Nespresso vs. Keurig: Who is the winner? (2022 Reviewed)

This is my comparison of Nespresso vs. Keurig, the household name of the pod coffee machine world.

Confused between Nespresso and Keurig? Well, I’ll help you in making the decision. As an avid coffee drinker and an afternoon tea-sipping fiend, I’ve been through quite a few coffee machines. 

I’ve had the opportunity to try out both Nespresso and Keurig machines, and I get asked this question all the time.

So, I thought I’d write up a post to explain the difference between the two and which one is better. And by the end of this guide, you’ll find out if you fall into the Nespresso fan club or Keurig fan club.

Best Nespresso Machines:

Best Nepsresso machine All-rounder: Nespresso VertuoPlus

Best No Fuss Espresso Machine: Nespresso Essenza Mini

Best For Variety of Beverages : Nespresso Lattissima One

Best Smart Machine: Nespresso Vertuo Next

Best Keurig Machines:

Best Keurig Coffee Maker: Keurig K-Supreme Plus SMART

Best For Large House-holds: Keurig K-Cafe

Best Compact Keurig: Keurig K-Slim

Best Value Keurig: Keurig K-Select

Nespresso vs keurig: At a Glance

Nespresso Overview

Nespresso is a Switzerland-based brand of the Nestlé Group that offers single-serve coffee makers. Nespresso does not have as much of a presence on the American market, but they are popular across Europe.

The company produces two ranges of machines: OriginalLine and VertuoLine. 

The OriginalLine is primarily a pod-based, single-serve espresso machine. Whereas, Vertuoline machines brew espresso and coffee. 

Vertuoline’s centrifusion technology gives you a perfect blend for every occasion: wake up, unwind after a long day, or just because you feel like it. This perfect blend happens because Vertuo machines spin pods thoroughly to upsurge the contact of coffee beans and hot water, which eventually forms crema on top. 

Things that set them apart are:

Keurig Overview

Keurig is the third-ranked single-cup coffee brand in the United States. Keurig Dr. Pepper, an American Company, manufactures their machines.

Keurig has been the leader in the single-serve market for a decade, with over 80+ different models to its name. This means that no matter what your needs are, Keurig probably has one that will work for you. It brews from single-serve to 60 oz pot. 

Keurig partners with different brands to produce their pods. As a result, there are over 60 different brands for Keurig’s K-cups. Every Keurig user uses K-Cups, including the Keurig K-Cafe for lattes and cappuccinos. The exception is the K-Duo, which brews the coffee grounds in a traditional filter basket.

A note about single-serve coffee makers

Single-serve coffee machines are generally only recommended if you are short on time and don’t want to deal with the inconvenience of acquiring and grinding coffee beans.

Pods take all of the efforts out of preparing coffee and simplify the procedure to the press of a button. 

So, if you’ve opted against buying coffee beans and grinding them yourself, keep reading.

Nespresso Vs Keurig: Who is the winner?

Usability

Winner: Tie

Both Nespresso and Keurig machines are straightforward to operate. Both companies have included intuitive design in the control panels of their machines, making them equally simple to operate.

Simply place a pod in the machine, fill it with water, and turn it on!

There’s just one petite difference between Nespresso and Keurig machines. The Nespresso VertuoLine automatically ejects old capsules into a container, eliminating the need to manually replace hot pods.

But that isn’t a major thing, as you won’t have to remove the hot pods right after the brew. 

Pods

Winner: Keurig

Keurig forms a lot of coffee capsules ranging from strong coffee to cocoa drinks. Eventually, you will be able to pick up pods made by brands; like Starbucks and Dunkin, as Keurig has collaborated with them to create a range of capsules. 

Moreover, the possibilities are not limited to coffee; you can get a pod to produce almost any hot beverage. This illustrates Keurig’s flexibility. 

Nespresso pods have Original machines and Vertuo models. Both lines have different pod shapes; you won’t be able to use both types of pods in one model. Nespresso capsules are made directly by the proprietary company. Though these capsules offer excellent drinks, the lack of variety can be frustrating.

