The Nespresso Espresso Pods With The Highest Caffeine Content

Nespresso offers a variety of coffee machines and coffee pod flavors, but there is one thing coffee lovers who need a serious caffeine kick in their morning espresso are wondering the most: Which Nespresso espresso pod has the highest caffeine content? The answer is Vertuo Espresso Diavolitto, which boasts around 150 milligrams of caffeine per cup.

For comparison, Nespresso's other espresso pods usually contain 50 to 100 milligrams of caffeine per cup, so Diavolitto comes with a significant boost. The company does make clear, however, that the exact amount of caffeine in each pod is hard to determine because it depends on several different factors, such as bean origin and extraction method. Therefore, caffeine content can differ even within the pods of the same line — that's why Nespresso is more comfortable discussing approximates and ranges rather than definite numbers. You should also know that the intensity levels marked on the pods do not represent caffeine content; they represent the intensity of the coffee flavor.

Diavolitto is definitely the most caffeinated single espresso pod, though. It's only compatible with Nespresso's Vertuo machines, which might be disappointing to hear for the owners of the Original machines, especially since Vertuo owners already have the luxury of purchasing the (non-espresso) coffee pod with the highest caffeine content of all Nespresso pods.

The Vertuo machines are also compatible with Nespresso's three double espresso pods: Dolce, Scuro, and Chiaro. These pods fall within the range of 50 to 100 milligrams of caffeine per cup, so if you're looking to make the most caffeinated double espresso, it might be better to just brew two Diavolittos. That said, the double espresso pods also vary in caffeine content. Chiaro has the lowest caffeine content because it's only made with Arabica coffee (which contains up to 1.5% caffeine per bean), while the other two pods are also mixed with Robusta, which has a notably higher caffeine content (up to 2.7% per bean). Generally speaking, Dolce and Scuro pods can have up to 30% more caffeine than Chiaro.

If you're wondering how much caffeine is too much, the FDA states that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is considered safe for most adults. Since all Vertuo espresso (and double espresso) pods fall comfortably within this range, you can safely enjoy these higher-caffeine pods. And if you want to enjoy the pods but don't have a Nespresso machine yet, we know of a clever way you can use Nespresso pods without a machine.