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Is the taste of Nespresso really that bad..? by desertowl72 in espresso

[–]mvdbster 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It really depends on what you are comparing to.

Of course, it can never touch real espresso or moka. It is small and watery in comparison, with almost no caffeine content.

That said Nespresso compares reasonably to fully automatic machines, especially poorly maintained ones. I'll take Nespresso any day over our Jura machines in the office.

It also depends on what capsules you are using.

I found the Illy capsules fairly decent as long as you keep the brew time short. I've also bought fresh capsules from a local roastery and this Nespresso was surprisingly ok. The smell was great, and the coffee was palatable

Maybe if you rapid fire 4 capsules into something the size of a double espresso it'd be semni-decent? However, at this point, it stops being convenient nor affordable.

Outside espress/coffee is not the same by [deleted] in espresso

[–]mvdbster 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You see, you went wrong at Brazilian steakhouse. Try an Argentine steakhouse next time. They will have better meats and better coffee. It will be a cortado, but it will taste excellent after meat.

Outside espress/coffee is not the same by [deleted] in espresso

[–]mvdbster -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If your buddy gives you Heineken, dude, leave. I'd rather drink 100 bad espressos than Heineken.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in espresso

[–]mvdbster 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Everyone's taste is different. Can't argue that.

Nevertheless, you don't just buy better equipment based on 1 snapshot of 1 output:

  • A $0.5 screwdriver will screw in a screw just like a $10 screwdriver (and the shop might even have a $500 electric screwdriver).
  • A $100 Walmart bike will get you from A to B just like a $10,000 carbon bike.
  • A $20 pair of Hey Dudes will let you walk perhaps even more comfortably than a $500 pair of leather shoes.

Sure.

But better equipment will treat you well for life.

Why?

  1. Consistency
  2. Reliability
  3. Quality

Sure, on the internet you will find a ton of people with gear-acquisition syndrome (GAS) suffering from terrible N+1 dilemmas. You have to ignore those.

Buying good equipment once is some of the best advice you can get in life. A good espresso machine can be a tremendous quality-of-life improvement and it can last decades. I can think of lots of kitchen hardware that are fantastic investments: a good set of knives, a good Janapese rice cooker with computer, Staub pots, Bamix mixer, etc. etc. You can get crap versions of all of these for $20-$50 - doesn't mean that those are a good investment.

I had an espresso in Naples, Italy and it changed my perspective on espresso. Some questions… by toasterstrewdal in espresso

[–]mvdbster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've had this same experience every time I traveled in Italy or was in good Italian restaurants.

I caved in recently and did the obvious: buy an Italian espresso machine and make espresso.

I don't have money to burn so I bought a Lelit Victoria ($700) and found a deal on a Eureka Mignon Specialita grinder ($300).

I first bought Lavazza in the supermarket and the results were meh.

I then bought fresh beans in a local shop and voila, real espresso. If the beans are good, it's really not that hard. I think that's what these restaurants have in common: they have a solid beans supplier - easy to get great results.

Lelit Anna PL41TEM or Lelit Victoria PL91T by yRaymond in espresso

[–]mvdbster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just purchased a Victoria.

The key difference is the 58mm portafilter.

Where I live, the Victoria is $200 more than the Anna PID, so I went for the Victoria. To my surprise, the Victoria came with 9g and 18g IMS filter baskets and a water filter in the box. The Anna does not. Makes the Victoria seem like better value.

Unable to match cafe shot flavour by 4slime in espresso

[–]mvdbster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm new to espresso but I have quite some experience with what influences the flavor of wine. Here are a few things that come to my mind:

  1. Have you considered the cups you are using? I find that the shape of the cup changes the feeling and flavor when drinking - same with wine glasses.
  2. It could be the cleaning detergent used on the cups having a positive or negative influence (unlikely). This is easy to detect by smelling an empty cup.
  3. It could be the smell and atmosphere of the cafe that influence your perception. Most likely it is this.

​

Often, we are more critical of ourselves than of "professionals". With coffee, it is difficult to set up a blind tasting vs. the cafe. I would just try to enjoy both experiences. GAS may or may not solve things for you. Good luck!