Vertuo is Nespresso's larger-format system. A capsule holds around 12.5g of coffee and brews a mug rather than an
espresso, and the machine reads a barcode on the rim to set the volume and the spin speed for that specific coffee.
That barcode is the reason the system is closed in a way Original is not. Seven pods are compared here, five from
Nespresso and two from Starbucks, and they behave very differently once the capsule is in the machine.
7Vertuo pods compared
230mlthe standard mug pour
25mlthe smallest shot, the Ristretto Intenso
10pods in a sleeve, the only size sold
How Vertuo pods work: the barcode and the cup sizes
The short answer
The capsule decides the cup, not the machine. Each Vertuo pod carries a barcode that tells the machine how much
water to use and how fast to spin the capsule, so the range you buy is the range of drinks you can make.
The code sets the water volume, the temperature and the centrifugal spin, which is why a Vertuo can pour 230ml with
crema. It also means the machine refuses a capsule it cannot read, so third-party Vertuo pods are rare and unreliable
in a way third-party K-Cups are not. There is no size button to get wrong, which suits people who want one press and a
mug. It is a poor fit for anyone who likes to change the pour from morning to morning.
230mlThe mug pour
Melozio, Melozio Decaffeinato, Stormio and Odacio are mug capsules. One pod fills a standard mug without diluting a
short shot with hot water, which is how this system is meant to be used.
80mlThe double
The Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast Double Espresso pours 80ml as a double, so one capsule makes what two
single-shot capsules would. It holds 12.5g of coffee, the same as a mug pod, in a smaller cup.
25mlThe ristretto
The Ristretto Intenso is the one real espresso-style capsule, a 25ml shot from a 6.0g dose. If a mug is the wrong
format for you, this is the only Nespresso Vertuo pod that fixes it. The Starbucks Espresso Roast does not state its
pour on the pages we checked, so read the sleeve.
Vertuo pod intensity, bitterness and acidity compared
Why it matters
Vertuo pods do not share one strength scale. Nespresso rates some by intensity, some by bitterness and acidity, and
one Starbucks pod carries two different intensity numbers, so compare like with like.
MildMelozio
Rated 6 for intensity and described as mild, with caramel, malt and nutty notes. It is the default Vertuo mug coffee,
the one most machines ship with. Choose it for a reliable, unfussy cup, and skip it if you want complexity or a
roasty edge.
Dark and low acidStormio
Acidity is rated 1 of 5, the lowest in the Vertuo range, with earthy, woody and spice notes. It is all arabica, a
blend from Nicaragua and Guatemala, and it is the pick for people who find Melozio thin. Expect very little brightness.
Dark and fruityOdacio
Bitterness is rated 4 of 5, yet the finish is fruity, which is an unusual pairing among the mug pods. Malt and bread
notes sit underneath. Whether it works for you is the one thing a spec sheet cannot say, and Nespresso names no origin
countries for it.
StrongestRistretto Intenso
Intensity is rated 12 of 12 on Nespresso's own scale, the highest in the range, with spice and earthy, woody notes.
It is built for the smallest pour, so a drinker who wants a punchy 25ml shot rather than a mug has found it.
The two Starbucks pods are different animals. The Blonde Espresso Roast is the lightest espresso roast Starbucks sells
and the only blonde capsule on this page, with chocolate and spice notes and origins in Latin America and East Africa,
but no intensity number. The Espresso Roast is a blend of Latin American arabica with caramel notes, and it shows two
intensity scales on one product, which Nespresso says on the page are not the same measurement. That leaves the 11 hard
to place against the Nespresso numbers.
Vertuo pod cost per cup compared with Original pods
The short answer
A Vertuo pod costs more each than an Original capsule but less per kilo of coffee, because it holds two and a half
times as much. The right comparison is cost per drink you actually want to make.
This reverses the usual advice. A Vertuo mug capsule holds around 12.5g against 5.0g for an Original, so it looks
dearer on the shelf and is the cheaper coffee by weight. Melozio, Stormio and Odacio are priced the same, so choosing
between them costs nothing, and Melozio is the cheapest Nespresso coffee in this comparison by weight, level with the
other two. Comparing a Vertuo pod to an Original pod one capsule at a time is the comparison the shelf invites and the
one that is meaningless. Our Nespresso Original pods hub has the other side of
that comparison.
