was able to make a pretty good espresso, but I could not replicate it daily, partly because I did not have a good grinder. I would stop and the store and buy and grind small amounts of coffee every 2-4 days but that is not the same as grinding your coffee daily.
I loved making my espresso on the weekends. But it was getting more and more difficult to make my espresso and then get out the door on time during work days due to the ongoing traffic nightmare which was forcing me to leave my house earlier and earlier each month. Making a good espresso takes time in the morning, time that I often did not have when rushing around to get to work (I am NOT a morning person).
Because of my migraines, I need to keep my caffeine level the same daily or avoid caffeine all together. I am not able to drink an espresso. I do own a little moka but making coffee from a moka still takes a bit of time and it is just not the same as an espresso made from an espresso machine.
Last January, I made the difficult choice of giving up coffee until the traffic nightmare improved. I chose sleep over coffee and put my Gaggia machine into early retirement. My mistake was not descaling it at that time. The daily traffic nightmare finally ended in August when the extra lane was opened up. I dusted off my machine and attempted to get it running again. After a few weeks of trying to get it to work, I realized it was not meant to be.
I decided that if I was going to buy another espresso machine, I also wanted to invest in a good grinder. Decent grinders cost at least $200 and the espresso machines I had been looking at cost between $250 and $500, making this quite a big investment. I finally narrowed my choices down to two espresso machines and two grinders, all of which I would have to order from a mainland coffee shop. There are very limited options available for espresso machines and grinders in Hawaii. This meant adding big bucks for shipping costs (all those free shipping advertisements you see online rarely include Hawaii & Alaska) and then having to deal with that mainland company if I had any problems with my machine, costing more for shipping to get it fixed.
In the end, I decided that the cost was just too much along the added hassle of having to deal with a mainland company if something went wrong. That was the main reason I did not pursue getting my Gaggia fixed. I was also concerned with the space needed for the two machines (I have a tiny kitchen with very little counter space) and the fact that making a good cup of espresso still takes time every morning. So again, I gave up the thought of drinking coffee.
Then a week before Christmas, I had the brilliant idea of checking out the Nespresso machines. George actually spurred me on when I saw his latest commercial on YouTube...
The funny thing is that I briefly thought about the Nespresso machine a year ago after putting my Gaggia into retirement. At that time though I already owned a machine and thought it would be silly to buy a second machine. I also could not imagine that these machines would actually make a good espresso and questioned the freshness of the coffee in the capsules.
So, I started researching Nespresso machines. I was surprised to find so many positive reviews, both on the taste and the ease of making a cup. Only the elite coffee snobs (I would place myself in the regular coffee snob group) had bad things to say about the quality, saying that the crema was really just foam.
Besides the question about the taste, my concern was that the machines only work with the Nespresso coffee capsules and the capsules must be bought from Nespresso. Most reviews said that it was very easy to purchase the capsules online. I have even seen an app for the iPod Touch/iPhone to order these capsules. The regular capsules cost 55 cents each. The info online I read indicated that the shipping cost for any quantity of capsules ordered was a standard $4.95. After calling yesterday, I found out that a minimum of 5 sleeves must be ordered (50 capsules) and the cost is $6.95 $11.95 to Hawaii. Sigh, this new information means that I will need to order more capsules at a time to lower the added shipping cost per capsule and then find extra space for all of these capsules.
I figured out it would take a minimum of three years for the difference in cost between the capsules and loose coffee purchased to equal the extra cost of purchasing both a new espresso machine and grinder and the ease alone of making espresso every morning alone would be worth the extra cost to me.
My other concern was the environmental impact using the capsules. I did read that recycling options have been set up in Europe. My hope is that these options will eventually spread to the US. I am still a little concerned about this but will try to figure out a way to recycle the capsules.
I was happy to read that if there any problems with the machine, Nespresso will send a loaner machine to use while they fix your machine. I believe the cost to send the machine to Nespresso is free and the same standard shipping cost as for any other product ordered is charged to have the repaired machine shipped back.
While checking out the different machine options online, I found out that Williams-Sonoma, a store we have in Honolulu, sells the Nespresso machines. That meant that I could check out this machine in person.
On the Williams-Sonoma site, the machine I was interested in, the Nespresso Essenza C100, came as a package deal bundled with an Aeroccino Plus Automatic Milk Frother. It also came with two cups, one espresso cup and one cappuccino cup. In addition, the Nespresso company was having a special promotion which made this bundle an even a better deal. If you purchased a machine before January 17th, and it cost $299 or more, you could get a $50 credit for the Nespresso capsules. Amazon had a similar bundle offer without the cups for $269, but this meant that I would not get the $50 credit from Nespresso.
