Buying guide for best nespresso vertuoline capsules
If you’re someone who likes delicious, high-quality coffee and the convenience of a capsule-based maker, the Nespresso VertuoLine is for you. With one on your counter, you can enjoy fabulous coffee and espresso quickly and easily every morning without having to stop at the coffee shop on your way to work.
The Nespresso VertuoLine machines are different from OriginalLine Nespresso models because they don’t just brew espresso. You can make both espresso and regular coffee in a VertuoLine, and there’s more diversity when it comes to capsules and serving sizes too. You can pick from a variety of espresso and coffee blends and capsule sizes for the most versatility of any Nespresso machine.
Choosing Nespresso VertuoLine capsules for your machine can be tricky because there are so many options to consider. If you’re feeling confused, our buying guide has all the tips you need to choose the best VertuoLine capsules for your machine and coffee routine. We’ve also included some specific capsule recommendations if you want to get a head start on your shopping.
Key considerations
Espresso vs. coffee
The best thing about the Nespresso VertuoLine is that it can brew coffee in addition to espresso. The capsules are available in both varieties, which means brewing is as easy as placing the capsule in the machine, putting your cup beneath the spout, and pressing a few buttons.
Espresso is a type of coffee with an extremely strong flavor that is typically served in small cups. It achieves its strong flavor by using high pressure and speed to push hot water through the coffee grounds. When you brew regular coffee, the water is sent through the grounds at a slower rate, so the flavor isn’t as strong.
Nespresso VertuoLine capsules make it easy to enjoy both espresso and coffee; both capsule types provide rich, high-quality coffee drinks. If you prefer a more intense flavor, stick to VertuoLine espresso capsules. For a mellower flavor, opt for the coffee capsules.
Size
Nespresso offers capsules in several different sizes, and the size determines how large your cup of espresso or coffee is.
Espresso: Espresso capsules are available in a single serving (1.35 ounces) and a double serving (2.7 ounces). For many people, a single shot of espresso is enough to get going in the morning, but if you need a little more help, you may prefer the larger, double-serving capsules.
The brand also offers the Gran Lungo capsule (5 ounces), which is brewed through a similar process as espresso, but it’s designed to fill up more of the cup. That gives the coffee a more mellow taste, though it’s still fairly intense.
Coffee: When it comes to coffee capsules, the Nespresso VertuoLine offers standard coffee (7.7 ounces) for a single cup and Alto XL (14 ounces) for a larger serving that’s ideal for drinking all morning.
Intensity
All of the Nespresso VertuoLine capsules are rated on an intensity scale of 1 to 12. Nespresso uses intensity to describe how much the beans have been roasted; it doesn’t tell you how much caffeine is in a particular capsule. Those that are higher on the scale typically have more body and bitterness than capsules that are lower on the scale.
Features
Flavor
Nespresso VertuoLine capsules are available in a variety of flavors or flavor blends depending on the beans included, so there’s bound to be an option that fits your espresso and/or coffee preferences.
When it comes to espresso, you can choose from the following:
Diavolitto: Made of Robusta and Brazilian Arabica beans, this has a creamy texture and offers a highly intense flavor with hints of oak wood and leather.
Altissio: Made of Arabica beans from Costa Rica and South America, this has a full-bodied, creamy texture and contains cereal notes.
Decaffeinato Intenso: This decaffeinated option is made from Columbian, Brazilian, and Asian Robusta beans and offers a dense flavor with cocoa and fruit notes.
Voltesso: Made with South American Arabica beans, this offers a light, sweet flavor compared to other espresso capsules.
Scuro: Made from a blend of Central American Robust and Arabica beans, this features a dark, smoky flavor with notes of cocoa and vanilla.
Chiaro: Made from South and Central American Arabica beans, this has a creamy texture and features an earthy flavor with hints of wood and caramel.
When it comes to the Gran Lungo espresso capsules, you can choose from the following:
Fortado: Made from Indian Robusta and South and Central American Arabica beans, this has a full-bodied texture and offers an intense flavor with cocoa powder and oak wood notes.
Arondio: Made with Colombian Arabica and Guatemalan Robusta beans, this offers a mild flavor with cereal notes.
Aflorazio: Made from East African Arabica beans, this offers a delicate flavor with flower and blueberry notes.
Decaffeinato Ontuoso: This is a decaffeinated option made with Arabica beans from Brazil and Columbia and features malty cereal notes.
When it comes to coffee capsules, you can choose from the following:
Mexico: Made from Mexican Arabica and double-washed Robusta beans, this provides an intense spicy flavor with woody notes that’s ideal for lattes.
Colombia: Made with fair trade Arabica beans, this offers a sweet, fruity flavor with some red berry notes.
Intenso: Made from Guatemalan Robusta and Central and South American Arabica beans, this offers strong toasted and brown sugar notes.
Stormio: Made with Nicaraguan and Guatemalan Arabica beans, this contains spicy, woody, and cereal notes.
Odacio: Made from Arabica beans from Nicaragua and Ethiopia, this has a full-bodied flavor with cereal notes.
Melozio: Made with Brazilian Bourbon and Central American Arabica beans, this offers a smooth, balanced flavor with biscuit notes.
Elvazio: Made from South American Arabica beans, this provides a delicate, fruity flavor with cereal and caramel notes.
Giornio: Made with Ethiopian and Kenyan Arabica beans, this has toasted cereal and floral notes.
Solelio: Made with Kenyan and Colombian Arabica beans, this has a light, balanced flavor with red fruit notes.
