Why is Nespresso conquering Sweden?

So last weekend we set out to buy a new coffeemaker and every store we went to we were attacked by Nespresso salespeople (and a bunch of other capsule coffee competitors) as soon as we walked through the door. Sure I never say no to free coffee (yes, even during pregnancy), and I appreciated the nice round flavor of the coffee --- but no way am I going to invest in this system for my kitchen and I am kind of shocked at the pace that Nespresso and capsule coffee has conquered the Swedish population.

Why I am surprised:

1) Environmentally unfriendly � I know there is a recycling program for the tiny capsules � I think I took home 8 different coffee pamphlets this weekend � but still, it seems awfully wasteful to use one plastic capsule EVERY time you want a cup of coffee, especially when there is a much more environmentally friendly alternative.

2) It isn�t Swedish mud coffee � It took me 5 years to build up a gut that could tolerate Swedish coffee. OK, so I am used to guzzling down American diner style coffee by the pitcher, and yes, that stuff is like making love in a canoe � but still Swedish coffee is pretty hardcore. I need at least one meal in my stomach before I can digest it without it ripping holes in my stomach. I thought this was a Swedish point of pride. I thought the idea was that you could feel the coffee grinds between your teeth. But Nespresso? It is so smooth, so easy to drink down. Was this what the Swedish people were really longing for all these years?

3) Swedes don�t drink a lot of expensive coffee � Unlike the US where people walk down the street with a 5 dollar Starbucks drink in their hands every chance they get, Swedish latte culture has been much more about socializing than being on the go with your coffee. It�s not like Swedes are saving money and not buying 3 lattes at Starbucks a day and instead having Nespresso. They are doing this instead of having cheap coffee from the pot.

I guess the only things I can think of that make Nespresso so desirable is that the coffeemakers are pretty cool looking, and you can get a pretty nice cup of coffee without a lot of work.

That said, as you can see, we did not get one. We got a nice, old fashioned coffeemaker so that we can brew our rather fancy coffee beans (when we actually have time to get to the fancy coffee store) that we grind ourselves at home. Because one of the things that creeps me out about Nespresso is that annoying little factoid I once read that we consume the most bugs in our diet through our coffee, and because I often wonder way too much about just what is in those damn capsules.

But if my business grows enough to get a little office where I occasionally meet clients, maybe I will reconsider.