Best Nespresso Capsules
You love espresso-based coffee but hate the muss and fuss of grinding beans, measuring and tapping the right amount of coffee needed for a traditional espresso machine. You probably are thinking of buying a Nespresso machine, if you don’t already have one.
Nespresso machines, patented by Nestle in 1976, have become a favorite method to brew delicious espresso coffee at home, quickly and efficiently. Using pre-measured, single-use pods, or capsules filled with ground coffee beans, you pop a pod into the machine and voila, you’ve got one very delicious, aromatic cup of espresso with a lovely crema.
If a Nespresso machine is on your shopping list, you’re going to need the coffee capsules to go with it. You can purchase ones by Nespresso, or there are a variety of capsules made by other coffee producers that are compatible with Nespresso machines.
We found the best Nespresso capsules you can buy online. Read on to find the one that suits you best.
Top Pick Best Organic: Nespresso Compatible Meseta Coffee Capsules
You can’t imagine starting your day without a cup of coffee, preferably an espresso-based brew made quickly and efficiently in your Nespresso machine. You love the ease of just popping in a pod and in just a few minutes, you have a great espresso, latte or Americano. But due to health issues, the doctor says you have to have only organic, pesticide-free coffee, so now you are looking for an organic brand to use in your machine.
We recommend Nespresso Compatible Meseta Coffee Capsules for your coffee-drinking pleasure.
This fair-trade certified excellent blend is comprised of 100 percent Arabica beans from Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia that is roasted and packed in Italy. The careful selection of Arabica beans and the slightly strong but smooth roast retain all the aroma and flavor of classic coffee not normally found in other blends. This blend makes an aromatic coffee, featuring an incredibly natural fragrance, delicate body, strong acidity, and low bitterness.
Produced in Italy, these coffee capsules are compatible with all Nespresso OriginalLine machines such as Nespresso Essenza, Pixie, Citiz, Inissia, Lattissima, Creatista, Expert, Maestria and Prodigio, but is not compatible with the VertuoLine.
Pros:
- Affordable at 35 cents a capsule
- Organic, fair-trade
- Compatible with Nespresso OriginalLine coffee machines
Cons:
- Not compatible with the VertuoLine
Top Pick Best Recyclable: Don Francisco’s Espresso Capsules
As a coffee lover, you take your brew seriously and that means the special flavor of single-use coffee from a Nespresso machine. But the environmentalist in you is not comfortable with anything single-use as you try to reduce your environmental footprint. If you’re looking for a rich-bodied coffee for your Nespresso machine that uses recyclable pods, then this product is for you.
We recommend the Don Francisco’s Espresso Capsules to satisfy the coffee addict and environmentalist in you. This is a highly aromatic premium coffee that promises a rich, intense flavor and smooth payoff with a beautiful honey-golden crema.
The dark roasted espresso is full-bodied and rich with spicy dark chocolate notes, taking inspiration from classic European coffee mastery. Made with 100 percent Arabica coffee beans from Central and South America with an intensity level of 9, this brew will go down smoothly and have you on your toes all day.
Blended, roasted and packed at a zero-waste-to-landfill roaster in Los Angeles, the coffee pods are part of a recycling program through teracycle.com, so you don’t have to worry about creating garbage while enjoying a delicious cup of espresso. Compatible with Nespresso OriginalLine brewers to deliver a high-quality and consistent espresso, shot after shot. Not compatible with Nespresso VertuoLine brewers.
Pros:
- Pods are recyclable
- Rich, full-bodied dark roasted espresso
- Engineered to fit Nespresso OriginalLine machines
Cons:
- Not compatible with Nespresso VertuoLine
Top Pick Best Nespresso Variety Pack Lungo: 50 Nespresso OriginalLine Lungo Pack Variety
You like the coffee capsules for your Nespresso machine to be from Nespresso; no other coffee brand will do. However, there are a number of coffee drinkers in your house, all with different tastes, including one person who prefers decaf. Instead of buying lots of capsules of the same kind, you prefer to have something on hand to please everyone. If you’re looking for a variety of Nespresso Lungo coffees, then this is the pack for you.
We recommend the Nespresso OriginalLine Lungo Pack Variety to satisfy everyone in your home. This pack has 50 capsules consisting of 10 Vivalto Lungo, 10 Fortissio Lungo, 10 Linizio Lungo, 10 decaffeinato Lungo and 10 Ethiopia.
With such variety, you and your friends and family members can savor the uniqueness in each blend.
Vivalto Lungo, with an intensity of 4, is the perfect mix of several origins that results in a rich and complex character: roasted, lightly woody, sweet cereal and subtle floral notes.
Fortissio Lungo, with an intensity of 8, is a rich coffee, flecked with sweet cereal and malty toasted notes that offer a pleasant bitterness with an exquisite fullness on the palate due to its round and smooth texture.
Linizio Lungo’s split roasting reveals the specificities of each origin. With an intensity of 4, on the one hand, longer roasting yields a darker bean that reveals the malted cereal notes of the Bourbon beans. On the other hand, shorter roasting of the Arabica from Colombia yields lighter beans and highlights the softer notes reminiscent of sugar cane, specific to its region of origin.
