| > 1) The machines are very cheap (compared to other espresso makers) Simply not true, I have an 160eur Delonghi espresso machine which takes grounded coffee (doesn't grind it itself), and it's pretty awesome for what it cost me. Every 2 weeks, I go to a local coffee shop where I buy on high-quality freshly roasted coffee which I let the shop grind for me. It gives me way better coffee than what I get from a Nespresso. Sure it's a bit more cleanup, but the results are a lot better, and it allows me to pretty easily make a killer cappuccino. > 4) Capsules have a long shelf life, you can get them in small quantities... Coffee, once roasted and grounded does not have a long shelf-life, taste and quality goes down remarkably. That's probably also what makes the most difference in quality comparing a Nespresso with my 'fresher' coffee. The capsules being packed in vacuum does improve this, but I wouldn't keep them for longer than a year. I get my coffee in 250g bags, which is about 15 espresso's, that's not exactly 'large quantities'. > 5) They have really fancy stores in top locations where they sell their capsules I prefer local specialized shops that know what the hell they are talking about. But yes I get the convenience and cleaning. Time to prep is a thing, with my machine, it takes about 1.5 to 2 minutes from start to finish, including 30 sec brew-time and quickly rinsing and wiping everything - which isn't that bad in my book - but yes, a Nespresso scores points here. I don't think I would go through the hassle at work every time I wanted a cup. |