My husband Denis regularly browses the French news, and today, he sent me along an article in LeMonde about the new Nespresso machine called the BabyNes.
For those of you who are not familiar with Nespresso, it is a juggernaut of a coffee company in Europe, which has finally really broken into the American market with their easy espresso machines and their coffee clubs that provide the capsules. Full disclosure, I am a happy Nespresso customer, and I find their products to be excellent, if a bit pricey. I briefly tried a Keurig, and let’s just say that it’s something like the difference between a Dodge and a Lexus, without that significant of a price difference. In addition, Nespresso product designs and marketing materials are in themselves a source of pleasure, with their endless rows of multicolor metallic capsules.
Back to the article. So Nespresso now makes a machine that prepares baby bottles in under a minute. Here is the French ad:
Now I would say that this sounds pretty darn awesome to me. I’m now past the formula stage with my son, but I often complained to friends about how little convenience seems to exist in the world of formula. It’s like there’s a taboo on convenience when it comes to this area. No individual doses of formula at highway stops or convenience stores; not a lot in the way of ready-made formula cartons, etc. For the first time in my life, I HAD to be organized, under penalty of a shrieking newborn. While my beef was usually with options available in public when you’ve run out of milk, this machine addresses the other hassle of bottle-making, which is managing the temperature of the liquid. Since microwaving plastic is a no-no, you are left with the bottle warmer, which seems all too slow when your baby is wailing. On the other end, we would often accidently leave the bottle in the warmer, only to find it 30 minutes later scorching hot.
Yet, apparently, this new system is causing quite a kerfuffle, with people heralding this as the end of motherhood as we know it. In my favorite line of the article, a blogger is quoted as saying, “I predict a dozen years of therapy will be necessary to address the oedipal conflict that arises between the child’s mother, father, and a Nespresso machine.” Ha!
Of course, any promotion of bottle-feeding always gets lots of crtics, but, people often forget that even if you do diligently breastfeed for, say, 3-6 months, that still leaves many months of bottle-feeding. I guess the biggest reason why I would not buy such a thing is that it would be gathering dust within a year, but if I knew other kids would follow, and had the euros for it, why not?
What do you think?
The Children's Table 
I have a question about the Nespresso coffee machines. I was thinking of getting one of these single serving coffee contraptions for parties and for events with my women’s group. How expensive are those capsules if you buy a lot? It says .60 per cap. That seems pretty high to me. Also does it make American style coffee or just espresso. Thanks Nespresso saleslady.
The formula machine does seem a little over the top. But I also think the baby cook machines are too much. My girls only ate pureed baby food for a short time before switching to smushed up versions of whatever we are eating. However, if that machine makes your life easier, and you have the money go for it. I have so many infant soothing toys that were only used for a months. Some were pretty pricey. I’m looking at you exer-saucer. The formula machine would get more use than any of those developmental toys.
Hey hey,
Definitely agree that having children induces us to make (sometimes desperate) purchases that become defunct all too soon. I have one thrifty friend who dutifully buys and sells on Craigslist, but I can’t be bothered.
Here’s my take on the capsule machine issue: They are great when you’re in a hurry or you’re by yourself. For crowds, it’s fun but definitely not economical. As far as which one, the Nespresso is indeed for purists. No Apple Pie flavored cappuccino. They have plenty of varieties, but they are all plain coffee and are either espresso or lungo, which brews a larger cup of slightly milder coffee, but still has a crema on top. Keurig’s are cheaper on the front end and give you lots more options in terms of what you are brewing up, but it’s pretty much the same price as far as the capsules and the quality of the machine itself is clearly inferior. Mine broke after 6 months.
Planning to make your brisket this week. I’ll let you know how it turns out!