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Nespresso Prodigio review: Morning happiness, even more automated

By Zachary Chan - 17 Aug 2016
Launch SRP: S$398

Nespresso Prodigio review: Morning happiness, even more automated

This article first appeared in the August 2016 issue of HWM.

 

Morning happiness, even more automated

The original concept behind the Nespresso system dates as far back as 1976 and in the past 40 years, nothing much has really changed; you take a Nespresso pod, put it in a Nespresso machine and press a button; in a few seconds, your perfectly brewed pick-me-up is done.

Of course, there are only so many ways you can extract a brew, which is why you don’t see us reviewing every new Nespresso machine that comes along. The Prodigio is the first machine to feature a connected concept. When paired (via Bluetooth) with your smartphone and corresponding Nespresso app, you get to keep track of your capsules, receive maintenance notifications and even remotely trigger or schedule a brew away from the machine. Huzzah!

After the initial euphoria of having a smart Nespresso machine fades and the cynical nerd in me takes over, I can’t help but feel that every single ‘smart’ feature built into the Prodigio is half-baked. Let me explain.

Connectivity is maintained via Bluetooth, which has a rather short distance in the first place, and since you still need to physically be at the machine to put in a pod and collect your cup, the only time you’ll be triggering a remote brew is when you’re entertaining guests (for the first time) for that ‘oooh’ factor.

Scheduling on the other hand, is actually a very useful feature, but only if you have a military-esque discipline on time. Imagine scheduling your morning coffee for 0700, only to snooze your alarm one too many times. When you finally do roll out of bed at 0720, your coffee is already sad and cold. Also, don’t forget you have to put in a pod before going to bed, or you’ll wake up to an empty cup. There is also one small fact that you can only schedule one cup at a time, and any attempt at making a cup before the scheduled time will reset the schedule. This is probably due to the fact that the Prodigio still only accepts one pod at a time, so the app forces you to remember to manually replace the pod and redo your schedule.

The app also has a handy capsule counter, which can be set to notify you when your stock runs low. The convenience comes from being able to order directly from the app itself. What’s not automated though are manual purchases, so you regularly purchase your pods from a brick and mortar store, you’ll have to remember to update the counter appropriately. Now, I don’t have a problem with this, but it would be immensely more useful if instead of a simple capsule counter, I could also keep track of the individual flavors.

Paired with your smartphone, the Nespresso app has additional features available for the Prodigio, such as scheduled automatic brewing.

Now, if you’ve wondering why I’ve been bashing the Prodigio and yet gave it a highly favorable score, it’s because there is nothing inherently wrong with the machine itself. I mentioned at the beginning, the Nespresso system is well established and the Prodigio performs its primary function as well as any other machine.

After having used an older CitiZ machine for the longest time, the Prodigio is more functional and convenient. It powers-on when you drop in a pod and goes on standby on its own without the need for power switches, it automatically drops pods after brewing; and overall requires less maintenance before, during and after making your cup of coffee.

It can also be considered affordable for a Nespresso machine. The Prodigio sits in the middle of the Nespresso range. At S$398, the Prodigio is only $60 more than the Pixie. If you’re looking at getting a Nespresso and interested in some of the automated features, I can heartily recommend the Prodigio. But if you already own a Nespresso machine, this is not the next-generation upgrade you’ve been waiting for.

Now, I loved the idea behind the connected features of the Prodigio, but on their own, they are lacking half of an equation. The single feature that will fully utilize remote brewing, scheduling and capsule stock management is an automatic capsule loader, one where I am able to even sort the different kinds of brews I’d like throughout the day. I truly hope that such an add-on is on its way, because only then will it all make perfect sense.

Like most Nespresso machines, the Prodigio can be paired with the optional Aeroccino milk frother.

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