Caffeinate Like Clooney: The Nespresso Vertuo Plus
I can see why Nespresso asked George Clooney to be their spokesperson. Every cup of coffee I've had with my new machine is sexy and refined, just like him.
Last week, I decided I needed to reward myself for completing another semester of online school. Given that most of my classes next semester will go until nearly 1am, I figured the best thing I could do for myself is a get a new espresso machine. My grades will thank me later.
I started doing lots of research online and this article from Good Housekeeping became my guiding light. Thanks to years of being a barista at the Brick House Café, I certainly know how to make espresso drinks (and the differences between them), but when it comes to shopping for at-home machines, I didn’t know where to begin.
Within three hours I'd found my pick: the Nespresso Vertuo Plus. I bought it in a bundle with the Nespresso Aeroccino, which is a milk frother that works on both hot and cold settings.
The awesome thing about this machine is that it can make coffee and espresso beverages in literally the push of a button. The Nespresso capsules have barcodes around the rim, so each time you load one the machine reads the barcode and automatically adjusts for temperature, pressure, and quantity before brewing. Once you're done, you don't even have to worry about emptying the cannister for the next person, because the machine moves the used capsules to a holding tank in the back that only needs to be emptied every couple days. George is just so innovative like that.
There's four different types of coffee the machine can make: single or double shot espresso, gran lungo, coffee, and alto. As you can see, Nespresso has taken a page from the Starbuck's playbook and come up with some of their own coffee terms. (Did you know that, venti, the term for the largest size Starbucks drink, means ‘twenty’ in Italian—but in English it means ‘depression’?)
The Gran Lungo is a 5 oz beverage with "the intensity of an espresso", for people who want that espresso to last a little bit longer. What I can’t decide is whether or not this is just a triple shot of espresso, or a strong double shot with some extra hot water. The Alto is simply a strong, 14 oz cup of coffee.
So, what do I think?
First of all, this thing gets a 5 out of 5 stars for ease of use. Not only does it heat up in 15 to 20 seconds, but I seriously just have to push one button to get exactly what I need. The Aeroccino is just as simple, too. There's two different markings on the inside of the canister for cappuccino or latte, and if I want my milk frothed cold instead of hot, all I have to do is hold the power button for an extra second longer, and on average I think it takes about a minute. From the very start to the very finish I think it only takes me two minutes to make a cup of coffee—I tend to brush my teeth longer than that.
Second of all, the coffee is always amazing. The very aroma as a cup is brewing is every coffee lover's dream. The first time I made myself a shot of espresso I was strictly trying out the Vertuo to see how it worked, and it was 6:30 at night. That espresso was so delicious, instead of having 'just a taste' I had the whole thing and never went to bed. And bear in mind, I'm a 'lots of cream and sugar' person, so if a sweet tooth like me is in love with a dark black cup of hot bean water, that's really saying something. Also, every cup of espresso or coffee has a perfect crema each time, which I didn't even know about prior to reading the Good Housekeeping article, but I now know is very important.
““Crema is one of the most prized components of a well-made espresso. Caramel-colored and creamy in texture, the foamy puff is created when hot water emulsifies coffee bean oils and floats atop the espresso with smooth little bubbles. The first crema is believed to have debuted in 1948, thanks to Achille Gaggia, the Milanese café owner who invented the now-ubiquitous, lever-driven espresso machine.””
As far as the Aeroccino goes, all I can really say is that I have never in my life steamed a cup of coffee as well as it does. The first time I used it I actually squealed when I saw how the milk foam looked like a cloud, and it tastes like one, too.
Third of all, there's a lot of variety. It may sound limiting that I can only use Nespresso Vertuo capsules in the machine, (unlike a Keurig which now has a K-cup for every coffee blend from every coffee brand), but it's far from it. Given that the machine makes four different kinds of coffee, there's tons of blends for each cup size based on intensity and even types of flavor. There's also the 'Barista Creations', which are sweet, dessert-like coffees such as Hazelino Muffin or Vanilla Custard Pie. The 'Reviving Origins' line features rare coffees from areas "whose production has been threatened by climate change, social or natural disasters."
Speaking of climate change, the other great thing about the company as a whole is their commitment to sustainability and supporting farmers who use eco-friendly practices. All their capsules utilize aluminum, which can be easily recycled into other things. They even have a recycling program set up where you could drop off bags of your used capsules at UPS or a Nespresso boutique.
Given the fact that I bought the Vertuo three hours after deciding to get an espresso machine, this is the best impulse buy I have ever made. The coffee is top notch and it makes me feel like a god damn movie star every morning. Thanks, George!
Until the next cup of coffee,
Ken.
PS: I’m not being sponsored by anyone, but if I’ve enticed you to buy your own Vertuo, here’s where you can find it.
