Dear Nespresso machines, this is an apology: from a coffee snob – Charm

Nespresso and Keurig machines do what the best espresso machines cannot: take all the guesswork out of your daily brew.

As a former barista and a self-professed coffee snob, I’m the ideal candidate for a fancy, confusing, temperamental espresso machine. I love dialing in fresh beans, adjusting the grind one micron at a time to get my perfect shot. I love steaming milk by hand, creating a mesmerizing eddy within my milk jug. I love sipping the golden crema of a perfect, honey-colored espresso, savoring the fruits of my labor.

Which, unfortunately, means that I’ve been pretty cruel towards pod-and-go machines in the past. I’ve poo-pooed Nespresso and Keurig, brushing them off as machines for people who don’t really like coffee. But, boy, I was wrong. I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and my Airbnb had a Nespresso Pixie tucked away in the minuscule kitchen. I found my worldview utterly shattered. Nay, destroyed. I guzzled that bean juice like it was the last bean juice on Earth. Dear Nespresso machines, this is an apology.

Breville Bambino Plus and Comandante C40 MK4 grinder with a Nespresso machine.

I am, however, saying that I shouldn’t have been so harsh on Nespresso machines. True, their coffee isn’t “technically” espresso, but that’s fine. They’re not supposed to be real, Italian, coffee-snob-pleasing espresso machines.

Nespresso Pixie on kitchen counter

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

Even so, the coffee didn’t even taste bad. I bought super-cheap pods, and, yes, while the coffee was a little weak, there was no bitterness or burned notes. Every espresso was rich, flavorful, without those nasty scorched flavors you expect from diner drip coffee.

A Nespresso machine is pure convenience. They’re the perfect coffee machine for hotels, Airbnbs, and vacation rentals.

When you’re on vacation, you want to get out of the hotel and start exploring, right? So why would you want to spent fifteen minutes dosing, grinding, and pulling espresso, when you could just spend fifteen seconds preparing a pod coffee?

Again — fellow coffee snobs, please don’t come at me. I know Nespresso/Keurig isn’t “real” espresso. If you’re that addicted to the grind (pun intended) that you’re willing to sacrifice precious vacation time to make specialty espresso every morning, be my guest. But when I’m on vacation, I’m in vacation mode. I want to be at my first museum of the day at 9:00am sharp — if that means I have to sacrifice a barista-quality flat white, then so be it.

So, Nespresso/Keurig: I’m sorry. I’m sorry I said you were trash and nasty and only for people who don’t like coffee. I take it back. You are perfect for vacations.

Grind makes compostable Nespresso-compatible pods, so these would be my first choice if I were to get a Nespresso machine, but the pods are still being made in the first place, which kind of contradicts their “cyclical” nature. The most sustainable thing of all is straight-up not consuming coffee — think of the air miles! — but, obviously, that’s not going to happen. As a result, buying Fairtrade, ethically sourced, small-farm beans with recyclable packaging is the way forward, without the need for processing and pod factories in the mix.

a photo of a latte made on the breville bambino / sage bambino

(Image credit: Erin Bashford)

Secondly, I’m a coffee snob. What can I say? I love watching my espresso pour like honey. I love weighing my beans using my Wacaco Exagram Pro, one of the best coffee scales. I love choosing my small-batch roasted beans from my local snooty coffee house. It’s all part of the lifestyle, right?

So, even though I had a wonderful time using the Nespresso machine in the Airbnb, I don’t see myself purchasing one any time soon. But I emerge from my vacation a changed woman — one who is much more open-minded and tolerant of the world of pod coffee.