Nothing can beat Nespresso Machines when it comes to popularity, quality, and a perfect cup of freshly brewed coffee! Similarly, Nespresso capsules work like a treat to your taste buds and provide you with the most authentic coffee ever, honestly better than any other. I can go on and on with the benefits of Nespresso pods, but let’s get to the main part first; helping you choose the right one!
To give you a helping hand, we tried and tested 17 Nespresso pods, both for Vertuo and OriginalLine machines to help every coffee lover pick out the best ones according to their preferences. You will have several tasty options to choose from, along with a detailed buying with all the essential factors to consider while looking for the Best Nespresso Pods.
According to my taste preference, Hazelino Muffin Capsules are my best pick for Nespresso VertuoLine machines and Nespresso Ispirazione Ristretto Italiano for the OriginalLine.
Still, let’s dive into all the best options available in the market right now!
Best Nespresso Pods (At a glance)
Product Name | Product Image | Line | Intensity | Rating | Buy |
 | VertuoLine | 6 | 4.5 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 8 for Stormio, 7 for Odacio, 6 for Melozio | 3.5 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 6 | 3.5 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 8 | 3 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 6 | 3.7 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 9 | 4 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 8 | 4 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 7 | 3.5 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 6 | 3.5 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 9 | 4 | ||
 | VertuoLine | 4 | 3.5 | ||
 | OriginalLine | 10 | 4.5 | ||
 | OriginalLine | 6 | 4 | ||
 | OriginalLine | 12 | 3.5 | ||
 | OriginalLine | 9 | 3.5 | ||
 | OriginalLine | 8 | 3 | ||
 | OriginalLine | Mild For Each Pod | 3 |
11 Best Nespresso VertuoLine Capsules
All the products below will only be compatible with Nespresso Vertuo Line machines.
Nespresso Hazelino VertuoLine Capsules
The Nespresso VertuoLine Hazelino Muffin Capsules contain Brazilian coffee beans that give you a heavenly hazelnut flavour. The flavour also contains subtle hints of almonds and biscuits to give a boost of goodness and authentic flavour to your taste buds. The first sip of the Nespresso Hazelino Muffin gave a very subtle bitterness in it, perfect for morning and afternoon drinking. Despite the bitterness, the flavour of your coffee will still be very balanced. These Nespresso capsules will provide you with the most authentic and velvety cup of coffee.
Features
Roast: Light Roast
Intensity: 6
Caffeine Content: 170 – 200 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
Pros | Cons |
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Gives a refreshing hazelnut flavor.
The pods are a bit expensive but worth every penny.Nespresso Capsules Variety Pack
If you want to try and experiment with different types of VertuoLine pods, this Nespresso variety pack is the answer! It gives you 3 different types of coffee flavors to try. You will get a total of 30 capsules in this pack; 10 capsules of each type. This pack will give you almost a month of coffee and the freedom to try and choose between a variety of flavors. The first type is Stormio, a heavenly blend containing Nicaraguan Arabica beans and Guatemalan-washed Arabica beans. The second type is Odacio, a combination of lightly roasted East African Arabica beans and Central American Arabica beans. The third type is Melozio, a blend of Brazilian Bourbon coffee beans and Central American Arabica beans.
Features
Roast: Medium and Dark Roast
Intensity: 8 for Stormio, 7 for Odacio, and 6 for Melozio
Caffeine Content: 200 mg for Stormio, 165 mg for Odacio, 200 mg for Melozio.
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso Caramel Cookie Capsules
Do you enjoy hints of sweet desserts in your coffee? If yes, then these Caramel Cookie capsules with hints of biscuits, almonds, and coconuts will be your dream come true! The pods provide a balanced, rich, and flavorful coffee using medium-dark Brazilian and Ethiopian coffee beans. The taste of almonds at the end is a treat to your taste buds and helps you kick out all the tiredness and exhaustion from life. Also, your cup of coffee with caramel cookie capsules will become more pleasant with a piece of cake or cookie on the side.
Features
Roast: Mild Roast
Intensity: 6
Caffeine Content: 170 – 200 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso Double Espresso Scuro Pods
The Nespresso Double Espresso Scuro pods are a perfect blend of Arabica beans and dark cocoa to give a balanced yet bold taste to your coffee. These Espresso capsules contain Robusta beans from Guatemala that give a luxurious flavour and creamy texture to the coffee which every coffee lover will adore. You will also find subtle citrus and vanilla notes along with a chocolatey aroma to freshen up your soul and mind. Moreover, if you add a little bit of milk to the blend, you will get a more rich aroma to help you fight away the morning tiredness – trust me. This is tried and tested!
