10 Best Nespresso Pods and Capsules (UK 2023) & 1 To Avoid
You have already ditched instant coffee.
Now it’s time to upgrade your Nespresso Pods and enjoy high quality coffee at the push of a button.
Undoubtedly the most popular type of home coffee machine on the market at the moment, the Nespresso machine is caffeinating the world one coffee pod at a time.
However, you get what you pay for so don’t expect to be able to extract a delicious barista style espresso when you purchase aldi coffee pods.
The good news is that you don't have to spend lots of money to reap the reward of high quality coffee pods for Nespresso.
More and more specialty coffee brands are now showcasing their favourite coffee as Nespresso pods, so we can all enjoy the wonders of specialty coffee without breaking the bank or your back.
Checkout our favourite Nespresso compatible coffee pods available in the UK. You won’t regret it.
Why trust me?
I’m Tom and I have been working in the coffee industry for over 10 years, starting my journey as a barista in Australia, working on coffee farms in South America and roasting coffee in The UK. Today I review and write about speciality coffee. I am the founder of Batch Coffee Club, which showcases the very best coffee from around the world.
Checkout our award-winning coffee subscription.
Find below our 10 best coffee pods (and 1 to avoid).
What Makes a Good Coffee Pod?
Coffee is all about preference and taste so one person's idea of good coffee may be different from the next.
However, when you purchase specialty coffee pods, rest assured that the coffee is of the highest quality and roasted to best highlight the delicate flavour profile of the coffee.
Most commodity grade coffee that you will find inside the majority of supermarket Nespresso capsules is low grade coffee that is then roasted to a point where you will only taste the bitter roasty notes that dark roasted coffee usually possesses.
Speciality coffee pods are not only far superior in taste but the roastery’s will pay above fairtrade prices and more often than not will be sustainably sourced.
BEST 10 NESPRESSO COFFEE PODS UK
1. Grind
Coffee Options:
4 Blends, 1 Decaf, 2 Single OriginsValue:
★★★★★★★★★☆Features:
Superb coffee, free tin with first order, home compostable Nespresso pods.
Grind has been going strong since 2011.
Which, in speciality coffee years is pretty darn old.
It was originally founded by David Abrahamovitch who took over his father’s Shoreditch mobile phone shop and decided to turn it into a café-bar.
In the decade since, Grind has grown to become a cult coffee brand with locations across London.
Grind have revolutionised the home brewing coffee scene and roast coffee from all over the world in their state of the art coffee roaster in Bermondsey.
Their collection of compostable Nespresso pods were the first completely compostable coffee capsules in the UK.
They break down in your compost or food waste bin faster than a banana peel.
All of the coffee in them is organic and ethically sourced from sustainable farms around the world.
Read more in our Grind coffee roasters review.
2. Assembly
Coffee Options:
1 Single OriginValue:
★★★★★★★★☆☆Features:
High quality coffee, closest pod to espresso.
Assembly are the quality and customer focused coffee roaster based in Brixton, London.
They are one of the few coffee roasters in the UK that are pushing the boundaries of each aspect of their business.
The Assembly roastery is housed in a 19th century fire station in the heart of London.
The Loring roaster alongside a state of the art coffee sensory lab and a couple of event spaces to hold cuppings is a testament to how serious these guys take specialty coffee.
If you fancy some coffee pods from these guys; Visit Assembly’s Online Shop.
Also check out the full Batch coffee review of Assembly Roasters.
3. Volcano
Coffee Options:
4 Blends, 1 Decaf, 2 Single OriginsValue:
★★★★★★★★☆☆Features:
Superb coffee, free tin with first order, home compostable coffee pods.
Volcano consistently produce some of the best coffee available in the UK.
Volcano started life as a coffee cart that graced the streets of West Norwood but has now grown to a team of 30 passionate coffee people that operate out of their state of the art coffee roastery in Brixton.
The coffee pods for Nespresso that they showcase are all compostable at home and will disappear in just 180 days.
They have three blends and one decaf. The coffees as anything produced by Volcano are all ethically sourced and there is heaps of information on each of the coffees.
We particularly enjoyed the “This. All Day. Everyday” coffee from Brazil with notes of Milk chocolate and Pecan
Read more in our Volcano coffee works review.
4. Caravan
Coffee Options:
2 Blends, 1 DecafValue:
★★★★★★★★☆☆Features:
Responsibly sourced and expertly roasted, Full bodied blends, compostable Nespresso pods
Caravan Coffee Roasters are as laid back as they are pioneering.
Their culture and values are exactly the type of coffee brand we look to work with at Batch.
These guys have been around for over ten years now and they have now grown into a huge multi-venue coffee roaster that supplies coffee to cafes all over the UK.
Although they have now become one of the biggest coffee roasters in the UK on the back of their passion for sourcing and roasting high-quality coffee their personality and character have remained.
This may be one of the factors why Caravan has grown from strength to strength.
Their two blends and decaf are all home compostable and arrive in a recyclable box.
Their daily blend is a coffee that I have tasted both as beans and as a Nespesso compatible coffee pod and both methods produce a brilliant cup.
