Nespresso Original Ispirazione Firenze Arpeggio vs Nespresso Original Volluto Decaffeinato

The dark, creamy end of the Italian range

Scores higher on what is in the capsule, cost per cup, and per kilo, system, range & availability.

A decaf that keeps the acidity, which most decaf loses

Scores higher on sourcing & certification.

• +Bitterness 4 of 5 and roastiness 4 of 5, which is what survives milk
• +Pours as a 25ml ristretto or a 40ml espresso from one capsule
• +A decaf version exists, Firenze Arpeggio Decaffeinato, which most capsules in this range do not have
• +90 cents a capsule, the cheapest Nespresso sells

• −No origin countries named, only that it is a blend
• −Acidity 2 of 5 means very little brightness, which is a real loss black
• −No dose in grams published for this capsule
• −Sleeves of ten only, so no bulk price exists

• +Acidity is rated 4 of 5, the same as the caffeinated Volluto, which is unusual: decaffeination normally flattens the bright end first
• +Five cents a cup more than the caffeinated version, where most decaf carries a much larger premium
• +Origins named as Brazil and Colombia, and the intensity published
• +The same aluminium and the same funded mail-back recycling as the rest of the Original range

• −Nespresso does not say how the coffee was decaffeinated, which is the one fact a decaf drinker actually compares
• −At 95 cents a pod it is dearer than every K-Cup on this site, decaf or not
• −Intensity 4 is genuinely light, so anybody expecting a dark evening espresso will find it thin
• −At 5.0g a capsule this is $190 a kilo, roughly four times what good beans cost