Nescafe Dolce Gusto Espresso Intenso vs Nespresso Vertuo Melozio Decaffeinato

Seven grams of coffee a pod, which is more than any Nespresso capsule

Scores higher on cost per cup, and per kilo, system, range & availability.

A decaf mug of coffee rather than a decaf shot

Scores higher on what is in the capsule, recycling & disposal, sourcing & certification.

• +Seven grams of coffee per pod, published on the nutrition panel, against 5.0g in a standard Nespresso Original capsule
• +About 42 cents a cup, the cheapest capsule in this catalogue
• +Origins named as Colombia and Vietnam, with the Arabica-Robusta split stated
• +Real tasting detail: red berry, liquorice and nutty notes on a medium roast

• −Converted from a UK price at a static rate; Nestle does not sell direct to the US
• −Dolce Gusto pods are plastic, and recycling runs through TerraCycle rather than a kerbside bin
• −The system is closed: no third party makes Dolce Gusto pods
• −Intensity 7 is on Dolce Gusto's own scale and means nothing against Nespresso's

• +Brews 230ml, so it is a decaf mug of coffee rather than a decaf espresso, which is what most people actually want in the evening
• +Latin American Arabica origin named, and the full taste panel published
• +Bitterness rated 2 of 5, which is low and is where decaf usually goes wrong
• +The same funded mail-back recycling as the rest of the Vertuo range

• −$1.45 a capsule, the most expensive decaf on this site by a clear margin
• −Vertuo is barcode-locked, so no cheaper compatible decaf can ever exist for this machine
• −No decaffeination method published
• −Five cents a cup more than the caffeinated Melozio, on a capsule that is already the dearest in its range