Nespresso launches new Inissia colours and bespoke gourmet recipes for Singapore

Source: Nespresso.

Nespresso has launched two new colours for the limited edition Inissia – Pacific Blue and Fuchsia Velvet – to accompany two permanent colours, red and black.

Weighing in at 2.4kg, Inissia is the lightest in the Nespresso range. It features all of Nespresso’s advanced technologies, including a quick heat up time of 25 seconds, a 19 bar pressure extraction system, automatic pre-programmed coffee buttons and an automatic power-off mode after nine minutes of inactivity. 

In conjunction with the launch, Nespresso partnered local culinary personality Willin Low to introduce four coffee creations catered to local taste preferences. Named by the New York Times as one of the three chefs to transform the culinary scene in Singapore, Chef Low is the brain behind the trendy Wild Rocket restaurant at Mount Emily. His expert take on modern Singaporean cuisine has made him a perfect partner for Nespresso to celebrate Singaporeans’ love for coffee. 

Said Low on his partnership with Nespresso, “I believe great food and great coffee go hand in hand, like a match made in heaven. I’ve always loved a cup of Nespresso and I’m thrilled at this partnership opportunity as we are both committed to providing our customers with the best possible gourmet experiences.”

The gourmet coffee recipes are inspired by the palettes of coffee lovers in Singapore and the playful colours of Inissia. Distinctive ingredients, from hawthorn powder to condensed milk, are used to create and deliver pure Nespresso pleasure. 

"The recipes created for Nespresso incorporate my signature style of adding reminiscent elements of my childhood, such as hawthorne flakes, for an added dimension that I’m sure all Singaporeans will appreciate and love!” noted Low.

The four creations are:

The Hawthorne & Raspberry Milkshake, with Ristretto, which combines the fruity notes of the Ristretto Grand Cru, the tangy flavours of raspberry and hawthorn, and the richness of vanilla ice cream. 

Blue Oasis with Rosabaya de Colombia delivers the winey notes of the Rosabaya de Colombia Grand Cru with a well-rounded chocolate cream and coconut topping.

Reverse Affogato with Coffee Granita, with Indriya from India is a unique take on an Italian favourite.

Red Velvet Kueh Buloh Tiramisu, with Arpeggio A is a distinctive spin on the Chinese New Year delicacy, harmonising the cocoa notes of the Arpeggio Grand Cru with the creaminess of tiramisu. 

The recipe card set is complimentary with any purchase of an Inissia machine, from 18 May to 30 June 2015, or while stocks last at Nespresso Boutiques in Singapore (ION Orchard #01-14 or Takashimaya Department Store B1); Nespresso Authorised Trade outlets, online at www.nespresso.com, via the Nespresso mobile app or through the toll-free hotline 800 852 3525 (available 24/7). 

The company also has an ongoing social media campaign, the #MyNespressoColour Social Media Contest. To participate, post your most creative and colourful coffee moments on social media with the hashtag #MyNespressoColour by 31 May 2015. 

Each submitted coffee moment must feature one colour theme out of the four Inissia colours (Fuchsia Velvet, Pacific Blue, red or black), and include your coffee drink. The top five most creative entries will walk away with an exclusive Inissia experience worth S$900!

Environmentally friendly GROHE smart water system growing in popularity in Asia

Source: GROHE. The GROHE Blue system in action.

The GROHE Blue smart water system has seen significant takeup in Asia since a May 2014 study* which found that its carbon footprint is smaller than that of bottled mineral water. 

Estimated greenhouse gas emissions were 17.96 g CO2-eq/litre for the GROHE Blue system against emissions of 70 to 600 g CO2-eq/litre for bottled mineral water, depending on the type of packaging and the place of origin. The values achieved by GROHE Blue are also lower than those of conventional water dispensers, which range from about 35 to 50 g CO2-eq/litre. This means that GROHE Blue allows users to save greenhouse gas emissions of at least 25 to 50% over other alternatives. 

The system supplies filtered and chilled water in three different variants - sparkling, medium and still - directly from the same custom kitchen faucet, allowing different users in an organisation to enjoy their preferred type of water at any time. Unlike typical office potable water arrangements, no bottles have to be filled, transported or recycled in order to obtain the three types of water from a GROHE Blue system, which adds to its environmental friendliness.

Dorit Grueber, GROHE’s Vice President (Marketing), Asia, noted that Asian businesses are becoming more green and are attracted to GROHE Blue especially in matured markets, where their employees are more time-strapped.

There is definitely an increasing trend as consumers become more environmentally conscious," she said, naming Vodafone and Miele as customers of the product. "Since the publication of the study, we’ve seen a significant increase in orders that have been recorded, especially in the B2B sector. The main attraction for GROHE Blue for businesses would be the convenience of getting filtered water straight from the faucet, and an outstanding design which combines pure drinking water and washing water in a single faucet."

*The May 2014 study was carried out by the Production and Logistics Chair of GeorgAugust University in Göttingen in cooperation with Grohe. Between July and November 2013, the scientists of Göttingen University compared the carbon footprint of one litre of water tapped from the GROHE Blue system with the footprint of one litre of bottled water. The scenario was based on the assumption of 30 users per day who drink one litre of bottled water on 220 days of the year over a period of five years. The calculation of the carbon footprint covered all five lifecycles of GROHE Blue and of bottled mineral water, which range from production and transport of the raw materials as well as transport of the finished product to consumption and disposal. 

HP Stream notebooks come with a year's free Office 365 and OneDrive

HP today expanded the HP Stream line of thin and light Windows products that leverage the cloud with the addition of two new notebook PCs. While users traditionally pay a premium for thin and light notebooks, HP says that HP Stream makes such notebooks more affordable.

Source: HP. The HP Stream notebooks are available in
horizon blue and orchid magenta.

“Today’s consumers demand mobile products that fit their personal style and allow them to work and play where ever they are,” said Serena Yong, General Manager, Printing & Personal Systems, HP Singapore and Malaysia. “The HP Stream products announced today hit the mark with sleek design, portability, access to free cloud storage, and the familiarity of Windows and Office 365.”

The HP Stream includes value-added services with free cloud storage for instant access and sharing of content. It comes with 1TB of Microsoft OneDrive for one year*; Office 365 Personal for one year** to edit, share or collaborate in real-time.

Customers can enjoy images and video in high-definition (HD) with an 11.6” HD display or 13.3” HD optional touch display. A fanless design with high efficiency Intel Celeron processor and 32GB of eMMC flash memory allows for quiet, cool operation and quick file recall. 

The HP Stream products announced today are expected to be available in Singapore at the end of November.

*The OneDrive free cloud storage offer is available for a limited time. Check the activation card inside the package for details. For more information, go to http://onedrive.com/windowsoffer.

**Office 365 Personal 1-year with activation required within limited time. Internet access is required and not included. For more information, see www.office.com/information. Sixty minutes of Skype per month is included with subscription to Office 365. Actual application must be downloaded from skype.com.