Limited-edition Shanghai Tang for Nespresso Citiz dragon coffee machine

Our dragon boat team captain will be celebrating his 10th year on the water this year, and believe me, this is quite a feat. (I’ve been on the team for four, and the weekend morning practices are already becoming more and more of a chore—considering I have to wake up earlier for them than I usually do for work.)

Anyway, we teammates got together to think up a suitable gift for our Almighty Leader, and decided a spankin’ new Nespresso machine for his office would be just the thing—he could get a caffeine boost in the comfort of his own space, or impress his clients with the perfect brew if they ever decided to drop by.

Then I remembered that Nespresso had done a collaboration with Shanghai Tang, and it was for a special New Year’s edition, and there would be dragon designs on the machine, and the machine has matching dragon cups to go along, and we were a “dragon” boat team and all… and everything just fell into place. So yes, we are getting a limited-edition Shanghai Tang for Nespresso Citiz dragon coffee machine for our captain, and you can get one, too.

The machines started selling on January 1 for $3,888 at select Nespresso shops (including IFC and Elements) and Shanghai Tang boutiques (including 1881 Heritage and Pacific Place).

he machine’s shape and characteristics are exactly like the brand’s regular red Citiz model—sleek, with smooth lines—but with a bright, sharp-eyed dragon adorning the side. Two blue/red-plated dragon-themed cups are also part of the collection for $488, and there’s a $5,888 stone-inlay box to store capsules that you can get to complete the set.

The collection was created by Shanghai Tang’s chief designer Millicent Lai, who has been with the company since 2001 and currently helms the entire home products division. I’m happy to report that the coffee will taste the same, whether you have the regular machine or the awesome dragon one—thank god coffee machines aren’t like mobile phones and other impossible-to-keep-up-with technology products. (On a side note: please don’t ever change the shape of your capsules, Nespresso, because we will NOT be getting a new machine. And you will break my heart.)