If you’ve got a Nespresso machine recently, you might be looking at the bewildering array of different coffee pods available and wondering where to start. The best Nespresso machines often come with a sample pack to try, which is a great starting point, but those barely scratch the surface.
You could take a chance and just pick a few boxes that sound appealing, but there’s no escaping the fact that although they’re a lot cheaper per cup than a takeout coffee, the cost of coffee pods adds up pretty fast. You don’t want to be left with several boxes of capsules that you don’t really enjoy, but feel obliged to drink because you’ve paid good money for them.
1. Nespresso Sweet Vanilla Decaffeinato
I test a lot of coffee makers for TechRadar, and I love doing it, but it does mean consuming a lot of caffeine, which isn’t always great for the quality of my sleep. I was therefore delighted to try this creamy, decaffeinated vanilla brew, which you can safely enjoy after dinner without setting yourself up for a restless night.
The caffeine is extracted by simply soaking the beans in hot water, or soaking them long enough to become porous, then placing them in a pressurized container and exposing them to carbon dioxide. The caffeine is re-used in some of Nespresso’s Coffee+ ‘functional’ energy-boosting capsules, so nothing is wasted.
Coffee can have notes of vanilla by itself, but these pods dial things up with a little added flavoring. During my barista training, my tutor referred to drinks like this as ‘cheating coffee’, but to be honest I’m not such a purist, especially when the results are as smooth and easy-drinking as this.
The vanilla flavor doesn’t overpower the taste of the coffee, but does add a mellow sweetness. Each pod makes a mug-sized portion, and I found I liked it best with a splash of oat milk. It’s so calming and tasty, it might even replace herbal tea as your bedtime drink of choice.
2. Nespresso Coffee+ Ginseng Delight
This unusual flavor is part of Nespresso’s Coffee+ range, which are ‘functional’ drinks with various added nutrients to boost your energy levels.
This particular pod contains ginseng, which is known to have quite a bitter flavor. It’s mixed with a blend of robusta and arabica beans, the former of which are also known for their bitterness, so I was pleasantly surprised to find the brewed drink was actually well-rounded and fruity due to the addition of a splash of caramel to even out the flavor.
Nespresso’s directions recommend enjoying Ginseng Delight on its own, but I found that the caramel flavor lent itself well to a latte. I don’t know whether the ginseng had any effect (it’s said to boost brain function and increase energy) but it was certainly delicious.
I’m not alone in thinking so, either – after I first wrote about these pods, a reader told me they were her favorites too, and asked when she might be able to buy them in France. Nespresso told me they’d be coming soon, so hopefully that reader is enjoying a tasty mug of Ginseng Delight right now.
3. Nespresso Coffee+ Vivida
Another Nespresso Coffee+ variety, Vivada (the large pink pod in the photo above) aims to give your energy levels a boost with a dose of vitamin B12. As the NHS explains, this vitamin is necessary to make red blood cells, keep your nervous system healthy, and release energy from food.
Each Vivida capsule contains 0.63μg of vitamin B12, which is well within the limits of what the NHS suggests is safe for a supplement. Animal products (meat and dairy) are good sources, but it’s possible for vegans to be deficient.
What I was most interested in, however, was the taste, and the Vivida didn’t disappoint. Unlike the two other pods in this guide, this capsule doesn’t have any added flavorings. Instead, its biscuity aroma comes from a blend of light and medium-roasted arabica beans. Like the Sweet Vanilla, I found it paired well with oat milk, which adds some sweetness and brings out the cereal notes in the coffee.
Like all the coffee capsules here, it’s available in both Nespresso Original and Nespresso Vertuo capsules.
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