Most days at breakfast we will have coffee from a filter jug machine then occasionally an espresso after lunch or dinner.
In France we have an ancient Krups espresso machine which we have had for about twenty five years and uses ground coffee. It is a bit of a faff, although it makes nice coffee but the packs of coffee definitely go off once opened and we inevitably end up throwing some away. In the UK we have a neat little Lavazza machine which takes large capsules. When we got it about ten years ago there was a good range of capsules readily available in most supermarkets. They are now much more difficult to find and very limited in range, except online, and can be very expensive.
Last autumn we were breezing through SuperU and spotted a L'Or Barista machine on special offer. A browse of the coffee aisle in the supermarket told us that you can get a huge range of capsules to fit it. In fact any "Nespresso compatible" capsule will fit. So we took the plunge.
We were so thrilled with it that the old Krups was soon put out to grass (in the barn) and we bought a second one in the UK. The Lavazza was then also put out to grass (in the garage).Both machines will make a little espresso or a café alongée, which we prefer, there is a large range of coffees available at sensible prices to fit them, almost everywhere.
My only reservation with these machines is what happens to the used capsules? In France we can in theory put them in with the usual recycling but in fact we've been saving them up to drop off at the déchetterie when we take garden rubbish. There is a huge skip gradually filling up with used capsules, goodness only knows what they will do with them when it's full.
When we got our UK machine it came with a plastic bag into which we can put the used capsules and take them to a recycling centre or post them. The nearest centre is at a supermarket some miles away that we don't frequent so that was never going to happen. So I did a bit of internet research.
Enter stage right the Dualit EcoPress. For a modest price this little gadget squeezes the coffee grounds out of the used capsule into a container. You then rinse off the capsules, assemble them in a pile and squash them flat to go into the recycling. The used coffee grounds can be put into garden compost or food recycling. It's a solution that makes me feel comfortable about using capsules and we can have a lovely fresh coffee when we feel like one, although we still have our filter coffee when we want a jugful in the mornings. Coffee heaven!
Someone needs to make a refillable capsule machine.
ReplyDeleteIt could be the next coffee invention!
DeleteWe used that neat little press for a while when recycling pods became a problem. Then we were able to take the pods and send them back via the oist office. Now nespresso have a podback collection system, we fill a podback bag and they collect them.
ReplyDeleteThe podback bag is what came with the machine but there isn’t a collection service in our area. We would have to make a special journey to recycle them at designated places. Hopefully one day there will be more participating stores locally.
DeleteWhen we stay in Bergamo there is an elegant red Lavazza coffee maker. I’d love one but I don’t love the capsules so I stick to my stove top mokka pots and packs of Lavazza rosso. All the grounds go on the garden or balcony pots. I am glad you take your coffee making as seriously as me, the prep is part of the pleasure.
ReplyDeleteLavazza coffee is fabulous.
DeleteWe have a machine both her and in the UK and use the recycling tool which works well. Then for his birthday a couple of years ago Rhiannon bought Tim a pack of reusable stainless steel cups with the seals and lids so he now refills his own in the UK. I'll dig out the information for you. However I usually buy the l'Or capsules in France in boxes of 50 which can sometimes be found on offer at buy 1 get one at half price!
ReplyDeleteSo there is already a refillable capsule!
DeleteI'm a bit of a philistine and prefer a (good) instant coffee to filter/ machine made stuff. But, if you ever need the info, I believe you can freeze ground coffee and use it straight from the freezer.
ReplyDeleteLatterly we kept our espresso coffee in the freezer, then we were seduced by the new machine!
DeleteMy favourite instant coffee is Camp coffee essence. I buy it for making coffee and walnut cake but treat myself to the occasional mugful with half milk, half water, a taste that takes me right back to my childhood.
at work we have one of these gadgets and a Mr. Coffee. I am in charge of the latter. It seems most prefer that to the Krugs device but it may be convenience viz. the coffee is right there.
ReplyDeleteI had to Google Mr Coffee and see it is a jug machine. We also use one most days, perfect for a quick grab of coffee when we’re on the go.
DeleteIncidentally, when our last filter machine in France died we inadvertently bought one that keeps the coffee hot in a thermos kind of jug, which is brilliant. Much better than the one that kept the coffee hot on a hotplate which stewed it for hours and woe betide one of us forgetting to switch it off - the acrid stink of stewed coffee was horrid. Our filter machine in the UK switches itself off after so long which avoids the forgetting to do it but is equally annoying as the jug of coffee goes cold!
true: there is nothing as unappealing as cold Mr. Coffee.
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