Citiz or Coffee Machines in the Sky

I receive emails about coffee from time to time. Mostly they ask “what is the best way to make coffee?”

The answer to that question is “there is no best way.” There are many, many methods for brewing coffee and each has its benefits and positive aspects.

What I want to do is to look at methods individually, see what tools or machines each style uses. And at some point, I will write an article about coffee basics.

Today, I want to talk about pod/capsule espresso makers. I have been using and demonstrating them to customers for a few years and I have come to appreciate the machines. During this article, I will use the terms pod and capsule interchangeably.

There are very few companies making capsule espresso machines for the North American market. Now understand, not all capsule machines make espresso coffee. There is Nestle’s gourmet line, Nespresso, Francis Francis, LaVazza Blue and the very rare Caffitaly system, now distributed by Gaggia. Nespresso is widely available online and in retail outlets, LaVazza BLUE and Francis Fancis have limited availability online, Caffitaly systems even less so. Francis Francis makes two forms of a capsule machines for espresso. One, the X7 iperEspresso, uses proprietary pods similar to Nespresso and the other, X6 Trio Espresso, prepacked sachets.

I am aware of only two companies making these prepackaged sachets for espresso, Illy, who makes Francis Francis and Starbucks. Now if you like the coffee they offer, you are set. There are standard espresso machines that offer interchangeable wand inserts which allow them to use these sachets, but they are not the focus of this article.

Pod coffee machines offer ease of use and convenience for the individual. They also eliminate one of the more challenging aspects of making espresso at home, the learning curve. It can take some work to master the art of getting the grind and tamp down to suit the machine you own and most people are unwilling to invest the time to learn. These capsule machines allow for easy maintenance and clean up.

Some have complained that you are locked into always using a particular company’s proprietary coffee pods. While true, this dismisses the fact that the coffee produced by the these machines can be very good. There are many levels of intensity, acidity and flavor complexity available within each company’s selection. Certainly, if you like choosing your own beans, through a favorite local roaster, then these machines aren’t for you.

Others don’t like the limited way one acquires the coffee. The online or phone ordering process is so easy and fast, that this is not a problem. Nestle is now opening Nespresso clubs in strategically located Bloomingdale’s and stand alone boutiques around North America so owner/members can more readily buy the coffee. So no, you can’t wake up and realize you are out of coffee and run to the corner market. You will have to know you are low on coffee and reorder before you run out.

The final complaint we hear is that too much trash is generated by the spent pods. Though trash is created by pods, in the case of Nespresso, their pods are aluminum and after the coffee grounds are taken out, can be recycled in your community recycling program. Other home coffee systems create as much if not more trash. I think the real issue here is that people are afraid they will actually like this coffee and are looking for reasons not to buy.

Let me state very bluntly what these coffee machines are not: artisanal espresso machines. They do not produce the highest quality espresso one can make at home. However, for ease of use and speed of creation, these machines are more than adequate for home espresso. They make a very palatable, enjoyable espresso coffee. These style of espresso machines also allow you the flexibility to adjust the amount of water that flows through the machine to achieve an “Americano” style coffee or simply achieve the desired espresso taste and volume.

One of the main selling points of home espresso machines is the bar number. Bar, being short for barometric pressure, indicating how much pressure the machine can produce in relation to atmosphere. Proper espresso is ideally brewed at 8 – 9 bars (or around 126 – 135 psi), with a temperature of 195 – 200 degrees Fahrenheit. So why all these 15 and 19 bar (for Nespresso) systems? The closest I could get from various company representatives was that the extra pressure is required to extract consistent gourmet coffee each and every time. I found this to be a total non-answer. The pod is pierced on the top portion – the crown – and water is forced into the pod. The pressure needs to be of a certain amount to pierce the foil covering on what amounts to the bottom of the pod. This foil cover acts as a filter preventing the coffee grounds from getting into the cup. Whether the pressure needed to complete this engineering feat needs to exceed 9 bars is hard to say. But given the taste and crema produced, I would say the coffee extraction pressure does not exceed the requisite 9 bars. And no, additional pressure is not needed to produce steam for frothing milk. My speculation is that bar levels are being used for sales tactics like horsepower on a car or BTU’s on home gas ranges. The capability of a machine does not indicate optimal usage needs. If you turn on your gas range and use all 20,000 BTU’s it is capable of producing, you will ruin whatever you attempt to cook. The same principle applies with espresso. If you brewed espresso at anywhere near 15 bars, you would destroy the coffee. There is an optimal number associated with these measurements but consumers tend to buy into the hype that more is always better.

Among the pod espresso systems, Nespresso represents the best machines available in North America. Nestle has a couple of different lines of coffee makers available, however the only one I recommend is the Nespresso line. I prefer them because they have a rich set of features and options that make it a very versatile brand. Their customer service is great. Nestle stand completely behind every machine. I have seen only a few companies like this. The cool designs of Nespresso far exceed the competition and yes, style makes a difference. This is a somewhat permanent feature in your kitchen, shouldn’t it look stylish?

Having said all that, I do prefer the coffee produced by Illy using the Francis Francis IPER X7. The design is good, but there is only one style available; that classic look designed by renowned Italian architect Luca Trazzi. The espresso produced is a richer, more flavorful, complex brew. The coffee is more similar to what one would get using a regular espresso machine. But herein lies the drawback – it is more involved to use than Nespresso. The steam build up and steaming process is as lengthy and involved as a proper espresso machine. Additionally, the pods are not made of materials which are recyclable, meaning all spent pods are trash for the landfill. The home consumer generally favors simplicity and ease of use.

