I am dedicating this post to reusable Nespresso capsules. What I have learned after tremendous research over the past 74.2 days is
- They are poor quality
- Come with a high price tag
- Require replacement lids costing you additional money
Where Did I Discover Refillable Nespresso Capsules?
Believe it or not I first discovered them in person. All by exploring the coffee sections of regular grocery stores. Normally see them sitting on the shelf or hanging on a display.
Each time seeing a different set of refillable capsules I pulled out my phone and searched for those same empty capsules online. I remember seeing ratings average from 2 to 2.5 out of 5.
Not impressive at all.
That ruined my confidence in believing or hoping good reusable capsules exist.
Sometimes The Truth Hurts
Let me point this out.
Reusable pods are not good!
Phew, happy I got that out of the way.
Now I can continue.
Many of them I have seen in person and found online are expensive and come with average to poor reviews. They can be cost effective over the long haul if the capsule comes with long term durability.
All you would need is the reusable capsule(s) and freshly grounded espresso beans.
But of course that won’t be the end of it. The refillable capsule may require an add on – such as replacement lids which are sold separately.
That Is Unbelievable!
I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of products which require extra spending.
When purchasing a product, I expect it to come with everything and no need to purchase anything additional for it over time.
But There Was Some Hope
I always keep my eyes open for good reusable pods. Too bad each one I found so far came with average to bad reviews.
Even on websites like Amazon. Every single one I found came with poor reviews.
That was until recently though.
I was on the Canadian Amazon site and noticed one which came with something amazing.
WHOA….
Eight reviews on averaging a total of 4.492 stars!
In my mind I was getting a little excited.
From there I clicked on the link so I could learn more.
What I Have Discovered
This empty capsule is stainless steel.
*Camera flashing*
The lid is detachable. No need to place new foil or purchase replaceable covers after each use.
After reading that I was COMPLETELY sold!
When I use the capitalized version of the word completely, I mean big business!
Didn’t even need to read the reviews. The high ratings and reusable lid turned me into a believer.
So I made the purchase and the countdown begun until its arrival.
After A Few Days It Finally Arrived
The product came in a nice small box.
What came included was
- Stainless steel refillable Nespresso capsule
- Plastic spoon to pack the grind into your capsule
- Instruction pamphlet
After a few uses early on, there’s something I learned the hard way. Ended up burning my finger couple times.
Once you’re done brewing, wait at least a few minutes before removing the capsule from the machine.
That way you give it time to cool off.
Comparison Test – Nespresso Pixie vs. Breville Machine
I did a test with Kirkland espresso beans.
Used fresh grind in both the Breville machine and stainless steel capsule.
Overall there was a considerable difference between the two.
I found the espresso brewed with the stainless steel capsule had a much stronger taste compared to the Breville. But there was a downside.
I have not been able to produce much crema with the capsule. But it did come with great taste.
Crema Wasn’t Good?
The instruction pamphlet included mentioned to use the provided spoon to fill the capsule and use the coffee spoon / tamper to press the coffee powder slightly.
First attempt I packed the espresso in hard and tightly. No crema.
Second time I placed it in softly without pressing hard on it. Tiny bit of crema.
Since I got better results with the second attempt I will continue doing the same but with different types of espresso. Some may produce better crema than others. Who knows..
UPDATE: I recently tested with Maxwell House Max Boost highly caffeinated coffee powder.
The testing took place at the workplace.
Here are the results using a large foam cup.
Should have used a small clear espresso cup.
I messed up again – What else is new?
UPDATE #2: The next day I tried another type of ground coffee and ended with good results.
Good crema again!
4 minutes and 21 seconds later I took an additional picture including the capsule and espresso grind.
The crema remained the same.
My espressos are now turning into such beauties. Perhaps Hollywood should make a movie about it.
BEAUTIFUL ESPRESSOS
THE MOVIE!
One thing for sure. The quality of your coffee / espresso powder does make a difference.
Pros and Cons of Reusable Nespresso Capsules
So far after a few uses
PROS
- Comes with a stronger taste
- Simple to maintain
- Easy to clean
- Durable and made to last
CONS
- Not much crema
The lack of crema may occur depending on which coffee powder you use. As talked about above, I found coffee powder which helped produce good crema.
I will be testing out more coffee and espresso powder in the future to see what else produces good crema.
Great News
Thank you for taking the time to read my review.
I know this post is about reusable Nespresso capsules and I talked about just one.
From the many which exist I found a really good one.
If I come across more they will definitely get reviewed on this website.
Good thing is the reusable capsule can save you lots of money compared to purchasing many Nespresso capsules over time. It’s a good value that’s worth considering.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.