Nespresso Original Coffee Pods

Love the coffee and the variety offered – The premise for buying a Nespresso pod coffee maker was simple in theory. The theory was that there are a lot of Nespresso compatible pods available at cheaper prices at the supermarkets where we usually shop, so we need not be locked into the more expensive Nespresso pods. We set out to buy a few different brands that caught our eye, and proceeded to taste our way through them. However, we returned again and again to the Nespresso pods. We place all the different pods in a big bowl in the kitchen, and when we get close to the bottom, it was always the Nespresso compatibles dominating at 3 or 4 to 1.

From our Coffee bowl, I always found a pod to fit my mood. Personal favourites were Ristretto when I wanted a strong coffee with a slight bitter edge, Kazaar or Dharkan for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick-me-up, a Volluto for a light, velvety after-dinner coffee, Colombia and Envivo Lingo for a change, and for something fancier Caramelito for a hint of caramel.

I basically ignore the suggested extractions e.g. espresso at 40 ml, lungo at 110 ml and went with whatever I felt like, with or without milk. Even with half a mug of milk (warmed in the microwave, as I am too lazy to use and hand wash the Aerocinno milk frother) and 2 hits of the espresso button on the Nespresso pod machine using a single pod, the resulting coffee is still coffee, not like milk with a hint of coffee. When I served this ^recipe^ with a Voluto (a milder pod with an intensity of 4) to a visiting friend, she asked for additional hot water as it was too strong for her.

Were we somehow influenced, however subliminally, by the Nespresso brand? We carried out crude blind taste testing, and more often than not, the ^blind^ taster picked the Nespresso coffee as the preferred cup. When drunk side by side, the Nespresso seem to have more oomph.

So we have given up competitor pods and are resigned to paying Nespresso pod prices of up to $1.30 per pod as we like the coffees. Plus we look out for the limited editions. Of the current (Nov 2019) offers, my personal favourites are Trieste which is an intense, bold coffee and the Nordic Almond Cake with a hint of almond and sweetness.

Against the cons of price and availability (you either need to find a Nespresso Boutique or buy online or sign up to a coffee subscription), the pros are: 1. The variety - there is always a Nespresso pod in our coffee bowl to suit our mood. 2. There are limited releases to look forward to, like the Nordic Festive range that is out now (Nov 2019). 3. Buying bulk pre-selected pods brings the price down slightly e.g. a 150 pod Discovery or Morning Selection is $99 or 66 cents a pod. 4. The aluminium pods are recyclable and can be dropped off at Nespresso boutiques, or posted to Nespresso. 5. Free tastings are available at Nespresso boutiques so you can try before you buy. 6. (For non-coffee snobs) it is cheaper and more convenient than a professional barista-pulled cafe coffee.