Cru Kafe Coffee Pods Review

We were recently sent some Cru Kafe Flat White Nespresso Compatible Organic Coffee Capsules to try, they arrived in gorgeous black packaging, looking sleek and inviting.

On opening the bag you could smell the coffee, I popped one straight into the machine and I was presented with a dark earthy smelling coffee, the taste of which is really lovely.

My husband, who loves his coffee used the words ‘ I think this may be the best one we’ve tried’ referring to several of the different capsules available including Nespresso which means this is high praise indeed.

I have really enjoyed the coffee in iced coffee and as a flat white first thing in the morning, my husband being more of an espresso drinker has enjoyed the coffee on it’s own although it does suggest it is better as a flat white.

The great thing about Cru Kafe is that you can order a monthly subscription delivered to your door, which means you don't have to worry about running low as new ones will regularly arrive.

The capsules are recyclable and the packet a bit less bulky than some of the others in boxes currently available, there is also less packaging than some of the others available on the market.

The coffee is great but my only grumble is the price, it is a little on the high side compared to others with a capsule including delivery being 40p-46p if you buy just one offs or 37p-41p if you have a monthly subscription. However it is organic so you are getting something rarely available from other coffee makers and suppliers.

As these are from a smaller independent company and this is wonderful tasting coffee, it might be something we buy on occasion, as a gift to ourselves, but not something we'd buy regularly.

NB: We were sent a packet of Cru Kafe capsules for the purpose of this review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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.

I love my Nespresso machine!

We have had our Nespresso machine for a while now and I can 100% hand on heart say it is the most used item (next to the vacuum) in our house.

Well I guess technically the fridge/freezer is but you know what I mean.

It makes the perfect cup of coffee every time and you can have a different coffee every day.

If you aren't into the caffeine then you can have decaf and the decaffeination process is natural rather than chemical, which is something I hated when choosing decaf normally. This is from the Nespresso website

"Nespresso uses a natural "water-based" decaffeination process, which is free from chemical additives, this process involves dissolving the caffeine, but without altering the strength and distinction of the coffee's aromas.  Developed to the same high standards of perfection as the other Grand Crus, Nespresso guarantees excellence throughout the production process of the decaffeinated coffees from selecting the finest beans, to blending, roasting and finally packaging the coffee. So when it comes to the coffee in your cup, you can be sure of a genuine espresso with all its character and aromatic richness preserved"

My favourite two coffees at the moment are the Rosabaya De Colombia and Dulsao Do Brasil, although I only have one of these a day, if I have another it is normally a decaf, all of which are yummy.

The best thing about the machine is the ability to make several different sorts of coffee, you can do a lungo (long) so just like a normal coffee, espresso, cappuccino or a latte. There is something to suit every taste. Using the Aeroccino machine you can froth the milk either hot or cold so you can make yourself a hot chocolate or milkshake with it too.

The customer service so far has been brilliant, they even pick up the used capsules and recycle them so it's good for the environment too.

Although you think the coffee will be expensive it works out at no more than 33p a coffee, a lot cheaper than what we were paying when buying coffee for the stove top coffee maker and certainly cheaper than buying from some well known coffee chains (although I still love them but don't tell hubby)!

I need more decaf so have just got to wait for hubby to go to London to buy some from one of the boutiques or until we need enough to order some.

Today is Nespresso day!

Today we went and bought a Nespresso machine, the lady in John Lewis was oober knowledgeable and gave us some extra coffee for our machine.

I love John Lewis for there attention to customer service, I have never once been left annoyed or let down by a trip to John Lewis in fact I love going there for a coffee and a browse.

So welcome to the family little machine we love you, it's just a shame we couldn't have gotten ourselves a free George Clooney too ;)

Love is....a good cup of coffee and customer service ;)