Nespresso capsules feature metal bodies, which are recyclable but can result in aluminum trash if not disposed of. That’s why there is a recycling scheme in place, where you can collect your used pods and take them to a Nespresso Boutique or to a collection point, where they will recycle.

Related guide: The 17 Best Nespresso Pods in 2022 [Tried & Tested]

Brewing

Winner: Nespresso

Keurig uses simple pressure technology to brew your morning coffee mug. Keurig punches two holes in the K-Cup. One in the center and the other in the bottom of the cup to squeeze the coffee out of it. 

It takes 45 seconds to one minute to brew an 8 oz cup of coffee with a 192° Fahrenheit temperature for all machines. Its brewing method isn’t that robust, and that’s why it tends to be on the lighter side of taste.

The Nespresso Original line brewing method is 19-bar high-pressure extraction via which you can get three sizes, i.e., Ristretto, Espresso, and Lungo. Time and temperature are the actual blends via which a perfect espresso or coffee forms. 

Nespresso brews your beverage at the optimal temperature, i.e.,  181° to 187° Fahrenheit for espresso and 172° F for coffee.

As far as Nespresso Vertuoline is concerned, it employs a centrifusion technique, where centrifugal action and water fusion spin the pod at about 7000 rpm. After puncturing the pod from the edges and in the center, it prepares your coffee or espresso in Roughly 1 minute and 30 seconds. 

Nespresso’s brewing method is strong, and that’s why it gives you a fuller and rich taste by offering five different cup sizes, i.e., Espresso, Double Espresso, Gran Lungo, Coffee, and Alto.

Cost

Winner: Keurig

Coffee drinkers will often pay 2-3 times the amount of money for a cup of coffee from a local coffee shop than they would for the same cup of coffee if they were to make it at home. 

I mean, did you know that if you bought a $4 cup from a local coffee shop every day, you would spend $1,460 per year. Expensive, isn’t it?

Let’s compare the actual and annual cost per serving of Nespresso and Keurig!

Nespresso single-serve coffee maker has two lines:

• OriginalLine: It costs $0.75-$0.85 per capsule
• VertuoLine: It costs $0.90-$1.40 per capsule

On the other hand, Keurig brewers have more than one type of pod:

• K-Cup: $0.35-$0.65 per pod
• K-Vue: $0.85-$1.10 per pod
• Rivo: $0.85-$1.40 per pod
• K-Mug: $1.40-$1.60 per pod
• K-Carafe: $1.75-$2.25 per pod

Note: Keurig desists those coffee maker models that don’t use the standard K-Cup pod. You’ll not brew coffee from K-Mug, K-Vue, Rivo, and K-Carafe as they are in eBay’s storage. Today, everyone uses K-cafe for lattes and cappuccinos. 

To grasp this knowledge better, have a look:

Nespresso Original line: If its cost per 1 serving is between $0.70-$0.85, then per year cost is $292.

Nespresso Vertuoline: If its cost per 1 serving is between $0.90-$1.25, its yearly cost is 402$. 

Keurig pods: if its cost per 1 serving is between $0.35-$0.65, its annual cost is $219. 

Remember: I’ve used the most common midpoint of the Cost 1 Serving price range to calculate prices.

Nespresso and Keurig are both single-serve coffee makers and make coffee with coffee pods.

The main difference is the coffee they make, how they brew coffee and the coffee pod they use.

The original line Nespresso machines mainly brew espresso-style coffee, which is about 2 oz to 4 oz. They have Vertuoline machines that make larger cups, but Nespresso focuses on espresso drinks. Keurig coffee tastes more like drip coffee, and you can make coffee from 4 oz up to 12 oz depending on your Keurig machines.

They use different coffee pods, Nespresso uses smaller coffee capsules, and you’ll have more options for Keurig K-cup pods. And generally speaking, Nespresso capsules cost more than the K-cups.

Nespresso brews coffee with 19 bars of pressure (Original line) or the centrifugal method (Vertuo line), while Keurig uses a needle to inject water into the K-cup to extract coffee flavor.

