De’Longhi launches La Specialista Prestigio premium pump espresso coffee machine

Source: De’Longhi. De’Longhi has launched the Perfetto international campaign directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Brad Pitt in conjunction with the arrival of its new La Specialista Prestigio espresso coffee machine. The campaign offers viewers to a glimpse of 'a day-in-the-life' of Pitt, featuring a 'perfetto' world where pressing a button yields the ultimate bean-to-cup experience. View the campaign on YouTube.

De’Longhi's latest premium pump espresso coffee machine, La Specialista Prestigio, provides consumers with more luxury, craft coffee machine options, along with new and enhanced features. It is aimed at the segment of the manual coffee drinking market that enjoys the hands-on experience of making a coffee and want a machine that can support them throughout that process.

Collaborating with coffee scientists, De'Longhi's research and development teams invested thousands of hours finetuning La Specialista Prestigio to produce a machine that combines the science of coffee-making with a barista's craftsmanship.

“With innovative technology that is unique to De’Longhi, including the Sensor Grinding Technology and Smart Tamping Station, making the perfect brew has become simpler, without removing the hands-on experience coffee connoisseurs appreciate with a manual machine,” said Poh Hwee Hian, MD, De’Longhi Singapore & Malaysia.

La Specialista Prestigio features include:

Sensor Grinding Technology that calibrates coffee beans with engineered precision, while the Smart Tamping Station delivers optimal pressure.

Eight grinding levels to provide precision control and grinding variability. Level 1 provides the finest grind setting, and level 8 the coarsest. Because of each blend of coffee beans' uniqueness, grind settings have been created to maximise the aroma of the coffee beans chosen.

There are three infusion temperature settings, between 90° and 96°C, to accommodate different coffee bean varieties. Throughout the brewing process, the water temperature is precisely controlled, ensuring temperature stability and extraction consistency. The temperature profiles are engineered to bring out the full flavour of the beans.

With an innovative tamping lever, the Smart Tamping Station offers consistent tamping pressure and avoids the mess of coffee grounds on the kitchen bench. The lever tamps the dose with the right pressure inside the machine.

Dynamic Pre-Infusion improves coffee extraction by adapting the pre-infusion length to the density of the coffee dose. This process ensures an evenly-distributed cover of water across the surface area of the coffee grounds. This contributes to the perfect extraction.

La Specialista Prestigio's My LatteArt steam wand provides a creative outlet for coffee lovers. Users can create micro foam and craft their own latte art.

A dedicated heating system for milk preparation also ensures great steam performances.

For those who are looking for simplicity, La Specialista Prestigio comes with three one-touch coffee recipes: espresso, coffee and Americano/long black.

Explore:

La Specialista Prestigio is available at the De’Longhi Online Store and in major consumer and electronics stores in Singapore at a recommended retail price of S$1,599.

Dimensions (W x D x H) with bean container	380 mm x 370 mm x 445 mm
Dimensions (W x D x H) with packaging	445 mm x 460 mm x 540 mm
Weight	13.5 kg
Weight with packaging	18 kg
Power	1,450 W
Rated voltage/Frequency (V~Hz)	220/240~50-60
Pump pressure	19 bar
Max cup height	82–120 mm

 

Bank Simpanan Nasional introduces virtual teller machines in Malaysia

Bank Simpanan Nasional has become the first bank in Malaysia to introduce virtual teller machines (VTMs), which allow bank tellers in one location to serve customers in multiple locations in Malaysia remotely, via a live virtual banking operation.

BSN was inspired by kiosk banking, which has been implemented in European countries, China, Canada and the US, to adopt VTMs. The project involves a strategic collaboration between BSN and Vastcomp to build a custom system combined with video conferencing telepresence technology from Cisco that complies with the bank's security requirements. BSN also partnered with Telekom Malaysia as the network service provider.

“The VTM balances the workload between branches, enabling customers in busy branches to perform transactions assisted by tellers in less busy branches nationwide. Customers can now enjoy counter transactions without geographical limitations and experience a more comfortable and personalised professional financial services,” said BSN Chief Executive Datuk Adinan Maning.

Transactions that can be carried out via VTM include balance enquiries, deposits and withdrawals, intra/inter-bank fund transfers, inter-bank GIRO transfers, bill payments, loan and credit card repayments and Sijil Simpanan Premium* (SSP) savings. For security purposes, all transactions require the customer to insert their MyKad (ID) into the Multi-Link Queue Management System (MLQMS) or VTM and have their thumbprint verified, while the transactions are recorded.

Datuk Adinan added, “In total, BSN is investing RM30 million to roll out the VTM that provides more than 80% of counter services, and is an improvement over current automated teller machines (ATMs) and cash deposit machines (CDMs). In the near future, VTM will also be offering additional services including account opening and issuance of debit cards, customer information management and bill payments. The VTM can also allow extended banking hours with the placement of VTMs at public locations, if necessary.”

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, “The technology is rapidly changing. To keep well abreast and continue to evolve with the advent of technology, it is important that banks innovate and provide the latest financial technology to consumers. I commend BSN on its concerted effort in optimising technology to provide smart, efficient and interactive face-to-face banking services via a technological system. It is an excellent tool to offer a combination of technology and human touch banking experience.”

Interested?

BSN's 9.1 million+ customers can enjoy the new banking service in 31 branches, with 93 VTMs already operational. BSN currently has 401 branches, 870 ATMs, and 387 CDMs across Malaysia. The system currently involves a total of 450 BSN tellers as virtual teller agents nationwide. Read the list of virtual teller services

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about Cisco's involvement in the VTMs

*SSP savings are a type of savings which do not accrue interest. In lieu of interest, SSP account owners are entered in weekly lucky draws and stand to win prizes

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!

Nescafé Dolce Gusto and BMW MINI introduce limited edition coffee machine

Source: Nestlé.

Nescafé Dolce Gusto and BMW MINI are teaming up to produce a new limited edition coffee machine that will sell in retail outlets and select MINI dealerships and retail outlets.

The new Nescafé Dolce Gusto MINI machine reflects core elements of the car brand, including its compact design and distinct winged logo. It delivers up to 15 bars of pressure to create frothy cremas, which enhance the aroma of the coffee, and allows consumers to choose from seven levels of cup size.
The first markets to launch the global partnership include Indonesia and Japan, with several others expected over the course of 2015.

Nescafé Dolce Gusto will also sell a branded accessory in the form of a Nescafé Dolce Gusto MINI thermo travel coffee mug on its website. 

Nespresso Inissia now bundled with Aeroccino milk frother

Source: Nespresso.

The Nespresso Inissia, the lightest and most compact machine in the Nespresso range, is ideal for small offices with pantry corners. 

The Inissia 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 9 minutes of inactivity. 

The Inissia is currently bundled with the Aeroccino milk frother for S$368.