Carte Noire Nespresso Compatible Capsules Review

We were recently sent over some Carte Noire Nespresso compatible capsules to try, arriving in a lovely gift box with some gorgeous Bodum cups to make sure we got the best out of the coffee.

The capsules are currently available in supermarkets with a RRP of £2.79 so that makes them around the same price each as some of the less expensive Nespresso capsules.

Being available in the supermarket makes them easily accessible, unlike the Nespresso capsules themselves and others that are currently available on the market which are only available by ordering online.

This isn’t a problem if you want to order in bulk but if you prefer just the odd cup of coffee every now and then or run out and don’t want to buy lots in one go this is the perfect alternative.

The coffee itself is tasty, as you would expect from a long standing premium brand like Carte Noire, available in four strengths (3 Elegant, 5 Delicat, 7 Aromatique, 9 Intense) there is something for all tastes.

I tend to drink my coffee as a latte whereas my husband has his as an espresso and both of us have really enjoyed the coffee, I particularly liked the 3 as an espresso. Super tasty and not too strong, it is smooth and doesn't leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

I'm not sure whether the capsules are recyclable and I cannot find anything on their website to confirm it, this is one thing I love about the Nespresso capsules is that they are picked up and recycled free of charge by Nespresso. If you don’t mind so much about the environment then you can just go ahead and bin them, but this was one of the reasons I was drawn to the Nespresso machine in the first place.

The capsules come in separate foil bags so there is a a bit of wastage here, it also means they aren't as easy to store as the Nespresso capsules, however being able to buy with your weekly shop means only buying as many as you need.

Overall we were really impressed with the coffee, the taste is great and we would definitely buy more.

NB: I was sent some capsules and coffee cups to review, all opinions and pictures are my own.

Caffe Cagliari - Italian Coffee Meets Nespresso

I have raved a lot about my Nespresso machine, and how I love it for it's easy coffee making qualities. There is nothing I love more than sitting in the kitchen enjoying a quiet coffee and reading a recipe book whilst listening to the distant sound of children playing.

My five minutes peace and quiet, this time bought to you by Caffe Cagliari's new Nespresso compatible ilove Espresso Capsules. Caffe Cagliari are a family company steeped in over 100 years of Italian history. Alessandra Cagliari, the great great grand daughter of the founder handles the marketing and packaging today, so even now it is still family run.

With five different coffee's to choose from there isn't as big a range as Nespresso themselves. They cost 30p a capsule (or slightly less if you buy 80 of one variety), so they are around the same price as Nespresso's cheaper capsules.

The coffee itself was divine, I am not normally one to drink an espresso at home, known mostly for my love of a latte, however with this coffee I was drawn to drinking it as a short as it was so tasty. Having never been to Italy I cannot compare with the coffee over there, but having drank many an espresso in cafe's in both England and France, I recognised the smoothness and distinctive taste of a great espresso.

Whether it is the way it has been roasted or the choice of beans I was impressed by the quality of the coffee, even the decaf tasted great, making it perfect to drink throughout the day all day if you want.

Sitting in my little corner of the kitchen I got to enjoy my coffee, a biscuit and five minutes peace.

I really enjoyed the coffee and will definitely be buying more for our machine, the coffee was tasty, smooth and very drinkable. Perfect for an early morning pick me up or after dinner coffee, to find out more about Caffe Cagliari or if you fancy giving a try then you can pop over to their shop.

NB I was sent a few coffee samples, coffee cups, sugar and biscuits to form this post. All opinions are my own.

Big Cup Little Cup Review and Discount Code

I was recently approached by Big Cup Little Cup to see if I would like to review their coffee.

The Big Cup Little Cup capsules are Nespresso compatible and are a slightly cheaper alternative to the Nespresso range. Offering a wide range of coffee's for those that love small cups of coffee or big cups with several different strengths.

The coffee itself was good quality and enjoyable, had a good crema and other than a few bits of coffee dust in the cups you couldn't really tell they were any different.

I mention the dust only because I don't recall really noticing this with the Nespresso capsules, however the way in which the capsules are made and stored is probably the reason for this but it doesn't really affect the coffee itself.

The capsules come in separate foil bags so there is a a bit of wastage, the boxes are a little bigger and so they aren't as easy to store.

Recycling the capsules is also a little more difficult, with the Nespresso capsules you just put them in a bag and coffee and capsule are collected, with the Big Cup Little Cup capsules although the plastic is recyclable it does require you to empty and rinse out first.

Not really something I want to be doing but I do hate waste and this was one of the only reasons I was happy to go with the capsule system in the first place, that they were easy get rid of and be recycled.

Both my husband and I really like the range Big Cup Little Cup have to offer, so much so we ordered the Coffee Lovers Discovery Pack, 300 capsules for £75 ordered and delivered within 24 hours so a great service.

Better still you can get 15% off with code MUMMYDIARY0810 until the 1st November 2013 so that makes them even better value.

NB We were sent 2 free boxes of coffee by Big Cup Little Cup for review, all words are my own and after trying the samples, we chose to buy some more.