Chris Clark
Co-Founder of brewcoffeehome.com

Performance

Winner: Nespresso

Performance depends upon the features, usage, and outcome the machine gives to you. So, I’ll come to features first, which include:

Keurig

• LCD with a colored touch system
• Brew strength control
• 80+ oz water container
• Built-in milk frother 

Nespresso

• Built-in milk frothers and steam wand
• Easy-to-use custom size selector
• Sneak in less counter space (personal preference)
• Brew better espresso

Let’s dive into the usage of both machines. Both Keurig and Nespresso offer user-friendly interfaces. 

Apart from features and usability, the final product is more important. I must say that the Nespresso machine brews a lot better espresso cup with a crema on the top than Keurig machines.

Beverage Variety 

Winner: Keurig

Keurig pods offer more than 400 beverage varieties from 60 brands, whereas Nespresso VertuoLine, which features bar-code scanning technology, has only 17 different types of coffee at the moment. 

But as we talked about above, this isn’t just the quantity game, as quality supersedes quantity. Indeed, The Keurig doesn’t limit itself to coffee. You can also relish the following beverages:

• Hot chocolate
• Hot apple cider
• Tea
• Lemonade
• Fruity drinks

No matter what, Keurig didn’t offer espresso, which Nespresso does. Hence, if you’re a coffee yet espresso lover, you may overlook this discrepancy because Nespresso brews high-quality coffee.

Ease of Cleaning

Winner: Nespresso

The worrisome question? Who is easiest to clean? Nespresso or Keurig?

Both are fairly fair when it comes to maintenance:

• Sponge down the exterior (make sure the cloth is non-abrasive)
• Wipe down the detachable part and wash them in running water
• Descale the water tank with water or any citric solution to remove calcium deposits.

It is nearly going to tie here because a Nespresso machine came up with a descaling mode for optimal internal cleaning, which gives ease to Nespresso users while cleaning. Unlike Keurig, in which there are more parts, they tend to get finicky, too.

Milk Accessories

Winner: Nespresso

Milk steaming wands are standard on most Nespresso machines, and many feature removable milk containers. Nespresso includes the Aeroccino milk frother with some variants. 

Most Nespresso machines include built-in capsule collection trays that collect old capsules, so you don’t have to throw them away after each brew.

Although higher-end models like the K-Café and K-Latte have built-in milk frothing, most basic Keurig machines don’t come with milk attachments. 

Choose from models like the K-Duo Plus, which includes a heated carafe, or packages that include a variety of K-Cups.

Range of Coffee Machines

Winner: Keurig

Due to Keurig’s range of coffee machines, it has more variety in its prices as well in comparison to Nespresso.

Nespresso Inissia by DeLonghi

This mini espresso maker has a 24 oz water container, and it brews espresso and lungo. Although this OriginalLine machine has a compact yet modern outlook with some flashy features, this espresso maker is $190. And if you add an Aeroccino 3 frother, the price raised more than $200.

Keurig K-Cafe

This Keurig model brews four cup sizes and has a 60 oz water reservoir. Not just that, it froth milk as well. Though this machine doesn’t brew an authentic espresso shot, it’s an attached frother and removable water reservoir. However, Keurig costs up to $180, less than Nespresso Innisia.

This illustrates that Keurig’s high-end model is of less cost than that of Nespresso’s basic OriginalLine espresso machine.

Caffeine Content

Winner: Nespresso

Caffeine content is what most people are chasing in their mug of coffee. 

Keurig claims that their K-cup pods contain 75 and 150 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup, with an added disclaimer that caffeine content relies on the coffee grounds in the pod and natural variations. 

Nespresso gives us a range of caffeine content due to its OriginalLine and the VertuoLine. The original line has 3 varied pods with different caffeine content.

• Brewed Espresso has 55-65 mg of caffeine per brewed capsule.
• Lungo blend has 77-89 mg caffeine, i.e., 20% more coffee per capsule than Espresso.
• Kazar blend has the highest caffeine content, with 125 mg per capsule. 

VertuoLine pods have a higher caffeine content than Keurig coffee pods and even the Nespresso OriginalLine capsules. 

