Nespresso might not be the caffeinated drink of choice for true coffee snobs, but there's so much going in favor of this style of coffee that it's no surprise they're so popular. The machines are affordable, they're super easy to use, and they're a definite upgrade from your instant coffee era.
I like a good coffee pod, but having recently upgraded to the swishest espresso maker I've ever owned, it's fair to say that there's quite a difference in the quality of the final cup. I'm far from a coffee aficionado, but surely, surely, there's a way to bridge the gap between the coffee pod machine that costs a couple of hundred pounds and the £1,000+ espresso machines on the market?
So, I turned to the people I know who know the most about coffee — the people who have worked in coffee shops. They're trained baristas, have undertaken training from coffee roasteries, and there's even a latte art award winner in the mix. The question? How do I make Nespresso taste better?
1. Preheat the Cup
Heat that mug before putting it under the machine.
Making your Nespresso coffee straight into a cold, or at least cool, cup, might just be changing how you enjoy it. Using a warm cup will help your coffee keep it's heat for longer, something that will inherently improve your enjoyment of it (because who likes a mouthful of cold coffee), and it's particularly important for any smaller coffee measures, like an espresso, which can cool down extra quickly.
A warm cup can also help unlock the flavor profiles and aroma of your coffee, too, so it's a win-win. How to do it? Just fill your mug with hot water while you're sorting out your Nespresso machine, and empty it just before pressing the button. If you're a slow coffee drinker like me, you might also think about investing in a mug warmer, like this highly-rated one from Amazon, to keep your cup the perfect temperature.
"You might also want to consider if your coffee mug is affecting your coffee's taste," Olivia Wolfe, Livingetc's coffee expert, tells me. "I just recently dove into the science behind this, and it's worth exploring if you are looking to upgrade the flavor of your Nespresso brew."
2. Use Filtered Water and Clean Regularly
Fill your machine with your kitchen tap's filtered water option, if it has one.
Coffee is, realistically, more water than it is coffee beans, so of course, the quality of the water is going to change how it tastes. The 'impurities' you'll find in your standard tapwater, whether that's chlorine, fluoride, or minerals in the water can add bitterness to the taste of your coffee and give it a slightly 'off' taste.
If you have a filtered water tap or your fridge dispenses it, then use that to fill up your Nespresso coffee machine's water tank. Avoid bottled water, where possible, just to avoid clocking up bad-eco karma with all that extra plastic, but you could use something like this Phox water filter jug from Amazon, which is much prettier and less bulky than something like a Brita.
Also, I have to recommend this Amazon gadget for refilling a Nespresso's water tank — I already have one, and it's a game changer.
3. Make Your Own Pods
Bonus points if you grind your own coffee.
There's a whole world out there of both Nespresso brand and Nespresso-compatible pods, so chances are you can find a coffee brand that you find tastes half-decent. I'm currently in my Grind Caramel coffee pod phase right now.
However, did you also know you can make your own coffee pods and fill them with your coffee of choice? Something like this stainless steel refillable one from Amazon helps reduce the amount of waste from coffee pods, too, which is pretty genius.
A word of warning, and a reason to take note of the reviews before you buy refillable pods — if they're not sealed properly, they can cause problems. "Otherwise, grounds can get into the machine and your coffee," says Olivia. "However, if you are lucky enough to have your own grinder at home, I would recommend using freshly ground beans in your pods. This will enhance the flavor of a homemade (or reused coffee pod)." You can even get electric bean grinders for less than £15 from Amazon, so it's a small investment for great, fresh coffee.
4. Don't Over Extract a Pod
Don't hit that button more than once per capsule.
When I was first let loose on my own Nespresso-compatible machine, I'd pop a pod in, and press the button at least two times to get my coffee to the level I wanted in the cup, until my partner, who used to work in a coffee shop, spotted me doing it and put a quick stop to it.
"You're only supposed to extract a coffee pod the once," he tells me, "after that, you're not only diluting the coffee that's being produced, you run the risk of the machine burning it, and making for a more bitter coffee overall."
If you want to get a little more liquid in your cup before adding the milk, then do it with hot water, Americano-style. At least, that's what he told me to do instead.
5. Use Warmed Milk
Grind's Nespresso compatible machine is one of my favorites.
Another hack for keeping Nespresso coffee at the right temperature so that it tastes better is to use warmed milk in your cup, rather than cold milk straight from the fridge.
For this, I use the Grind Milk Frother, and I'm recommending it to you not only because I know it works, but because it's realistically the best-looking one out there.
Yes, it's another appliance to have on your kitchen countertops, but you could always set up an aesthetic coffee bar space and group it together with your Nespresso coffee pod machine.
6. Add in a Little Extra
Nespresso has its own pods designed to be used with Oatly barista milk.
"I find that the right milk and extras are as important as the coffee," Olivia tells me. "I personally love using a barista-grade oat milk, like this one Moma one from Amazon. Oat milks tend to be creamier and have a bit of a nutty flavor profile. But choose what fits best with your preferences and diet of course."
That's not the only upgrade that can make Nespresso coffee feel more barista-worthy. "Also a little flavor syrup every now and then makes your morning brew feel like a Friday treat," Olivia says. "Though you may not want it everyday, this set of three Monin syrups on Amazon is the perfect addition to your coffee bar (and your cocktail bar for that matter)."
7. Choose a Machine That Gives You Control
Interiors editor Emma Breislin's partner Mitch was a barista for 10 years, working across specialty coffee shops in Sydney, and he swears by a pod coffee machine that has a few extra functions that can help get the most from your Nespresso capsules.
"Making coffee these days is as much science as it is artistry," Mitch says. "Coffee beans react differently to different water chemistry, temperature, pressure, and the amount of water, so anything you can do to change and control these variable helps you get the most out of your coffee beans."
His recommendation? The Morning pod machine, which you can buy from the likes of Selfridges. "Normal pod machines changed the landscape of home coffee in terms of single push accessibility, but the Morning machine takes it one step further. Designed for those who really know coffee, it takes regular Nespresso profile capsules and gives specialty roasters an opportunity to provide ideal brewing recipes (the specific amount of water, temperature, time, and pressure settings they'd recommend) as well as giving the user the ability to customize and program your own recipes for your favorite pods to get the best espresso flavor."
Some of these ideas aren't just true to Nespresso machines — they're also just general rules of thumb for how to make your coffee machine work better — but if you want a quick boost to your pod coffees now, these ideas will change your morning cup for the better.
