For many people, the ease, speed and tidiness that single-serve pod coffee machines offer is unbeatable. So it’s no surprise that there are a lot of these machines out there. Keurig, the company that most people might recognize, has several offerings that are known to be excellent.
But there are more than Keurigs to choose from in the single-serve market. There’s also a small line of machines from Nespresso that buck some of the trends that Keurig established. Does that make them better or just different? We tested one Nespresso alongside the four Keurigs to compare and came to some intriguing conclusions. Essentially, we found the Nespresso made the better coffee, but it has some quirks that keep it neck-and-neck with Keurig’s machines.
There are two key differences between Keurig and Nespresso machines. The first and most important is in how they brew your drinks. For Keurigs and old Nespresso machines, brewing is a standard pressure-based system. But Vertuo Nespresso machines use centrifugal force for brewing, spinning specialized capsules (which are different from the plastic pods Keurig uses) at up to 7,000 rotations per minute. This leads to more contact between water and coffee for a tastier end product, plus it creates a layer of crema. The other key difference is in the pods and capsules themselves and how they interact with the machines (see the pod section below for more details on the differences between K-Cup pods and Nespresso capsules)
Keurig and Nespresso machines are essentially identical other than the pods they’re compatible with and the brewing method. They both work with the same process of insert pod, press brew button, enjoy. If you’ve ever used one type of coffee maker, whether Keurig or Nespresso, you’ll be able to use the other almost immediately.
In addition, they both lack a delayed brew function, plus brewing too many cups in a row can lead to some burnt taste in certain models.
One clear area where Keurig is better than Nespresso is cost. Keurig coffee makers and pods cost less than Nespresso coffee makers and capsules.
Keurig coffee makers cost between $100 and $200, though you can find them on sale for as little as $50. Older Nespresso machines typically cost $180 to $280, while newer Vertuo machines typically cost $130 to $220.
K-Cup pods cost about $0.50 to $0.70 per pod. Compare this to a Nespresso Vertuo capsule that can cost as much as $1.20 per capsule.
Before we take a closer look at some machines, let’s briefly look at the pods and capsules used in Keurig and Nespresso coffee makers, respectively.
K-Cup pods are the unofficial standard for single-serve coffee makers of this type. These plastic pods have no special features, so they can be used in any pod coffee maker that accepts them. You can find virtually any type of coffee you’re looking for, plus hot chocolate, tea and other drinks, in a K-Cup pod.
Nespresso capsules, on the other hand, are specialized and can only be used with Nespresso machines. And to make matters slightly more complicated, Nespresso has two lines of capsules. One is outdated and used in older Nespresso machines. It’s difficult to say when this line of machines or capsules might be discontinued. These older capsules cannot be used in newer Nespresso machines.
By the same token, Nespresso’s new capsules, which look like domes rather than the cuplike shape of K-Cup pods and the older Nespresso capsules, cannot be used in their old machines. Additionally, the new Nespresso aluminum capsules for the Vertuo machines are what control your brew, not the machine itself. Each capsule has a barcode on the rim, which the machine reads to know what and how much to brew.
Nespresso also has a free recycling program for its capsules, which includes a special recycling bag and free shipping. When the bag is full, just drop it off at one of Nespresso’s partner recycling locations. The downside to this program is that most recycling points are restricted to major cities. Alternatively, you can clean out the coffee grounds from any capsules before adding them to your own recycling bin.
We tested the Nespresso VertuoPlus, which uses the newest type of Nespresso capsule. For comparison’s sake, we’ve also included information on the Nespresso Essenza Mini, which uses the old line of Nespresso capsules. We were unable to test the Essenza Mini.
Product specifications: Water Reservoir Capacity: 40 oz | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 8.7” W x 12.7” D x 12.8” H | Weight: 9.7 lb
The Nespresso VertuoPlus was a major favorite of ours, with easily the best-tasting coffee out of all machines tested. Though it’s not as good as the coffee you can get from a cafe that knows what it’s doing, it’s close enough for your daily dose of caffeine. The faux crema it makes is a cute touch but not something that enhances the experience or comes close to real crema.
Other than the great taste, it’s remarkably easy to use, with a suite of features to handle most of the work for you. It uses the newest version of Nespresso’s capsules and comes with a dozen to get you started. The barcode on the capsule tells the machine what size serving to make. These drinks range in size from single and double espresso shots up to 7.77 ounces and only take 50 seconds to about a minute and a half to make at temperatures of 150 to 160 degrees.
