It’s all about U (& Me!) :: Nespresso U-Launch Pop-Up Party NYC

Gosh I’m a lucky girl, but it’s not just all about me – it’s all about U, too. I recently attended a Nespresso Pop-Up party in the trendy Meatpacking District in NYC, to celebrate the launch of their new U machine.

I mingled with the Nespresso team, Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef, and several other tastemakers and food influencers

under a big grand tent brightly lit in pink, while sipping wine and champagne, tasting delicious chocolates and hors d’oeuvres and sampling their luscious espressos and hearing all about this amazing, shiny and new coffee machine.

I have to admit, I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I fell in love with espressos and cappuccinos when I lived in Australia because they don’t actually have coffee machines or go to Starbucks due to the European influence and coffee culture over there. I got a Nespresso Pixie and Aeroccino Milk Frother earlier this year and absolutely love them. So easy and convenient and I can get my coffee fix in about a minute flat.

But the U Machine is even cooler! It comes in four different colors: Pure Orange, Pure Cream, Pure Grey and Pure Black. It’s a handsome little devil, with a sleek design and tactile interface and this machine is quite the smarty pants, too – it actually remembers your coffee preferences (Ristretto, Espresso or Lungo) and there’s no programming needed.

All you do is pop one of their colorful Grand Cru capsules in the top, fill up the water tank (which swivels around to the side to save space on your counter), press go, and voila! – you’ve got a delicious, home-brewed espresso or cappuccino ready to enjoy in about a minute. This is one classy little machine – and quite the catch, if I may add.

They have over 16 coffee blends with a variety of flavor notes to choose from ranging from citrusy, spicy, woody, flowery, winey, cocoa, to honey, and they come in Espresso, Lungo or Ristretto capsules. They also have a ton of cool accessories to go with your new U Machine too – glasses, containers, spoons, stirrers and more to compliment your awesome coffee experience at home. It’s retails for about $199, and the coffee capsules run about .68 cents a piece, which you can get online through their Nespresso Club. Who needs Starbucks when you can make your own delicious coffee creations at home?

With a coffee machine this cool and smart, it really IS all about U now, isn’t it? 

Click the photo gallery below to view a slideshow of all the event photos..fun!

Enjoy a couple of Nespresso Cappuccino recipes below, compliments of Padma Lakshmi, Nespresso’s celebrity spokesperson.

Nespresso Iced Chai Cappuccino 

Ingredients
Spice Mix:
2 parts cinnamon
1 part ground cloves
1 part ground cardamom
1 capsule of Indriya from India Grand Cru
8.5 fl oz of milk
Sugar to taste
Cinnamon Stick
Preparation
Pour the brewed Indriya from India Grand Cru into a cappuccino cup.
Add about 1/8 teaspoon of the spice blend.
Froth milk using the Nespresso Aeroccino or the steam function of your machine.
Fill the cup with the prepared frothed milk and add sugar to taste.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
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Nespresso Cardamom Cappuccino

Ingredients

1 capsule of Indriya from India Grand Cru
4 fl oz of milk
1 tsp of natural brown sugar
1/4 tsp of powdered green cardamom
Pinch of crushed raw unsalted almonds
Grind of nutmeg

Preparation

Pour the brewed Indriya from India Grand Cru into a cappuccino cup.
Mix the milk of your choice with the natural brown sugar and powdered green cardamom.
Froth milk using the Nespresso Aeroccino.
Fill the cappuccino cup with the prepared frothed milk over the Espresso.
Top cappuccino with the crushed raw unsalted almonds, grind of nutmeg, and a pinch of cardamom.

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Below are a couple of links to the Nespresso coffee recipe sites and their Coffee Recipes book so you can create your own Nespresso coffee recipes:

Nespresso Ultimate Coffee Creations (Nespresso Global coffee recipe site):

http://www.nespresso.com/ultimate-coffee-creations/US/en/coffee-recipes

Nespresso’s Padma Lakshmi’s Recipe Page (US only page):

http://www.nespresso-us.com/ultimaterecipes/

Download a copy of the Nespresso Coffee Recipe Book

Hanging with Padma Lakshmi
Hanging with Padma Lakshmi