Refillable Coffee Capsule For Nespresso – Are They Any Good?

Are you thinking about reusable coffee pods or using a refillable coffee capsule for Nespresso? Yes, then I bet you have a bunch of questions about refillable coffee capsules and pods and if they are really worth it, how they work and if these refillable Nespresso pods are any good, and what coffee and what grind to use!

So many questions!

At the end of the day with these reusable pods or reusable capsules your end goal is to do your bit for the environment and recycle, save some money on your coffee pod cost and of course continue to make great tasting coffee.

In this article I aim to answer all your questions about reusable capsules for Nespresso. If I miss anything out, jump right on over to our Facebook page and ask your question. I will happily answer it and add it to this article.

Are Refillable Nespresso Pods Any Good?

Right off the bat I’ll tell you that it is hard to make good coffee with refillable Nespresso Pods…only to begin with. You will get the hang of using them with practice.

When you use one, the resulting coffee is very average tasting, weak and not as full-bodied in flavor or caffeine punch as the original single-use pods.

One of the reasons behind this is that you are not able to add the same amount of coffee, slightly less than the originals and don’t have the flavor enhancers added. You can still replicate a good coffee taste with practice and, even better, once you have the hang of it.

The acid test was using various reusable pods of both plastic design and metal, opening an original Nespresso pod and transferring the contents into the refillable pods and seeing that there is an over spill and there is an excess left over of around 0.5 grams to 1 gram on average, by my own measurement and experience.

Of course, I tried shaking to level out the content and tampering to compress and add more into the capsules. Still there was still an excess left over.

While I am not completely dismissing refillable Nespresso pods as no good or “no bueno”, I’m simply pointing out that the end quality will not be the same for the very reason I have just pointed out, slightly weaker.

Read: How to make coffee with Nespresso machine

Can I Use My Own Coffee With A Nespresso Machine?

Yes,

you can use your own refillable capsules in your Nespresso machine and make your own coffee, espresso, latte or whatever coffee drink with whatever grounds that you want to. The machine is smart and automatically detects the kind of pod that you have put in it and will brew accordingly.

It is due to this that we can use our own non-Nespresso coffee in refillable capsules and make a cup of coffee as we would like.

Read: Where to buy Nespresso compatible pods

How To Fill Reusable Nespresso Pods

Let’s get to filling and a reusable capsule for your Nespresso the best way!

Equipment Needed

• Thin aluminum foil.
• Ground coffee.
• A reusable coffee pod.
• Scissors, a sharp blade or a Stanley knife.

Step 1: Rise And Clean Your Capsule

Clean, rise out and properly dry your coffee capsule.

Step 2: Fill The Capsule

Fill the capsule with freshly ground coffee. Use a scoop or fill by hand. Pack it tightly with a proper temp for the reusable coffee pod.

Step 3: Clean The Edges

This step is more important than you think. Make sure the outer edges of the capsule are clean and free from coffee granules. If not, you could end up with leakage and a fair bit of a mess to clean up later and a lesser quality coffee.

Step 4: Make A Foil Lid

Make a lid slightly, not a lot larger than the circumference of the reusable coffee pod. You can use the original lid as a template. Heavy-duty aluminum foil is a no-no/ lighter, regular aluminum foil is better.

This is where your Stanley knife, scissors or sharp blade are used. The objective here is to have the pressure to build up and tear the foil.

Step 5: Crimp The Foil

Crimp the foil lid that you have made and secure it over your coffee capsule. Use your fingernails to crimp the underside of the capsule rim.

If the foil is too big (going around the outside of the whole capsule and not the rim) you will not get a good seal and the water will pass around the capsule.

One lid making technique you can deploy is to cover the whole capsule in foil and then cut it around the underside of the rim and then crimp the foil.

Step 6:  Brew Your Coffee

Make your coffee and enjoy it.

Best Ground Coffee For Reusable Nespresso Pods

In terms of which coffee to use for your refillable coffee pod is entirely subjective and down to your own personal taste. Having experimented a lot with my machine and a variety of coffee of choices, including some of my favorite ground coffee beans and a variety of grind sizes. I can absolutely tell you that it does not matter which grounds you use.

Having invested and got your hands on a Nespresso capsule machine and showing an interest in making your own delicious coffee you will get a lot more out of it by using top quality beans in your reusable capsules.

What matters more is the grind size than the beans used.

 Best Nespresso Grind Size

By far and without a doubt, a fine grind will get you the best tasting coffee from your reusable coffee capsules. I strongly advise that you experiment with the original pods that you have, empty them, weigh the coffee contents using your coffee scale and aim to get the same weight of coffee inside your reusable coffee capsule and to the exact same fill point after tamping.

You may find that you need to adjust your grind or grinder setting until you get it just right. At this point you are ready for the golden rule of TAFO — Taste And Find Out.

It may end up that you need a much finer grind to hit the spot taste wise.

A coarse grind ends up with a weak watery taste.

Can I Use Other Brand Capsules In Nespresso Machine?

Yes,

absolutely. There is no obligation for you to use only Nespresso branded capsules or pods. You can use any that is designed for your machine. You can use their original capsules or the original capsule of any brand that is compatible with your device.

Better still, as I have indicated in this article, you can use your own reusable capsules and fill them with your own grounds, getting a cup of coffee exactly as you like it.

