It was all black and white last night at the Whitehouse studio in Sydney when Nespresso and, for the first time, both machine partners De’Longhi and Breville officially launched the new Umilk machine.

In addition to unveiling the new machine, Nespresso used the evening to express its disappointment at rival companies bringing commoditisation to the industry.

The main difference between the two new Umilk machines is colour: De’Longhi has the Umilk in ‘pure black’ while Breville’s is ‘pure white’.

Nespresso played up that contrast throughout the evening: while guests dined on two long black and white tables, various black projections were cast on the white walls enclosing the group; cityscapes, forest motifs and chessboards. Guests with eyes as big as their stomachs would also have noticed the food was black and white: goats curd on potato bark; barramundi with squid ink; and ‘octopus’ crackers, which are like prawn crackers but black with white spots.

And, of course, the coffee came in black and white, the latter courtesy of the Umilk’s integrated Aeroccino3 milk frother.

When it came time to introduce the Umilk, Nespresso Oceania market director Renaud Tinel started with the traditional spiel before pivoting to a thinly-veiled attack on those suppliers looking to trade off Nespresso’s successful gameplan.

“Through a simple, sophisticated and wholly integrated milk solution, Umilk continues the Nespresso tradition of bringing the ultimate in functionality and design to coffee connoisseurs across Australia,” he said.

“Umilk represents another step forward in Nespresso’s long-standing commitment to deliver customers a unique experience, one that is grounded in our sourcing of the highest quality coffee, in providing the best possible customer service, and the continuous pursuit of innovative solutions.”

Tinel was reading his speech from notes, so his pivot to pointed words appears to be a planned attack on the entry level capsule coffee suppliers entering the market.

“I’ve been here long enough to remember the early days of Nespresso in Australia, and I have witnessed the growth that true customer-centric innovation can bring to the industry.

“Today, more players have entered this category.

“I think this industry needs more innovation, not more me-too products. I think this industry needs a long-term focus on quality, service and sustainability, it doesn’t need more commoditisation or short term thinking. I think this industry needs companies that are going to create trusted brands and retail partners that share our vision with us.”

Although not naming names, Tinel is likely referring to the retailers that have introduced their own capsule coffee machines, under white label brands, over the past 18 months. There are also suppliers selling pods to suit a Nespresso machine at prices greatly undercutting the official Nespresso pods.

The Nespresso Umilk takes the modular design of Nespresso’s existing U machine and adds an integrated Aeroccino3 milk frother into the unit. Both the Pure Black and Pure White machines from De’Longhi and Breville are available for RRP $299, and will also be eligible for $50 cashback as part of a Father’s Day promotion that Nespresso is launching on 5 August.

Click here for our image gallery from the launch of the Nespresso Umilk