Read more in our Caravan coffee roasters review.
5. Colonna
Coffee Options:
14 Single Origins, 2 DecafValue:
★★★★★★★★☆☆Features:
High scoring specialty coffee pods, Compostable and aluminium
The Colonna coffee journey started in Australia in 2008.
Captivated by the flavour and provenance-driven approach to coffee, they dove in head-first and learned everything possible about this enigmatic drink.
Maxwell and Lesley were driven by the opportunity to learn and innovate at a time when people were beginning to think differently about what coffee could be.
In 2009, they opened the destination coffee shop Colonna & Small’s in Bath, UK.
Colonna & Small’s soon became internationally recognised and was awarded the ‘Best Coffee Shop in Europe’ title in 2016.
Colonna offer something very unique when it comes to Nespresso pods and as far as I am aware offer something completely different to what anyone else is doing in the UK at the moment.
Colonna have 2 ranges, the Aluminium coffee pod range and the compostable coffee pod range. Both showcase exceptional coffees that have excelled on the coffee cupping table and offer a chance for Nespresso drinkers to truly taste some of the best coffee in the world.
Read more in our Colonna coffee review.
6. Ozone
Coffee Options:
1 Blend, 1 Decaf, 1 Single OriginValue:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆Features:
Organic blend options, compostable Nespresso pods
Ozone are the Kiwi born coffee empire that are always top draw.
Since starting out in 1998, they have invested in their product, people & community.
Back then they were just three passionate people roasting out of a small shop in a provincial New Zealand surf town.
Today, the only real difference is they have a lot more friends around the globe to learn things from & to share ideas with.
The three different coffee pods for Nespresso that they offer are all stand alone.
The organic blend coffee capsules from Peru and Mexico make the perfect base for a flat white or latte.
Read more in our Ozone coffee review.
7. Kiss The Hippo
Coffee Options:
2 Blends, 1 DecafValue:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆Features:
Sustainable and organic coffee, home compostable coffee pods.
Innovation and sustainability are the two pillars of Kiss the Hippos ethos.
Opening their roastery in 2018, from day one it’s been a hub of sustainable innovation.
Kiss the Hippo have since won the UK Barista Championships twice which is a humble reflection of their perfectionist ethos.
Kiss the Hippo's ultimate aim is to be regarded as the superior coffee brand of its era.
Their 2 carbon negative Nespresso pod blends and decaf are all organic and have a deliciously sweet depth of flavour.
8. Origin
Coffee Options:
1 Blend, 1 DecafValue:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆Features:
Compostable Nespresso pods, Direct trade coffee.
Origin coffee was founded over 15 years ago by Tom Sobey and roast their coffee in Cornwall.
Having worked closely with his fathers coffee business growing up, he has always been involved in the industry.
After a trip to Australia in the early 2000’s where coffee culture reigns, Origin was born.
What sets certain coffee roasters apart for me is the stories that they tell through coffee.
Origin coffee does exactly that, the quality of their coffee is matched by the stories behind it and it’s easy to see why these guys are paving the way into the 4th wave coffee scene.
Their coffee pods are produced using a high-end range of 100% plastic-free and eco-friendly Nespresso compatible coffee capsules with direct-trade coffee.
Read more in our Origin coffee review.
9. Rave
Coffee Options:
3 Blends, 1 Decaf, 2 Single OriginsValue:
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆Features:
Dark roast option, home compostable Nespresso pods.
Rave are all about the experience of enjoying speciality coffee.
The ethics and brand values of Rave are apparent as soon as you click onto their website or any of their social media accounts.
They are extremely laid back and want to make their customers feel at ease right away, they are one hundred per cent coffee people and often visit the origins of their coffee.
They have been around for a while now and I even recall hearing about them before I started my journey into speciality coffee.
They have a couple of blends, a decaf and a couple of single origins. One of which is a Monsoon Malabar, for all of those dark coffee nespresso pod lovers.
Read more in our Rave coffee review.
10. Coffee Factory
Coffee Options:
2 Blends, 1 Decaf, 1 Single OriginValue:
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆Features:
Compostable Nespresso pods.
Coffee Factory is a family run coffee roastery based in Axminister.
The coffee is all ethically sourced and roasted on Dorothy the vintage Probat Roaster.
The story began many moons ago in their home town of Axminster, where after traveling Australia their passion for coffee grew and they set it upon theirselves to share their love of great coffee.
The team opened a coffee bar and having not found a good coffee roasters they started to roast their own.
Their compostable nespresso pods come in a number of blends or single origins and have all being loving roasted on Dorothy.
Read more in our Coffee Factory coffee review.
One To Avoid - Flavoured Pods
Flavours should never be added in coffee.
Commonly misinterpreted as flavourings, coffee flavour notes are the roasters interpretation of what they taste when the cup (taste) the coffee and are a point of reference as to what the consumer can expect to taste.
Flavoured coffee is another product all together and usually are coffee grounds mixed with flavourings such as cinnamon or hazelnut.
For me, flavoured coffee is a sure sign that the coffee is of poor standard and the flavouring will mask the over roasted bitter flavours of the coffee.
