Just curious if anyone has used a refractometer on a Nespresso brew. I'm just trying to understand how they are brewing 40 ml out of just 5 g of coffee for a 'normale' which seems like a brew ratio of 8 nevermind a 'lungo' of 120 ml. The reviews even on this forum are not terrible - I will have to try sometime. Am I missing something?

Is this espresso or strong coffee brewed under pressure? (I don't mean this negatively). What is the TDS and %extraction?

I've never measured it; but it tastes like its very highly extracted. I enjoy the all or high Robusta capsules stopped when the shot's weight gets to about 10 grams. Under extracted Robusta tastes like someone is burning a tire, but these taste like the standard Italian fare, i.e. like drinking cocoa on a freshly tarred road. However, my fellow HBers here in Chicago think I'm nuts.

I don't have a refractometer, so can't answer TDS and extraction yield. But, I have played with the Nespresso U I got a while ago. I use it at the office where grinding mess and fuss is impractical. Here are a few notes from my experience with volume of extraction:

First, all the capsules taste better on the ristretto setting. That makes sense, given we're trying to extract from 5g of coffee (I think that weight varies slightly by capsule). So to get a double, I need to use 2 ristretto capsules.

Second, there are capsules specifically designated as "Lungo," and are designed for the lungo setting. Extracting a normal capsule as lungo results in a more unpleasant experience.

Third, I am not sure about all the Nespresso machines, but my Nespresso U can set the volume of water that is used for the extraction. Setting the volume is an imprecise affair, and I tired of trying to get a specific volume. Also when I reduced the volume of the ristretto extraction to get about 10g extracted, the flavor was not as good as the standard setting.

Thanks!

Judging from YouTube videos I've seen, it looks like time is way too fast. Is that an issue too? I.e., even with proper brew ratio it would still be under extracted?

danaleighton wrote:my Nespresso U can set the volume of water that is used for the extraction. Setting the volume is an imprecise affair, and I tired of trying to get a specific volume. Also when I reduced the volume of the ristretto extraction to get about 10g extracted, the flavor was not as good as the standard setting.

I've been a Nespresso user like danaleighton for many years "at the office where grinding mess and fuss is impractical". When my last "real" machine accompanied my older son on his move to New York, I used my original (i.e. manual) Essenza at home. It was acceptable enough to live with for what turned out to be a few years, given my indecision on a proper successor.

Using the pump switch to control the volume, I "pulled" (OK - I pushed) consistent 15cc shots of Arpeggio that actually tasted better than anything I ever had from an ESE pod or friends' inexpensive (<$300) home machines and cheap grinders. I don't know if the new versions shut off flow with a second push of the button - but if they work like mine, just stop it at 15ml and it'll be fine. Yes, you'll use 2 capsules per drink unless you want a single ristretto. But 5 gm to 15 ml produces more-than-acceptable shots for me, and two or three are fine in milk drinks.

I even bought a Maestria last year to see if it'd be enough machine for me (it's obviously not, which is why I bought a Lelit). Although it lacks the steam power to get really fine foam structure, caps etc are not too shabby with some practice for consistency. This is a typical Nespresso cap for me:



So however Nespresso does it, their machines make acceptable espresso and the one with a steam wand even makes acceptable cappuccino. Although the Maestria sits unused in the basement now, I still use the Essenza almost every day in the office.

My brother in law just bought a Nespresso, at the shorter end (25ml recommended & what Nespresso call a "ristretto"), you are looking at a strength comparable to the Italian espresso standard. Capsules in the 40ml range (some claim to work at 25ml & 40ml, I'd be inclined to stick to shorter end) vary considerably in strength, their "espresso" capsules can be more like strong brewed coffee/moka pot, up to knocking on the door of Italian standard. Lungos, I didn't try all the capsules (just 3), but these would seem to be in the higher extraction range, can fall into more typical brewed coffee strength - again, I'd be inclined to maybe pull them short (50-60g as a start point?) to reign in extraction at strong brewed coffee strengths.

Not by any means comprehensive, but 2 things became apparent - the pods weigh different amounts dependent on variety (but are consistent within those of the same variety), grind seems customised based on intended beverage size. So it's hard to generalise regarding strength & extraction level.