Is Nespresso Worth It? Pros Cons And Things To Consider Before Buying

Nestle Nespresso is the pioneer and the benchmark among the best-portioned coffees in the world. It focuses on delivering rich, aromatic espresso at the touch of a button.

You can create tasty coffee shop cappuccinos and flavorful lattes with Nespresso single-serve coffee machines. Your monthly coffee cost could be cut by hundreds of dollars each year if you make your coffee at home.

Nespresso uses coffee pods with pre portioned coffee grounds of different flavors and intensities to brew coffee.

It has two product lines; the Original Line and the Vertuo Line.

Both product lines have different coffee machines with unique specifications. It also has different coffee pods specifically for each product line.

In this article, we will dive deep into the details of Nespresso and help you make an informed decision. Read on to learn if Nespresso is worth it.

Is Nespresso Worth it? (The Short Answer)

Single-serve machines like Nespresso might be the right choice when looking for espresso-style coffee with ultimate convenience without learning espresso skills.

It costs less than half as much as a decent home espresso machine, and even the ongoing capsule costs are less than a daily trip to the coffee shop.

Whether you enjoy an espresso, a cappuccino, a latte macchiato, or a flat white, a Nespresso machine will satisfy your espresso cravings.

All other options fail to match the standard of Nespresso, so it is worth it.

Nespresso Machine: A Glance at the History

Nespresso’s history dates back to 1986 when it was founded to bring Italian espresso and its flavors and aromas to people’s homes.

Nespresso first introduced its espresso machines in 1986 in Switzerland, Japan, and Italy for the office coffee market. Nespresso machines take inspiration from Luigi Bezzera’s espresso machine that provides high-quality Italian espresso.

Later in 1996, Nespresso had a breakthrough in the household sector with the coffee machines featuring automatic features and a redesigned thermoblock.

As opposed to today’s sleek models, the first models were designed to resemble traditional espresso machines, and only four types of capsules were available, offering various strengths of coffee.

What is the Difference between Nespresso Original Line and Vertuo Line?

Nespresso produces two lines of espresso machines, the Original line, and the Vertuo line, with its manufacturing partners Breville and De’Longhi.

The Nespresso Original Line espresso machines have different sizes and price ranges. Some models also have a built-in milk frother that can level up your milk-based coffees.

All Original machines use 19 bar pump pressure to create barista-style espresso within a few minutes. The machine pumps water with pressure, which flows through the coffee pod, extracting all flavors and strength into your coffee.

Original Machines offers three brew sizes; ristretto, espresso, or lungo.

It uses original Nespresso capsules with an unlimited range of flavors and blends. It also allows you to use Nespresso-compatible capsules.

Nespresso Vertuo Line has the newest models of coffee machines. This product line has limited models, and none have milk frothing options.

Vertuo line machines use barcode scanning for brewing flavorful coffee. During the brewing process, the machine reads the barcode on the coffee capsules and adjusts its settings accordingly.

Vertuo Machines have five brew options; espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, americano, & alto XL.

Vertuo pods come in different sizes for specific drink options. Vertuo pods are expensive, have limited flavors, and have no alternative options available in the market.

Nespresso vs Keurig: A Quick Review

Keurig machines use coffee pods, called K-Cups, to prepare beverages through a pressurized brewing system. Keurig is affiliated with well-known companies like Folgers, Celestial Seasonings, and Starbucks for manufacturing K-cups.

With Keurig’s single-serve coffee makers, there is a wide variety of beverages to choose from, whereas Nespresso’s machines brew a richer, aromatic cup of coffee every time.

Nespresso has a higher price point. On the other hand, Keurig machines are more budget-friendly, but their coffee lacks flavor and strength.

As a popular coffee brand in Europe and Asia, Nespresso occupies a substantial market share. On the other hand, Keurig dominates American households.

Pros of Nespresso

What makes Nespresso stand out from other espresso machines? Here are some significant advantages of Nespresso:

Variety

Nespresso has Variety in its coffee machines as well as coffee pods. You can choose from the range of Nespresso Original line and Vertuo line coffee machines.

You can pick an espresso maker from its original line or get a machine with an integrated milk frother like the Nespresso Lattissima.

You can use a Vertuo machine like VertuoPlus, Evoluo, and Vertuo Next for more brewing options.

While you can only use Nespresso pods in Nespresso brewers, there is an extensive range of flavors and blends. It also offers different intensities ranging from low to high.

High-quality Coffee

Nespresso coffee is known as the closest thing to a commercially made espresso shot. It can easily replace your Starbucks coffee, and that too, from the comfort of your home.

It is stronger than drip coffee and can satisfy your craving for authentic espresso. It makes full-bodied, delicious coffee with rich flavors and aroma, topped with thick crema.

