What is Capriccio?
Nespresso's savoury, light-roasted Original espresso from South America.
It sits low on Nespresso's scale at 5, and the published description is unusually specific: a light-roasted Arabica and Robusta blend with light acidity and a savoury cereal note.
$9.00 a sleeve of ten, 90 cents a capsule, poured at 40ml.
Which machines does it fit?
Nespresso Original machines, and the many third-party machines built for Original capsules.
Original is the open half of Nespresso. The patents expired, so De'Longhi, Breville and others build machines that take these capsules, other roasters make compatible ones, and refillable pods exist. That competition is what puts a floor under what a cup costs for as long as you own the machine.
It will not fit a Vertuo. Those capsules are larger and carry a barcode the machine reads to set the pour, and the two systems share a brand and nothing else.
What is in the capsule
An Arabica and Robusta blend from South America, roasted light.
Two things here are better documented than in most of this range. The origin is named as South America, and the blend is stated as Arabica with Robusta rather than left as an unqualified blend.
Robusta in a capsule is usually there for crema and for caffeine, and it brings a savoury, grainy quality with it. Combined with a light roast, roastiness 2 of 5, that gives a cup that tastes of cereal and wood rather than chocolate.
Nespresso states a net weight of 50g for the sleeve of ten in its Contents and Allergens panel, so 5.0g a capsule, which at 90 cents is $180 a kilo. That is the standard Original dose and the standard Original price.
What a cup costs
90 cents a pod, from a sleeve of ten.
The Original floor price, shared with Roma, Cosi, Firenze Arpeggio, Volluto and the rest of the core range.
Worth flagging what the page itself says: Nespresso's US product page prints "$9.00 euros per sleeve". The figure and the dollar sign agree with the rest of the US store and only the word is wrong, so we record $9.00, but it is the sort of thing that makes an automated scrape untrustworthy.
What happens to the capsule afterwards
Aluminium, returned through Nespresso's mail-back scheme rather than your kerbside bin.
Free collection bags from Nespresso, handed in at a UPS drop-off point or a boutique. It is funded and it works if you use it.
The distinction worth keeping is between a scheme you join and a bin already emptied at your door. Aluminium is endlessly recyclable in principle; this capsule is recycled only if you post it back.
Capriccio vs Cosi
The two mildest capsules in the range, both at 90 cents.
Capriccio is rated 5 and is savoury: Arabica and Robusta, cereal and wood. Cosi is rated 4 and is fruitier: pure Arabica from Africa and Latin America, with toasted cereal and fruit notes.
Cosi is the more conventionally pleasant of the two and Capriccio the more distinctive. Both name origins, which within this range is unusual enough to be worth saying.
Is Capriccio worth it?
As a change from the sweet end of the range, yes. As an everyday capsule it depends whether you like savoury coffee.
What it has going for it beyond the taste is disclosure: a named origin and a stated blend composition, where most of the Ispirazione capsules give you neither.
At intensity 5 it will not survive milk, and there is no decaf version, so it is a single-purpose capsule for black espresso.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Original owners who drink black espresso and are bored of chocolate notes.
Buy it if you want something savoury and cereal-led, and if you like knowing roughly where the coffee came from.
Do not buy it for cappuccinos, because at 5 it is too mild to come through. Do not buy it if Robusta in a blend puts you off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Capriccio contain Robusta?
Yes. Nespresso states it as an Arabica and Robusta blend, which is unusual for the company to spell out. Robusta adds crema and caffeine and brings a savoury, grainy character, which is a large part of why this capsule tastes the way it does.
Is it strong enough for a latte?
Probably not. It is rated 5 on Nespresso's scale and roastiness 2 of 5, and milk covers exactly the qualities it leads on. Firenze Arpeggio at 9 is the capsule in this range built for milk.
Where does the coffee come from?
South America, which Nespresso names on the product page. That is more than most capsules in this range disclose, several of which state no origin at all.
Why does the page say euros?
It is an error on Nespresso's own US page, which prints "$9.00 euros per sleeve". The figure matches the rest of the US store in dollars, so the number is right and the word is wrong.
Is there a decaf Capriccio?
No. Nespresso's Original decafs are Volluto, Ristretto Italiano and Firenze Arpeggio.