I could not commit though until I tried an espresso made from a Nespresso machine. I braved the Christmas madness three days before Christmas, heading to Ala Moana (the big shopping mall in Honolulu). I was on a mission. After dealing with the traffic and parking nightmare, I went straight to the Williams-Sonoma store and asked the guy in the coffee machine section if I could try an espresso from a Nespresso machine. I was a little alarmed when he brought out a paper cup. At least it was not a styrofoam cup! I guess it is not realistic to expect Williams-Sonoma to wash coffee cups.
I had already watched a few videos on how easy it is to make an espresso using the Nespresso machine. It was even more amazing to see it done in person. Literally 30 seconds and the espresso was made. My drink of choice is a caffè macchiato (espresso with a tiny bit of milk) OR an espresso with a tiny scoop of ice cream so I asked the guy if he could also froth some milk. He was not immediately thrilled but then went along with my request.
WOW! It was a very good espresso. I was sold. I was ready to buy this machine right there and then. BUT… there was the question of the two cups. The guy checked and told me that the cups only came with the online deal. The Cube (another machine) did come with the cups but the cost of the bundle was just a little less than $299, meaning I would not qualify for the $50 credit, and the machine was larger, taking up more room on my limited counter space.
I decided to order the machine online instead. I would just have to wait a little bit longer. When I got home, I went back to the Williams-Sonoma site, put the machine bundle package in the cart and clicked the button "add to add to basket". When the button took me to the next page, a message in red said that the Nespresso machine and frother would not be available until February! I could not believe it. All because of two little cups, I did not purchase the machine at the store and now it would not be available until February. Not only would I have to wait weeks, my purchase would not qualify for the $50 offer from Nespresso. Williams-Sonoma really should change their webpage to indicate when items are out of stock on the page of each item.
Now what? I could go back to Williams-Sonoma to purchase the machine but I really did not want to drive to Ala Moana again just before Christmas and deal with the craziness at the mall. I could order it from Amazon, but then I would not qualify for the $50 credit. So, I continued to check the Williams-Sonoma site, hoping that perhaps they had restocked their supply and continued to check the price at Amazon, hoping it would either go down to $250 or go up to $299 to get the $50 credit.
At one point, I noticed on Amazon that the price went down to $233. Perfect! But wait… in fine print, it said that this product would not ship for 4 to 6 weeks. Everyone must be ordering these machines for Christmas. The only option unless I wanted to wait weeks seemed to be to go back to Williams-Sonoma, but that was not going to be until after the craziness at the malls subsided. Meanwhile, I continued to check both sites just in case the machine became available again.
On Christmas Eve, I could not believe my eyes. The price on Amazon dropped to $209! I bit the bullet and bought it, my new Christmas present to myself. Heck, I waited this long, I could wait a few more weeks to start enjoying my morning espresso again.
Meanwhile, I continued to check Amazon daily hoping that just maybe the machine would be back in stock. Two days later, my wish came true. The fine print saying that the machine would not ship for 4-6 weeks was gone. Amazon had the machines back in stock and my machine was being prepared to ship!
I always have my packages sent to my work address so that they are not left on my doorstep while I am at work (for thieves to steal) or thrown over my 2nd story balcony (Fed Ex did this once and it was not even my package!).
According the package tracker, my Nespresso machine would be arriving on New Year’s Eve day. What a perfect way to start the new year, enjoying my first cup of espresso made from my new Nespresso machine on New Year’s Day.
Well… that never happened! UPS failed big time!
New Year’s Eve day, I called my school office to find out how long the office would be open. Some years the Governor has allowed all state offices to close half day. This year many State offices were on furloughs that day, but school offices were still open. I was told that the office would be open all day long.
I checked the package tracker on the Amazon site every 15 minutes waiting to see when the package was delivered.
08:34:00 AM Out for delivery
10:52:00 AM Delivery appointment scheduled
I was very excited.
At 11:15, it still did not say that the package was delivered. I decided to check the official UPS site. That was when I saw this…
Your package has experienced an exception.
THE RECEIVER IS ON A HOLIDAY. DELIVERY WILL BE ATTEMPTED
WHEN THE RECEIVER RETURNS / PACKAGE WILL BE DELIVERED
NEXT BUSINESS DAY-NO SATURDAY GUARANTEE
I could not believe it! I knew for a fact that the school was not closed. I called UPS to find out what happened. It turns out the UPS guy decided on his own that the school office would be closed. Not only did he not even try to deliver the package, he did not even put the package on his truck. He left it back at the main UPS place. Grrrrr!!!