The pre portioned ground coffee in Nespresso pods is carefully sealed, keeping the strength and flavors intact.

So every time you brew a cup, it will taste equally good and fresh.

Convenience

It takes a few minutes to pop into a coffee pod and press the brew button. And there you have it, a delicious cup of coffee ready for you to indulge.

While making Nespresso coffee, you neither have to waste time measuring, grinding, and tampering with coffee beans nor do you have to worry about the extra cleanup after brewing coffee.

Cons of Nespresso

All good things come with some drawbacks, and so does Nespresso. Let’s have a look at its cons:

Nespresso Machines are Expensive

Undoubtedly, Nespresso machines come with a hefty price tag.

The Nespresso coffee makers range from $150 to $600, depending on its product line, specifications, and accessories.

The vertuo machines and their coffee pods are expensive. The original line machines are comparatively affordable and can use third-party alternative Nespresso capsules.

Espresso-Making Machines

Nespresso coffee brewers are known for their quality and convenience, but you can only get espresso from them.

Most of the original machines have milk-frothing options so that you can make milk-based recipes with espresso as a base.

However, if you buy a vertuo machine, you will have to get a separate frother because it doesn’t have a frothing system.

Environmental Impact

The coffee industry’s impact on the environment is a controversial topic. The waste produced by each coffee pod we use directly affects our environment.

Most brands claim to be environmentally friendly, so does Nespresso.

Nespresso makes its coffee pods with 100% recyclable aluminum. It has a recycling facility for coffee pods, so they don’t end up in a landfill, increasing our carbon footprint.

It is unbelievable that every coffee drinker does an effort to recycle their pods rather than dumping them in the trash.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Nespresso Machine

Before you invest in Nespresso, there is a list of things you must know. For making an informed decision, keep the following considerations in mind.

1. Taste of Coffee

If you are a true coffee lover, you will prefer the taste or quality of coffee over other factors. So it would be best if you went for a coffee machine that promises great quality coffee and is worth investing money in.

Nespresso makes quality espresso that you can rave about. It gives you the closest thing to an authentic espresso. It makes full-bodied great, tasting coffee full of texture and delicious aromas.

Every cup of coffee you make with your Nespresso will taste equally good, so you dont have to worry about under-extracted bland coffee or over-extracted bitter coffee.

2. Range of Coffee Flavors

If you don’t want to get bored of having a few flavors and blends over and over again, or you are picky about the taste of your coffee, you must go for a brand that offers unlimited coffee pod flavors.

Nespresso has an extensive range of coffee flavors under its original and vertuo line categories. Both categories have various coffee pods, each having unique blends, flavors, and intensities.

With Nespresso, you can choose from a list of coffee pod flavors so each cup of coffee can taste different, and you can experiment with several coffee flavors.

3. Design

The design of your coffee machine must be aesthetically pleasing as well as simple and compact. We bet you wouldn’t like a bulky, unaesthetic brewer sitting on your countertop.

Nespresso brewers have a sleek, modern, and stylish design that looks appealing to the eyes. The elite look makes Nespresso stand out from its competitors.

Nespresso has different sizes and colors for its espresso makers, but each machine has a solid exterior made of BPA-free plastic and stainless steel.

4. Usability

Using a coffee machine must be easy. Brewing coffee must save you time and energy.

Nespresso machines do not require any technical skills or training to operate. You can use any Nespresso model to brew your favorite coffee without learning special barista skills.

Using a Nespresso machine to brew coffee is just a button away.

Regardless of which Nespresso machine you use, you must pop in a coffee pod, fill the water tank with enough water and push the brew button.

And there you have it, your freshly brewed coffee!

5. Nespresso pods

Nespresso Pods are known for their quality, freshness, and durability. Also, they have a long list of flavors and blends for you to choose from according to your cravings and taste.

Nespresso pods have two categories: original pods and vertuo pods.

The original pods come in one size and are manufactured for original machines. You can replace these pods with any Nespresso-compatible pods available in the market.

The original pods have more flavors and are affordable compared to vertuo pods.

Vertuo pods come in different sizes depending on the type of drink they are manufactured to brew. These pods are used in vertuo machines and can not be substituted with third-party capsules.

Vertuo pods have special codes on them for the machine to extract them. Vertuo pods are expensive and have a limited number of flavors and blends.

6. Brewing Technology

Coffee machines use different brewing technologies and also offer different brew sizes. While brewing technology might not matter, look for the brew sizes while choosing a coffee machine.

The original machines use 19 bar pressure for preparing coffee. The machine heats the water and flows through the coffee pod with pressure, dispensing flavorful coffee into your cup.

You can make a 0.85 oz ristretto, a 1.35 oz espresso, and a 3.7 oz lungo with original line machines.

