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Every year, it feels like a Nespresso or some sort of fancy coffee contraption is on the top of everyone’s Christmas list, and I think this year was no different based on how much conversation around the single serve coffee maker has increased in recent weeks! This might leave you wondering, is a Nespresso worth it?
I’ve both personally gotten questions asking if the Nespresso is worth it. which pods are our favorite, how we clean it, etc., as well as seen countless questions about them in the various Facebook groups I’m part of. So, it’s finally time for our official Nespresso review!
Our Nespresso Journey
I think a little background information here is helpful especially because coffee is a very personal experience, and I want to make sure everyone knows where I’m coming from on the coffee spectrum.
We had a very basic, “Original Line” (more on that later), Nespresso machine and accompanying Nespresso milk frother when we first got married, and it served us really well. However, we knew there were better Nespresso machines out there, and when we got ready to move across the country in 2021, we didn’t think it was worth it to ship this machine we knew we could upgrade all that way. The machine was fine, great even. It was just time to upgrade for us!
Now, we have a “Vertuo Line” machine, and we use it almost every single day. We still have a regular brewer, but that’s really just because we require two cups (four between the two of us) every morning, and it makes more sense for us to make a full carafe.
Let’s get into some more specific questions and answers.
Which Nespresso Machine is the Best? What is the Difference Between Original and Vertuo Nespresso?
When contemplating which Nespresso machine is best for you and your needs, the first thing you’re going to notice is the labeling of “original line” and “vertuo line.” What the heck does that mean?
Well, it mainly comes down to the type of coffee you’re looking to make.
Nespresso explains the difference as Vertuo being for coffee drinks who also enjoy espresso drinks, and the Original being for espresso and cappuccino lovers who want to keep it simple.
The Original Line machines are great if you know you’re only going to use it for espresso (knowing you can add water without a pod to make an americano, make two shots, etc. to still get that variety.)
The Vertuo Line machines use a special barcode on the pod to allow the machine to read which type of coffee drink you’re going for, and there’s a much bigger variety in pods you can buy. With the vertuo line, the machine automatically detects which pod you’ve inserted, and the pods offer coffee (7.77 oz), espresso (1.35 0z.), double espresso (2.7 oz.) and gran lungo aka americano (5 oz.). You can figure out how to make most of those with an original line machine, but the Vertuo line makes it a lot easier to just press one button, use one pod and take out a lot of the guesswork.
Based on that information, it’s totally up to your preference for which Nespresso machine is best for you.
We personally have the Vertuo Next in dark chrome (a deluxe color). I think the best place to compare and contrast Nespresso machines is this site on the Nespresso website, keeping in mind you can purchase wherever your find the best deal or where you can find it in stock.
Can a Nespresso Replace a Regular Coffee Pot?
Yes. Especially with the Vertuo line, you can use the machine to only make full, great cups of coffee if you wanted. If you’re strictly only using a Keurig at the moment, I would definitely consider upgrading to one of the Vertuo line machines! I think the coffee quality is significantly better, and it’s really the same process as a Keurig.
My husband and I love a classic drip coffee, and we were gifted a really nice brewer when we got married. That’s what we use for our morning coffee 90% of the mornings, but we use the nespresso almost every afternoon and some mornings when we’re tight on time or want something specialty!
The best part of the nespresso for us is being able to make regular coffee or any kind of latte we want with the same machine.
Are Nespresso Pods Expensive?
Yes and no.
The pods are all around $1.00-$1.10, with some pods being $1.20.
Most K-cups are right around $.50 a pod, and ground coffee is probably half that per cup. So, you’re definitely paying more for the pods than almost any other option.
I will say though, the quality is more than double of all the K-cups I’ve tried. Also, any latte at Starbucks is going to be at least $4, so we do find we are saving money when we make the nespresso lattes at home.
Is a Nespresso Machine Worth it?
I hate to say it entirely depends on your needs and priorities, but yes, I do think it’s worth it. Compared to a Keurig? Absolutely! The price of the machine and enjoyment vs. price per cup of coffee will quickly make it much more worth it than a Keurig. The quality is just that far above.
I also think it’s worth it if you do have a regular coffee pot, because we love to make lattes at home. If you can’t see yourself making a latte at home ever and still think you would run out to grab a $5 Starbucks drink, it might not pay off in the long run.
We are coffee fanatics, so it’s definitely worth it for us. I don’t think they are wildly expensive after looking at the prices of some of the more modern and feature heavy Keurigs.
If you go to any hotel room in Europe or even a nicer one in the U.S., you will almost definitely find a Nespresso stocked in the room- to me, that definitely says something about the quality!
Which Nespresso Pods are Best? Which Nespresso Pods are our Favorite?
This will be entirely personal preference, but I just wanted to quickly roundup our favorite Vertuo pods.
Double Espresso-
- Bianco Leggero
- Chiaro
- Ice Leggero
Coffee-
- Bianco Forte
- Melozio
- Stormio
- Ice Forte
We also love a lot of the speciality release pods!
Where to buy Nespresso Pods?
We always buy ours from the nespresso website, about $50-$100 worth of pods at a time because we don’t like having to order them all the time. This works out perfectly for us! We also have a Nespresso store about 15 minutes from us, but I just find it easier to order them online with free shipping with orders more than $35.
How to Clean a Nespresso? How Often to Clean a Nespresso? How to Clean a Nespresso Milk Frother?
The most important part of coffee machinery care is descaling! There are super clear and easy instructions for cleaning your nespresso, including descaling it on the nespresso website. We try to do this about once every six months.
Then to clean the milk frother, we just rinse it out with really hot water after every use and let it dry before putting the lid on top.
I hope this Nespresso review helped you answer the question of if the Nespresso is worth it! Please let me know if you have any questions that I can help with- I love chatting all things Nespresso and coffee!