Let’s look at the Nespresso machines and see which one might suit your taste.

Essenza is the least expensive and most basic line available. These machines will only brew coffee, meaning they have no milk frothing capability. If what you want is espresso at home, school or on the road, these are the machines for you. On the road? Yes, Nespresso makes a carrying case o take your machine with you, so you can have good coffee wherever you go. Hey, have you ever had the coffee some hotels offer? Don’t laugh. The Essenza line come in a “bullet” shaped design and one with a more domed top. The spent capsules are collected in an inside chamber or collection bin. The water is stored in a 30 oz (.9 l) container on the back side. There is a fixed cup drip tray for small cups only.

Another “coffee only” machine, is Le Cube. This machine is built like a cube, hence the name, with a folding cup/drip tray which allows for a larger cup to be placed under the spout. It also has two espresso cup storage areas on each side which in certain models apply heat for warming the cups when the machine is on. This cup warming feature is really only effective if the machine is left on for some time. It has a 30 oz (.9 l) water tank kept on the side of the machine and an internal pod collection bin. There is folding drip tray it to allow for taller mugs to be placed directly under the spout. The “problem” with this machine is that the drip tray does not stay in the up position. It may do this so that any drips are caught on the tray instead of the counter, but it is annoying to have it drop down so quickly after a cup is pulled away. This also means the tray extends the length of the machine by another 3 inches.

The next coffee-only machine is the newest and coolest line from Nespresso, called Citiz. It is designed to look like the profile of a building in a city scape. The machine is 5 inches wide making for an extremely slim profile. The overall design is very attractive. The coffee is made using the same internal pump system as the other machines. I like the appearance of these machines best of all, better than anything so far. It has a slightly larger 33.8oz (1 l) water tank, on the back side. Like Le Cube, it has a fold up drip tray for small and large cups. This drip tray actually stays up, unlike Le Cube. As with their all machines, it has an internal pod collection bin.

Now, with all these coffee-only machines, Nespresso has created a means to froth milk. They call it the Aeroccino. It is a small container that heats and froths the milk. It is sold separately, or packaged in a box set with each of these machines. The early versions kept being returned to the shop. They didn’t seem very reliable. There is a new version, the Areoccino Plus which seems to be more consistent. This model can also “froth” cold milk. A stylish version of this Aeroccino Plus is packaged with the new Citiz line.

Nespresso does make a couple of machines which have frothing capabilities built in like a standard espresso machine. They are the D290 and Romeo.

The D290 is the older of the two machines and gives you the ability to build up pressure and froth milk using a traditionally shaped arm. As with many of these systems the froth generated is good but not great. In other words, top shelf micro-froth may not be possible. However you can, through proper technique and practice, generate a good quality foam for a great tasting cappuccino. The machine comes with both the standard frothing arm and a device called an automatic frother system. I call these things, dial-a-froth. A small tube is placed into a container of milk and one turns a dial to indicate the type of froth desired, such as cappuccino or latte. While the froth isn’t as good as can be created using the traditional nozzle, many will be pleased with the results of the dial-a-froth. After using the frother, this machine will manage the excess steam by dumping it out into the drip tray after two minutes unless you do so manually. The water tank is 40.6 oz (1.2 l) on the back, with the standard internal capsule collection bin. There is no adjustable drip tray feature. Larger mugs must be held at an angle, if used. The machine does come with a couple of cups and saucers included.

The Romeo machine, so called because the coffee pod is placed on the little “balcony” and automatically drawn into the system. This model has more programming and control features, better insulation to muffle sound and a large cup warming tray. As with the other models, this warming area needs time to warm up fully. This model also comes with a 40.6 oz (1.2 l) water tank on the back and both standard and dial-a-froth nozzles. It has a water hardness adjustment function, descaling program and will release excess steam pressure internally for maximum safety. It can be programmed for multiple languages. Like the D290, if you use large mugs, they must be held at an angle or you must use a small pitcher to collect the coffee.

The last machine I will talk about is the machine made by DeLonghi for Nespresso, called Lattissima. This machine is the only one available where one-button cappuccino or latte can be made. It can do this because it uses two thermal blocks inside, one for the milk, one for the coffee. You press the button and milk is frothed and then coffee is brewed into the same cup with moving it or pouring from a separate container. The type of froth and amount of milk can be adjusted to suit your tastes. There are separate buttons for the coffee and the milk based drinks so there is no confusion. It has a 40.6 oz (1.2 l) water tank, stored under the machine and a 16.9 oz (.5 l) milk container which fits onto the front of the machine for easy on and off. The milk container is dishwasher safe. This machine has a slide in tray to allow taller mugs to be used, however, the space available is quite narrow and will only be suitable for narrow mugs. The mug must be less than 3″ in diameter. There is one major fault, in my opinion; you don’t know the collection bin is full until you load the next pod and try to use the machine again. This is frustrating and can lead to ruining a pod of coffee by partially puncturing it. To avoid this problem, you need to check the bin before brewing.

Every machine comes with a sampler pack of coffee. The coffee produced by all these machines will taste exactly the same. The quality of coffee is quite good with the ristretto and the new single origin coffees being my favorites. There is a machine made by Meile which uses Nespresso pods. I have not experienced this product, as those machines require custom installation in your kitchen.

In the end, I find these machines to be the best option for those who want quality espresso at home, for a good price and the maximum amount of convenience. If you don’t believe me, go try a cup at the nearest purveyor. You will be amazed.

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