How a capsule machine works
A capsule is a sealed dose of ground coffee. You drop it in and press a button. Needles pierce the capsule, and hot water goes through the grounds and into your cup. What differs is how each machine moves the water. The grind and the dose are done for you.
Nespresso: Original and Vertuo
Original works with a pump rated up to 19 bar. Out comes a short shot topped with crema. Crema is tiny air bubbles mixed with the coffee's oils. Vertuo spins the capsule thousands of times a minute. A barcode on the rim tells the machine the recipe. Its sizes run from a 40 ml espresso up to a large mug.
Keurig
A K-Cup is a plastic pod with a paper filter inside. Hot water runs through the grounds at low pressure. The default water temperature is about 89 °C. Cup sizes depend on the model. One tester found a much wider choice of blends and brands in K-Cups. Keurig's own reusable filter, My K-Cup, takes your own ground coffee.
| Nespresso Original | Nespresso Vertuo | Keurig | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it brews | A pump pushes hot water through | Spins the capsule; a barcode sets the recipe | Low-pressure drip through a paper filter |
| Coffee per capsule | About 5-7 g | More in bigger pods, not published | About 9-12 g |
| Cup sizes | 25, 40 or 110 ml | 40 ml up to a large mug | Usually 6-12 oz |
| Pressure | Pump rated up to 19 bar | Centrifugal spin | Low pressure |
| Capsule material | Aluminium | Aluminium | Plastic, polypropylene since 2020 |
Which one, by the coffee you drink
Start with what is in your cup most mornings. For espresso, or milk drinks built on it, look at Nespresso Original or Vertuo. For a mug of coffee you sip slowly, look at Keurig or Vertuo.
Capsules and the bin
Nespresso capsules are aluminium and can be recycled. In the US, Nespresso hands out a free recycling bag. You drop the full bag at UPS or a boutique. Even so, only about a quarter of Nespresso capsules get recycled. K-Cups are plastic. Since the end of 2020 they have been made of polypropylene, chosen to allow recycling. In 2022 Keurig Canada paid a CA$3 million penalty over misleading recycling claims.