Coffee pods are an ultra-convenient way to get your daily dose of delicious Joe (as it were). It’s fresh, the temperature’s just right, and it’s perfect for a single serving.
At A Glance: Our Top 4 Reusable Nespresso Pods Of 2023
Recycling or disposal of the pods can, however, be a headache. Besides, you’re limited to the flavors and varieties the manufacturers make available.
This is where Nespresso reusable pods, or Nespresso refillable pods if you prefer, come in. Using reusable capsules means you can also take advantage of decaffeinated varieties. We investigated eight best options, though you can find the 4 best below.
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Which Nespresso Reusable Capsules Came Out Best?
Our Winner: Recaps Capsules
We’re not going to waste time prevaricating. (There’s coffee to be drinking, after all!)
Our overall winner? Recaps stainless steel refillable capsules, compatible with Nespresso Original Line machines. You get 3 pods, 120 lids, and 1 tamper.
They’re durable, easy to use, and great value for money. Plus, they fit pretty much any OriginalLine Nespresso coffee maker.
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Recaps are our favorite, then. The pods aren’t compatible with every Nespresso machine, but with the majority. That includes CitiZ, CitiZ Milk, Concept, Breville Creatista Plus BNE800BSS, Essenza mini, most of Inissia, Lattissima and Lattissma+, most of Le Cube, Gran Maestria and Maestria, Nespresso Creatista Plus, most of Pixie series, and U&Umilk.
They aren’t compatible with the VertuoLine range, or with Dolce Gusto machines. If you’re not sure whether the pods will work with your machine, contact the company.
The 3-pod pack ships with 120 lids and 1 tamper. Both pods and tamper are stainless steel and each pod holds around 0.176 ounces of coffee. We found it wasn’t a good idea to overfill – leaving a little space at the top reduces the likelihood of water leaking.
What’s in the box? As well as the pods, tamper, and seals (diameter 1.46 inches), you get a brush and a plastic scoop.
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Our second option involved the Seal Pod Reusable Nespresso Capsules. While these pods are compatible with the OriginalLine Nespresso machines, this does mean the later models. The Nespresso D series from the 1990s are not compatible.
There are 2 pods in the pack and 100 lids. The foil Espresso Lids allow pressure to build up in the capsule during the brewing process. You even get crema.
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Seal Pods help you enjoy coffee in an economic and sustainable way. Stainless steel means the pods will last a lifetime. They’re easy to fill, and the lids fit well.
The Seal Pods ship with lids, a scoop, and silicone FreshCovers. You can buy additional lids. We love that you can pre-fill the capsules with grounds, pop a FreshCover over the top, and have it ready to go as you need.
You’ll get the best results with a fairly fine grind. For stronger coffee, use a finer grind or espresso bean. We also found making a small number of pinpricks around the outside of the lid next to the metal lip improved the flow of water.
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We love the sound of our next choice, and we were pretty impressed with the capsules themselves too. Staying with stainless steel, the i Cafilas refillable crema coffee capsule pods have reusable lids. The pods come with O-rings for a perfect fit. You need to allow about an eighth of an inch space between the top of the pod and the lid.
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The pods are compatible with most Nespresso machines, but won’t work with the D110 or Prodigio Krups, Dolce Gusto or Nespresso Vertuoline models. The capsules ship with a coffee spoon and a small cleaning brush. They’re super easy to clean, all you need to do is rinse out the pod. They’re also very keenly priced.
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If you’re entertaining and need to have more than a pod or two on hand, this pack of 6 Alchemy Bar Goods will be ideal. These refillable Nespresso capsules work with OriginalLine coffee makers and any type of coffee. The refillable Nespresso pods are the same shape as the usual Nespresso pods, only with a flip-top lid so you can use your own coffee.
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Each pod holds between 0.176 and 0.21 ounces of ground coffee – use the scoop for best results. The capsule incorporates a micro-mesh filter. It’s dishwasher safe and very durable. There’s no BPA either and the stainless steel is food grade.
The seals are effective, but they’re not vacuum sealed in the same way the single-use pods are. You can fill the capsules in advance and store to be used later, but it’s not recommended to leave them too long.
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We’re staying with the stainless-steel theme for our next choice, the Capmesso coffee capsule. This refillable capsule is compatible with the Vertuoline GCA1 as well as the Delonghi ENV135.
It’s not, however, compatible with the OriginalLine. (The two types of pod are shaped very differently.) As well as the single coffee pod, you get a spoon and a cleaning brush in the package.
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The food-grade stainless steel is super-durable and rust-resistant. The coffee filter is precise and produces a delicious brew. You can have a 2.5-ounce cup of excellent espresso in around a minute with this system, or buy a separate pod to produce an 8-ounce serving of coffee.
The pod will hold 0.22 ounces of grounds. You’ll get up to 10,000 uses out of each pod. (Fine and medium espresso should give you the best results, although opt for too fine a grind and you’ll likely find your filter blocked.) The silicone gasket ring minimizes the chance of messy leaks while your coffee brews.
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We’ve looked at the various refillable pods available, so let’s examine the most essential accessory – the seals. Geesta’s reusable foil seals are compatible with the Nespresso Vertuoline range and come in packs of 80. You also get a brush, a holder, and a scoop to help you measure out just the right amount of coffee.
