Top 8: These shop-bought coffee capsules are top of the froths
Pic: Istock
Coffee capsules have become part of coffee culture. While some of us like the ritual of grinding beans and passing them through filters, these are quick, neat and easy.
Recycling has been a problem. There is now a trend towards making coffee pods more environmentally friendly, and while many brands have recyclable capsules, we have to work at making sure we put them in designated bins.
Nespresso offers a bag for returns, with an option for An Post to collect from homes – see Nespresso.com for details.
Some supermarkets accept used capsules for recycling. Another option is to buy pods compostable at home.
Capsules come with many options. Lungo is designed as an espresso to be used with more water.
When the coffee has been extracted, an Americano has hot water added to it.
A cortado in Spanish is an espresso that is ‘cut’ or topped with milk.
Ristretto is a short espresso made with less water than the espresso shot, so is stronger.
A macchiato is an espresso ‘stained’ or topped with a little frothy milk so the strong flavour of the coffee comes through.
We excluded Lungo capsules to focus on espresso for a fair comparison.
Our trained barista and two others tested black, while the rest of us judged with frothed milk.
All tasters liked this Colombian blend, both black and with milk - one of the three top markers in this survey.
Smooth, complex with gentle, sweet tropical fruit and some nut hints.
The capsules and lids are compostable and the bag is recyclable.
From somacoffeecompany.ie, as well as their cafés.
- Score: 10
A blend of beans from Brazil, Nicaragua and Ethiopia, we got dark chocolate, cookie, dates, and Amaretto, as noted, at different stages of sipping.
Beautifully smooth and elegant, the sister Acha (€8.95) is more adventurous and challenging with hints of pineapple and rosewater. Clean tasting, yet complex. Home compostable.
We bought in Filter and available in Wunderkaffee, Farran, Cork. Ring ahead to be sure of stock, 085-7460108.
- Score: 10
A beautiful arabica bean coffee is mellow and needs less milk in the cappuccino.
Hints of chocolate and nuts make for a comforting drink.
Very good as an espresso and is available in decaf. Another top scorer.
Third Floor Espresso can be bought in Filter, in stores nationwide and at shop.3fe.com.
- Score: 10
Nice, easy drinking with a few flavour notes of fruit from Arabica beans.
Good for cappuccinos.
While not in the same league as our top three markers, a pleasant drink which was top of the supermarket capsules.
In aluminium capsules.
- Score: 8
Mild, easy drinking, nicely balanced, with no depth or complexity, made from Arabica beans, but pleasant enough. Aluminium capsules.
- Score: 7.75
Blond suggests the lowest roast of this brand to avoid bitterness.
Not a complex coffee, it’s mellow, slightly sweet, innocuous and pleasant, as expected of a low roast. A good starter espresso.
- Score: 7.5
The most popular of the flavours in Brown Thomas where we bought it, our barista found the crema good, but with harsh flavours for espresso.
Our cappuccino tasters liked the slight kick with milk. Plenty of flavours are available.
Made for the Nestlé company, which sources just 40% of the beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.
Made from 80% recycled aluminium which can be returned in the bag provided where it has been bought.
- Score: 7.25
In strength no 6, this beat other supermarket offerings for eighth place for its suitability for cappuccinos.
Bitter for black, yet with a hint of richness which withstood the milk nicely.
Certified Rainforest Alliance. Made in Spain in aluminium pods.
- Score: 7