That meant I would have to wait 4 more days for my package to be delivered since Friday is a holiday.
It took two days for the package to travel from Pennsylvania to Honolulu and it will now take four days for the package to be delivered to its destination! At least I did not have to pay for the shipping cost. Finding out yesterday that UPS is the company Nespresso uses to deliver the Nespresso capsules was not exciting news. The woman insisted that it would always take just two days for the capsules to be delivered once ordered. Ha! I beg to differ. I guess will have to make sure to order my capsules at least a week in advance whenever running low.
The price of the Nespresso bundle has gone back up to $233 at Amazon and the wait is 3-6 weeks. The Williams-Sonoma site now says the bundle with the cups will be shipped on January 7th. With the Nespresso offer, that makes it only $16 more (but that includes the two cups). I think I made out well though, grabbing the Nespresso C100 along with a frother for $209.
So here I sit, waiting just a bit longer to enjoy my first caffè macchiato using my new Nespresso Essenza C100 and Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother.
Now if only George came with my machine...
This is my favorite Nespresso commercial:
*On an unrelated note, today marks the 27th anniversary of both the day I moved to Hawaii and the day Kilauea began to erupt. Even though I did leave the islands for two years, Kilauea has been continuously erupting for 27 years. It is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. To see some cool lava, check out this video taken six days ago.
Comments (16)
Sounds like an ideal match for you. At least with all the research you've done, you will feel good with the deal -- and the Nespresso. Now, I'm a glutton - I'd take all: the coffeemaker, George, the Lake Como house, and the black Porsche.
Wow, 27 years! I think that qualifies you for 'kama aina' status, no? Now tell me you don't speak pidgin with a Boston accent... m
Posted by menehune | January 3, 2010 2:46 PM
Posted on January 3, 2010 14:46
menehune, I had to rationalize it to feel good about getting it with the mandatory capsule use. I think it will work perfectly for what I need :)
After moving here 27 years ago and living here for 25 years, yes I definitely feel this is my home. I have lived here long than in Massachusetts now. I lost my Boston accent right away when going to grad school in Colorado. The first client I got doing speech therapy was an "r" case. I still remember the boy's name. We both learned to articulate the "r" correctly together. It took me a few more years to stop adding an "r" at the end of words like "tuna". I still say the word "about" funny though (although I can't tell). I am always asked if I come from Canada when I say that word but never am confused with having a Boston accent. I can speak some pidgin but don't usually use it, feeling funny since I did not grow up using it.
Posted by girasoli | January 3, 2010 4:08 PM
Posted on January 3, 2010 16:08
You do deserve that Nespresso... all that research... Wow. Enjoy.
I always dream or rather want to relocate to Hawaii one of these days, but I can't afford to. :) 27 years, awesome!
Posted by Eden | January 3, 2010 4:55 PM
Posted on January 3, 2010 16:55
Thanks Eden. I take my espresso seriously :)
I am amazed at just how long I have lived in Hawaii now.
Posted by girasoli | January 3, 2010 6:31 PM
Posted on January 3, 2010 18:31
For a moment I thought your present was George Clooney... than I realize it was only the Nespresso machine! Eh, well, we'll keep dreaming! Happy New Year!!!
Gloria
Posted by Gloria | January 4, 2010 12:30 AM
Posted on January 4, 2010 00:30
Hi Girasoli, that's a great Christmas gift to yourself. And congratulations on living in Hawaii for 27 years now and I had no idea Kilauea has been active for that long. From the GC videos and your descriptions, it sounds like you will really enjoy your present a lot when it arrives...btw... I still have a little of my pidgeon accent and mixed with southern california accent it can be interesting speaking with people. :)
Congrats again in getting your Nespresso machine. You'll have to blog about it again once you get it and brew your first delicious cup.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | January 4, 2010 6:55 AM
Posted on January 4, 2010 06:55
Yeah, if George came with the machine, I'd be ordering one myself!! Love that man :)
Did you get your Nespresso today??! Can't wait to hear how good that first cup tastes! I laughed at the "elite" coffee snobs - too funny! I'd be a commoner coffee snob, I guess. I can barely drink the crap sold at the Tim Horton's chain in Canada, but all I have at home is a regular coffee machine, and a little 3 cup stovetop espresso pot (similar to a Moka, I think?), plus at the camper we have French press.
