What is Nespresso Putting in their Coffee?
Because Truth Matters, even with Coffee
As you may have noticed, not all of my articles focus on disease, vaccines, medical misinformation, and politics. Occasionally, I enjoy sharing feedback on consumer products I've tried. Until a few months ago, I ran a product review site for 15 years. Eventually, it became more work than fun and didn't provide a worthwhile return on my time and financial investment. However, I still occasionally feel the urge to share my thoughts on products I buy and use. So, here’s the latest:
I love a strong, black cup of coffee with a rich crema, and the Nespresso Virtuo does a pretty good job. However, at over $1.00 per cup, it's just too expensive for homemade coffee. In the past couple of years, I’ve experimented with resealable lids to make my own pods with high-quality espresso coffee. Lining up and sealing the lid accurately proved challenging and time-consuming. Often, I ended up making a mess because it wasn't properly sealed. The most puzzling part was that I could never replicate the level and density of crema I got from using the original pods. So, is there a better way? Yes, there is.
Nessus Reusable Vertuo Capsule Kit
I gave this product 5 stars on Amazon because it does exactly what it promises: it makes it easy to create accurately sealed, reusable Nespresso pods. However, I still struggle to get the same level of crema retention as with an original Nespresso pod. I've tried all the best espresso brands, including Illy and Lavazza, but the crema texture and retention just aren't quite as good. Additionally, I’ve weighed the Nespresso pods to ensure I'm using the same amount of coffee. The total weight, including the pod and lid, is usually between 14 and 15 grams. So, is the secret in Nespresso’s coffee or the pod’s construction?
Solving the Mystery with Experimentation and Science
To find out, I conducted a little experiment. I cut open one of my original green-colored Stormio Nespresso Pods. The coffee grounds looked and smelled very similar to my Lavazza Espresso. I resealed the pod using the Nessus Virtuo Capsule Kit and popped it into the Virtuo coffee maker. Much to my amazement, the coffee came out the same, even with the homemade resealable pod!
What gives? Is Nespresso adding nitrogen or something else to achieve the desired crema effect? If anyone has insights on this topic, please share in the comments below.