Nespresso: Unlimited Variations

If there was one thing I can take away from our trip from Spain, it would be this: Nespresso

I'm not a coffee person but when I had my first sip of the finest espresso, I was instantly hooked. Where has Nespresso been all my life? Apparently I had to stay at a Ritz Carlton in Barcelona to find out. Our room came equipment with a Nespresso machine. Initially, I wondered why the coffee cups in our room were small. Lke super small. It took a few days to figure out that Europeans drink espresso not Caffè Americano (watered down espresso).

Anyways, a few weeks after our trip, I found a Nespresso boutique inside our local Bloomingdale's. I thought the machines were only sold in Europe but apparently the company (the parent is Nestle), is trying to break into the U.S. market. Fast forward to today, I own two machines. A Pixie which I use at the office and a Latissima Plus at home.

Nespresso has 16 Grand Crus but three of their limited edition flavors will be part of their permanent collection. Believe it or not, once limited edition capsules are sold out, it's gone for good. Meaning, they're really expensive to buy on ebay. The strategy is to buy as many sleeves (a box of 10 capsules) of your favorite flavor before it sells out. I'm currently hoarding Cherry,Chocolate,Coconut, Hazelnut, Macadamia nut and the elusive Kazaar, the most intense limited edition Grand Crus yet.

The 3 new permanent flavors are:

- Vanilio: Rich, velvety aromas of vanilla meeting the mellowness of the Livanto Grand Cru.

- Ciocattino: Dark and bitter chocolate notes meeting the caramelized, roasted flavors of Livanto. Reminiscent of a sqaure of dark chocolate.

- Caramelito: The sweet flavor of caramel softens the roasted notes of Livanto. A gourmet marriage evoking the creaminess of soft toffee.

This weekend I received a mailing informing me that I can taste the new flavors on Friday, June 7th through Sunday, June 9th. It looks like I'll be taking a trip to Bloomingdale's during my lunch break this Friday.