Our Favorite Nespresso Pods

After trying dozens of different Nespresso pod flavors, we wanted to share a few of our favorites and opinions on many of the options that they carry. We'll split them up by machine type.

VERTUO

For the Vertuo pods, the Inizo pod is by far my favorite. It's an Eastern African coffee blend and is balanced and medium bodied. For coffee drinkers that enjoy their java black, it's the best tasting of the all the Vertuoline pods in my opinion! It's floral and earthy and tastes different than the others in it's class. It's a 5 ounce pod, which I find strikes a nice balance between the 7.77 ounce that I find a little thin and watery and the 2.7 ounce double espresso pods that are thick and concentrated. For those that like the single origin Ethiopian pods, the Inizio is a great alternative as they have similar floral notes and flavor profile.

In 2nd place is Melozio. It's a medium bodied Brazilian Bourbon Arabica bean blend. It has a subtle sweet cereal note and is perfectly balanced. I enjoy both the decaf and full caffeinated versions of Melozio equally. Melozio is probably the most approachable pod for the Vertuo.

In third, is the Half Caffeinato pods. It's the go to pod for a mid-day or late afternoon pick me up. The arabica beans in the Half Caff pod taste well rounded, not too dark and not too light. Probably the least complex pod on the list, but I find myself reaching for these more than others in the afternoon.

For something bolder, Stormio is our choice. The Arabica blend from Nicaragua and Guatemala give the Stormio a spicy, dark roasted taste. To kick the flavor up a notch, add a half teaspoon of brown sugar in the bottom of your cup when brewing. This will make the Stormio truly shine!

Lastly, for the smaller espresso Vertuo pods, the Altissio is our favorite. It's a Latin American blend that is strong, creamy and syrupy. Whether having Altissio as a shot, or in a cappuccino there is no other pod that will perform better in our opinion. Although I rather enjoy these Vertuo coffees, my wife doesn't care for most of the Vertuo pods. However, she does like a couple of the original line pods which we'll get into next.

ORIGINAL

For the original line, the Stockholm Lungo pod is our favorite. The Stockholm pod is an arabica blend of Indian and Colombian beans. It's complex and bold. Curiously though, in a recent purchase of the Stockholm pods, they now have a bitter aftertaste. Perhaps this is an anomaly, or Nespresso had to source beans from other regions, but it has changed slightly. We really hope Stockholm goes back to the original flavor profile because they were our absolute favorite. Either way Stockholm is great with or without milk.

Following in second place for the original line would be the Arpeggio pod. Arpeggio is a blend of beans from all over South and Central America. It's strong, balanced and creamy and is probably the most approachable pod on the original line.

Rounding out third place is Ristretto Italiano. This black colored pod features a split roast of arabica and robusta beans. It's bolder and darker than Arpeggio, but still goes down smooth. Makes for a great shot or an Americano.

For different flavors and aromas, the pods from the world explorations original line provide some interesting blends. Shanghai Lungo is an unusual arabica blend from Kenya, Indonesia and China. It's lightly roasted and features notes of fruit, citrus and wood spice. Definitely try this before buying a full sleeve as It may be too different some.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We've tried plenty of co-branded Nespresso pods from companies like Starbucks and Blue Bottle, but they don't taste like an actual cup of coffee from either company. For example, the Pike Place pods from Starbucks taste a bit over roasted and the Blue Bottle pods lack depth. And you may have noticed that we don't have any flavored pods on our list. We find that all of the flavored pods have a chemical aftertaste. Although, with cream and sugar I'm sure they would taste fine. But if we had to pick one flavored pod, the caramel flavored pods are probably the best we've tasted. If you really want a vanilla or hazelnut flavor, we suggest getting a syrup and add the flavor to the coffee yourself. We hope you enjoy our favorites as much as we do and we look forward to finding new ones in the future.

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