The human being tends to encapsulate, whether we are talking about pharmaceutical laboratories, spaceships or edible products.
Coffee, that singular food that stimulates the worst mornings, has not escaped this fate.
We know that instant grinding is more aromatic, we have the instruments for all kinds of extractions - the Moka, the Chemex, the Aeropress - and, however, in most Spanish kitchens, there is a capsule coffee maker for desperate moments.
Not to mention the offices or the waiting rooms.
It may not be the most desirable extraction method, but we are all neighbors' children, sometimes we go through life like headless chickens and, if we have to choose between capsules and instant coffee, we are very clear about our decision.
We are not going to put our hands in our heads because of your habits, although we are going to take it because of the national data: in Spain up to 40,000 tons of capsules are consumed per year, with their corresponding environmental impact.
According to the Spanish Coffee Federation, they constitute 20% of the market, and soon it will be more, because they have an annual growth of 7.8%.
Although its origin is in
Italian
espresso
machines
, the invention is attributed to a Swiss engineer from Nestlé.
Eric Favre developed the Nespresso machine in 1986 and sales took off around the world in the late 1990s. George Clooney did the rest: Today, the competition brings together some 400 brands.
We may go to gastronomic hell, but at El Comidista we are people who walk around the house.
So we've asked team members, coffee professionals, drink enthusiasts, and trustworthy people in general, which capsules are worth the sin of discretion.
Here are some options, recommended by some friends, for those who want to lift a finger, but not one more, when it comes to pouring themselves a cup of coffee.
IN AN ENVELOPE
Ecological Salzillo - 3.50 euros (10 units)
It all started as a result of this tweet from Sergio Gallego, food critic for
La Verdad
, and author of
La brújula del Gourmet
, who promised to have found the Holy Grail: coffee capsules that finally deserved our respect.
"The main difference of the Salzillo capsules is that they are sealed. The aroma when you open them already anticipates what you are going to drink," he wrote.
Asked about the result, the Murcian popularizer praises the benefits of his country brand, "whose coffees are roasted in traditional ovens, with a fire flame, to provide a very characteristic flavor."
In addition, it celebrates that they are compostable formats, with up to seven grams of coffee inside.
There is a drama: the Espresso Point model is only distributed for hospitality, but they have similar capsules for Nespresso machines.
OF SPECIALTY
D Origin Coffee Roasters - 4.20 / 4.90 euros (10 units)
"Capsules are taboo for coffee specialists. That's from scabs, dissidents and heretics of the coffee religion," jokes Michael Uhlig of D · Origin Coffee Roasters.
The specialty coffee firm, based in El Albir, has surprised the most purist sector by launching its own capsules, with up to four varieties.
"They are the same coffees that we have in beans, following the artisan roasting process, so that the geeks of this world can compare the results," he guarantees.
And why get into such a big mess?
"Our project began without restricting ourselves in any way, bringing specialty coffee closer to all consuming people, and that should include the thousands of capsule users," he defends. Now it presents a format compatible with Nespresso machines and fully compostable, despite for the seal to be as tight as aluminum.
PRICE QUALITY
Solimo Ristretto - 12'99 euros (100 units)
Of course, of course, Amazon
is in da house
.
Three years ago it entered the war of coffee capsules with two own brands, Solimo and Happy Belly, which are some of the best options in terms of value for money.
If you buy two boxes of 50, the unit comes out for 0.13 cents: this means, 30% cheaper than in the case of the Nespreso.
At the same time, they are compatible with all Nestlé coffee makers, and Óscar Broc tells us about their benefits, "I never have breakfast at home, but, during hard confinement, when everything was plated, I had to buy a capsule coffee maker to drink coffee. Or whatever comes out of these machines, "confesses the crime.
There is no nocturnal crime in his crime, but there is treachery.
"I committed the worst of sins, I went to
punk
. I bought capsules from Amazon, as is. And very good, hey. Solimo fan," he declares.
BIODEGRADABLE
Senseo Classic - 3'99 (36 units)
Philips and Marcilla have had a successful marriage for more than a decade thanks to the Senseo coffee maker and capsules.
The taste is familiar to all consumers of this commercial brand, which is characterized by moderate sweetness, but the recommendation is not based on a gastronomic question.
The great virtue of Senseo 'soft' capsules is that they are biodegradable.
As they are made from filter paper, they can be thrown into organic waste containers, although this only happens with the traditional varieties (Classic, Decaffeinated and Strong).
The Senseos that contain milk have an internal structure made of plastic (polypropylene), which could be recycled by itself, but not after mixing with the filter and the coffee grounds.
REUSABLE
EverGreen Reusable - 27'99 / 39'99 euros (1 unit)
Marian and Yolanda Valero, the
coffee roasters
sisters
behind the Valencian brand Bluebell, are two of the people with the greatest love for coffee roasting that I know.
This is how they transmit it in their space and in their products.
And while they do not offer coffee capsules among their products, they are not closed to market demand either.
"If people are asking for it, the main challenge is to turn it around so that they have a result that is really worth it," they consider.
They give as an example the Evergeen capsules, compatible with various systems and completely reusable, not only because they are sustainable, but because they allow you to choose the coffee to fill them.
"You can buy from a trusted specialty roaster. We always recommend buying the coffee beans and grinding it on the spot. You fill the capsule, put it in the coffee maker and voila," they suggest.
CONSCIOUS
Terres de Café - 6'90 euros (10 capsules)
Jesús Salazar is the great coffeemaker from Mexico.
An entire institution in the field, whose work to support producers is complemented by intense dissemination and an immeasurable love for coffee.
