Nespresso Lattissima - One Touch Cappuccinos and Lattes

Yesterday, Nespresso and DeLonghi unveiled the next generation of espresso meets cappuccino and latte machines - the Nespresso Lattissima. The Nespresso Lattissima features a "one touch" fresh milk froth function, allowing you to make a latte or cappuccino with just one push of a button. We witnessed the Nespresso Lattissima in person and got to sample the cappuccino and latte drinks it produced - verdict - amazing.

Update: Read our review of the Nespresso Lattissima

Because the Nespresso Lattissima uses fresh milk the difference in the quality of the latte or cappuccino is staggering. The Nespresso Lattissima also features an "auto clean" function, and the milk reservoir detaches from the machine so you can keep it nice and cool in the fridge for the next cappuccino or latte you make. Another cool feature is the adjustable cup platform, which allows you to use a tall latte glass or a traditional coffee cup. The Nespresso Lattissima will be priced at $799 for the satin chrome with cup warmer, and $699 for red or black sans the cup warmer and will be out Fall 2007.

Full details and video of the Nespresso Lattissima after the jump.

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Review: CAFresso 8g Espresso Pods for Your Espresso Machine E.S.E. Pod Filter

If you're looking for something in-between coffee and espresso, then CAFresso may be for you. These 8 gram espresso pods won't work in your single serve coffee pod brewer, but they will work in any E.S.E. certified espresso maker like the FrancisFrancis!. E.S.E. Pods are typically 7 grams, but a CAFresso pod is 8 grams and a bit thicker, just fitting into the E.S.E. espresso pod holder. We fired up our rather new, yet stylish Gaggia Baby Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine that comes with the E.S.E. espresso pod holder attachment.

What did we find? Is CAFresso more coffee hype than good coffee? Are these espresso meets coffee E.S.E. pods worth your single serve coffee dollar?

Continue reading: "Review: CAFresso 8g Espresso Pods for Your Espresso Machine E.S.E. Pod Filter"

CAFresso 8g Espresso Pods for Your Espresso Machine E.S.E. Pod Filter

We've just gotten word of a new espresso pod from the people at Podhead.com. We love their coffee pods and have also tried many of their espresso pods. The new espresso pod concept - CAFresso. Podhead.com claims the espresso is a little more coffee than espresso - something in between. These 8 gram espresso pods won't work in your single serve coffee pod brewer, but they will work in any E.S.E. certified espresso maker like the FrancisFrancis!. E.S.E. Pods are typically 7 grams, but it looks like they've taken the design of their 44mm coffee pods that originally were designed for the Melitta One:One and added the 8th gram.

Continue reading: "CAFresso 8g Espresso Pods for Your Espresso Machine E.S.E. Pod Filter"

Lavazza Blue Pininfarina Video

We've really been enjoying the Lavazza Blue single serve coffee system over the last few months thanks to the folks at Cafe Razzi. They've just finished up a new video that showcases the coffee and espresso from the Lavazza Blue. The Lavazza Blue is really called the "Pininfarina Pro" and is designed with a patented brewing mechanism to match the coffee capsules and assures a perfect cup of coffee each time. The machine makes both coffee drinks and espresso based drinks.

This video does a great job of showing the features of the Lavazza Blue and if you need more info you can read our full review here...

More at Lavazza Blue

Holiday Gift Picks: Krups Combination Coffee/Espresso Maker

Enjoy coffee or espresso with ease using E.S.E. epsresso pods or ground coffee. Sure we often look for the best of both single serve coffee and single serve espresso, but this Krups is a totally amazing little unit. So, if you want the ease of using espresso pods to make a nice short shot or a tall Cafe Americano - this is for you.

The coffee maker features 10-cup glass carafe, removable filter and water-level indicator. Espresso has 15-bar pump, die-cast thermo heating element and heavyweight portafilter for ground espresso or E.S.E. pods. Brushed stainless steel housing with digital clock, hot water feature and LED display.

Get it while you can, as according to our sources, this is one of the hottest espresso and coffee makers this season for under $299.

At Krups Combination Coffee/Espresso Maker

Looking for more holiday shopping gifts for that coffee drinker in your life? Visit the Single Serve Coffee Holiday Gift Guide.

Review: Lavazza Blue Pininfarina Single Serve Coffee Maker

Café-Razzi has sent us the Lavazza Blue single serve coffee system and we've really been enjoying it. The Lavazza Blue is really called the "Pininfarina Pro" and is designed with a patented brewing mechanism to match the coffee capsules and assures a perfect cup each time. The machine makes both coffee drinks and espresso based drinks.

Café-Razzi is currently the premier distributor of the Lavazza Blue system and features a coffee club that has a 30 day free trial. We've made a bunch of different coffee drinks including: espresso, cappuccino, and of course a nice tasty cup of single serve coffee. How does the Lavazza Blue hold up?