The foil is food-grade and very resilient – no ripping here during the brewing process, thank you! There’s also an ergonomically shaped wooden holder to help you attach the foil quickly, correctly, and securely. Just use the reference notch as a guide. The seals line up with Vertuoline Nespresso pods without covering up the barcode.
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It’ll take less than a minute to refill the capsule ready for a grand brew. Use the wooden holder to attach the foil, use the brush handle around the inside of the rim to flatten and secure the seal. Then just pop the pod into the machine, and hey presto! Coffee time.
Once you’ve used the pod, just remove the seal, empty the grounds, rinse the capsule, and you’re all ready to repeat the process.
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We’re sticking with food-grade stainless steel for our next set of reusable Nespresso capsules, and if 6 are too many, opt for the Alchemy Bar Goods pack of 3, compatible with the OriginalLine Nespresso machines. That’s the coffee makers that use the classic pods.
These pods produce a decent crema, and the stainless steel of the capsule means the taste of the coffee is not affected. One of the most distinctive features of these pods is that they are super-easy to clean; just a quick 20-second brush and simultaneous spray with water will keep the pod running clear.
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This is another OriginalLine compatible pod, and there’s even a 1-year warranty. What’s in the box? You get 3 reusable pods, 150 foil lids, a scoop, and a brush.
The case is well designed, and you can keep everything in it, and everything in its place; the scoop is just the right size to get coffee into the pods; and the rubber seals are bright orange so you can spot them easily. (Though make sure you know where they are when you’re emptying the grounds!)
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No need to feel blue with the Bluesea Coffee Capsules, designed for the Vertuoline GCA1 and the Delonghi ENV150 Coffee Maker. (We couldn’t get it to work in the VertuoPlus.)
These rust-resistant stainless-steel pods are easy to clean and durable and work with most Vertuoline Nespresso coffee machines. The capsule holds approximately 0.32 of coffee grounds, and fine coffee gives the best results, although beware of it being too fine.
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The package includes a brush, spoon, and coffee capsule – there’s a choice of espresso serving, at 2.5 ounces, or coffee cup, 7.5 fluid ounces. You do need to reset your machine for a full serving of coffee (around 6 ounces). We also tried it with tea and it was surprisingly successful.
Best Buy – What To Know Beforehand
All reusable Nespresso pods are not created equal. Some are food-grade stainless steel, some aluminum, some plastic.
Lids vary too. Some have sticky labels, others have silicon bands or gaskets to keep the lids in place. Some even come with special gadgets to make sure you can position the lids perfectly.
Then there’s size. Some allow you to add enough coffee to make an espresso; others a full cup of coffee.
What coffee machine do you have? Is it OriginalLine or VertuoLine? And which model? Make sure your model is compatible with the pod you choose.
How Do You Use Nespresso Reusable Pods, Anyway?
Typically you need to make sure the pod is clean and dry, and fill it on a flat surface. Most pods ship with a scoop, so use that to get the measurements right. (It’ll probably take a few attempts.)
Tamp the coffee down, making sure you leave a little space between the top of the coffee grounds and the lid itself. Add the lid. You’ll almost always get the best results with a grind that’s fine, but not too fine.
Pop the pod into the coffee maker. Make sure your favorite cup is in place. Then simply choose the brewing option you want on your machine.
Remove the capsule as soon as you can to take off the label and rinse the pod. Some of them are dishwasher-safe, some just need a quick spray and gentle brush.
Why Can’t You Just Reuse The Nespresso OriginalLine Capsules?
You might be wondering if you can’t simply reuse the OriginalLine capsules. There are several reasons why not.
First of all, the standard pods are designed for single use. They simply won’t withstand multiple uses. (Did you know that the inventor of the Nespresso system was an engineer?)
Secondly, as you’ll know if you’ve ever taken a Nespresso pod apart, they’re not the easiest devices either to empty or to refill.
Thirdly, the lids available are designed for use with reusable pods. They’re not suitable for reuse with standard pre-packed pods.
Finally, you risk damaging your coffee maker.
The Ecology Argument
Possibly one of the main arguments for swapping to reusable coffee pods is sustainability, an area where the Nespresso company has recently made huge progress. You can reuse refillable pods many hundreds of times before they need replacing.
You can ensure they’re well-sanitized before use. And you can add exactly the amount of coffee you like to the pods, within limits.
Often, you can even choose a different size. Opt for either an espresso shot size or a standard 6-ounce serving.
What Are The Best Reusable Coffee Pods?
Our Winner: Recaps
We’ve looked at OriginalLine. We’ve looked at Nespresso Vertuoline refillable pods. We’ve looked at lids. We’ve looked at maintenance.
And we’re happy to announce that, if the question is, which are the best Nespresso refillable capsules, our final answer stands. Recaps are our first choice. They’re effective, efficient, durable, food-grade stainless steel, and easy to clean. Above all, they make your coffee taste delicious.
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Hi my name is Larry, a coffee aficionado from the US. I have already visited Colombia, Sumatra, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Jamaica in my pursuit of finding the best-tasting coffee beans. I currently write from Bali and enjoy the relaxed life that you can only find in Canggu. Welcome to my coffee world!
Last update on 2023-03-30 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API.
