Great espresso, great system!

The Nespresso D150 is the least expensive of four espresso machines that use the Nespresso capsule system. The four machines differ in the following ways. The D150 is a manual machine, you control how much water passes through the coffee; the D250 adds Programmable Volumetric dosing (espresso/lungo) and has a larger water tank; the D300 adds programmable on/off switching and a descaling alarm depending on water hardness; the Alessi is a fashion statement with a smaller tank and manual control. All machines have 19 bars of pressure and use the same capsules. The above information is from www.nespresso.com. The only machine I have used is the D150.

My wife and I lived in France for two years and have missed being able to get the kind of espresso we enjoyed there. A French friend recommended the Nespresso system, saying it was the closest she had found to proper French espresso. After using the D150 for a month, my wife and I agree. This machine is terrific. The D150 is the basic model and for me, the added features of the other machines didn’t justify the higher prices (D150-$199, D250-$349, D300-$399, Alessi-$599). The machine was easy to set up and is easy to operate and clean.

Here’s how it works. You put water in the tank, which has a clever lid that opens as you push down on the right spot. You turn the machine on and wait about 30 seconds for the yellow light to go off when the machine has warmed up. You shoot hot water from the steam nozzle into your cups to warm them up. This is important because if you don’t the espresso cools off quickly, which is one of my complaints about the machine. As the cup is warming from the hot water, you select your capsule (there are nine kinds, two of which are decaf) and place it in the holder. This is another complaint: the machine is light and as you turn the capsule holder you have to press down on the machine or it will skid around. You dump out the hot water and place the cup under the capsule holder. You flip the main switch to the right to run water through the capsule. The coffee trickles out and you can stop the flow anytime you want; the longer you wait, the more water, the weaker the coffee. You remove the capsule holder and dump the used capsule. When you’re done, you run some water through the empty capsule holder to clean in, dump the tray and that’s it. The manual recommends some regular maintenance things but none of these is very complicated.

The espresso itself has great crema, which I understand is due to the 19 bars of pressure. Most machines in this price range have less pressure, and this was one of the main selling points for me. The Ristretto capsule makes a strong coffee, and the other six caffeinated blends decrease in strength from 10 down to 3. The two decaf blends are 6 and 3, but the 6 blend is plenty strong and has very good flavor. The Ristretto is strong enough to make a lungo or an eye-opening espresso.

I have not used the machine for cappucino, so can't comment on its ability to steam milk.

The capsules cost .45 each and are only available through the Nespresso Club. If you order $45 worth, they ship 2nd-Day FedEx for free, no tax. (Someone told me the capsules could be recycled, but I don’t know if this was ever true. I don’t think it is now.) If you order from nespresso.com there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. There are also lots of accessories available for the gift-minded.