Brew guides

Nespresso Machine

The quickest route to a proper coffee at home. Under a minute, nothing to measure, and a pod that costs less than a teabag of the fancy stuff. Two habits make the difference between a good pod and a great one, and neither takes ten seconds.

Coffee
1 pod, 5 to 6g of coffee
Water
40ml espresso, 110ml lungo
Grind
Done for you
Time
30 seconds
Temperature
Set by the machine

Best for: A proper short black or a long mug in under a minute, with nothing to measure and nothing to wash up.

You will need: A nespresso® original machine, a cafepod pod, fresh water, a warm cup

Nespresso Machine

How to make it

  1. 1

    Fresh water, warm machine

    Fill the tank with fresh water, not yesterday's, and switch on. Wait for the lights to stop flashing. A machine that is not up to temperature makes a cooler, flatter shot, and that is the most common reason a pod tastes weak.

  2. 2

    Run a blank shot

    Put your cup under the spout and run the espresso button with no pod in. It rinses the brew unit, heats the pipes and warms the cup in one go. Tip the water away.

    Ten seconds. It is the single biggest difference between a good pod and a great one.

  3. 3

    Pod in, pick your length

    Lift the lever, drop the pod in, close it. Espresso is the small cup button, about 40ml. Lungo is the big one, about 110ml. Every CafePod pod works as either, but the blends marked lungo (Brunch Blend, Intense Roast, Daily Grind, Black Velvet) are ground for the longer pour.

    For an americano, pull an espresso and top it up with hot water from the kettle. Do not run the same pod twice: the second cup is mostly water.

    Want it over ice or with milk? Try a Black Velvet iced coffee or a vanilla latte.

  4. 4

    Eject, rinse, recycle

    Lift the lever and the pod drops into the bin. Empty the bin before it is full, or a pod jams the next one. The pods are aluminium: tip the grounds out, rinse, and put them in with your metal recycling. A pod press collects them until it is worth a trip.

    Descale every three months, or sooner if the water is hard. It is the fix for slow pours, loud pumps and pods that will not pierce.

If it tastes wrong

What you tasteWhat to change
Weak or wateryThe machine was cold, or the pod ran twice. Blank shot first, one pull per pod. For a long drink use a lungo blend or top an espresso up with hot water.
Bitter or burntAn espresso blend pulled as a lungo over-extracts. Use the espresso button, or switch to a blend built for the long pour.
Pod will not pierce, or water in the drip trayDescale. If it still happens, send us the batch number from the back of the box and we will replace the pods.
Slow pour, loud pump, thin cremaLimescale. Run a descaling cycle, then two blank shots. Every three months keeps it right.

The kit

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Common questions

Which machines do CafePod pods fit?

Any Nespresso® Original machine, and any other machine that takes Original capsules. The one exception is the Maestria range. They do not fit Vertuo, Dolce Gusto, Lavazza or Tassimo.

Espresso or lungo button?

Espresso for a short, strong cup, about 40ml. Lungo for a mug-length coffee, about 110ml. Every pod works as either. Brunch Blend, Intense Roast, Daily Grind and Black Velvet are ground for the lungo pour; Supercharger and Smoky Joe are at their best short.

How much caffeine is in a pod?

Roughly 45 to 50mg as an espresso and 140 to 160mg as a lungo. The longer pour pulls more out of the same 5 to 6 grams of coffee. Intensity is about taste, not caffeine, so a 12 has about the same as a 9. The decafs carry no more than 4mg a pod.

How do I keep the machine happy?

Fresh water every day, a blank shot before the first coffee, empty the pod bin before it is full, and a descale every three months. That is the whole list. Most machine problems people write to us about are limescale.

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