FAQs
What is the top rated coffee pods?
See our list above to find our favourite coffee pods in the UK.
The list comprises of specialty coffee pods for Nespresso that are far superior to commodity grade supermarket coffee.
When you purchase specialty coffee in general you not only buy into a far better quality coffee when it comes to taste, but specialty coffee is always far more sustainable and fair trade.
What is the best type of coffee in Nespresso Pods?
Generally you will find commercial coffee pods with vague descriptions of what the coffee pod taste like, you may also find flavoured coffee pods.
This is a sure sign that the coffee pod contains cheap commodity grade coffee. If you want to improve the taste of your morning Nespresso then the best way to do this is purchase specialty coffee pods.
The type of coffee that the roaster will use inside their coffee pods is usually a medium/dark roast coffee that has a depth and sweet flavour notes such as milk chocolate or stone fruits.
This is because Nespresso pods only have around 5-7 grams of coffee packed inside (an espresso is usually 18-22g) so the coffee has to have enough coffee to cut through any milk that is later added.
Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
There is one huge issue that coffee pod brands are currently facing which is the environmental impact of plastic and other non-degradable substances that are used in the shell of a coffee pod.
Recent studies and articles have condemned coffee pods for the amount of plastic waste that they are producing. Although the coffee pod is small, the sheer volume of coffee pods that are used per day is astonishing.
However, brands are now facing up to the fact that they need to take responsibility and are producing biodegradable coffee pods for Nespresso. Take a look above at our list of compostable coffee pods.
Are coffee capsules bad for you?
There is no evidence that coffee capsules themselves are bad for your health.
However, the packaging of some coffee capsules is not biodegradable and can be harmful to the environment.
Additionally, the process of making and shipping the Nespresso capsules can also have an environmental impact.
Some people may also have a personal preference for other brewing methods.
What are reusable coffee pods?
Reusable coffee pods, also known as refillable coffee capsules, are an alternative to single-use coffee pods used in single serve coffee makers.
Instead of disposable pods filled with pre-ground coffee, reusable pods are empty Nespresso capsules that can be filled with ground coffee of the user's choice.
They can be used multiple times, reducing the amount of waste generated by disposable pods.
Reusable pods are usually made of metal or plastic and are compatible with most single serve coffee makers.
How to recycle coffee pods?
Recycling coffee pods can be a bit more complicated than recycling other household items, as they are made of a combination of materials such as plastic, aluminium, and coffee grounds.
Check with your local coffee pod recycling program.
Why are Nespresso pods so good?
Nespresso pods are extremely popular today.
The reason why they are gracing the work surfaces throughout the UK is that they have managed to strike a balance between quality, convenience and value that is unrivalled in any other coffee machine.
Firstly, the quality of a Nespresso pod is far better than that of instant coffee.
This is because coffee grounds are packed into the coffee pods ready to be brewed rather than pre brewed coffee that is freeze/spray dried as in instant coffee.
Although there is no comparison to freshly ground coffee as in an espresso or brew method such as a French Press the convenience is unrivalled, leading onto the second point.
The ease of producing a coffee with a Nespresso machine is second to none, all you essentially have to do is load a Nespresso compatible coffee pod and press a button, even instant coffee has more steps.
If for instance you wanted to make an espresso you would not only have to grind the coffee but then tamp the coffee and pull the shot which also requires skill and trial and error.
Lastly there is great value in coffee pods as you not only can enjoy the taste of fresh coffee but also the machine is relatively inexpensive and the coffee pods per cup are pretty cheap when compared to other methods.
What is the difference between K-Cups and pods?
Coffee pods come in various different sizes and shapes.
K-Cups are designed to fit into Keurig coffee machines which are very popular in the States, while coffee pods are primarily used in Nespresso machines.
Are coffee capsules real coffee?
Yes, coffee pods use real coffee. If you were to open a coffee pod, you will find finely ground coffee beans.
Depending on the type of coffee pod you open, you may also find other substances in there such as freeze dried milk or flavourings however if you opt for specialty coffee pods (as described above) then you are sure to find 100% arabica coffee.
How many Nespresso pods per day is healthy?
There is no specific guideline for how many Nespresso pods per day is considered healthy.
However, it is generally recommended to limit caffeine intake to no more than 400 mg per day, which is roughly the amount found in 4 cups of brewed coffee.
Additionally, excessive caffeine intake can lead to side effects such as jitteriness, increased heart rate, and difficulty sleeping.
Therefore, it is important to monitor your caffeine intake from all sources and make sure you are consuming it in moderation.
What are wonky coffee pods?
Wonky coffee pods, also known as "imperfect" or "seconds" coffee pods, are coffee pods that are not considered to be up to the standard of the manufacturer's quality control.
They may have slight cosmetic imperfections, or may have been made with beans that are slightly lower quality.
These pods are usually sold at a lower price than the regular, high-quality coffee pods, as a way for coffee companies to reduce waste and use up beans that may otherwise go to waste.
Checkout OddCoffeeCo and their solution to the problem of waste in the coffee industry.
