For office workers who can't start their day without coffee, owning a coffee machine at home seems like a natural choice. However, capsule machines like the NESPRESSO CITIZ bring convenience along with several easily overlooked drawbacks. From the relatively high cost per cup and the low recycling rate of aluminum capsules, to limited flavor options and the ability to only purchase original capsules, to the machine taking up space and the lack of pour-over enjoyment, this article outlines ten practical issues worth considering carefully before buying, helping you make a more rational judgment between convenience and the coffee experience.
In this installment of the "Reasons Not to Buy" series—born of a fleeting enthusiasm—we introduce: the NESPRESSO CITIZ capsule coffee machine.
As an office worker, I rely on caffeine every day just to stay "awake" during the day; otherwise my brain won't work, I can't get things done, and making mistakes and causing trouble becomes an everyday occurrence. Over the years I've drunk all kinds of coffee—breakfast shop coffee with milk, 3-in-1, 7-Eleven City Cafe, 85°C, Dante, Ikari, Starbucks... My knowledge of coffee grew gradually, and my taste buds started getting picky. Last winter, I got the urge to brew coffee at home. Originally I wanted to buy coffee beans + a grinder + a filter coffee machine, but in the end I bought the capsule-based NESPRESSO CITIZ coffee machine. Along with the convenience, I've gradually discovered some drawbacks...
NESPRESSO is translated into Chinese as "奈斯派索" and is Nestlé's premium coffee machine brand. If you're researching and considering buying a capsule coffee machine, the following NESPRESSO drawbacks deserve careful consideration. If there's any one you absolutely cannot compromise on, this product may not be for you.
1. The coffee brewed by NESPRESSO has a high unit price
According to Wikipedia, the cost of a cup of coffee brewed with NESPRESSO is about three times that of ordinary methods. Currently, each coffee capsule costs about NTD 21, and you have to buy at least 50 at a time—over a thousand Taiwan dollars—before they'll ship.
2. Aluminum coffee capsules aren't eco-friendly and have a low recycling rate
NESPRESSO coffee capsules are made of aluminum, and aluminum production consumes a huge amount of electricity, which adds unnecessary energy consumption to every cup of coffee. Furthermore, although NESPRESSO's aluminum capsules can be recycled, because you first have to cut the capsule open with a blade to remove the coffee grounds, most people just throw them away when busy, making them a blind spot in recycling.
"In 2009 Nestlé announced that the capsule recycling rates in Switzerland and Germany were both 50%, while in France it was only 2%. Nestlé noted that the recycling rate of the aluminum in the capsules remained unknown." - Wikipedia
3. Coffee capsules have a shelf life of about 11 months
I originally thought the coffee capsules were well sealed and could last 2–3 years, but in reality it's only about 11 months. This is clearly meant to push us to consume—once expired, please discard.
4. Only about 16 kinds of coffee to choose from
The NESPRESSO coffee machine is a closed system that can only use its own coffee capsules. Only 16 varieties are regularly sold, and occasionally limited-edition flavors are released in different seasons to keep consumers feeling fresh—and they're sold at a higher price too.
But among those 16, after finishing the first round, you may find you only like a few specific flavors, and the ones you'd want to keep buying are actually fewer than 16.
5. Coffee capsules can only be purchased from NESPRESSO original factory
NESPRESSO's coffee machines can only use NESPRESSO's own coffee capsules, so you can only buy from the NESPRESSO original factory and can't compare prices. After buying the coffee machine, if Nestlé raises capsule prices, then I'm completely at the mercy of the manufacturer, aaaah!
6. The machine takes up space
Afraid of consuming too much caffeine and not being able to sleep at night, at home I drink at most one NESPRESSO espresso a day, and it's ready in less than a minute from start to finish. The rest of the time, this coffee machine occupies a corner of precious kitchen space. And because the machine is somewhat heavy, it's not suitable for moving around, so it just has to stay put.
7. Lacking the atmosphere of brewing coffee
Originally I thought brewing coffee should be: going to the market to choose beans, carefully reading the description of the origin on the packaging, opening the package, the aroma of roasted coffee wafting toward you, grinding the beans and deciding the coarseness of the grounds, boiling water... After many steps, you finally brew a cup of coffee. And because people are unreliable, the taste varies slightly each time—but the whole process is full of humanity, and this coffee-drinking atmosphere is enchanting.
NESPRESSO is highly convenient: choose a capsule, press the button, and in no time a high-quality coffee is ready. The taste is the same every time—truly convenient. But it completely eliminates the fun of brewing coffee. The colorful capsules are meant to replace the brewing process with "the fun of choosing colors."
8. Cutting off the connection to the source of coffee production
When buying ordinary coffee beans, in the process I'll carefully read the origin description on the back of the package to understand whether it's Organic, whether it harms the rainforest (Rainforest Alliance Certified), whether the trade is fair (Fair Trade), or whether the roaster buys directly from coffee farmers (Direct Trade). If I want to know more, I might even write an email asking more detailed questions—after all, coffee can be refilled, and the Earth's sustainability needs everyone's effort. NESPRESSO's coffee capsules are extremely pretty in color; when buying them, all I think about is their flavor—and what color my mood is at that moment?
9. George Clooney endorses it
Well, this point is written specifically for friends who don't like George Clooney—you may have a thousand reasons not to like him.
10. Descaling is needed once every three months
Boiling water at high temperatures causes minerals to accumulate in the pipes, gradually affecting the flow rate; ignore it, and over time the machine will break. Therefore, the Nespresso manual devotes a large section to explaining how to descale. On the official website it also says it's best to descale once every 3 months, and it conveniently sells a descaling kit for USD 12.0—an extra expense. Moreover, the descaling process is quite troublesome; if you don't believe me, Google it yourself.
END. "Wanting" doesn't equal "needing"
The reason you "want" it is actually that their advertising and marketing are well done. Be more rational and think carefully about whether you truly "need" it.
Conclusion
NESPRESSO is a Nestlé product with a good brand reputation, and the quality of both the machine and the coffee capsules is quite high. But this is a game of "printer and proprietary ink cartridges," and recycling the coffee capsules requires some patience. If you think the pleasure of brewing coffee is just as important as coffee quality, yet you bought a NESPRESSO coffee machine, in the end you may still go and buy traditional equipment.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
