We already knew that capsule coffee machines are very polluting, so much so that the person who invented them – John Sylvan – said he regretted the ecological impact of his work. Another new reason to ditch capsules? A study published in the scientific journal Scientific Report has just shown that they are also… bacteria nests!
Researchers at the University of Valencia in Spain have indeed analyzed 9 Nespresso brand appliances and 1 Krups brand for a year – the best-selling models on the market. And the conclusions are not very appetizing. "All machines revealed significant bacterial diversity, with 35 to 67 genera identified in total." The bacteria found could also cause disease because the researchers specify that they belong to a "genus of bacteria with pathogenic properties".
How is it possible ? It is in the tank of used capsules, a warm and humid environment, that bacteria would begin to grow, before gradually contaminating the rest of the machine. If you want to avoid this, you should clean the compartment very regularly using a specifically antibacterial product. But that's not enough, you also have to clean the drip grid... (which means cleaning a lot and often).
Something to motivate you to go back to filter coffee, which is also cheaper! In addition, filter coffee has (re) become trendy. It is indeed eco-friendly, instead of throwing it away, you can make compost. And it is also more user-friendly! Served in a pot to share, it takes longer to drink than an espresso engulfed in 30 seconds. So here's a good Christmas gift idea:a designer filter coffee maker like Bodum.
