Comparison of reusable capsules for Nespresso coffee machines

Nespresso coffee capsules , and I decided to try reusable alternatives.

All purchases were made on Amazon.com, and the combined parcel was delivered to Russia in 10 days by Banderolka

To start, I bought a coffee grinder for $20. You have to grind the coffee in something.

If you order a similar one, it is very important to find information about support for Russian 220 V, because in the States the network voltage is two times lower. I have a step-down transformer for this case.

Since I had no experience in using reusable capsules, I chose several positions.
Manufacturers claim that only BPA plastic is used everywhere, but this is impossible to verify. Sealpod (100 pieces for $12) offer to stick foil on already used Nespresso capsules, after pouring ground coffee into them. What this looks like is shown in the picture below. On the left is the original capsule, on the right is the used one, washed, dried, refilled, “sealed” and ready for reuse.

CM Capsule (100 capsules and 100 caps for $15) – a set for making coffee by hand. The kit includes plastic refillable capsules, foil and a dispenser. According to the manufacturer, these capsules are disposable, but if you have foil on hand, as in point 1, you can use them up to 20 times.

My Cap – 10 capsules and 48 caps for $14. It differs from the option above in the presence of holes in the base of the capsule, a border around the perimeter for a tighter stretch of the foil, and a branded brush included.

Coffeduck 5 capsules with integrated lids for $12, no glue required. I used it, washed it, dried it, and refilled it with coffee.

Capsulin 50 plastic capsules and 50 caps for $15.

Next, at Azbuka Vkusa I bought Danesi for 670 rubles.

We can start.

results

My experiment consisted of three parts:

1. Compare the convenience of capsules;
2. Compare the shade of brewed coffee;
3. Compare aroma and taste.

The first to emerge from the battle were all the options that reused native Nespresso capsules. First of all, cleaning Nespresso properly is quite a chore. Secondly, the base of the original capsules is sealed with a paper gasket, which reduces water pressure when reused. As a result, we get a tasteless drink that we want to immediately pour into the sink.

Let's move on to reusable capsules.

As soon as a new cup of coffee was brewed, I immediately photographed the shade of the drink .

The taste of the drink was compared to a similar type of Nespresso coffee, as well as a portion brewed in a coffee maker on the stove. That day I drank a month's worth.

It turned out that the color of the prepared coffee has nothing to do with its aroma.

The worst result was demonstrated by CM Capsule , which periodically bent during operation. I assume this happened when the jets were pierced at the base of the capsule to supply water. Due to deformation, the desired aroma of coffee could not be achieved.

The next to go were black Capsulin : the taste of the drink was reminiscent of tea, but not coffee.

Coffeeduck had a good aroma , but their cheap appearance did not allow us to fully enjoy the drink. However, in terms of convenience it has no equal.

The best taste was given by My Cap . They became the winner.

Grind size

If you don't want to buy coffee beans to grind at home, you need to choose the right size coffee grounds! After all, all methods of brewing coffee do not require the same grind of coffee.

So, to make coffee using a French press, you need coarsely ground coffee, while espresso coffee requires a very fine grind.

So, for refillable pods, the coffee should be as great (or almost) as espresso coffee (prepared using a traditional espresso machine).

Freshness of coffee

When buying coffee in disposable capsules, you usually miss out on many of the subtleties of coffee preparation. In fact, even if brands try their best to preserve all the flavor qualities of capsule coffee, unfortunately, it was roasted (brewed) and ground months earlier.

However, to drink very good coffee, there is nothing better than choosing fresh coffee! If you want to try exceptional coffee and rediscover what good coffee is (a bit like very good wines), don't hesitate to ask about the roast date of the coffee, and also pay attention to what kind of ground coffee you order. .

The roasting date is always indicated!

This is what I did when I sold my coffee, we only roasted a small amount of coffee to avoid selling coffee that was roasted more than 2 months ago. The roasting date was always written on the coffee bag. Typically, when you order reusable ground coffee pods online, the coffee is ground just before shipping. Thus, it retains maximum flavor and aroma until your cup!

Capsules for Dolce Gusto coffee machines

Dolce Gusto capsules are notable, firstly, for their large selection of drinks (including hot chocolate, cold cappuccino), and secondly, for their greatest distribution in retail stores. They are sold even in small convenience stores, not to mention all sorts of supermarkets, hypermarkets and other chains.

The taste of coffee from these capsules, in my opinion, is inferior to Nespresso capsules. Yes, the system allows you to make milk-coffee drinks on any coffee machine in its system, but such drinks use powdered milk as a base. In addition, some drinks - Mocha, Cortado, Coffee with milk, Cappuccino Ice - contain not ground, but instant coffee (I marked such completely unnatural capsules with a ⚠ icon), plus, among other things, stabilizers and emulsifiers. Stabilizers and emulsifiers are contained, in principle, in almost all capsules with a milk component.

Dolce Gusto capsules are sold in 16 pieces per package. But you need to understand that milk-coffee drinks are prepared from two capsules, which are sequentially loaded into the coffee machine. Accordingly, such drinks are twice as expensive as black coffee. In the table, in the column “RRP for a drink,” I recalculated the approximate cost of a package of 16 capsules for the corresponding number of drinks received: 16 for “black” varieties, 8 for milk-coffee capsules. The price was taken as “recommended retail”, the current ones are from the links.

Each capsule has a schematic scale for the recommended volume of the drink. The same scale is available on some coffee machines of the system, with an auto-dosing function. You mark the level on the machine, and it will pour as much as is intended to correspond to the best taste. It is clear that you are free to set any level of the drink according to your preferences, in addition, on some machines of the Dolce Gusto system, the serving is, in principle, completely manual.

Below is a list of branded varieties as of the beginning of 2021:

Analogues of capsules for Dolce Gusto

Alternative analogue capsules for Dolce Gusto are found everywhere in the West; many chain stores produce them under their own brands, such as Auchan. In Russia, alternative Dolce Gusto capsules are less common, but they still exist.

This is, first of all, Must Dolce Gusto (sometimes for simplicity in stores they are simply called MUST DG). This brand produces only six flavors, as far as I know: Neopolitan espresso, decaffeinated espresso, cremoso espresso, Puro Arabica espresso, lungo, ristretto, cappuccino (⚠ milk powder, stabilizer, emulsifier) ​​and hot chocolate. Also, analogues for Dolce Gusto are produced under the brand Di Maestri (here is a small selection from Yandex.Market), Veronese (unreasonably more expensive than the original ones) and Starbucks . Previously, there were also analogues from Oysters , but now I don’t see them anywhere.

The hardworking Chinese also produce reusable capsules for Dolce Gusto. As with Nespresso, they come in three types:

The simplest plastic ones A more advanced generation: plastic, a silicone seal and a little steel The latest achievement of Chinese industry is an all-steel capsule for Dolce Gusto with a complete tamper. Yes, yes, a tamper for a capsule—whatever they come up with!