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Buying guide 4 min read

Capsules, pods or beans: which coffee system suits you?

Every coffee system works only with its own capsules or pods. Here is how Nespresso Original and Vertuo, Dolce Gusto, L'OR Barista and Senseo compare, and when beans suit you better.

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Short answer: If you mostly drink espresso and lungo, a capsule machine for the Nespresso Original system or L'OR Barista fits. For big mugs as well there is Vertuo; for milk drinks from a capsule, Dolce Gusto. For an ordinary mug of coffee a pod machine such as Senseo is enough. If you want more choice of coffee and do not mind some upkeep, look at a bean-to-cup machine with beans too.

Each system only works with its own capsules or pods. So decide first what you drink, and only then pick the machine. What follows comes from the manufacturers and the product names; Crematto tests nothing itself.

The systems side by side

SystemWhat goes inWhat you drinkWho makes the capsules or pods
Nespresso Originalsmall capsulesespresso, lungoNespresso and other brands
Nespresso VertuoVertuo capsules with a barcodeespresso to a large mugNespresso
Nescafé Dolce GustoDolce Gusto capsulescoffee, milk drinks, cold drinksNescafé Dolce Gusto and other brands
L'OR BaristaL'OR Barista capsules and Original-compatible capsulesespresso, also doubleL'OR and other brands
Senseoround coffee podsa mug of coffee with a layer of foamDouwe Egberts and other brands
Bean-to-cupbeanseverything, milk drinks tooany roaster

A Nespresso capsule does not fit a Dolce Gusto, and a Senseo pod does not fit a capsule machine. See coffee capsules and coffee pods for what is available for each system.

Nespresso Original

The Original system is made for espresso and lungo. Nespresso gives a 19 bar pump for the Essenza Mini. The machines are made by De'Longhi and Krups, among others, under the Nespresso name; some come with a separate milk frother, such as the Krups Essenza Mini XN1118. Capsules for this system do not only come from Nespresso: other brands make capsules that fit too.

Nespresso Vertuo

Vertuo is a different system with its own, larger capsules. According to Nespresso the machine reads a barcode on the rim of the capsule and sets the volume and brewing to match, from espresso to a large mug. That is why a Vertuo only works with Vertuo capsules, as Nespresso makes them. Examples are the Vertuo Pop ENV90 and the Vertuo Up ENV200.

Nescafé Dolce Gusto

Dolce Gusto makes milk drinks and cold drinks as well as coffee. Some milk drinks take two capsules: one with coffee and one with milk. The product names give 15 bar of pressure, as on the Krups Genio S Plus KP3408. The Krups Genio S KP2431 has an automatic stop, according to its product name. If you mainly want milk drinks without a separate frother, this is the system built around them.

L'OR Barista

Philips's L'OR Barista machines take L'OR Barista capsules and, according to Philips, also capsules that fit the Nespresso Original system. With the double L'OR Barista capsules you brew a double espresso or two cups at once. Examples are the L'OR Barista Sublime LM9012 and the L'OR Barista Absolu LM9512.

Capsule machines by system

Senseo and other pod machines

A pod machine does not make espresso but a mug of coffee with a layer of foam. You put a round pod in the holder; Philips states that Senseo brews one or two cups at a time. Pods are made by Douwe Egberts and many other brands. A pod machine is simple and heats up quickly, and suits people who mostly drink ordinary coffee. Examples are the Senseo Original Plus CSA210 and the Senseo Select CSA230. More machines are under pod machines.

Pod machines

Or beans after all?

Capsules and pods are quick and clean: no grounds and no grinder. With beans in a bean-to-cup machine you have more choice of coffee, because every roaster sells beans, and the machine makes milk drinks too. The other side is upkeep: descaling, rinsing the brewing unit and cleaning the milk system. What to look for is in Choosing a bean-to-cup machine. With What does a cup of coffee cost at home? you can work out what a cup costs with capsules, pods or beans.

Frequently asked questions

Do Nespresso capsules fit a Dolce Gusto?

No. Each system has capsules of its own shape and size. Only the L'OR Barista machines, according to Philips, take Nespresso Original compatible capsules alongside their own.

Can I use ordinary Nespresso capsules in a Vertuo?

No. A Vertuo works with Vertuo capsules, whose barcode the machine reads. Original capsules do not fit.

Is pod coffee the same as espresso?

No. A pod machine makes a mug of coffee with a layer of foam, not espresso. For espresso you need a capsule machine, a bean-to-cup machine or a portafilter machine.

Which capsule machine also makes cappuccino?

Dolce Gusto has milk drinks with a separate milk capsule. For Nespresso Original and Vertuo there are machines that come with a milk frother. A bean-to-cup machine with a milk system froths fresh milk.

Keep looking

Crematto doesn’t test machines itself. This guide sets out what manufacturers state.

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