Features
Roast: Dark Roast
Intensity: 8
Caffeine Content: 73 mg per shot
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso Melozio Capsules
Next on our list of best Nespresso capsules/pods are these balanced, smooth, and flavorful pods; Melozio! Each pod of Melozio contains Arabica beans from Central America and Brazilian Bourbon to give you a quality and rich-flavoured cup of coffee. Do you know what the best part is? Each pod of Melozio gives a serving of 7.8 ounces, which means one capsule will run for a longer time. Not to forget, you will also get a sweet aftertaste of honey to give you a balance between bitterness and sweetness.
Features
Roast: Medium Roast
Intensity: 6
Caffeine Content: 200 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso Intenso Capsules
Next on our list are these Intenso Capsules containing dark roasted coffee beans to give you the boldest and strongest cup of coffee. The blend contains dark roasted Mexican and Latin American Arabicas and Guatemalan-washed Robusta to minimize acidity yet still have the most intense flavor. The first sip of the coffee felt a little bitter with a strong hint of brown sugar. So, make sure that you are a strong and intense coffee lover before buying the Nespresso Intenso Capsules.
Features
Roast: Dark Roast
Intensity: 9
Caffeine: 150 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso Stormio VertuoLine Capsules
Just like its name, Stormio is as intense as a storm containing Guatemalan-washed Arabica and Nicaraguan beans. After taking the first sip, we got a very earthy, woody, spicy, and bitter taste with a super smooth and rich texture. One Stormio capsule can produce almost 8 ounces of coffee, which is an ideal amount. Since it is a dark roast coffee with 200 mg of caffeine, it is perfect for mornings when you need something to wake yourself up and go to work.
Features
Roast: Dark Roast
Intensity: 8
Caffeine: 200 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
Pros | Cons |
Does not give a lingering and intense aftertaste. | Only recommended for people who are used to dark roast coffee. |
Heavenly taste | |
Freshly ground coffee capsules |
Nespresso Odacio Capsules
Next on our list of the best Nespresso pods, we have Odacio; a perfect blend of Nicaragua and light-roasted Ethiopia coffee beans to provide a sweet, balanced, and fruity flavour! This hint of fruity flavor is what makes the coffee unique and enjoyable, especially in the morning and afternoon. The coffee indeed tasted intense, but it was not extremely overpowering. The first sip felt like a delight to my taste buds. One pod of Odacio can brew 7.8 ounces of coffee.
Features
Roast: Dark Roast
Intensity: 7
Caffeine: 165 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso VertuoLine Double Espresso Chiaro
Nespresso Double Espresso Chiaro is like a dream come true for every coffee lover out there. It is a perfect blend of Arabica beans freshly cultivated from South and Central America to provide you with a perfect and super creamy cup of coffee! Since Chiaro means light, this means that the coffee is not very intense. It is a very balanced coffee with earthy and woody notes, and each pod gives approximately 2.7 ounces of coffee.
Features
Roast: Medium Roast
Intensity: 6
Caffeine: 49 mg per shot
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso VertuoLine Altissio Decaffeinato
Are you someone who tends to pull all-nighters and finds it hard to keep your eyes open in the morning? If yes, then the Nespresso Altissio Decaffeinato is what you need! It is a perfect blend of Brazilian Robusta beans and Costa Rican Arabica that gives a silky, smooth, and flavourful coffee. Despite being decaffeinated, Altissio still gives you a boost of freshness to help you keep up with your daily chores and work. The first sip was truly a delight and there was no overpowering taste too.
Features
Roast: Medium
Intensity: 9
Caffeine: Decaffeinated
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso VertuoLine Voltesso
Ending our list of the best VertuoLine pods with this light roast yet flavourful coffee; the Nespresso Voltesso. This coffee is a distinctive blend of Colombian and Brazilian beans with biscuits and creamy notes. Moreover, the coffee smelled like heaven and had a very subtle sweetness, perfect for both espressos and lattes. However, keep in mind before making the purchase that each Voltesso pod offers a cup size of only 1.35 ounces.
Features
Roast: Light Roast
Intensity: 4
Caffeine: 85 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
Pros | Cons |
Has a layered texture, even better than dark roast coffees | Might be very mild and light for some people |
Has a delicious taste and pleasant fragrance |
6 Best Nespresso OriginalLine Capsules
All the products below will only be compatible with Nespresso Original Line machines.
