Krups Atelier: Why I'm not testing this capsule coffee machine
17.11.2020
Translation: machine translated
Super easy to use, the coffee tastes different depending on the capsule, but never as perfect as in your favourite coffee shop. That could have been the conclusion about the Krups Nespresso Atelier. But it's not, and it's not because I don't drink coffee at all.
Instead, I'm concerned with sustainability. At Galaxus, we committed to this with our CO2 offsetting programme in summer 2020. Of course, everything we do as humans has an impact on the environment. And since we don't want to completely cease to exist, we can at least rethink our behaviour. For me, capsule coffee machines are one of those little things where you can do something for the environment - and your bank balance.
Before you say "You didn't have to get the coffee machine as a test device, did you?", a little look behind the scenes: In the editorial team, we choose the appliances for our tests ourselves. From time to time, colleagues from the purchasing department ask if we would like to try out product X or Y and if they should organise it for us. Sometimes it works out and I accept the reduction in workload, but often it doesn't. It's even rarer for a device to suddenly appear in the office without me having asked beforehand. That's what happened to me with this capsule coffee machine. I could have ignored it or simply sent it back. But I didn't, instead I wrote this article.
Sustainability: aluminium, recycling and alternatives
The carbon footprint of coffee - as with some other foods - does not start well with the water used to grow it and transport it to Europe. Aluminium capsules are the crowning glory. A lot of energy is needed to extract aluminium from bauxite: almost 16 kilowatt hours per kilogram of aluminium - enough to make around 1100 cups of coffee - and around 8 kilograms of CO2 are also produced. That doesn't sound like much, but with an estimated 8 billion capsules currently sold worldwide each year, it adds up to quite a lot.
The pound of coffee is also packaged in aluminium. However, the ratio between coffee and packaging is much better here. One capsule contains around 6 grams of coffee powder and the capsule can weigh up to 5 grams. Converted to a pound of coffee, that's just over 400 grams of packaging.
Theoretically, aluminium is very easy to reuse. Recycling only requires around 5 to 10 per cent of the energy required for production. Once the cycle is underway, the final balance is therefore significantly better. Nespresso is also committed to this and wants to be able to take back 100 per cent of its capsules by the end of 2020 and produce 80 per cent of all capsules in two product ranges from recycled aluminium by the end of 2021.
In order for Nespresso to fulfil its promise, the company relies on the help of consumers. They have to send the capsules for recycling - preferably without the used coffee powder. There are special squeezing tools for this purpose. There is no deposit system for the capsules in Germany. Here, Nespresso refers to the return via the Dual System with the green dot. And even then, new aluminium is still required for some elements such as the sealing foil.
Coffee capsules do not necessarily have to be made of aluminium. There are alternatives made from organic plastic, but these have other disadvantages. Organic plastic is less organic than the name suggests. It still takes a long time to dissolve and does not always do so completely. Every used coffee filter with powder residue is better off in the compost.
Refillable reusable capsules seem to make more sense. But then you can also fill the filter or portafilter directly. What's more, the appeal of capsule machines lies in being able to prepare different types of coffee without having half a dozen opened coffee packs lying around.
If there are problems with the alternative capsules, you're left looking foolish. The manufacturers of the machines then deny any responsibility. They only provide a guarantee if you use their original capsules. Coffee capsules, the printer cartridges of the kitchen.
Expensive coffee
If the environment isn't an argument for you, then perhaps the price is. How much are you willing to pay for a pound of coffee? There are about 6 grams of coffee in a capsule. Directly at Nespresso, the prices for the matching capsules for the Krups machine range from 38 to 48 cents. The price may be justified for the manufacturers, after all they not only have to buy the coffee, but also process expensive aluminium and want to make a profit in the end. But just over 31 euros per pound of coffee for the cheapest original capsules is a proud price.
As a coffee drinker, you know better than I do what a pound of coffee costs in the shop. A glance at the supermarket shelves tells me that you can easily get top-quality organic fair trade coffee for that price and still have money left over for a coffee or two on the go even after buying filters.
With hand-brewed filter coffee, espresso machines, French press and many other preparation methods, there are plenty of ways to make coffee that are better for the environment and cheaper for you than coffee capsules, despite all the recycling efforts.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
