If you think Nespresso is only about products made by Nestlé, you are completely wrong. Not only are all the machines made by third parties – despite most of them looking remarkably similar to each other – but there is a huge wealth of third party Nespresso pods available too. That is only for the original, smaller-sized pods, not Vertuo ones, due to copyright reasons that I shant bore you with here.
My recent World Explorations Nespresso taste test got me thinking about the plethora of third-party brands and blends knocking about on the interweb. How good are they when compared to Nespresso’s own massive roster of 43 blends, and are they worth a punt? After all, you can have the best pod coffee machine in the world, but it won’t be much use if your pods are duds. More importantly though, could I get a load of brands to send me some, for nothing? You bet I could!
A few emails later, and I ended up with eight brands and a whopping assortment of 25 different blends that all needed to be extracted, tasted and scored. To be honest, I think I may already have sipped more than I could swallow and am now feeling as edgy as someone meeting Apples PR people after giving them a negative review.
Here, I will explain my methodology and give my verdict on all of these pods. Probably while suckling on something soothing and herbal from our best vape list.
It took me a while to decide on how best to test 25 different espressos in one go, so I devised an ingeniously simple score system – with personal notes – and rated each blend for Aroma, Intensity (strength), Flavour and Aftertaste. I gave 1 to 10 points in each category which equals a maximum score of 40. How many get close to that mark?
Yes I know that professional coffee tasters also consider finer details like Notes (subtle flavours buried in many blends) in their tests but, if you want to know the truth, I’ve never detected things like roasted chestnuts, hazelnuts, biscuits or any kind of fruit in any coffee I’ve ever tried, though I can detect nutty and chocolaty flavours in general. Call me a pleb, but my palette just doesn’t detect subtle stuff like blackberries, orange and biscuit. And frankly I care less about ‘notes’ and more about whether my gut reaction says I like it or not.
I should add before continuing that coffee tasting is entirely subjective and what suits one palette doesn’t necessarily suit another. What I personally want from an espresso is a good, strong kick that isn’t too bitter but approaching the texture and lip-smacking flavour and strength of my current favourite espresso blend which I usually pull from my Sage Bambino Plus. The blend in question is Spiller & Tait’s Signature Blend and it’s been my benchmark blend throughout this exhaustive test. I should add that I took a good sip of palette-cleansing Aqua Carpatico (my favourite still water) between each cup. The machine I used for the entire test is the excellent Grind One which, for me, is the best nespresso coffee machine. It offers simple and effective extraction with all brands of Nespresso-compatible pods, and looks a picture.
Since the finishing of the Nespresso patents in 2012, there have been numerous suppliers of compatible coffee capsules for Nespresso machines. Online shops such as HiLine, Artizan, Cafeliegeois, Kiss Me Organics and Gourmesso have entered the capsule market, offering an alternative to Nespresso.
Roar Gill (Image credit: Roar Gill)
Blend: Rare Brazil
Price per pod: 57p
T3 score: 32/40
What Roar Gill says: ‘Layered cacao, hazelnuts and cedar’
What I say: I cannot taste any cedar in this Brazilian blend mostly because I have no idea what cedar tastes like. Otherwise I quite liked this one’s intense flavour which works very well with a dash of warm milk. Punchy.
Blend: Cortado
Price per pod: 39p
T3 score: 36/40
What Roar Gill says: ‘Baking chocolate, treacle, cedar and spice’
What I say: I really liked this one, especially with a splash of milk for which it was partly designed. Its rich, deep flavour profile lingers on the palette in a very nice way. Fair price, cool packaging and great eco credentials, too.
Blend: Exotic Peru
Price per pod: 47p
T3 score: 28/40
What Roar Gill says: ‘Crisp acidity, medium body, floral aromas, rich sweetness’
What I say: Not so sure about this blend. It had a slightly sour flavour and aftertaste that didn’t agree with my palette. But maybe that’s just me.
Blend: Bold
Price per pod: 37p
T3 score: 30/40
What Roar Gill says: ‘Dark chocolate, treacle, vanilla’
What I say: This one is more palatable than the Exotic blend above and 10p cheaper per pod. Definitely worth a punt if you like an espresso that doesn’t blow your balls off.