Vivalto Lungo decaffeinato, with an intensity of 4, has the same rich and complex character as the original Vivalto Lungo Grand Cru: roasted, lightly woody with sweet cereal and subtle floral notes.
Ethiopia’s traditional natural process adds a unique taste – rich and incredibly aromatic with an intensity of 4. In Master Origin Ethiopia with dry processed Arabica, you’ll catch anything from the warming aroma of ripe fruit to delicate orange blossom notes.
As they say, variety is the spice of life, and it is certainly true for this dynamic variety pack of coffee capsules. Enjoy.
Pros:
- Variety pack for various tastes
- Original Nespresso pods
Cons:
- Not compatible with VertuoLine machines
- More expensive than other coffee capsules
Top Pick Best Starbucks: Starbucks by Nespresso
You’re the first to admit that you love Starbucks coffee, but you can’t always get out to a store. Plus, you’d prefer your first morning cup of coffee be leisurely consumed while you’re still in your pajamas. Now that you have a Nespresso machine, you want to be able to have that unique Starbucks flavor not only in the morning, but any time of day, without having to leave the comfort of your home.
We recommend Starbucks by Nespresso to satisfy your craving for Starbucks coffee, without having to leave your kitchen. Developed with Nespresso to work perfectly with original line Nespresso machines such as Essenza Mini, Pixie, CitiZ, Expert, Lattissima, KitchenAid, Creatista, Espresso Roast is an intense, caramelly sweet taste with an intensity level of 11, perfect with steamed milk.
The same high-quality Starbucks coffee that you know and love is now made by Nespresso for you to enjoy at home. The capsules are made from aluminum for guaranteed coffee freshness. So easy to use, each espresso capsule brews 0.85 or 1.35 ounces of coffee. Pop in the Nespresso capsule, select the espresso or ristretto brew size, and in seconds you’ll be enjoying that delicious, familiar taste.
Pros:
- Starbucks blend
- Compatible with Nespresso Original Line machines
Cons:
- Not great if you don’t like Starbucks coffee
Top Pick Best VertuoLine: Nespresso VertuoLine (European Version) Espresso
You love espresso, but you also like to be able to make a cup larger than 1.35 ounces, and that’s why you purchased a VertuoLine Nespresso machine. The newer Nespresso machine was made to accommodate coffee lovers who would like to brew a larger amount in a single touch of a button. If you have a VertuoLine machine and are looking for coffee capsules that are perfect for the smaller sized espresso, then this is the choice for you.
We recommend Nespresso VertuoLine (European Version) Espresso for your freshly brewed coffee needs. This blend is light and sweet, with an intensity of 4, the perfect start to your day. Each capsule brews 1.35 ounces of delicious espresso every time. Not compatible with OriginalLine machines.
Pros:
- Delicious Voltesso blend
- Compatible with Nespresso VertuoLine machines
Cons:
- More expensive than other pods
- Not compatible with OriginalLine machines
Things to look out for:
Consider these things when looking for Nespresso capsules so you will choose the ones that best suit your taste:
Price:
Like most things, Nespresso coffee capsules come in a variety of prices. The price point depends on a number of factors such as if it is made by Nespresso, which are more expensive, or if it’s made by another company that is compatible with Nespresso machines. Prices vary according to the blend and quality of the beans. Nespresso capsules are sold in bulk packages, so you can do the math to figure out the unit price of each capsule, which can range from as low as 42 cents per capsule to over $1 per capsule.
Compatibility:
Perhaps one of the most important things to consider when buying Nespresso capsules is to make sure they are compatible with the machine that you have. There is the Nespresso OriginalLine machine, which include Essenza Mini, Pixie, CitiZ, Expert, Lattissima, KitchenAid, Creatista, and the Nespresso VertuLine. The capsules for the OriginalLine brewers and the VertuLine machine have different shapes, so they are not interchangeable. Make sure you are purchasing the correct capsules.
Coffee blends:
Originally, Nespresso capsules were sold exclusively by Nespresso while the machines were under patent, and are significantly more expensive than an equivalent quantity of “loose” ground coffee. Because of the hermetically sealed capsule, however, the coffee aroma does not degrade with time like coffee in a pack that has been opened.
Both machines have about 28 different Arabica and Robusta coffee capsules with the occasional limited edition capsule. The OrginalLine has more third-party options, meaning you can shop around for taste, variety and price. VertuoLine capsules make more crema, but the OriginalLine coffee comes closer to an authentic espresso taste. The OriginalLine has better variety-pack options.
Each Nespresso coffee capsule contains five to seven grams of ground coffee and makes one serving of coffee. Depending on the length of the pour, a capsule can produce a 40 ml espresso shot, or a 110 ml lungo (long) pour. With the VerturoLine, you have the option of making a larger cup of coffee.
Like any coffee you would buy, however, it’s best to choose a roast that is compatible with your tastes and your budget.