Decaffeinato: Made from Costa Rican and South American Arabica beans, this decaffeinated option offers a smooth flavor with malted and cereal notes.
Half Caffeinato: Made with Brazilian and African Arabica beans, this has a light, sweet flavor with caramel, nut, and biscuit notes.
Hazelino: This is made from Brazilian and Central American Arabica beans infused with sweet hazelnut flavor to give it a nutty aroma.
Caramelizio: Made with Brazilian and Central American Arabica beans, this has a caramelized sugar flavor with hints of vanilla.
Vanizio: Made from Brazilian and Central American Arabica beans, this has a velvety vanilla flavor with biscuity notes.
Dolce: Made with a blend of Latin American Arabica beans, this offers a smooth, mellow flavor with caramel and sweet toasted bread notes.
"Nespresso capsules use 100% recyclable aluminum. You can find information on the brand’s website regarding how to recycle your capsules after use, too.
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Bar code
The Nespresso VertuoLine machine uses both espresso and coffee capsules, which use different brewing procedures. For the most user-friendly operation, each VertuoLine capsule has a magnetic bar code that the machine automatically reads to determine the proper time and temperature for brewing.
Caffeine
Not all Nespresso VertuoLine capsules contain the same amount of caffeine. The average cup of coffee has 95 to 100 milligrams of caffeine, but Nespresso VertuoLine coffee capsules contain 150 to 180 milligrams. The average shot of espresso has 55 milligrams of caffeine, while the Nespresso VertuoLine espresso capsules typically have 70 to 150 milligrams.
Quantity
Nespresso VertuoLine capsules are typically sold in boxes or packages containing multiple capsules. You’ll pay a higher price for packages with more capsules, but in most cases you’ll get a better value per capsule with larger boxes. You can usually find boxes with 10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 capsules.
Did you know?
Nespresso offers seasonal VertuoLine capsules, such as a pumpkin spice coffee in the fall.
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Accessories
Nespresso machine: Nespresso VertuoLine Evoluo
You can’t enjoy the ease and convenience of making coffee and espresso with Nespresso VertuoLine capsules if you don’t have a Nespresso VertuoLine machine to use them in. The Evoluo heats up in just 15 seconds and includes a travel mug that makes it easy to take your coffee with you on your commute to work.
Espresso cups: De’Longhi Espresso Glasses
If you’re mainly using Nespresso VertuoLine capsules to make espresso, you need glasses that are the right size for the smaller servings. These espresso glasses from De’Longhi are the perfect size for the classic 2-ounce shot of espresso and feature double-walled insulated glass to keep your coffee hot.
Milk frother: Breville Milk Cafe Milk Frother
Add frothed milk to the coffee or espresso you brew with Nespresso VertuoLine capsules and it will seem like it’s come from a coffee shop. We love this milk frother from Breville because it uses induction heating for gentle, even heat distribution and can froth up to 3 cups of milk at a time.
Nespresso VertuoLine capsule prices
Nespresso VertuoLine capsules vary in price based on whether they’re espresso or coffee and the number of capsules in the box. Most range from $0.85 to $1.20 per capsule.
Inexpensive: The most affordable Nespresso VertuoLine capsules are those that brew single shots of espresso. You’ll pay between $8.50 and $17 for boxes of 10 to 20 capsules.
Mid-range: For boxes of 10 to 20 Nespresso VertuoLine capsules that brew double shots of espresso or Gran Lungo, you’ll pay between $10 and $20.
Expensive: The most expensive Nespresso VertuoLine capsules are those that brew coffee. For boxes of 10 to 20, you’ll pay between $11 and $24.
Tips
- Let your Nespresso VertuoLine machine warm up. Give the machine a couple of minutes to heat up before adding a capsule. If the machine is warm, it’s easier to pierce the capsule’s foil.
- Use bottled or filtered water. To get the best flavor from your capsules, use bottled or filtered water in your Nespresso machine.
- Clean your Nespresso machine regularly. This will help you get the best-tasting espresso and coffee from your capsules.
Other products we considered
Nespresso offers such a wide variety of capsules for their VertuoLine of machines that we couldn’t possibly include all the options worth checking out on our shortlist. Coffee fans will appreciate the smooth, mild flavor of the Nespresso VertuoLine Coffee Melozio Capsules, which are made from medium-roast beans. You get 30 capsules in the package, and each capsule can brew 7.8 ounces of coffee.
If you prefer coffee with a deeper flavor, we also love the Nespresso VertuoLine Coffee Intenso Capsules. These beans are dark roasted, which earns the coffee a 9 on Nespresso’s intensity scale.
FAQ
Q. What are Nespresso VertuoLine capsules made from?
A. Like all of Nespresso’s capsules, the VertuoLine capsules are made from aluminum. That’s because aluminum is better than plastic at maintaining the freshness and aroma of the coffee beans. Aluminum is also recyclable, which makes it a better option for the environment than many other materials.
Q. Do Nespresso VertuoLine capsules contain any preservatives?
A. Nespresso capsules don’t contain preservatives of any kind. The capsules are hermetically sealed, which helps keep the coffee fresh without having to add any chemical preservatives. They are labeled with “best by” dates that are typically 8 to 11 months after the production date, but they’re still usually safe to consume even after that date.
Q. Can I use Nespresso VertuoLine capsules in my OriginalLine machine?
A. The VertuoLine and OriginalLine systems feature different technologies, so you can’t use VertuoLine capsules in an OriginalLine machine, or vice versa.