On the other hand, vertuo machines use bar code scanning techniques to extract coffee from the pods. The veto machines scan the pod’s barcode, adjust the machine’s settings accordingly, and start the brewing process.

Vertuo line machines offer more Variety in brew sizes than original machines.

You can make an Espresso (40 ml), a Double Espresso (80 ml), a Gran Lungo (150 ml), a Mug (230 ml), and an Alto (414 ml) in a vertuo machine.

7. Cleaning and maintenance

Cleaning and maintenance might not be on the list of things you look for in a coffee machine because they may not seem important to most people.

However, cleaning and maintenance are critical for a machine’s longevity and efficiency.

Nespresso machines are easy to clean and maintain because the brand has specified guidelines to help you out.

According to Nespresso, their machines require cleaning and descaling every 3 to 6 months or after using 300 coffee capsules.

Descaling a Nespresso brewer takes a few minutes but ensures that your coffee machine maintains its quality and shows no malfunctions.

8. Accessories with the machine

If you like to bring Variety to your coffee drinks and enjoy milk-based drinks often, you will need some extra accessories to pair with your Nespresso.

As most Nespresso machines don’t have milk frothing systems, an Aeroccino milk frother can be the accessory you need.

An Aeroccino milk frother makes hot and cold foam as quickly as Nespresso brews coffee. So, when your coffee machine brews espresso, you can prepare steamed milk for lattes or frothed milk for cappuccinos.

Nespresso has three options: Aeroccino 3, Aeroccino 4, and Barista recipe maker.

9. Price

Price is an important factor to consider when buying a coffee machine. It is because getting a coffee machine is not a one-time investment. It requires stocking up on coffee capsules and maintenance expenses when the warranty expires. 

Nespresso makes high-end coffee machines that come with a heft price tag. Anyone investing in a Nespresso must know that you can only use Nespresso pods which are quite expensive.

Each Nespresso pod retails for around $0.60 to $1. You must only invest in a Nespresso brewer if you can afford its pods.

10. Environmental Impact

In this day and age, when everyone is switching to sustainable options. Do coffee drinkers think of sustainability? Is Nespresso a sustainable option?

Maybe yes, maybe not!

Because Nespresso pods are made from aluminum and plastic, the aluminum part is recycled, while the plastic part ends up in a landfill.

Nespresso has its recycling facility for recycling pods, but it requires a complete process for disposing of pods for recycling. The discarded pods must be collected into a recycling bag and dropped off at the Nespresso recycling facility.

Even if every coffee drinker recycles discarded pods, a portion of pods contributes to increased carbon footprint and environmental pollution.

11. Warranty 

The coffee machine warranty makes dealing with technical issues and malfunctions easier, especially when you have no technical knowledge.

Nespresso offers at least a two-year warranty for its machines. The brand covers all the expenses for repairing malfunctioning parts of the coffee machines.

And if the machine breaks down, they replace it with a new one for free.

Nespresso Machine vs. Espresso Machine: The Difference

Nespresso machines differ from espresso machines based on coffee quality, price, brewing technique, and price range.

There is no doubt that espresso makers offer a more authentic, richer, and creamier experience when it comes to coffee. The espresso maker also offers a wide variety of coffee types depending on your preferred taste and strength.

On the other hand, Nespresso coffee makers are one-purpose machines and will most likely produce weaker coffee.

In most cases, coffee enthusiasts prefer the end product of espresso machines.

The following table summarizes the difference between a Nespresso coffee maker and a typical espresso machine.

FAQs

Is Nespresso as good as real espresso?

The flavor and intensity are slightly less intense than an espresso shot from a commercial machine. However, It is certainly stronger and more intense than your average black coffee or instant coffee.

Can Nespresso Make a latte?

Yes! With your Nespresso machine, you can make any milk-based drink, like a latte. You will need a separate milk frother if your machine doesn’t have one.

Can you make a regular cup of coffee with Nespresso?

When it comes to a regular cup of coffee, Nespresso’s vertuo machines are perfect. On the other hand, making regular coffee with original machines is not possible.

Can I use Nespresso pods twice?

It is not advisable to use Nespresso pods twice. It is because when the coffee machine uses a pod once, it extracts all its flavors and strength. You will get bland water if you use a pod twice to brew coffee.

Can I use milk instead of water in my Nespresso machine?

No! Nespresso machines are not for using milk to brew coffee. Milk is thicker than water and can dry up in the insides of the machines, causing clogging and blockage in its internal parts. The clogging can permanently damage your Nespresso machine.

Can you make hot chocolate in Nespresso?

Yes! Although Nespresso does not make hot chocolate capsules, other brands do. Like regular coffee capsules, you can use hot chocolate pods in Nespresso coffee makers.