Happy New Year!! Hope the fireworks have subsided by now, so you can enjoy some peace and quiet. :)
Posted by Anne | January 4, 2010 8:47 AM
Posted on January 4, 2010 08:47
What a story! Kudos on all the hard work for researching and shopping (don't you love the internet?). Did you get it?
Posted by Candi | January 4, 2010 2:04 PM
Posted on January 4, 2010 14:04
What a nice Christmas present! Sure hope that it arrives soon.That UPS Delivery business drives me crazy. Wishing you a happy & healthy New Year!
Posted by sheri | January 4, 2010 4:06 PM
Posted on January 4, 2010 16:06
Gloria, I purposefully added the YouTube video so that it might look like my present was George at first glance. I will continue to dream :) and meanwhile enjoy an espresso again in the morning. Happy New Year to you too!!
Kathy, this has turned out to be one of my more exciting gifts to myself in a while (besides my iPod Touch and my computer) Oh and I guess my car... although I will be paying that one off for a loooooong time. I came here 27 years ago and have been living here 25 years. Can't believe it has been that long! Time really flew by. I would love to hear you talk. Are you going to San Diego? When is the last time you have been back here?
Anne, I think Nespresso would hit the jackpot if he came in the box!! My Nespresso has arrived (just did a new post about it). Happy New Year to you too! It was gloriously quiet last night - not one pop!
Candi, I am so grateful for the internet, especially living in Hawaii. It really has changed access to what is readily available on the mainland (even though we often pay for it in shipping). It is sitting on my counter as I type. So shiny and new!!
sheri, UPS drives me batty! I am not thrilled at all that the capsules I will need to order are only deliverd by UPS. I hope there will not be any further problems. I will need to make sure to not wait til the last minute to order them. Happy New Year to you too!!
Posted by girasoli | January 4, 2010 7:19 PM
Posted on January 4, 2010 19:19
Girasoli, I've read your posts in reverse order -- first, I read that you received your machine, and now I'm reading about everything you went through to get it. Yikes!!! But it sounds like it will be worth the hassle you've faced!
I can't believe you can have a great espresso in 30 seconds -- what a godsend! I think I have to check this out for myself!
What a brilliant gift to yourself (and I love the George ads!)
Posted by sandrac | January 6, 2010 9:14 AM
Posted on January 6, 2010 09:14
BTW, I love the George Clooney in heaven with his Nespresso ad. Although I really hope I don't run into John Malkovich when I get there!
Posted by sandrac | January 6, 2010 4:45 PM
Posted on January 6, 2010 16:45
sandra, it did end up becoming a little crazy getting the machine (although I could have walked out the door with it the day I went to Williams-Sonoma). I did update my next post regarding how long it takes to make an espresso. I didn't realize that the machine takes a minute to warm up first, although that certainly makes sense and is still much faster than the 5 or more minutes a fancier espresso machine takes to warm up. But after that, just 30 seconds per cup. I think you would love the convenience also.
John Malkovich is probably not the person I would want to run into either! There is another John Malkovich/George Clooney Nespresso commercial that is pretty funny. It takes place in heaven.
Posted by girasoli | January 6, 2010 6:43 PM
Posted on January 6, 2010 18:43
G: I congratulated you on your Christmas present, even tho it did not include George, but was bumped off - I think my message might have been lost. Anyway --- congrats. Interested in hearing your reviews. I might like to give myself that present too - as I love coffee .... I laughed reading your reply to my post of your disappearing Boston accent. When I lived in Hawaii, I handled tours with Canadian tourists and someone (especially those from Toronto) inevitably would tell me I sounded like someone from the East Coast. They were disappointed when I told them I was...
Posted by menehune | January 7, 2010 4:29 PM
Posted on January 7, 2010 16:29
menehune, I think it still went through and thanks! When I first moved here, I worked on a sailboat. Fun job! I always could tell those from the East Coast. Not just because of their accents either. It would be the hurried attitude. The... world will end if I don't buy my ticket right this second even though the boat does not go out for 45 more minutes.
Posted by girasoli | January 7, 2010 8:21 PM
Posted on January 7, 2010 20:21
On the positive side, Ty, who worked many, many years longer than I in the travel business says he can always tell a person from the East Coast because they were self-sufficient...New Yorkers especially could handle and be flexible when things didn't go as they 'should'. Ah, missing those days.
Posted by menehune | January 8, 2010 3:38 AM
Posted on January 8, 2010 03:38