Nespresso Competition Heats Up

As we wrote about in March, Nespresso’s historically proprietary capsules were slated for competition this summer — and it’s about to get real. Both Sara Lee’s L’Or capsules and the Ethical Coffee Company’s biodegradable capsules have hit the market and Nestle has begun an avid defense of their ~1700 patents on how the espresso is produced on their machines.

With lawsuits in the works and police raids of manufacturing facilities in France, it’s clear that Nestle’s Nespresso business model is designed around a lack of competition. Since we’re ardent supporters of competition and believe it to be in the best interest of the customer, it’s hard for us to empathize with Nestle’s position on this one.

As with the machines themselves, there seems to be different target markets for each of the competitive capsules being produced and that kind of diversity will only serve to increase the reach, accessibility and attractiveness of the equipment itself. If you have people concerned about the environmental impact of the capsules, they can purchase the equipment and go with Ethical Coffee Company’s capsule approach; similarly, if someone is more budget conscious and willing to take a bit of a reduction in quality, it sounds like the L’Or capsules are cheaper but maybe not quite as tasty as the original. In both cases, Nestle should see the competing products as another marketing arm that feeds into their machine sales. Obviously, their model is designed around lower cost machines that are supported economically by capsule purchases over the life of the equipment, but the biggest complaint and ‘no’ factor we see on the retail side is this lack of easily accessible capsules.

On the US front, Green Mountain and Lavazza are in final negotiations to team up and take another stab at Lavazza’s capsule-based espresso in this market, so the competition will be equipment based, as well, within the next few years. In our opinion, both pressures will result in better options for the customer at the end of the day, so we’re all for it.

Recipe: Blueberry Parfait Mocha

We’re trying to hold onto summer with our bare teeth, but the weather is not cooperating. The iced drinks have been front and center for awhile, so here’s a warm concoction for you to enjoy if chillier weather is nipping at your toes.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Monin White Chocolate Sauce
• 3/4 oz. Monin Blueberry Syrup
• 2 shots of espresso
• Steamed milk to taste

Directions

Mix sauce, syrup and espresso in a cup; stir while filling with steamed milk. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh blueberries if you have ‘em.

Which Brew Temperature is Best for Lavazza Super Crema?

We took one of our most popular coffees, Lavazza Super Crema, and brewed it using different temperatures on the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi. While the 204F degree espresso extraction temperature is a general rule of thumb, a lot of single origin/estate beans and even some blends are particularly sensitive to heat and will perform better at a different temperature.

Watch as Gail brews several shots at different temperatures, tasting each to determine the ideal brew temp for Super Crema.

Look to the Stars

It’s that time again — you know, when the secrets of the universe are revealed and their influences on your java become clear. August’s Espresscopes are up over at Brown Bean , so check them out!

Libras have romance and love on their cosmic horizons — accented, of course, by sharing their equally passionate ardor for coffee — while Cancers need to slow down a bit and maybe take some time to enjoy a slow cold brewed coffee over ice.

What’s in store for your sign this month? Check out these caffeine-imbued predictions.

How to Make a Mocha

Mmmmmmmocha. When coffee and cocoa beans hook up and get real with each other, they create one of the most enduring and appreciated flavor combos around. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t dig the espresso-infused chocolatey goodness of a well-crafted mocha — and while it may be a little on the sweeter side than some of us can handle in the morning (Read: Gail), it’s a nice mid-afternoon pick-me-up or a great option for an after dinner dessert.

There are many different ways in which you could whip up this drink, and we asked Gail to demonstrate two variations. First, she pulled the shots into the chocolate, mixed them together and then added steamed milk on top. Second, she made chocolate milk, steamed that up and then combined it with a separately pulled espresso shot. Watch her make choco-magic on the Rocket Giotto Evoluzione!

Pre-ground Coffee Aging Test

In answer to the oft posed question ‘can’t I just use pre-ground coffee from __[insert your favorite store/roastery/cafe here]__?’, we have held an aging test.

We’re big on freshly grinding your coffee before each shot, as pre-ground starts to dry out (even in air-tight containers) within the first 24 hours. To show you how the shots degrade, we dialed in and ground a bunch of coffee, then pulled a shot the day of for baseline purposes. We then pulled shots 24, 48, 72 hours and 1 full week later to show how the shots measured up — and to give our unequivocal vocal and facial feature responses to their flavor. Yowza!

Watch Gail as we go through the initial testing and then check in throughout the subsequent week.

What is Crema?

We recently wrote about crema — what it is, what contributes to its formation, etc. — and we thought we’d film Gail talking about it, as well, and test out a comparison test between an Americano with and without crema. Check it out!

Taste Test: La Spaziale Brew Boiler Water

Since your coffee is over 98% water, it makes sense that the quality of the water will impact the taste. One of the subjects regularly bandied about in the home espresso world is if there is a significant impact on one’s shot if using a machine that has a separate brew boiler — especially if the machine isn’t pulling a lot of shots regularly and the water has a chance to sit for awhile in that boiler.

We have spoken with folks on both sides of the ‘divide’: Those that think the water goes stale in the brew boiler so that a heat exchange provides a cleaner, fresher taste and those that think the temperature control and performance differential you get from a double boiler outweighs any concerns of water flavor.

So we asked Gail to perform a practical test for us on the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi: We dialed in our shot and then let the machine sit for a couple of days. Then we pulled shots with the water in the reservoir and boiler and shots with fresh water in the reservoir and a completely flushed brew boiler. Watch and find out the results.

How to Make ‘Cuban Coffee’

We don’t know everything there is to know about Cuba or all the ways in which it’s residents, expatriates and members of the diaspora dig their coffee, but we do know that this sweet and strong preparation is enjoyed by friends in Miami. Gail whips up a Cuban Coffee — incorporating sugar with the coffee grounds and pulling them together — on the La Marzocco GS/3. Sweet!

Recipe: Shake Your Body and/or an Iced Coconut Cream Latte

For some inexplicable reason, we’re craving coconut cream pie this morning — exacerbated by the Google image search for pictures of coconut cream pie, no doubt. Also, we are craving the disco. This iced latte is a delish summer treat that we think you’re going to love.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. cold milk
• Ice
• 1 oz. Monin White Chocolate Sauce
• 3/4 oz. Monin Coconut Syrup
• 2 shots of espresso

Directions

1. Fill a shaker with ice; add milk, sauce, syrup and espresso.
2. Put Shake Your Body on the record player (and/or YouTube).
3. Shake vigorously to the beat.
4. Pour out into a serving glass and optionally garnish with whipped cream, more white chocolate sauce and toasted coconut flakes.
5. Actually, garnish is not optional.
6. Enjoy!