Product specifications: Water Reservoir Capacity: 20 oz | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 3.3” W x 12.8” D x 8” H | Weight: 4.35 lb
About five inches narrower and five inches shorter than the VertuoPlus, the Nespresso Essenza Mini is ideal for those short on space. It uses the older version of Nespresso capsules, the ones that look like K-Cup pods but aren’t compatible with any machines other than older Nespresso machines.
This machine is more limited than the VertuoPlus because it can only make two drinks: a 1.35-ounce espresso shot or 3.71-ounce drink that’s not quite espresso and not quite a cup of black coffee. It does have a quick heat-up time of less than 30 seconds. It also powers off automatically after nine minutes to save energy and has a collection bin that holds six used capsules for later disposal.
We tested four Keurig machines, including a budget option, two “standard” Keurigs and one specialty model, the Keurig K-Iced. Here’s what we found.
Product specifications: Water Reservoir Capacity: 48 oz | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 13” H x 9.8” W x 13.3” D | Weight: 10.6 lb
The K-Classic, with a small range of features, is for all intents and purposes the “standard” Keurig coffee maker. It’s able to make three different serving sizes: 6, 8 and 10 ounces. With its large 48-ounce reservoir, you can make several days’ worth of coffee before needing a refill. How good that coffee is depends more on your pod selection than anything to do with the machine, and that goes for all Keurigs.
One issue with the K-Classic is its long brewing time. In our tests, we found it could take as long as five minutes to heat up, followed by about a minute of brewing time. It’s still the best of the four Keurigs we tested thanks to its mix of features and fair pricepoint, though solo households on tighter budgets may be happier with the K-Compact or K-Mini.
Product specifications: Water Reservoir Capacity: 36 oz | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 12.5” H x 8.2” W x 13.2” D | Weight: 6.9 lb
The K-Compact is essentially a smaller version of the K-Classic. It shares some features, such as three serving sizes, but the smaller size of this coffee maker makes it better suited to smaller kitchens. The smaller size also speeds up both the heat-up and brew times. Our tests found them to need 2:30 to 2:45 minutes to heat up and 25 to 42 seconds to brew, depending on serving size.
There are some negatives, though. The biggest is the very loud noise it makes. We found it an unpleasant way to start the morning, to say the least. Other negatives include the reservoir, whose smaller size requires more frequent refilling, and the location of the reservoir at the back of the machine, which makes it less convenient.
Product specifications: Water Reservoir Capacity: Up to 12 oz | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 12.1 in. H (16.8 in. with handle open) x 4.5 in. W x 11.3 in. D| Weight: 4.6 lb
The K-Mini is the budget Keurig option. It has few features, which keeps the price low. It makes coffee perfectly, taking between 1:45 and 2:15 minutes for each test, resulting in the same good flavor and aroma as produced by the other Keurigs we tested.
However, the reservoir only holds 6 to 12 ounces, and every drop you add is used to make the next cup of coffee. Never add more than you need, or you’ll end up with more coffee than you want. This Keurig is not as well built as other models; it isn’t heavy or large enough to stay stable when you use it, and it’s configured in a way that makes it difficult to get used pods out. It’s still worth considering for anyone who wants to save money, but read the product specs and customer reviews to make sure you know what you’re buying.
Product specifications: Water Reservoir Capacity: 42 oz | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 12.6” H (17.1” open) x 5.1” W x 12.9” D | Weight: 4.4 lb
The K-Iced is a specialty model, with a unique feature that is supposed to make a cup of iced coffee better than Keurig models that don’t have such a setting. In practice, we found this feature to be ineffective. The only real difference is that it brews the pod at a slightly lower temperature, which Keurig claims helps lessen how much the ice in the cup melts. When we followed the instructions to make iced coffee using the K-Classic, the results were the same as those made in the K-Iced.
This coffee maker also has the same stability problem as the K-Mini (their designs are almost identical), though the K-Iced has a larger reservoir. This is the only Keurig we tested that we wouldn’t recommend.
A. No, Nespresso capsules can only be used in Nespresso machines. This is one downside of Nespresso: a limited selection of capsules you can use.
A. No. K-Cups only work in Keurigs and the third-party single-serve coffee makers that are similar to Keurigs. Do not try and force a K-Cup pod into a Nespresso machine; you could damage both.
Both brands are excellent and well worth investing in if you love coffee. We think that Nespresso makes better drinks, from plain black coffee to flavored drinks and shots of espresso. Espresso, in particular, is a big win for Nespresso, because no Keurig machines can make it. However, Keurig has the widest range of pods to choose from by far, and they are much easier to find. For example, when we shopped for pods to test, K-Cup pods took up almost the entire aisle, while Nespresso capsules had to be special ordered. In short, Nespresso makes better coffee while Keurig offers more options.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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