What is the Ristretto Italiano Decaffeinato?
Nespresso's dark Italian-style Original shot, decaffeinated.
The caffeinated Ristretto Italiano is a split-roast blend of Arabicas and Robusta built for a short, intense pour. This is the decaf version of that idea, and Nespresso rates it 10 on its own scale, only two below the strongest thing it sells.
$9.50 a sleeve of ten, which is 95 cents a capsule, and five cents more than the caffeinated version.
Which machines does it fit?
Nespresso Original machines and the third-party machines built for Original capsules.
Original is the open system: the patents expired, so other manufacturers make the machines and other roasters make compatible capsules.
It will not work in a Vertuo. That machine reads a barcode on a physically larger capsule and does not accept these.
What is in the capsule
A dark-roasted blend, decaffeinated by an unstated method, rated 10 of 12.
Nespresso publishes the full taste panel: roast level 4 of 5, bitterness 3 of 5, acidity 4 of 5, body 3 of 5. The result is described as roasted and chocolatey with fruit notes.
Getting a decaf to read as dark is harder than it sounds, because decaffeination costs a coffee body and aromatics as well as caffeine, and a lot of dark decaf ends up tasting burnt rather than deep. A published 10 is a real claim.
What is missing is both the origin and the method. The caffeinated version at least states split-roast Arabicas with Robusta; this one says only that it is a blend, and no Nespresso decaf says how the caffeine came out.
What a cup costs
95 cents a pod, sleeves of ten only.
Five cents over the caffeinated Ristretto Italiano at 90, and exactly the same as the Volluto Decaffeinato. Nespresso prices its two Original decafs identically regardless of intensity.
That is genuinely useful, because it means choosing between them costs you nothing. It is also still 95 cents against 64 for the cheapest pod on this site.
What happens to the capsule afterwards
Aluminium, mail-back rather than kerbside.
Free bags from Nespresso, returned at a UPS drop-off point or a boutique, the same route as every other capsule in the range.
Nespresso is also a certified B Corp, which is a company-level certification rather than a claim about this coffee.
Ristretto Italiano Decaffeinato vs Volluto Decaffeinato
Nespresso's two Original decafs, at opposite ends of its scale and the same price.
This one is rated 10 and pours 25ml; the Volluto is rated 4 and pours 40ml. One is dark and short, the other light and sweet, and both are 95 cents.
The Volluto names Brazil and Colombia and this names no origin at all, which is a point to the Volluto if you care where the coffee came from. On everything else it is a straight preference.
Is the Ristretto Italiano Decaffeinato worth it?
If you want a dark decaf shot on an Original machine, it is the one to buy.
There is not much competition for what it does. Most decaf aims at the middle of the scale to be inoffensive, and this aims at 10.
The reservation is the same one that applies to the whole system: 95 cents a cup, no bulk option, and a roaster that will not tell you how it decaffeinates.
Who should buy it (and who should not)
Original owners who drink dark espresso and want it in the evening too.
Buy it if your objection to decaf is that it tastes weak, and if you drink short shots rather than long ones.
Do not buy it if you want brightness, because it is built the other way. Do not buy it if origin transparency matters, because none is published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a decaf really this strong?
Nespresso rates it 10 of 12, and intensity on that scale is about roast and body rather than caffeine, so a decaf can sit high on it. It says nothing about how much caffeine is left, which Nespresso does not publish.
How was it decaffeinated?
Not stated. Nespresso publishes no decaffeination method for any of its decaf capsules, which is a gap worth noticing given that Swiss Water and CO2 processes are the ones roasters normally advertise.
What size cup does it make?
Both. Nespresso lists it as a 25ml ristretto or a 40ml espresso, so the one capsule covers a short shot and a standard one.
How does it compare on price to the caffeinated version?
Five cents a capsule more: 95 against 90, both in sleeves of ten. It is also the same price as Volluto Decaffeinato, so Nespresso charges the same for its light decaf and its dark one.
Where does the coffee come from?
Nespresso does not say for this capsule, beyond that it is a blend. The caffeinated Ristretto Italiano states split-roast Arabicas with Robusta; the decaf states nothing.