Can You Use Starbucks Capsules In Nespresso?

Following on from the above question, yes, if it is Starbucks capsules that you want to use, use them.

Just make sure they are compatible with your machine and model. You absolutely can save some pennies by making your own Starbucks quality coffee at home by using their capsules.

Can I Reuse My Nespresso Capsules?

This is not at all advisable. Even though you can squeeze a second cup out of the capsule, your resulting brewed coffee will be notably weaker and watery in taste.

Can you reuse the capsules themselves by refilling them? — This I did not try out or experiment with nor do I have any desire to do so as I have metal reusable capsules. You can try it if you are careful, but I don’t advise depending on them entirely as they are rather flimsy and not designed at all to last a long time.

I don’t see at all why it cannot be done, at least on a temporary basis. If you are nimble fingered and careful you might be able to reuse them a few times, maybe half a dozen or so times.

How Many Times Can You Use Reusable Coffee Pods?

A very good question that has to be addressed to minimize your environmental impact and maximize your investment in reusable pods.

• Infinitely Reusable: Use as many times as you wish, including good quality stainless steel capsule bases.
• WayCap is a good brand here and is a zero waste product.
• SealPod: These are infinitely reusable due to the base, and they come with recyclable and biodegradable lids for them.
• FeePod: The base is infinitely reusable and comes with a silicon lid which will need replacing from time to time.
• Bluecup: This brand will get you 200 or more uses before you need to ditch them.
• MyCap: This brand is good for 100 or so refills

How Much Money Can You Save By Using Reusable Coffee Pods?

The initial cost of the reusable coffee pods is more expensive than the single use coffee pods. This is only an initial investment. Once you start using your own coffee, the price will start to come down, and you will see savings over a longer period of time.

How much you can and will save when you start using reusable coffee pods will vary on your own coffee consumption.

Based on 100 coffee per month, you can end up saving a considerable amount.

The cost per coffee capsule 43 cents. This is based on a price average for a variety of capsules. Some are more expensive while others are less expensive.

The cost per making an equivalent 8 ounce cup of coffee with a similar quality bean 16 cents.

Price difference: 27 cents. Saving of 27 cents per cup of coffee X 100 = US$27 per month or US$324 per year.

It is obviously quite a difference over the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions About Refillable Coffee Capsules For Nespresso

Can You Use Refillable Pods In Nespresso?

Yes, there are plenty of steel-refillable Nespresso pods to choose from. It is good to have plenty of these, so you can make your coffee in advance, which is handy when and if you lead a busy life. Get plenty of sticker lids too.

If you are smart, use a professional airtight coffee container with a one-way valve to store them in and store your coffee container with your refillable coffee pods in your fridge.

What Are The Best Reusable Nespresso Pods?

Here are what I would personally consider to be the best reusable Nespresso pods.

• BlueSea Coffee Capsules – Best for Vertuoline.
• Cafilas Reusable Capsules (Original Line).
• Sealpod Stainless Steel (Original Line).
• Capmesso Reusable Espresso Capsules (Original Line).
• Alchemy Bar Goods (Original Line).

I consider the stainless steel pod to be the best due to being much longer lasting.

Can I Put My Own Coffee In Nespresso?

Yes, of course you can put your own coffee in reusable Nespresso coffee pods. When you have your own refillable capsules, you can start to experiment with single origin specialty grade coffee.

Just bear in mind that refillable capsules and pods don’t have the barcodes to allow your machine to follow optimized brew instructions that are preset in your machine.

What Is The Best Coffee For Refillable Pods?

Opinions vary, and this question is very subjective. If it is a stronger tasting brew that you are seeking and enjoy then consider specialty grade coffee that is a dark roast. Give consideration to French and Italian roast for a stronger, bolder and richer coffee.

Can You Run A Nespresso Pod Twice?

No, you cannot squeeze a second cup out of your Nespresso pods. The pods are specifically designed to be single use. If you try it and get a reasonable or even a good cup of coffee then something is wrong with your coffee machine as it should extract all the flavor and goodness into your cup of coffee first time round from the coffee grounds.

How Much Coffee Do You Put In A Reusable Pod?

Approximately 2 tablespoons (20 grams) of ground coffee is in each reusable pod. Do not compress or tamp your coffee grounds.

What Is The Best Coffee To Refill Nespresso Pods?

The best coffee to refill Nespresso pods depends on your own personal coffee gusto and taste. You can use any coffee of any roast. You can even go for a high quality specialty grade single origin coffee and exotic peaberry coffee from Tanzania. It’s up to you.

Are Reusable Coffee Pods Worth It?

Yes, absolutely. Reusable coffee pods will allow you to use any coffee that you so wish be it exotic Geisha coffee from Panama or low cost cheap regular coffee to reduce your costs on a per-pod basis.

As a plus point you will reduce plastic waste and help the environment.

Frappé-ing It All Up — Refillable Coffee Capsule For Nespresso

Getting a refillable coffee capsules for Nespresso is a good idea as you will save money, still be able to make great coffee and with the bonus that the coffee that you make with your Nespresso machine is not a “one size fits all” and can be personalized to your own liking.

They take a little getting used to begin with and a bit of experimentation to get them spot on.

Join our online coffee community on Facebook/Meta and share your ideas and experiences with refillable coffee capsules for Nespresso.

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location