Bianco Forte, Doppio, And Piccolo: What's The Difference Between The Nespresso Pods?

Among Nespresso's numerous coffee pod lines, Barista Creations stands out as the one specifically made for people who love drinking their coffee with milk — which is about three quarters of all coffee drinkers around the globe. Though the line offers several flavored coffee pods (such as Sweet Vanilla or the seasonal Pumpkin Spice Cake), there are three non-flavored options called the Bianco pods, individually named Forte, Doppio, and Piccolo. Though they're all designed to be combined with milk, there are notable differences in each flavor profile, bean origin, caffeine content, and serving size.

Bianco means "white" in Italian, so Nespresso's intention for these pods to be paired with milk is instantly clear from the name. Another indication is the fact that the capsules don't have the usual intensity level rating (a scale of one to 13 that Nespresso normally uses to mark the intensity of coffee flavor). All made with Arabica beans, the Bianco pods are compatible with Nespresso's Vertuo machines, and have been designed for lovers of creamy, traditionally milky types of coffee drinks. If you can't consume dairy milk, the pods themselves don't actually contain any milk-derived ingredients and safely pair with plant-based alternatives.

Bianco Forte is the only Vertuo pod from the original Barista Creations line that has remained unchanged since its introduction. The word forte means "strong" in Italian and represents the pod's powerful flavor of roasted coffee. Bianco Forte is rated four out of five on Nespresso's bitterness scale and is intended to be served with just a splash of milk to soften the edge. The pod yields just under 8 ounces of coffee and contains 160 milligrams of caffeine per serving.

Bianco Forte is a blend of Kenyan and Colombian Arabica beans, carrying roasted and cereal flavor notes. Inspired by baristas in Melbourne, the goal of this blend is to retain a powerful coffee flavor when mixed with milk. It's the ideal pod for making a Reverso Intenso: Start with about 2 ounces of cold milk with the Forte pod extracted on top.

The pods retail for $1.25 per pod (or $12.50 for a sleeve of 10), making them the priciest options in the Bianco line — but also the ones that yield the largest volume of coffee with the most caffeine content per serving. If you like the robust flavor of coffee that's only slightly diluted by milk, and will properly wake you up on a drowsy Monday morning, this is the pod to go with.

Before there was Doppio, there was Leggero: a fan-favorite pod that ultimately got discontinued and replaced with Doppio. The word doppio translates to "double" in Italian and signifies the pod is designed to brew a double espresso. The serving size is 2.7 ounces and contains 105 milligrams of caffeine. The flavor profile is the gentlest of the three Bianco pods, as it scores a one out of five on the bitterness scale and is ideal for lovers of mild coffee. It's a light roast, which enables other aromatic notes to take the forefront. Instead of intense roasted notes, Doppio carries sweet, caramel, and biscuity undertones.

This pod was inspired by Brooklyn baristas and is made with Kenyan Arabica beans mixed with either Indonesian or Colombian and Nicaraguan Arabica beans, depending on the country in which the pods are sold. The retail price per pod is $1.15 or $11.50 for a sleeve of 10.

Bianco Doppio is the perfect pod if you're looking to make a double cappuccino. Simply serve the pod with 4 ounces of frothed milk, which you can make with Nespresso's Aeroccino milk frothers. If you're not fond of frothy beverages, you can also serve Doppio as a double espresso flat white by pairing it with 6 ounces of steamed but less-aerated milk.

Piccolo, meaning "small" in Italian, is indeed the smallest pod of the three and represents the serving size of a single espresso. It produces 1.35 ounces of coffee and comes with 75 milligrams of caffeine. The flavor notes here are nutty and biscuity, very similar to Doppio, but Piccolo does have a slightly stronger bitterness (rated two out of five) because it's made with a darker roast than Doppio.

Piccolo capsules are the least expensive of the Bianco line and retail for $0.98 per pod or $9.80 for a pack of 10. They're made with a blend of Colombian, Chinese, Brazilian, and Ethiopian Arabica beans, packing a unique flavor profile. Piccolo pods were designed to make the perfect barista-grade flat white, latte, macchiato, or cappuccino at home. To make the dreamiest single shot cappuccino, pair the extracted Piccolo pod with 3 or 4 ounces of highly frothed milk and remember to include the foam on top.