Posted on Wed, 20 Apr 2011
Meet Pixie, Small and Smart!
Elaine and I were at the launch of the Nespresso Pixie both in Hong Kong and Singapore last week, and got a sneak peak at their newest and smallest coffee maker. Our verdict – It’s the cutest little gastro-gadget around. As they say, good things come in small packages, and all whittled down to 2.8 kg, the Pixie is also its smartest and fastest coffee maker yet. So unlike what the computer geek husband sometimes says, miniaturisation doesn’t compromise in this case.
What can it do? Well, it’s faster than all its brothers and sisters, heating up in 30 seconds to get you your coffee boost right NOW! Then if you leave it alone for 9 minutes, it powers off on its own, sucking up 40% less electricity than average A class machines – all good for Gaia. It tells you when it’s ready to brew, when to top up water, and demands three times less descaling than others, so you’re not a slave to your new toy.
Inside, the Nespresso System, with its 19-bar pressure pump controls all the variables in coffee making – the pressure, water temperature and quantity – to serve up a consistently yummy cuppa each time. Despite its size, the Pixies makes two cup sizes – an Espresso or Lungo coffee – and the foldable drip tray accommodates differing cups for espresso and milk coffee lovers like me. And you know what Elaine and I like the most about this gadget? It’s portable, so you can bring it anywhere so long as there’s an electrical outlet to plug it in and juice it up. Where would you bring it to?
Made with anodized aluminium side panels, and featuring a 0.7l water tank, the Nespresso Pixie comes in six bold colours, and costs only $398 in Singapore and HK$1,988. Available from this month at Nespresso boutiques, its website (www.nespresso.com) and at their customer care centres.
NESPRESSO NUMBERS
And speaking of customer care, did you know that Nespresso actually has customer care centres that run 24×7 around the world? Which means that Nespresso Club members can call in to talk to a Nespresso ambassador anytime of the day to ask for advice. How serious are these people? Can you imagine a coffee emergency at 3.15am in the morning?! But there are 10 million club members around the world who can enjoy this service – 10 million coffee fanatics – that’s equivalent to the population of Belgium, and more than that of Switzerland, where Nespresso is based. Here’s another number for great coffee table conversation – 12,000 cups of Nespresso are brewed every minute, and 80 million brewed a day. Not bad at all, for a company just 25 years old. Guess that’s a lotta caffeine going around!
Hong Kong
Boutique Elements, 2nd level, Shop 1093, No. 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon
Boutique ifc mall, Shop 1021 Podium Level One, 1 Harbour View St, Central Hong Kong
Singapore
Nespresso Boutique ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn #01-14
Nespresso Boutique Takashimaya, Takashimaya Basement 1