How could it be otherwise, he recommends a firm committed to both the environmental part and the consumer experience.
The French Terres de Café project, which he knows personally, after visiting the farms from which it comes.
"It is not only that the capsule technology is friendly to the environment and makes this type of consumption sustainable in the long term, but that the coffee itself comes from an ecologically, socially and qualitatively responsible source," he argues.
It emphasizes quality, traceability and organic production.
In Spain it is distributed in El Corte Inglés.
It is not a cheap coffee, but it is very select and conscious at the agroforestry level.
THE WHITE BRAND
Carrefour Intenso - 4'90 euros (30 units)
The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) is very aware of the evolution of the capsule market, around which it has prepared multiple studies.
The brand that prevails as a favorite in many of the rankings is, curiously, a white brand compatible with Dolce Gusto and Nesspresso.
It is Carrefour Intenso, which the respondents stand out for its powerful flavor.
To end the myth that compatible capsules can spoil the coffee machine over time and that the result is not as satisfactory, the OCU also commissioned a study that basically dismantled the marketing strategy of the brands.
1,700 coffees were prepared in each coffee maker.
The conclusion was that there were no significant differences in the result, or damage to the electrical appliances.
It was noticeable in your pocket, yes, with an annual saving of 100 euros.
THE MOST FAMOUS
Nespresso Ispirazione Ristretto Italiano - 3'90 euros (10 units)
"For many years I have taken capsules, but now that I have known the world of specialty coffee, I do not see the way back," admits Joan Ruiz, better known as Esmorzaret, because his social networks surrender to categorical lunches.
With cup included, of course.
"There were some from Durban that, hey, they worked for me, they looked like the ones from the bar. But in the end I always ended up, like most, pulling Nespresso, because they have a lot of variety," he acknowledges.
As he prefers deep roasts and fruity notes, he sticks with the Ristretto.
"Of course, I remember that I always added sugar. It is something that has changed with specialty coffee: you realize that you no longer need it," he says.
WHAT THE HATERS SAY
When I started this report, the first answers to my questions were certainly discouraging.
"I would love to help you, but I HATE capsules. My analysis: they are all crap," replied Jordi Luque.
"At home we take
cold brew
from the French press or, hot, with the Kalita. I haven't had a capsule coffee maker for eons," Monica Escudero equally stood out.
But we continue to insist until we find a blinking light.
A few clarifications before hating capsules: One contains between five and eight grams of coffee, while a barista uses between 18 and 21 in each cup, so now you know why you don't feel as clear in the morning.
It's not you, it's them.
The main advantage of capsule coffee is that, for its preparation, it is not necessary to put a complete coffee machine, since it already comes in a single-dose format.
And of course, there is also the comfort section: the cup is instantaneous and the machine needs little maintenance, strong arguments in the society of the rush.
However, and as Enrique Muñoz, from Don Gallo Café, explains, the quality will never be the same.
"Capsules are a product that I usually equate to sachet soups: quick and easy, but artificial. They will never be comparable to a good
lollipop
," he says.
He explains that coffee is a living and delicate matter, so that after a few minutes of grinding it, it begins to lose part of its organoleptic characteristics, which in the capsule they try to regulate with stabilizers, preservatives and flavorings.
"It is a chimera for lovers of natural products and real flavors. For this reason, I consider that they are outside the quality standards and the philosophy of specialty coffee," he defends.
Paradoxically, to avoid the acidity that characterizes the drink, which the consumer is not used to, capsule machines opt for under-extraction - the water spends little time in contact with the coffee.
Consequently, beans that are roasted with less care are used, because their flavor will not be transmitted with all the nuances - even too roasted coffees, to camouflage possible defects.
To all this, the price disadvantage is added.
The value of the capsule is around 0.35 cents, so we would be talking about € 58-63 / kg, above some of the best freshly roasted coffees in the world.
Just in case, we will not tell the detractors of the format (and those of us who are not, we will continue to press the button that makes our mornings easier).
A dilemma with sustainability
In 2016, Hamburg became the first city in the world to ban coffee capsules in publicly owned buildings.
The City Council recalled that, by lining up those produced by the main manufacturer (Keurig), it would be possible to go around the planet up to 12 times.
Two years later, the Balearic Islands set the precedent in Spain by including, in its new Waste Law, the elimination of capsules that were not recyclable.
According to a survey by the OCU, 58% of Spanish consumers are willing to opt for biodegradable plastic in the capsules they use.
"Where is the problem?", You may be wondering.
In which there are no 100% innocuous materials.
A capsule is usually made of three combined materials - aluminum, plastic and paper - which makes recycling extremely difficult.
From Ecoembes they explain that, in their processing plants, capsules cannot be processed, as they are not considered containers: "They are indivisible from the product they contain, so they do not enter the chain like bottles, cans or the bricks that are deposited in the yellow container ".
Brands such as Nespresso or Dolce Gusto have activated their own collection and recycling systems, with up to 14,000 points in 31 countries.
After investing seven million, the recycling rate in Spain is, a decade later, barely 10%.
Aware of the growing importance that the consumer attaches to the environmental factor, the market strives to find solutions, but 90% of the capsules continue to end up in landfills or destined for agricultural compost.
There is no alternative, at least to date.
Some technological advances have achieved encapsulated coffees from sustainable materials and in vacuum atmospheres, but none of them lack an ecological footprint and there is still a high environmental impact in total figures.
In those we are: coffee, which has made so many efforts to create a respectful market, must continue in the fight.
Because we live in a world that will be sustainable, or it won't be.