Caffeluxe Sienna (plus capsules)

The concept they’re selling slick, sophisticated products for quick, clean, quality coffee making has caught on to the extent that there are now shops that sell nothing else but the brand’s different roasts and blends in capsule form.

Hurdling onto this bandwagon is good business sense, and, fortunately for South African coffee drinkers, Cape Town-based company Caffeluxe have done just that, manufacturing Nespresso-compatible capsules containing a selection of local and African coffees, as well as machines that do much the same thing as the “originals”, but are available more cheaply (from around R1 000, rather than starting at R1 600).

The strengths and weaknesses of the Caffeluxe model overlap with Nespresso’s. Firstly, these machines (the bottom of the range “Sienna” version was tested for this review; the picture shows the “Verona” option) – that only makes espresso. If you’d like a cappuccino or an Americano, you’ll need another machine (milk frothers are sold separately).

It could reasonably be argued that anyone buying a machine and who is annoyed at the absence of extra functionality should have done more research before shopping, but it’s easy to be duped by the concept involved and the product’s good looks, and then find your choice of beverages frustratingly limited.

The Caffeluxe capsules (plastic) aren’t as user-friendly as their Nespresso (aluminium) counterparts, requiring more pressure to pierce and thus increasing the wear and tear on the machines appreciably. The range of roasts and varieties on offer is good (though you can’t further tailor amounts and blend to your own tastes, so you’re stuck with whatever’s closest), and you can buy as few as five or as many as 200 capsules at a time.