Nespresso Ispirazione Ristretto Italiano – Original Line
The Ispirazione Ristretto Italiano is one of the best Nespresso Capsules and our top pick too! The first sip of the coffee gave me a mixture of three different flavours; citrus, fruit, and dark chocolate. The coffee was slightly bitter with a balanced amount of acidity to keep you fresh and happy all day. If you are someone who prefers a bold and hard coffee, this one’s for you. If you ask me, I will give a 10 out of 10 to Nespresso Ispirazone Ristretto Italiano for taste, flavour, and fragrance. Do you know what the best part is? You can find the Ristretto coffee in a decaffeinated form too!
Features
Roast: Dark Roast
Intensity: 10
Caffeine: 75 mg
Coffee Type: Robusta
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Nespresso Vienna Linizio Lungo
If you want a very light coffee with a very gentle flavour, then these Nespresso Vienna Linizio Original Line pods are what you need. During my taste test, I found the coffee very balanced and silky with a light-brown cream. Also, the coffee had hints of black cherries, caramel, and malt that were to die for. The acidity level was very low and the coffee was overall worth every sip and penny. The best part, one Linizio pod can brew approximately 3.7 ounces of coffee, which is an ideal size.
Features
Roast: Mild Roast
Intensity: 6
Caffeine: 75 mg
Type of Coffee: Arabica
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Nespresso OriginalLine Ispirazione Palermo Kazaar
If you are a hardcore coffee drinker and like your coffee super bitter and dark, then the Palermo Kazaar is what you need. The coffee contains a blend of 3 different Arabica beans from central and south America, along with an intense dark chocolate flavour to give you a boost of both energy and deliciousness. I found the coffee very velvety and rich in texture, and there was a little bit of spice like most dark roast coffees. However, keep in mind that you will have a very strong aftertaste after drinking the coffee.
Features
Roast: Dark Roast
Intensity: 12
Caffeine: 120 mg
Type of Coffee: Robusta
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Nespresso OriginalLine Ispirazione Firenze Arpeggio
The Firenze Arpeggio capsules is a perfect blend of fruits, malt, and cocoa to give you a creamy, smooth, and perfectly balanced cup of coffee. It contains finely grinded and long-roasted Arabica beans from South and Central America. The first sip of coffee was intense, but I could still sense a balance that made the coffee very mild with no overpowering aftertaste. Do you know the best part? You can add a little bit of milk in the coffee to get a delicious and delightful taste.
Features
Roast: Dark Roast
Intensity: 9
Caffeine: 63 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso Ispirazione Italiana Venezia
Who doesn’t love a perfect blend of Columbian and Brazillian Arabica beans, right? Well, these Nespresso Italiana Venezia Capsules gives you that blend! You will also get perfect notes of caramel, fruits, and cereals to refresh your mind, body, and soul. The coffee has a very mild intensity and gave a woody yet subtle aftertaste. Guess what? You can even make a special Tiramisu Cappuccino with the Venezia Capsules. Just look at the recipe at Nespresso’s website and enjoy your unique cup of coffee!
Features
Roast: Medium-Dark
Intensity: 8
Caffeine: 120 mg
Coffee Type: Arabica
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Nespresso Ispirazione Espresso Variety Pack
Ending our list with this Nespresso Ispirazione Variety Pack containing 10 capsules of each best-selling decaffeinated pods; Stockholm Fortissio Lungo, Capriccio, Genova Livanto, Tokyo Vivalto Lungo, Volluto, Roma, Cosi, Ristretto Decaf, Ristretto, Arpeggio, and Genova Livanto. Each pod can brew 1.35 ounces of coffee, and all the pods are fully recyclable. This variety pack is a great option for everyone who wants to try different flavors and pick out the best one!
Features
Roast: Medium Roast
Intensity: Mild intensity for every pod
Caffeine: Decaffeinated
Coffee Type: Arabica
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A Buying Guide to Nespresso Pods
Up till now, you have gone through my list of the 17 Best Nespresso Pods, both for Vertuo and Original Line. However, my work does not end here. There are a lot of key factors you need to take into consideration before finally making the purchase. To help you out, I am jotting down a detailed buying guide below with all the essential considerations so you can make a smooth and swift purchase. Read on!
Nespresso OriginalLine vs VertuoLine Capsules
If you don’t know yet, there are two types of Nespresso coffee machines; Original Line and VertuoLine.
- The Original Line machines brew espresso pods.
- The VertuoLine machines brew espresso and other coffee pods too.
Similarly, there are two types of Nespresso capsules as well; Original Machine Capsules and Vertuo Machine Capsules.
- The original machine capsules can only work with Nespresso OriginalLine machines, and can make lungo, espresso, ristretto. The capsules mimic the shape of a hat.
- The vertuo machine capsules can only work with Nespresso VertuoLine machines, and can make lungo, espresso, double espresso, and other regular-sized coffees. They mimic the shape of a dom.