• Espressos caffeine content is 60-150 mg per capsule.
• Double espressos have less than 200 mg per capsule. 
• Gran Lungo has 120-125 mg of caffeine per capsule.
• Coffee and Alto capsules have 130-200 mg of caffeine per cup.
• Half Caffeinato blend has about 90 mg of caffeine. 
• Decaffeinated blends contain no more than 12 mg of caffeine. 

Related guide: How Much Caffeine Is in a Nespresso Coffee Pod?

Quality, Durability & Reliability

Winner: Nespresso

Keurig’s coffee makers have constructed from thin plastic, while Nespresso’s Swiss-made machines have sturdy plastic with metallic-plated exteriors that enhance their density and longevity. 

Also, Nespresso backs up with 2 years of guarantee, which Keurig lacks as it has just a 1-year guarantee.

Recycling & Impact on Environment

Winner: Nespresso

Nonetheless, both Keurig and Nespresso are concerned about the environment and are working tirelessly to incline towards eco-friendliness.

Keurig’s goal is to make all of its capsules entirely recyclable, while Nespresso has previously established a good network of recycling stations by Ecolaboration Program in their shops and shared retail locations where you can drop off or discharge your spent capsules. They’ve put up capsule recycling facilities around Canada, with the objective of recycling 75 percent of all sales of capsules. 

Plus point: Nespresso encourages recycling the capsules at their collection points in Nespresso boutiques, TerraCycle collection points in retail partner locations around the US, and via UPS through Nespresso’s mail-back program. 

The Final Showdown

Winner: Nespresso

Cost to purchase: Keurig

Cost: Keurig

Expense per serving: Keurig

Brew sizes: Nespresso

Range of machines: Keurig

Range of coffee pods: Keurig

Beverage variety: Keurig

Caffeine content: Nespresso 

Brewing method and quality: Nespresso 

Performance: Nespresso

Ease of cleaning: Nespresso

Quality and durability: Nespresso 

Design and Usage: Nespresso 

Recycling and environmental impact: Nespresso

Despite their very small percentage in the US market, I believe Nespresso is the superior brand, but for most consumers, the choice will come down to cost against performance:

• Nespresso is a superior manufacturer with superior products.
• Keurig machines are less expensive to buy and run regularly.

However, this research focuses solely on the macro-level decision of Nespresso vs. Keurig. Within each brand, there are many classes of brewers that provide diverse capabilities at variable pricing.

So, coffee fanatics, my comparison guide is in front of you. Now, you’re free to choose between Keurig and Nespresso (the most suitable one, according to you).

FAQs

What is Nespresso?

Nespresso, Nestle’s sub-brand, is situated in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is a single-serve machine that brews both espresso and coffee with pre-portioned reusable capsules. These capsules contain coffee grounds or sometimes extra flavorings.

How to use Nespresso?

• Fill the water reservoir and turn the machine On.
• If the light is blinking, the machine is heating up, and it will take almost 15-30 seconds (depending on the model).
• When the light becomes steady, insert your favorite capsule, either from Nespresso or off-brand.
• Close the lever and place a cup of sufficient capacity.
• Choose the option of espresso, lungo, or any other. 

What is Keurig?

Keurig is among the third-ranked single-cup coffee brands in the United States. Keurig Dr. Pepper, an American company, produces their machines. 

How to Use Keurig?

• Place your favorite K-Cup pack in the coffee chamber after opening the lid.
• Fill the water reservoir if necessary before brewing.
• Place your coffee mug on the drink plate, choose your cup size, then press the brew button.
• In less than a minute, you can enjoy one excellent cup of coffee.

For detailed steps read our guide on using coffee maker.

Are Nespresso Pods compatible with Keurig?

The Nespresso pods and Keurig capsules are incompatible. The most noticeable distinction between them is in their shapes and sizes. Because Nespresso pods are smaller than Keurig cups, they will not fit in the Keurig. The same is true with K-cups.

Related Read: Where to buy Nespresso Pods?

Why is Nespresso better than Keurig?

Nespresso’s durability, patent bar-code technology, and its crema top-rich espresso make it stand out against Keurig. Also, Nespresso offers more flavor and zest in a coffee mug, and this is what Keurig lacks.