Continue reading: "Review: Lavazza Blue Pininfarina Single Serve Coffee Maker"

Review: Jura Capresso Impressa E8 Review at SingleServeEspresso.com

Looks like Scott and crew over at SingleServeEspresso.com have gotten their hands on the rather impressive - Impressa E8 Super Automatic espresso machine. We first reviewed this wonder here at SingleServeCoffee.com over 2 years ago, but as with most coffee makers things have evolved and changed. The SingleServeEspresso.com review even features a nifty YouTube video. It's a great read and a great review.

Full Review At SingleServeEspresso.com

Zevro Precision Coffee Dispenser

Since single serve coffee makers like the Keurig B50 and the Senseo have the ability to use your own coffee, we've been trying to find something that would also eliminate the mess when doing so. It's also going to take a bit of precision to get ground coffee into the reuseable filter for the Keurig or the Senseo. The Zevro coffee dispenser allows precise measurement and dispensation. It stores over one half pound of ground coffee with an airtight seal that ensures maximum freshness and flavor. Your kitchen counters will remain clean and free of coffee grounds when making a perfect cup of single serve coffee.

At Zevro Precision Coffee Dispenser

AERO Translucent Coffee Table

This clear acrylic wonder is now being produced at Workshopped in Australia. We like the simple curve of the legs and the rather "unsquare" squareness of the top. We could also see this working really well as a giant bookmark for your giant coffee table book.

Via MoCo Loco at Workshopped

Review: Preva xSport Portable Espresso & Single Serve Coffee Maker

Portable espresso or making coffee of any type on the go seems to be coming of age. We've seen the Aeropress, in-car espresso makers, and now the Preva xSport Portable Espresso maker for camping, rv-ing, and backpacking.

This ultra-compact espresso maker will make espresso or single serve coffee on the go and is compact, light, and durable. Unlike it's bigger single serve counterparts (see the Senseo for size comparison), we could see this being a pretty good choice for a long weekend hike or perhaps making a double shot cafe Americano on the side of a mountain. We can also see this being a good choice for taking while on vacation and staying in a hotel, where they often have the tiny coffee maker that could provide you hot water to use in your Preva xSport.

Hiking and vacation aside, we decided to put the Preva xSport through the paces here in the Single Serve Coffee test kitchen and see how good of a shot of espresso and how perfect a cup of single serve coffee we could make.

Continue reading: "Review: Preva xSport Portable Espresso & Single Serve Coffee Maker"

Preva xSport Portable Espresso Maker Arrives for Review

Ultra-compact and extremely single serve coffee or espresso, the Preva xSport has arrived for review. We've got a little teaser below to keep your fingers on the mouse while we run the xSport through our battery of tests. What's unexpected about the Preva xSport is it can make espresso or coffee and can use ground coffee or espresso pods. Very cool.

At Preva - Find Your North

Hamilton Beach 40729 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker with Espresso Pod Holder

For $68 bucks it's hard to tell how good or how bad this espresso maker would be from Hamilton Beach. We like the look but have rarely trusted the brand, so we'll have to wait and see if this baby works well. The Hamilton Beach 40729 Espresso Maker features an Italian-style 1100-watt heater and a powerful 15-bar pump. It also works with ground espresso or pre-measured pods and has a simple push-button operation. What we don't like is the 2-cup water reservoir but the adjustable steam/frothing dial and removable drip tray for easy cleanup are both nice. Accessories include scoop/tamper, 2 stainless-steel filters, instructional video, and recipe cards.

Update: Read the full review at SingleServeEspresso.com...

Preva Portable Espresso Maker in the Wild

We're pretty excited to try the Preva xSport Portable Espresso maker and we should be receiving ours very soon. In the mean time, we've got a first hand report from Preva on using the Preva xSport Portable Espresso maker at 4400 feet above sea level. You'll need your Preva xSport Portable Espresso maker and a Jetboil portable stove to boil up some water and then you can kick back and have some high altitude espresso.

From Preva:

"My first backpack with the xSport. Hope Lake at apprx. 4400' elevation... still tons of snow and the lake was mostly iced in... but a great little back country hike out of Stevens Pass..... The Jet Boil and the Preva xSport Portable Espresso Maker is a nifty combination for back country espresso. Takes about three-minutes from when you set your pack down to espresso (yes I timed it). And, we had the attention and obvious admiration of the only other group of hikers up there in the snow..... tee hee. Oh, the xSport performed beautifully....."

Read more at Preva xSport

Stomping Grounds Espresso Concentrate

We're always on the lookout for something new to the single serve coffee world and we think we've found it with Stomping Grounds Espresso Concentrate. Perhaps if your espresso machine is in the shop, or you are in the mood for cold espresso drinks, the makers of Oregon Chai have come up with Stomping Grounds cold espresso concentrate.

Shelf stable and ready to pour, you simply add milk, heat and drink, or if you prefer add milk, ice and drink cold; yea we like that. Probably not up to your average barista pulled espresso drink, but an alternative worth a try. You can't beat the convenience. They come in four flavors: Mocha, Espresso, Caramel, and Vanilla.

At Stomping Grounds