Struggling to choose the best Nespresso VertuoLine pods?
I don't blame you. There are a ton of options!
Good thing this guide has you covered:
Let’s start there.
Well, after our top picks.
Nespresso makes several espresso machine models, but they all fall under two lines:
These are the key differences:
Each system has a different pod or capsule, and they aren't interchangeable.
In fact, VertuoLine machines have 5 different types of capsules:
I prefer Nespresso’s OriginalLine machines to their VertuoLine machines because of the differences above, but this guide is about Nespresso VertuoLine pods.
Editor’s Note: We have an excellent guide that compares specs for all 20+ Nespresso machines ever produced. It’s definitely worth a read if you’re shopping for a new machine.
Let’s talk about VertuoLine pods.
VertuoLine machines use Nespresso VertuoLine Grand Cru capsules to brew espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, and standard coffee style beverages.
There are 5 different pod sizes that let you brew everything from 1.35 oz espresso to 14 oz long coffees.
With Nespresso’s custom sizing feature, you can stretch that 14 oz Alto XL pod out to a max 17 oz brew size.
Nespresso’s barcode scanning technology uses barcode rings on the pods to optimize the brew process for the specific capsule you’ve selected.
VertuoLine pods are inserted into the machine with a downward-facing dome.
This orients the circular barcode ring on top of the scanning system’s laser, allowing the machine to read the pod as it spins. You don’t need to line the pod up anywhere. Just plop it in and shut the lid.
The barcode provides the machine’s intelligent extraction system with customized extraction parameters which, powered by revolutionary Centrifusion technology, give you your desired beverage.
What the heck does all this crap mean?
I’ve got to give Nespresso’s marketing team some credit here. That’s some seriously fancy wording. Let’s break down these fantastic phrases.
This is Nespresso’s branding for its barcode scanning system, which scans the pod and determines which type of beverage to make.
Using the intelligent extraction system, the machine identifies which of the 5 pod sizes you’re using and modifies the water volume, temperature, spin rate, flow rate, and water contact time to achieve your chosen beverage.
Instead of applying pressure via pump (like OriginalLine machines), VertuoLine models spin the pod up to 7,000 times per minute to create enough centrifugal force to act like a pump.
Is the Centrifusion technology better? I don’t think so. Pressure-wise, centrifugal extraction doesn’t quite match pump extraction, leaving the resulting beverage a little under-extracted. And while you’ll see a more pronounced crema, it’s foamier than a great crema should be.
Nespresso capsules aren’t cheap, especially compared to Keurig K-Cup pods, but VertuoLine pods are more expensive than OriginalLine pods.
The table below, replicated from our guide on where to buy Nespresso capsules, compares the per-cup cost of various single-serve pods across brewing systems:
Additionally, Nespresso offers exclusive and limited release pods that highlight special coffee regions, harvesting/processing/roasting techniques, etc.
Nespresso VertuoLine pod and capsule coffees are middle-of-the-road in terms of cost per cup. They’re cheaper than a daily trip to your local coffee shop but more expensive than Nespresso OriginalLine or Keurig pods.
Combined with the wastefulness of single-serve coffee pods — which consumers care about to varying degrees — a market has developed for reusable VertuoLine pods.
The benefits:
The drawbacks:
My favorite reusable Nespresso VertuoLine pod is the CAPMESSO Stainless Steel Pod.
It comes in either 2.5 oz (espresso) or 8 oz (long coffee) sizes, each of which also offers a bundle including rubber gaskets that go between the lid and the pod itself for a leak-proof seal.
Note: The CAPMESSO Stainless Steel Pod won't work with Nespresso OriginalLine machines. For those you’ll need something like these plastic pods or these stainless steel pods.
All-in, including the initial startup cost for the reusable pod, you’ll break even on your investment around serving number 45.
For daily espresso drinkers that’s a 1.5-month payback period assuming a $1.10 cost for the single serve capsule.
The only downsides are the small amount of additional cleaning required, the extra time to assemble your pods and the slight hassle of making sure you have both foils and filters in stock.
If you’re really cheap, you can purchase the foils alone for around $0.15 per foil and reseal already-used single serve Nespresso pods. Nespresso cautions against this as the pods are not designed for repeated use, but you may be able to reuse one single serve pod upwards of 3-6 times by filling with your own grounds and resealing with the foil (provided the pod itself hasn’t been punctured). I don’t recommend this but it is an option.
