Third Party Pod Brands For Your Nespresso Machine, Ranked Worst To Best

Nespresso is a great option for at-home coffee enthusiasts looking to make quality cups on a time crunch. The machines are inexplicably convenient — you just pop in a pod, press a button, and your coffee is dispensed pretty instantly. Plus, Nespresso's coffee pods are arguably pretty good. The only downside to Nespresso is that the brand's pod options are rather slim. While Nespresso's name-brand pods will do a fine job at getting you a tasty caffeine fix, you're missing out if you only order them through its website. There are plenty of third-party brands that make tasty, Nespresso-compatible pods.

Currently, Nespresso's Vertuo pods are patented, meaning that companies (besides Starbucks, which has a partnership with Nespresso) cannot make pods for the Vertuo class of machines. However, third-party brands, like Peet's and Mad Tea, can make pods that fit in Nespresso's original machines without violating a patent restriction. I tried and ranked several third-party Nespresso pod brands, based on tasting notes and roast quality, to see which ones were worth brewing. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Nuage takes the bottom spot in this ranking of Nespresso-compatible pods. I didn't find anything enjoyable in these pods, which I brewed as espresso-sized cups. The first qualm I had with the brand came up when I scoured the box for any sort of brewing directions. Seeing as many Nespresso machines brew multiple cup sizes (namely espresso and lungo), I usually can find a recommended brewing size on the box. But this was not the case with Nuage. The company also neglected to list any tasting notes on the packaging, which left me to discern them myself. 

I struggled to find any point of distinction between the five Nuage coffees I sampled. My favorite was the Ristretto blend, which brewed a dark, but surprisingly sweet, shot. The Café Noir was dark, bitter, and woody. It was only distinguishable from the Ristretto blend because it lacked the same sweet notes. The South American blend, though it claimed to be a medium roast, didn't taste any lighter than the others. The Manilo was fairly sour, as was the Americano pod; both would only really be palatable with milk. Because none of the pods were very distinguishable and none were particularly palatable on their own (all were either too bitter or too sour), Nuage got the last spot on my list. The lack of brewing instructions didn't help the brand, either.

Taking the fourth spot on my list is Starbucks' line of Vertuo pods. I wanted to include this brand as it's the only third-party company with a license to make Vertuo pods. And, given that I've tried many Vertuo pods over the years, I was curious to see if Starbucks' pods had anything new to offer. Overall, I wasn't super impressed. Unless you're getting a flavored pod from the company, I'd stick with buying Nespresso's own pods for its Vertuo machines. 

My favorite pod that I sampled was the pumpkin spice one, which I had already previously tried and enjoyed. Nonetheless, I still think Nespresso's pumpkin spice pod is better. Regardless, Starbucks' pod is definitely smooth and boasts flavorful notes. Unsurprisingly, it would make a better latte than a black coffee. 

Starbucks' Colombia pod brewed with at least an inch of crema on top, which was the best thing I could say about this pod. It claimed to have notes of toasted walnut and herbs. Although I got a nutty flavor, I simply didn't taste the herbs. 

Its Pike Place pods brewed a pretty smooth, rich cup, but there wasn't anything particularly special about it. Meanwhile, the Veranda blend was very dark and bitter, though I got slight sweet and chocolate notes. Overall, each cup brewed pretty dark and would need a fair amount of dressing up to be palatable.

Peet's line of Nespresso pods earned the middle spot on my list, but I actually think there's a pretty big gap between this brand and the previous two pod brands on the list. That's to say that I enjoyed the Peet's pods far more than the lower-ranked brands. Each box had a recommended brew size on the back along with a decent description of the coffee's flavor profile, which I always appreciate. It gave me a sense of what to expect from each capsule. Moreover, it helps me when ranking the pods, as I can attest to how well each pod followed through with its listed tasting notes.

I tried the company's Nerissimo pod first, and though it was fairly strong and dark, I was surprised by how smooth it was. This would make a good, strong base for a latte where you don't want the flavor to get lost. Peet's Ricchezza pod was delightful; it was wonderfully smooth and very berry-forward, with sweet and fruity tasting notes. I'd be more than happy to drink this pod on its own. The Ristretto pod was fairly bitter and though I got a lot of spicy notes, I didn't taste much in the way of rich chocolate. The Crema Sucra was my least favorite; it was the most bitter of all the offerings and I didn't find much in terms of its flavor profile. To its credit, it would hold up well to a large latte. All the pods produced espresso with a thick mouthfeel.

I've become a huge fan of Mad Tea's Nespresso pods since trying them for this ranking because they allow you to make a tasty tea in a matter of seconds. However, the brewing instructions detracted from my experience. The company recommends you brew one pod in two lungo-sized amounts for a straight cup, though I found that watered the tea down for me. I'd be more tempted to do one lungo and one espresso sized brew per pod. 

Each of these teas was flavorful and delicate, and I found myself wanting to make about half of them as tea lattes. I tried all eight flavors in the variety pack, but four of them stuck out to me more than the others. The Thai milk brewed a rich cup that I'd definitely want to add milk to, but if you like your tea strong, it could just as easily be enjoyed black. The chamomile lavender pod was my favorite; it brewed a gorgeous light purple hue and smelled absolutely heavenly. It would be the perfect pre-bedtime cup or a chamomile tea you'd want to add fruit to. The Earl Grey brewed a pretty standard, slightly bitter cup that called for a little milk. Finally, the company's matcha pod (which Nespresso doesn't sell a version of) was rich, earthy and unsweetened — just how I like my matcha.

The coveted top spot on this list goes to the company whose Nespresso pods I was genuinely impressed by: Rosso Caffè. Firstly, I appreciated the company's clear brewing recommendations on the back of each box. They listed a few different sizes that would be a good brew for each pod. I brewed most of them as the recommended espresso size, then did two as lungo-size brews. Each of these boasted wildly different tasting notes and would be great to try if you're just learning how to drink espresso. 

Each flavor that I sampled impressed me. The Delicato pod was light and fruity, with juicy berry notes and even a little bit of citrus. The Purismo blend was more intense with a slightly bitter flavor and a rich, chocolatey mouthfeel; it would be a great base for a latte. Maestro was dark and fruity — which is a combination that I'm not sure I've had much of before. It was intense and not quite as smooth as I'd like, but I'm impressed that such a juicy flavor was packed into that dark of a brew. The Gentleman was woody, spicy, smoky, and aptly named; I felt like I was smoking in a gentleman's lounge. Meanwhile, the Ricco boasted notes of caramel and subtle vanilla, which would be brought out perfectly in a cortado. Finally, the Intelligente was woody and chocolatey, and I enjoyed how the chocolate sat on the back of my tongue at the end of each sip.

I wanted to try multiple flavors from each brand that I sampled for this ranking, as I didn't think it would be fair to judge a brand by its worst brew. One of the most important factors in my ranking was the tasting notes of each cup. Each pod I tried had to have distinguishable tasting notes and taste different from others in the brand's lineup. 

I also took into account how well the company guided its brewer through the process. Nespresso machines have multiple brewing options, so it would be important for drinkers to know what settings to use. Pods with fewer directions were bound to rank lower, while those that told the drinker how to brew and what to expect ranked higher (and, in the end, produced better cups of coffee).