What is Master Origin Colombia?
Nespresso's single-origin Colombian capsule, from late-harvested high-grown Arabica.
Master Origin is the line where Nespresso stops blending and names a country. This one is Colombian, and Nespresso goes further than usual: it describes a late harvest, where growers leave the cherry to ripen longer on the tree before picking.
Rated 6, $10.00 a sleeve of ten, which is a dollar a capsule and ten cents above the core Original range.
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 and Breville build machines for it, other roasters make compatible capsules, and refillable pods exist.
It will not fit a Vertuo, which reads a barcode on a physically larger capsule and takes nothing else.
What is in the capsule
Colombian high-grown Arabica, late harvested, with acidity rated 4 of 5.
This is the only single-origin capsule in this catalogue, and it is worth saying plainly what that means. Every other pod on this site is a blend, and most name a region or nothing at all: Firenze Arpeggio names no origin, Odacio names no origin, Melozio says Brazil and Latin America.
This one names Colombia, and then names a practice: late harvest, cherries left longer on the tree. Longer ripening builds sugar, which is where the winey character and red fruit in the published notes come from.
The panel supports it: acidity 4 of 5 with bitterness 3 and roast level 3. That is a coffee kept deliberately light enough for the origin to show.
It still stops short of what the Coffee Beans category takes for granted: no farm, no co-operative and no altitude. The dose it does publish, 50g for ten capsules, is the least flattering number on the page. At $1.00 a capsule that is $200 a kilo, the most expensive coffee on this site.
What a cup costs
A dollar a pod, sleeves of ten only.
Ten cents over Volluto, Cosi, Roma and the rest of the core Original range at 90 cents. For a single origin that is a modest premium.
It is still a dollar a cup against 64 cents for the cheapest pod here, and Nespresso sells Original coffee in sleeves of ten and nothing larger.
What happens to the capsule afterwards
Aluminium, through Nespresso's mail-back scheme rather than kerbside.
Free bags from Nespresso, returned at a UPS drop-off point or a boutique. Funded and real, and it only works if you post them back.
That is a different thing from a bin already emptied at your door, which the word recyclable on a box does not distinguish.
Master Origin Colombia vs Capriccio
The most and least transparent Original capsules, ten cents apart.
Capriccio names South America and states an Arabica-Robusta blend, which is more than most of its range. Master Origin Colombia names the country, the harvest and the fact that it is pure single-origin Arabica.
In the cup they are opposites too: Capriccio is savoury and cereal-led at acidity 3, and this is fruity and winey at acidity 4. If you want to taste where a coffee came from rather than how it was roasted, this is the one capsule here built for it.
Is Master Origin Colombia worth it?
Yes, and it is the capsule to buy if you have ever wondered whether pods can taste of anything specific.
Ten cents over the standard range is very little to pay for the difference between 'a blend' and 'late harvest Colombian Arabica', and the acidity rating suggests Nespresso has roasted it to let that show rather than roasting it flat.
The reservation is what is still missing. A bag of beans on this site will often name the farm and the altitude. A capsule naming the country is a high bar here and a low one anywhere else.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Original owners who want to taste an origin rather than a house style.
Buy it if the sameness of capsule coffee is what puts you off, and if you like bright, fruity coffee. Buy it if you drink lungo, since it is rated for both cup sizes.
Do not buy it if you want a dark, chocolatey espresso, because acidity 4 of 5 is the opposite. Do not buy it expecting bean-level traceability, because the farm and altitude are not published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this really a single origin?
Yes. Nespresso lists it under Master Crafted Single Origins and names Colombia as the origin, which makes it the only true single-origin capsule in this catalogue. Every other pod here is a blend.
What does late harvest mean?
Growers leave the coffee cherry on the tree to ripen longer before picking. More ripening time builds more sugar in the fruit, which is where the winey character and red fruit notes Nespresso describes come from.
Is it worth ten cents more than the standard range?
For what it discloses, yes. The core Original capsules are 90 cents and mostly name no origin at all; this is a dollar and names a country and a harvest practice.
Can I use it as a lungo?
Yes. Nespresso lists it for both a 40ml espresso and a 110ml lungo. On the Original system the cup size is set by how long you hold the button, not by the capsule.
Does it name the farm or the altitude?
No. It names Colombia and the late harvest practice, and stops there. Bags of beans on this site frequently name a farm and an altitude, so this is a high bar for a capsule and a low one for coffee generally.
