Pod coffee makers aren’t for everyone, but they are a great option for anyone who needs quick and easy access to caffeine at home. I know this because as a single, working mom with ADHD, I am one of those people.
My Nespresso Vertuo machine has completely transformed my mornings (and my afternoons). I love that I can push its sole button and get a consistently good cup of coffee or espresso-style shot every time. And I really appreciate that, unlike a drip coffee maker, my Nespresso requires no daily cleaning or maintenance (I just have to run a descaling cycle a couple times a year). According to my sloppy calculations, over the last few years, it has saved me thousands of dollars I otherwise would have spent at the coffee shop too.
But Nespresso isn’t the only big player in the pod-coffee game, and if you’re in the market for a single-serve coffee maker, you might be debating Nespresso versus Keurig. While my product testing has proved that Nespresso coffee is far better than anything you’ll get out of a Keurig, the type of machine you should get really depends on the kind of coffee (or latte, or cappuccino, or Americano) drinker you are, as well as how you prefer to buy your coffee capsules.
I’ve broken down the differences between Nespresso and Keurig below, including the price of the machines and pods, the quality and types of drinks you’ll get from both, how each company’s capsule recycling program works, and what may be the most important factor for some: how you get your coffee pods.
The difference between Nespresso’s OriginalLine and VertuoLine
Before you can compare Nespresso and Keurig, you need to understand the difference between Nespresso’s two systems. Because while all Keurig machines take the ubiquitous K-Cups, Nespresso has two very different lines which take two very different pod styles.
Making sense of Nespresso machines has never been easy, in part because most Nespresso machine models are manufactured by both Breville and De’Longhi (and other than minor aesthetic differences, they’re the same machines). But the more important distinction is between the OriginalLine and the VertuoLine.
Machines in Nespresso’s OriginalLine take smaller geometric pods and brew only espresso-style shots using pressure. On Original machines, you can choose whether you want to pull a single shot or a lungo (Italian for “long’) shot, no matter what Original pod you’re using.
When we recommend Nespresso machines, we’re recommending machines in the newer VertuoLine. Introduced in 2014, Vertuo machines offer more versatility because they function as coffee makers and espresso machines, allowing you to brew both espresso-style shots and single cups of coffee at the push of a button. The rim of each Nespresso Vertuo capsule is printed with a barcode unique to the style, strength, and size of the coffee or espresso inside, which tells the machine the amount and temperature of the hot water to use,