If George Clooney declares coyly "Nespresso, what else?" on French television, bien sur, we are in complete agreement. Actually we were already in the know, having discovered the hip Nespresso boutique along Paris' Champs Elysses one damp April afternoon.
From then on, our coffee habits back in the US changed totally. Womantraveler threw out the drip coffee machines and bean grinders for daily espressos from a Nespresso "Le Cube" machine. And her friend started drinking espresso (in decaf doses) for the first time.
Let's be clear -- this transformation in daily coffee routines comes from a major coffee drinker who has tried virtually everything over the years. Nespresso's magic and utility lie in a smart combination -- cool style, prepackaged coffee capsules (notably of excellent flavor and intensity), absence of messy coffee grounds, very reasonable price and easy online ordering. While Nespresso-style high-tech compression machines from several international manufacturers range from less than $200 to more
than $700 in various colors and shapes, each cup of coffee is 55 cents at current prices. That's a steal -- especially when it includes the choice of latte or cappucino. All this without steam and the potential of high-compression espresso-maker explosions (which happened to me once and left a strong impression).
Nespresso's unique system has been around since the late '80s but only now is reaching the US, with the first boutique stores in Manhattan, DC, LA and soon to be San Francisco. Some machines are available at gourmet shops, such as Sur la Table.
An assortment of 12 coffee varieties offers single-shot and double ("lungo") sizes, all prepackaged. Four quick steps -- turn on the machine, fill the water container, plunk the prepackaged capsule into its slot and push the button. The hermetically sealed aluminum capsules maintain complete freshness. They are color-coded and resemble the thumb-size coffee creamer pods used in coffee shops and fast-food chains. I also bought an "Aeroccino" milk frother, which plugs into an electrical outlet and steams or foams milk within a minute. I reorder at minimal cost and two-day (or less) shipping. La voila!
