Nespresso D290 Espresso Machine Review

Through the years I have gone through phases of drinking coffee and not.  In the last year I really got into espresso and lattes.  My problem was that I never had fresh coffee beans and our espresso maker was really old.  So I bought the Nespresso, which is a pod style espresso maker.  You have to buy the pods on-line from www.nespresso.com

For about a year I had A LOT of fun with it.  It produces a great crema so the cup of espresso looks great.  I would make cup after cup at parties we hosted and people really seemed to enjoy it.  It was fun and novel.  Overtime however, I found that I really only liked the decaf pods.  The others were too bitter and acidic.  They tasted like burnt or old beans to me.  I am honestly not sure if that means my taste buds are too sensitive or not sophisticated enough, but bottom line I did not like how the other pods tasted. so I stopped using it and it has remained dormant.

I tried the Rancillo Silva manual espresso maker (which you find find reviewed on Viewpoints.com) and never got that produce a good cup of espresso either.  Now I am back to drinking Caribou coffee from our B40 Keurig.  Yes, I do have four different coffee makers at home.

In any case, I think I may go back to the Nespresso and give it another try because it is so fast and so convenient.  I also really like drinking a smaller but more flavorful of espresso as opposed to an 8 oz cup of coffee.  

11/17/07 - UPDATE - I brough the Nespresso to the office and ordered 250 pack of sampler pods for the 9 people that are here.  I was really surprised and quite happy that the developers here at Viewpoints love this machine.  We have been using it for about a month and have gone through almost 500 pods.   So, I would say my impression of the Nespresso is much improved from my original review.

3/218/08 - Well, I should eat crow.  I have my decaf intensso shot every morning and and rest of the guys in the office love this machine.  In fact, two of them have bought it for their home.  We are still growing through a huge number of pods every month.  I would say it is as good as Starbucks but not quite as good as Intelligencia which is the local coffee snobs haven.

FROM THE DESCRIPTION

The new Nespresso D290 is the first espresso machine in the line to feature automatic capsule ejection, programmable automatic brewing and even automatic frothing or steaming of your milk for cappuccinos or lattes. Modeled after the popular C190 series, the D290 adds even more function to follow this seductive form. The D290 series is designed to be used exclusively with the Nespresso hermetically sealed capsule containing a precise amount of freshly roasted and ground coffee. The aroma and flavor are protected until you are ready to brew. With 9 premium coffee blends available, you are sure to find a perfect match for your palette. The individual serving capsule system is extremely easy to use. Brew one espresso, cappuccino or latte at a time. Eliminate the hassle and mess of grinding, scooping and tamping your coffee as you would with traditional expresso machines. The machine features a revolutionary jaw device. By simply opening the jaw, the used capsule is ejected into the collection receptacle in the bo

• Key Features
  • Type Espresso Machine
  • Operation Source Electric
  • Max. Power 1260 Watts
  • Max. Pump Pressure 19 Bar
• Dimensions
  • Height 12.2 in.
  • Width 8.7 in.
  • Depth 14 in.
  • Weight 10.6 oz.
• Miscellaneous
  • Product ID 22398966
• Technical Features
  • Cup Filler Single
  • Timer With Timer
  • Cup Warming Surface With Cup Warming Surface
• Water Source
  • Water Tank Size 40.58 oz.