Blend: Ethiopia Espresso
Price per pod: 39p
T3 score: 34/40
What Roar Gill says: ‘Cacao, cedar, brittle toffee’
What I say: I really liked the creamy and oily nature of this blend’s lip-smacking crema. Definitely hints of toffee and chocolate in here but no sign of cedar. My second favourite Roar Gill blend.
Okay, these next few from coffee giant Lavazza are not so artisan… But they are undeniably from a third party( credit: Lavazza)
Blend: Espresso Maestro Ristretto
Price per pod: 35p
T3 score: 40/40
What Lavazza says: ‘Intense and full-bodied espresso, with notes of chocolate and caramel’
What I say: It helps that I’m a Lavazza fan but this blend has everything I want from an espresso. It’s strong, untainted by odd notes, not too bitter and full of intense, creamy flavour with a pleasant liquorice aftertaste. One of the highest scoring blends here and cheap too. A favourite, for sure.
Blend: Qualita Rossa
Price per pod: 35p
T3 score: 34/40
What Lavazza says: ‘Imagine enjoying the balance between dried fruit and soft chocolate in Venice, or in a tiny Tuscan country village’
What I say: Although it’s got a good strong kick, there’s a bit too much bitterness going on here for my liking. It’s still a very decent blend, mind, but just not as agreeable as Lavazza’s Maestro above.
Coffee Factory (Image credit: Coffee Factory)
Blend: Daily Brew
Price per pod: 60p
T3 score: 25/40
What Coffee Factory says: ‘Caramel-rich cocoa taste notes which is complimented by a plum and raisin like sweetness’
What I say: Sorry to say that the aroma here seemed quite musty and the flavour was a mite too sour to handle.
Blend: Black Bear
Price per pod: 60p
T3 score: 27/40
What Coffee Factory says: ‘Deep, rich chocolate notes and big body’
What I say: A cleaner tasting blend, but with a faintly sour taste and a bit musty in the aftertaste department.
Blend: Big Red
Price per pod: 60p
T3 score: 22/40
What Coffee Factory says: ‘Comprised of two fantastic stand-alone coffees, one from Brazil and the other Ethiopia’
What I say: Mmmm, I really couldn’t get a handle on this one at all. The taste was really sour and it left behind a disagreeably musty aftertaste. I had to pause at this point before returning 10 minutes later for another taste but my verdict still stands. Sorry Big Red.
Blend: El Salvador Bosque Lya
Price per pod: 60p
T3 score: 32/40
What Coffee Factory says: ‘High up in the forested upper slopes of Bosque Lya, there is a small sector of the farm where only orange bourbon has been grown. Orange Bourbon, as the name would imply, ripens not red but orange and has a more complex flavour’
What I say: Much better than the others in the Coffee Factory range, this blend has a pleasingly complex taste but also a hint of sourness creeping through the mix.
Reusable Nespresso Pods | Better Coffee, Less Money?
FAQ
Is there a substitute for Nespresso pods?
What other pods can I use for Nespresso?
Do any other pods fit Nespresso Vertuo?
How do you use coffee pods without a Nespresso machine?
What is a good alternative to Nespresso?
The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew is a great alternative to Nespresso because it offers the convenience of using ground coffee, k Cup pods, and Nespresso capsules; providing more options for coffee lovers. This machine has a dual brewing system that can make both filtered drip coffee and concentrated Espresso shots.
What coffee capsules are compatible with Nespresso machines?
100% Arabica coffee. These coffee capsules contain 100% Arabica coffee, which tastes sweeter and is smoother than other beans. Different coffee origins. These capsules contain coffee from a variety of locations, such as South America and East Africa. Varied Nespresso compatibility. Not all the pods are compatible with Nespresso machines.
Do Nespresso machines use coffee pods?
Nespresso alternative machines use coffee pods for easy, pre-portioned prep ideal for rushed mornings. However, some machines are compatible with pods and ground coffee to give you more versatility in the types of beverages you brew — which can be especially useful for households with multiple coffee drinkers.
Is Nespresso a good alternative to a pod based espresso machine?
Nespresso has been one of the most popular brands for pod-based espresso machines. It has revolutionized the way we drink coffee by providing quick and convenient coffee-making solutions. However, with the increasing demand for eco-friendly and budget-friendly options, many coffee enthusiasts are looking for Nespresso alternative machines.