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Nespresso Reusable Pods
A guide to reusable and refillable Nespresso pods.
Published December 22, 2021
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Johan Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
With Nespresso coffee machines becoming more and more popular, there is an increasing number of alternatives to official Nespresso coffee pods hitting the market. If you want to save money and be kinder to the planet when it comes to making coffee in your Nespresso machine, there are three main options to consider, which include using compatible Nespresso capsules that tend to be cheaper compared to official Nespresso capsules, refilling a regular Nespresso cup to reuse them, or using empty, refillable Nespresso capsules that are designed to be reused.
What are Nespresso Reusable Capsules?
Reusable Nespresso capsules tend to be made from plastic or silicone, while some options are made from stainless steel. These capsules have the same dimensions and shape as the regular, one-time-use Nespresso capsules and have a system that allows the user to fill the capsule with their ground coffee blend and prepare the coffee using the Nespresso coffee maker before cleaning the capsule and keeping it for the next use. Stainless steel reusable Nespresso capsules tend to be more durable compared to plastic and silicone ones, although they are more expensive to get hold of.
These are known as compatible Nespresso refill capsules and aren’t to be confused with standard Nespresso compatible capsules. Regular compatible capsules are available from a range of brands, are single-use, and come pre-filled with coffee grounds. On the other hand, refillable Nespresso capsules are, in the long run, a much cheaper alternative to consider. While the durability of these capsules will vary depending on the brand and manufacturer that you use, a single refillable Nespresso capsule allows you to use your own coffee grounds to make between fifty and one hundred cups of coffee before it needs replacing, rather than using one capsule per cup.
Types of Nespresso Capsules
There are two main types of Nespresso reusable capsules available to buy and the main difference between them is that they can either be reusable or single use. Single-use capsules are disposable and one-time-use. You put coffee into them, put them into your coffee maker, and then throw them away once the espresso has been extracted. They are a good idea if you want to make your own coffee using Nespresso capsules with a blend that is not available in the pre-packaged capsules. They are often cheaper to obtain and come in packages with 100-200 capsules.
On the other hand, some capsules can be reused over and over again. These are typically made from plastic, silicone, or stainless steel, and technically, can last a lifetime. The stainless-steel Nespresso capsules can easily be washed and dried thoroughly after each use, allowing you to use it again for your next cup of coffee.
Where to Buy Reusable Nespresso Capsules
Finding the right empty, reusable Nespresso capsules for your coffee machine is not always easy since they are rarely sold in stores, and online shopping sites where you can find them are not always easy to come across. However, you can buy reusable Nespresso pods at Amazon. They are usually sold in packs of between five and ten units for reusable capsules, or several hundred for one-time use capsules that you can fill with your own coffee.
You will usually get manufacturer recommendations on the package to inform you of how many uses are recommended for each reusable capsule, and the correct way to use them. It is advisable to read all the information carefully before you use a refillable Nespresso capsule for the first time.
Are Reusable Capsules Good for the Nespresso Machine?
The last thing that you want when buying any Nespresso coffee pods for your machine is for them to cause damage or even worse, break your coffee maker. The good news is that as long as you buy your refillable Nespresso capsules from a trusted manufacturer, they will follow the same system as regular Nespresso pods and carry all the same guarantees. A good manufacturer will put the pods through a rigorous testing and quality control process before they hit the market, although some might only work correctly in specific Nespresso coffee machine models such as Nespresso original pods, so it is important to make sure that you are getting the right type and size of pod for your machine before you buy.
It is worth bearing in mind that you might not always get the same result with the rechargeable or reusable capsules compared to the single-use options. This is due to the fact that as they are used over and over again, the refillable capsule may become deteriorated or change in shape, which can lead to the coffee being different in comparison. This is why stainless steel is often the best choice for reusable Nespresso pods as although it is more expensive to buy, it is more durable and less likely to be damaged to change in shape compared to the plastic options.
How to Use Refillable Nespresso Capsules
If you want to save money and be kinder to the environment by using reusable Nespresso capsules in your Nespresso machine, it’s important to figure out how to use them correctly. While it is easy to use refillable capsules, bear in mind that it does involve a little bit more work compared to the pre-packaged capsules, and you may need to invest in some more equipment for preparing your coffee.
Grinding the Coffee: One of the first pieces of equipment that you will need to get if you want to use a reusable Nespresso capsule is a coffee grinder. Since single-use, regular Nespresso capsules are filled with pre-ground coffee, you will probably not have needed one so far. However, with reusable capsules, you will need to make sure that the coffee beans are ground to the right consistency. A fine grind is recommended for a reusable Nespresso pod.
Filling the Pod: Once you have ground your coffee, you should fill the capsule with the grounds completely. Push it in so that the coffee is compressed a little bit. However, bear in mind that your typical Nespresso machine doesn’t generate as much pressure as a standard espresso machine, so it should not be tamped down or compressed as much as you would when using an espresso machine.
Brewing the Coffee: Once the reusable pod is ready, you can use it to make your coffee in your Nespresso machine in the usual way. Bear in mind that in some cases, a reusable pod may not go in and out of your machine quite as easily compared to single-use capsules.
Cleaning the Capsule: The best part of using reusable Nespresso capsules is that all you need to do is clean them and you can use them again for your next cup of coffee. You do not have to clean the capsule immediately, but you should clean it as soon as possible as, otherwise, it can get moldy and this will affect the taste of your coffee, along with making the capsule harder to clean. You can tap it on the side of the wash basin or the side of a compostable waste bin to empty the used coffee grounds from the capsules. Then, quickly rinse the capsule out before leaving it to dry or drying it with a towel.
Why Switch to Reusable Nespresso Pods?
If you have a Nespresso coffee machine and have had no trouble so far using the standard single-use capsules that you can buy from stores, you might be wondering if there is any reason for you to consider switching to reusable Nespresso coffee capsules. There are many great benefits of making the switch to reusable pods, including:
More budget-friendly: Compared to buying single-use pods, reusable pods allow you to buy a bag of coffee that can be brewed using one pod, so often work out much cheaper in the long run.
More coffee options: Can you use your own coffee with Nespresso? Unlike when using the official or compatible coffee pods that have a limited range of options in terms of the coffee you can brew, reusable pods allow you to choose exactly which coffee you want to put in them. So, if you find a new roaster that you like and they don’t yet offer pre-made Nespresso pods, you don’t have to miss out as you can use your reusable pod to make their coffee in your machine.
More environmentally friendly: While pod coffee machines like the Nespresso machines are convenient, hassle-free, and quick for making coffee, many users are understandably concerned about the environmental impact of throwing the pods away. If you want to be kinder to the environment with your coffee-making routine, using reusable espresso capsules will help you avoid sending countless single-use, plastic pods to landfills.
In terms of money-saving, for example, single-use Nespresso original capsules will cost a lot more to brew compared to just using coffee beans. When you consider the price per brew, you will pay a lot less per kilo when filling your pods at home. In fact, the average household can save over three hundred dollars per year by switching to reusable pods, along with being kinder to the environment.
If you want to save money, be eco-friendlier and enjoy more coffee options in your Nespresso machine, it’s worth trying reusable pods.
About the author
Johan Hedlund
I´m living in Karlstad, Sweden with my family. Been working the last 25 years with several start ups in the tech industry. Coffee has been an integral part, both professionally and privately. Eager to learn new things and happy to be a member of the era of we community.
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