Alessi Nespresso Coban

...last few years a big Alessi enthusiast: I admire the quirkiness of their products: and the superior quality of their products . Therefore; when I first saw 'The Coben Alessi Nespresso Machine' I knew: I had to own it.

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Alessi have a theory that we all have a powerful need for 'art and poetry', they attempt to reintroduce beauty into 'a world of mass-produced electrical appliances, where objects tend to be anonymous ...
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The Coben Alessi Nespresso machine
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The machine itself is an artwork, keeping with the Alessi image, it is grand and quirky in appearance (see pictures).
As well as being a superb artwork, it functions as an espresso machine: as such, it possesses all the features necessary: a high pressure pump, heating element, removable steam nozzle and steam functions ... more

There is not much I enjoy more, than indulging in good quality coffee. It is a big passion in my life. Needless to say, it is important to me, that I own a terrific coffee machine, to provide such a pleasure.
I have been for the last few years a big Alessi enthusiast: I admire the quirkiness of their products: and the superior quality of their products . Therefore; when I first saw 'The Coben Alessi Nespresso Machine' I knew: I had to own it.

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Alessi have a theory that we all have a powerful need for 'art and poetry', they attempt to reintroduce beauty into 'a world of mass-produced electrical appliances, where objects tend to be anonymous and boring'. Alessi use artistic disciplines in their designs; that best characterizes our epoch.

The Coben Alessi Nespresso machine
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The machine itself is an artwork, keeping with the Alessi image, it is grand and quirky in appearance (see pictures).
As well as being a superb artwork, it functions as an espresso machine: as such, it possesses all the features necessary: a high pressure pump, heating element, removable steam nozzle and steam functions (to heat and froth milk) and a removable water tank (which has a 1.1 litre capacity) and a power of 1300 watt.

The machine is designed specifically for use with the Nespresso system (read more about Nespresso below), Nespresso supply the coffee capsules, to be used in this machine. A book listing the coffees available is supplied with the machine.

To use the machine, and make yourself an espresso, there are incredibly simple steps to follow:
- Fill the water tank
- Press the on button
- Press the coffee button; let the water run through until the light (temperature indicator) turns off.
- Wait for the light to turn back on.
- Put a capsule in the capsule holder.
- Place an espresso cup underneath and press the coffee button.
- Press the coffee button: allow the coffee to come out, until the espresso cup is filled to the desired level.

As mentioned before, the machine is equipped with a steam nozzle; again very simple steps to follow, on order to successfully use this feature. The steam nozzle is used to heat milk and create rich creamy foam.

With the ability to create espresso's; combined with the steam function; your options are endless. We can create, in our own homes, superior: cappuccinos, lattes, mocha chinos, hot chocolate etc.

When you purchase this, two espresso cups and saucers are supplied, along with a selection of 4 packs of 10 Nespresso coffee capsules.

The Coben Alessi Nespresso machine is retailed at approximately £319 for the gold model or £399 for the grey. This price does vary, depending on where you purchase it from.
It can be bought directly from www.alessi.com or www.nespresso.com: other than that, you need to visit www.alessi.com: where it will tell you your nearest Alessi retailer.

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The Coben Alessi Nespresso Machine was designed by, Richard Sapper - born in Munich 1932. A ten times winner of the Compassi d'Oro (an Italian designers award). Sapper studied philosophy, anatomy, graphics, engineering and economics: his particular interest is designing complex technical objects.

The History of Alessi
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Alessi is an Italian Design company. It began with one man in 1921; Giovanni. Giovanni bought a plot of land in Omegna, on lake Orta: and founded Alessi. Initially, he began by hand making household objects with metals. He was a stickler for quality and well done work. He soon earned acclaim for the workmanship and perfect finish.
In the mid 30's his son, 'Carlo' (trained as an industrial designer) joined the company.
The market for household items, during the war lessened and so Alessi made stars for uniforms and mechanical parts for Savoia Marchetti aeroplanes. Then after the war, there was a huge demand for 'brass ladies', for the us army. Due to this Alessi expanded and mass production began.
In the 1950's he took over from Giovanni.
Carlo's brother 'Ettore' Joined the company in 1945 and was appointed the head technical developer. In 1955, he opened Alessi up to collaborate with external designers.
Carlo's son has now joined the company (in1970) and is still a family business. They work with many designers to create household objects, specialising in stainless steel manufacturing.

Nespresso Coffee
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Nespresso is a Nestle company: they strive to create an assortment of coffee blends; with unmatched crema (the frothy bit on the top of an espresso), body and taste.

They have coffee experts travelling the globe to find and select the highest quality coffee matching specific aroma profiles and exceptional character, from select countries of origin. They then work closely with the farmers and suppliers to ensure the highest quality.