So, make sure to identify what type of Nespresso machine you have, and then purchase the pods accordingly. If you have an Original Line machine, then vertuo machine pods will never work for you.
Intensity
Nespresso coffee capsules come with intensities starting from 1 to 13. The capsules with low intensity (4,5,6,7) will make light and mild coffees while the ones with high intensity will be darker. So, make sure to consider what kind of a coffee drinker you are and then purchase the capsules.
Roasts & Tasting Notes
Nespresso Capsules come with 3 types of roasts; light, medium, and dark. This variety of roasts is there to cater to the needs of all types of coffee drinkers.
Similarly, every roast comes with its own tasting notes. For example, dark roast coffee will have notes of smokiness, bitterness, and chocolate. Mild roasts will have fruity and delicate notes. So, make sure to consider what notes you prefer and then make the purchase.
Caffeine
This is pretty straightforward; some Nespresso capsules come with a higher caffeine content while others with a less. Now, it is up to you to decide what works the best for you. If you are a hardcore coffee drinker, opt for the higher ones. If not, then go for the lower ones. Some capsules are also decaffeinated for people who don’t prefer caffeine at all.
Flavors
Nespresso coffee pods have a wide range of flavors to choose from; hazelnut, coconut, caramel, vanilla, and much more. These flavors are a treat for everybody who likes their coffee flavored and unique. If you don’t, then make sure the pod you’re planning to buy is unflavored.
How Does Nespresso Develop Their Capsule Flavors?
After harvesting and processing the coffee, Nespresso washes, plums, ferments, and dries it. The coffee is then transported to Switzerland where it is roasted and blended. After this step, the flavor is added to the coffee with perfection.
The Origin
Nespresso harvests and processes its coffee in different countries and origins i.e. Brazil, Columbia, South & Central America, etc. We would recommend opting for the South and Central American Arabica Beans since they are the most flavorful.
Code on the Capsule
There are different codes of Nespresso VertuoLine machine capsules defining the amount of beans, fineness, and coarseness. The codes also tell if the pod can make espresso, lungos, or coffee. So, make sure to check the codes to see how you can use the capsules.
Size
Nespresso Capsules come in a wide range of sizes, but the main cup sizes are ristretto, espresso, and lungo.
Ristretto
The smallest cup size so you will get a more flavorful and concentrated coffee with it.
Espresso
A very strong shot that uses a little bit of water.
Lungo
It uses more water and the coffee brews for a longer time to provide the most balanced, aromatic, and intense coffee.
Want a Cheaper Alternative?
If you find the Nespresso pods on our list too expensive, here are some cheaper alternatives:
Illy iper Capsules Colombia 21 Capsule
Kimbo Napoli 10 Nespresso Compatible Capsules
Kimbo Intenso 10 Nespresso Compatible Capsules
Caffe Vergnano Intenso 10 Nespresso Compatible Capsules
The Bottom Line
These are the top 17 picks that we could find for the Best Nespresso Pods, on the basis of quality, flavor, price, and taste. If you ask me, my top picks will be The Hazelino Muffin for VertuoLine machines, and the Nespresso Inspirazione Ristretto Italiano for Original Line machines. In the end, the final decision totally depends on what type of coffee you prefer and what kind of a drinker you are.
FAQs
What are the best Nespresso pods to use for a latte?
The Nespresso Firenze Arpeggio and the Ispirazione Firenze Venezia are the best pods for making lattes.
Can Nespresso machines accommodate reusable capsules?
The answer is yes, Nespresso is committed to protect the environment and you can use reusable capsules for its machines.
Can you recycle Nespresso capsules?
Yes, all Nespresso capsules are aluminium-coated and fully recyclable to protect the environment.
Do Nespresso coffee capsules expire?
Yes, all Nespresso capsules expire after 2 months of manufacturing. So, make sure to check the expiry dates before purchasing.
What does capsule intensity mean?
Capsule intensity defines the roasting degree, bitterness, and how concentrated the coffee is. Intensity does not define the amount of caffeine in the coffee.
How are Starbucks pods different from other companies’ pods?
Starbucks is different because it has collaborated with Nespresso, unlike other companies. This means Starbucks pods can be recycled in Nespresso bags.
Which roast level results in a milder taste?
Nespresso pods with Low and Medium roast levels will give a mild taste. However, make sure you are used to mild coffee before making the purchase.
Are Nespresso pods overpriced?
Nespresso pods are relatively more expensive than other brands. However, the flavor and quality are worth every penny.
Can you use a Nespresso pod twice?
No, Nespresso does not recommend using the same pod twice.
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