Cheap Nespresso C190 Espresso Machine Special Edition Titanium Concept Machine (Kitchen) Price

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Customer Reviews of Nespresso C190 Espresso Machine Special Edition Titanium Concept Machine

Excellent espresso. Excellent customer service.
I have been using the Nespresso C190 for about two weeks now. Previously I have been grinding my own beans that have been shipped from a roasting house. <
> While there seems to be a debate for whole bean coffee vs. pod systems, the argument is moot unless a lot of criteria are met. Yes, whole beans can deliver an excellent espresso IF the beans are fresh and properly stored...IF they are properly and consistently ground...IF the grounds have been tamped just right for the proper extraction... <
>Not only does the Nespresso system give you a consistently excellent shot of espresso, but also you have the freedom to try different varieties without committing to a one-pound bag. Plus, there are no more messy grounds. <
>I would like to let you know that my experience with Nespresso's customer service has been excellent. One of my free espresso cups arrived chipped. I called their customer service line and a very friendly woman sent me a replacement right away. They have excellent espresso. They have excellent customer service. <
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Not a bad espresso maker
I just purchased this espresso maker and I really like it. I thought the flavor was good and the crema the machine made was great! <
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>Pros: <
>1) Good crema from machine and I thought good flavor <
>2) It's fast, fast, fast! (espresso takes 30 seconds, latte maybe 2 mins total) <
>3) Ease of use and very neat <
>4) Cool looking machine (i keep it on my counter) <
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>Cons: <
>1) Pod only offers limited coffee bean amt per pod which could lead to diluted espresso (you figure out when to stop the machine so it tastes as strong as you want) <
>2) Can only order pods from Nespresso-supposed to only take 2 days for delivery. There is a charge for delivery when ordering online (I order a lot to minimize paying for the shipping charge). Ordering coffee pods online does not bother me <
>especially since I order stuff from amazon. <
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>It is pretty difficult to get the crema (foam) when making espresso from a hand pulled machine after grinding your own beans. Making espresso is definitely an art and I am a novice espresso maker. I do not intend to agonize over the perfect grind or amount of beans and then try operating a manual espresso machine first thing in the morning. Bloomingdale's in Atlanta has a demo model if you want to ask for a cup before purchase and see for yourself. I go to Starbucks every morning and this is a great way for me to get my caffeine kick and not suffer in line so much. Espresso drinks at Starbucks are only as good as the barista anyways. I think you should give this machine a fair try! (I thought the chapter about espresso in Jeffrey Steingarten's book, "Something I ate" explains the tempermental art of espresso making well).

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Great machine and system, but mediocre capsules
I have three Nespresso machines for a long time now. My comments concern the Nespresso system rather than any particular machine. <
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>The idea of the capsules rather than using coffee beans requires some trade offs, but has lots of huge advantages. The capsules are super convenient, fast, clean and neat, attractive, and allow you to easily serve a variety of coffee blends (decaf, Latin American, African, pure Arabica, etc, which is fun). A big advantage is that they stay fresh for months at a time, so you can always have them on hand when you need them. <
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>Comparing the Nespresso system with the conventional system shows the value of convenience. Conventional machine: you have to have fresh beans, you have to have an expensive burr grinder (more counter space, more to clean, more to break down), you have to get the fineness of the grind correct, you have to measure the ground coffee accurately, you have to tamp the coffee in the holder correctly, you have to pour the correct amount of water through. This requires a large amount of time, effort, experimentation, patience, and experience. Serving a party of 10 people like this could easily take you an hour, and you are making a lot of noise and not enjoying the party, and making a big mess to clean up later. <
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>A conventional machine could never be used in your office or company kitchen, but a Nespresso machine works out very nicely in that situation. <
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>On the downside, 45 cents or more (for special editions) per shot of espresso is a little expensive compared to doing it with beans. You are limited to the Nespresso capsules, nothing else will come close to working. This means you can't try out the interesting jars of beans at your local coffee shop. There may come a day when the capsules are not available, but I don't see that happening. <
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>The big downside is the quality of the espresso produced by the capsules, and therein is my main gripe. After many years they have recently expanded their offerings from 10 varieties or 15 or so. I haven't tried all the new ones, but I didn't really like any of the old ones. Most of them include some Robusta coffee beans in the blend. That's unusual because gourmet coffee is 100% Arabica, and my opinion is the Robusta is a problem. I have to wonder if Nespresso is trying to cut costs in this most critical aspect of an otherwise first-rate system. However, once or twice a year Nespresso releases a "special blend" for a limited time. This is usually 100% Arabica. In 1998 and 1999, the special blend was very good. In 2000 it was bad but then they released another one in June 2001 that was very good. They have a new, more expensive line of coffees that I haven't yet explored. <
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>The final alternative is the "super-automatic" style machine, that with a single button push automatically grinds the beans, measures, tamps, pours the espresso, and dumps out the spent grounds. That's great but it requires fresh beans and that's a problem for me. I think maybe a food vacuum sealer might solve that problem. <
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>One final comment: Don't fool yourself into thinking that a machine at home, no matter how nice, is going to save you money at Starbucks. Nothing can replace that fad inducing experience. <
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