Where Vertuo pods save money
The Ristretto Intenso is the cheapest pod in the range per cup because it holds 6.0g, half what a mug capsule
carries. The Starbucks Espresso Roast undercuts Melozio per pod and costs more than the Ristretto Intenso. The
Starbucks Blonde pours a double from 12.5g, so by weight it is one of the cheapest coffees here.
Where they cost more
The Starbucks Blonde is the dearest pod on the page. The Ristretto Intenso is the dearest of Nespresso's own Vertuo
coffees by weight, and the Starbucks Espresso Roast, at 6.8g, costs more per kilo than anything except an Original pod,
Master Origin Colombia. Daily use for a household still adds up to more than a whole bean routine.
There is no bulk box either, since Vertuo is sold in sleeves of ten and nothing larger. The Melozio Decaffeinato costs a
few cents more per cup than the caffeinated Melozio. See the best Nespresso pods for
Original and Vertuo ranked on one list.
Vertuo decaf pods: what is available
The short answer
There is one decaf Vertuo pod in this comparison, the Melozio Decaffeinato, and it is the only decaf option if you
want a full mug.
Melozio Decaffeinato brews 230ml, so it is a decaf mug of coffee rather than a decaf espresso, which is what most
people want in the evening. It uses Latin American arabica with malt, bread and caramel notes, and bitterness is rated 2
of 5, which is low and is where decaf usually goes wrong. Nespresso does not publish the decaffeination method. Because
Vertuo is barcode-locked there is no cheaper compatible decaf, so it is good value only against other capsules.
Stormio, Odacio, Ristretto Intenso and both Starbucks pods have no decaf version. For decaf beans or other pod systems,
see the best decaf coffee, and compare
Nespresso Vertuo Melozio vs Nespresso Vertuo Melozio Decaffeinato
if you drink both.
Vertuo pod recycling and sustainability
Bottom line
Vertuo capsules are aluminum, and Nespresso runs a funded mail-back scheme through UPS, which is a more practical
path than plastic pods with no take-back option.
The mail-back covers the Nespresso Vertuo range, including the decaf, and the Starbucks pods made by Nespresso use
the same aluminum and the same scheme. You collect used pods in a bag and send them back, so it takes a little effort,
but it works. On sourcing, Melozio and Ristretto Intenso carry both B Corp and Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality
certifications, and Melozio offers AutoReplenish if you prefer a standing order.
Which Vertuo pods should you buy for each drink?
A dark, low-acid mug
Buy Stormio. Acidity of 1 of 5 and two named origins suit anyone who finds mild coffee thin. Skip it if you enjoy
brightness.
A dark mug with a fruity finish
Try Odacio, which pairs bitterness 4 of 5 with a fruity finish and the same price as the other two. It is the
gamble of the three, so buy one sleeve before you stock up.
Nespresso Vertuo Melozio vs Nespresso Vertuo Odacio
sets it against the default.
An evening mug without caffeine
Buy Melozio Decaffeinato, the only decaf, and expect a mild, low-bitterness cup.
A strong small shot
Buy Ristretto Intenso, the strongest pod Nespresso sells for a Vertuo, at the smallest pour and the lowest cost per cup.
A double, or the Starbucks espresso blend
Buy the Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast for a lighter double, or the Starbucks Espresso Roast for the blend used in
the chain's espresso drinks. Neither is a cheaper way into the system.
Vertuo pods problems and drawbacks
What Vertuo does well
One press makes a full mug with crema and no settings to get wrong. The capsule decides the cup, the mail-back
recycling is funded, and the mug pods give more coffee per kilo than Original.
Where Vertuo falls short
The barcode locks you to Nespresso and licensed partners such as Starbucks for as long as you own the machine, so
there is no route to independent roasters or cheaper compatible pods. Daily use is expensive, there is no bulk box, and
decaf exists in only one flavor.
Vertuo vs Original and K-Cup pods
Vertuo and Original pods are different capsules for different machines despite sharing the Nespresso name, and neither
system accepts the other's pods. Original makes smaller espresso-style cups from 5.0g capsules, while Vertuo makes mugs.
K-Cup is the more open of the three, since compatible pods are easy to find.
If you are still choosing a system, see the
Nespresso Vertuo pods hub and the K-Cup pods hub.
Every system is covered in the coffee pods category, and machines are in the
best Nespresso machines.