Nespresso use certain beans from certain origins to create 'blends' The have specific requirements of characteristics: based on, aroma, finesse, quality of crema and lasting aftertaste.
They then have a specific and precise roasting process - the more the body of the coffee is developed, the more aroma is lost; therefore they have to make it perfect.
Next is the grinding: this affects the flavour and flow time of water, when making your espresso. The finer the grind, the slower the flow of water. Thus the stronger and full bodied the espresso is.
They then package the perfect amount of coffee for each espresso, in an aluminium capsule (a protective film protecting the coffee from the aluminium) - this preserves the freshness for at least nine months, meaning each espresso you drink, the coffee is at it's optimum - perfect.

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Nespresso have several blends available to buy either over the telephone or from www.nespresso.com. Here you can peruse the blends, at your leisure, learning the origins of the coffee, it's qualities and the description of the overall flavours: the strength, the smoothness or bitterness etc.
This means you can pick the coffee to your own specific personal taste.

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The capsules are approximately 12p each and are sold in packs of ten. There is a very small delivery charge, if you order before 2pm, generally you will receive your coffee the very next day (next day delivery can be guaranteed by a small charge).

The Machines Performance
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I had seen the Coben Alessi Nespresso Machine in my local Alessi retailers shop previously to the day I bought it: longing for the day I had the money to buy it. The lady in the shop was too an Alessi enthusiast; and was able to tell me all about the machine and all about Nespresso. The display machine had been used daily in the store for 8 years, this gave me huge confidence in the durability and longevity of the machine.

The machine is packaged in a huge box, and is incredibly heavy (the machine being 25.5x39x25.5 cm (WxDxH) and 5kg). This gave me immense satisfaction as I handed over my £399 - I felt like I had something for my money!

The machine is sold, constructed; and is good to go, once plugged in. The instruction manual is very easy to follow, with step by step instructions on how to make your drinks.
It does, only teach you, how to make espressos and cappuccinos. To be more creative and extravagant, you will need to do a little research. The internet has an wealth of ideas: and the staff (the nice ones) in Starbucks or Costa etc will give you a few tips.

The ease of use is phenomenal. I was initially wary as the machines I had bought previously, involved hard work, pushing levers at the right time and for the right amount of time, correctly measuring the coffee, angling the milk perfectly etc.
In this case, it is simply a case of pushing a few buttons. Then hey presto, you have amazing espressos with just the right amount of crema. Every time.
Even the steam nozzle is easy to master - no angling etc involved - just hold the milk under, pull down the lever and wait until the milk foams.

The machine capsule holder and the drip tray come apart from the machine, making it very easy to clean after use. The steam nozzle just needs wiping with a cloth. The water tank just lifts off, making it very practical to use.

It is vastly expensive compared to standard coffee machines. Compared to other Nespresso Machines, such as Magimix, Krups, Gaggia etc It is slightly more expensive but similarly priced. My mother owns the Magimix version - another terrific machine, but for me; incomparable in beauty and quality.

I was, at first, worried, that Nespresso Coffee would not be to my taste. I found the selection of blends is extensive: numerous blends fitted my specifications; of what I deem to be a special coffee (I.e. 'Risteretto'
'is the typical Italian espresso. It is a short, strong, full-bodied espresso with a touch of acidity. It has a pleasantly lingering taste').
Nespresso are constantly experimenting with new blends and limited editions; for example, the Chinese spicy coffee was an interesting blend.

When I first discovered I was running out of my capsules, I was quite anxious. The capsules can be bought for nowhere else but Nespresso itself. They do not have 'shops' all coffee and Nespresso products can only be purchased online or over the phone.
A book containing a description of all Nespresso coffees and a list of their products; is supplied when you purchase the coffee machine.
I logged on to www.nespresso.com, created an account with ease, then navigated my way through the site (again with ease); looking through their range of blends and ultimately placing an order. Payment is by 'card', the standard ones, Switch, Visa, MasterCard etc. The whole ordering and payment process is simple and problem free.
The very next day, there was a knock on the door and there was a man with my coffee!

The service is superb from Nespresso, I have never had a problem and my coffee has always been delivered promptly. It is a well established company, owned by Nestle: therefore it is unlikely to 'go bust' any time soon, if ever.
If that catastrophic day arrived, the machine would be rendered useless. It is only made, to use Nespresso capsules, nothing else.

Nespresso sell all the bits and pieces needed to take your machine apart, clean and de-scale. There are step by step instructions and they are very easy to follow. Performing a thorough clean of the machine every 6 months will increase the machines longevity.

There are an abundance of accessories available for the machine; a tremendous amounts of cups and coffee related products. Carry cases, to make your machine mobile. Dispensers and uber posh wooden cases for the capsules. All items are displayed online and Nespresso sporadically send books with all the products available to purchase.

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Both Nespresso and Alessi share a desire to achieve un-matched quality. They both share a great passion for coffee. This coffee machine is aesthetically beautiful, it oozes charisma and quality. The amazing Nespresso coffee is highly complimented by such a high quality machine and vice versa. I cannot enthuse about it enough, it is simply fantastic.

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The history of Alessi and Nespreso, has been interpreted and vastly condensed from www.alessi.com and www.nespresso.com. For the full shebang; visit those web sites.

 

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