It can’t be denied that Nespresso and Keurig are the two juggernauts of the pod coffee machine world. Both are two well-renowned and reputable brands.
But if you’re stuck between choosing Nespresso or Keurig, this guide will help you make a decision.
We’ve extensively used both Keurig and Nespresso machines, and while there’s a place for both machines, we’ll help you find out if you fall in the Nespresso fan club or Keurig fan club.
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Nespresso Vs Keurig: which is better?
To make things simpler, I am going to divide the in-depth comparison into various sections of things that are important when considering a coffee machine, and I’ll attempt to present Nespresso Vs Keurig side by side.
Nespresso Vs Keurig Side by Side Comparison
| Nespresso | Keurig |
| Brews great espresso | Lots of different models |
| Vertuo models brew great coffee | Hundreds of different coffees |
| Very easy to use | Coffee quality is so-so |
| Well-built and luxurious feel | Capsules are cheaper |
| Limited variety of coffees | Easy to use |
Where Nespresso is better
- Durability and quality: Nespresso is built tougher
- Brewing quality: Nespresso brews a “truer” cup of coffee
Nespresso has two types of coffee makers: OriginalLine and VertuoLine. OriginalLine works much like your typical espresso machine. Water is forced through the capsule at 18 bars of pressure to brew a tasty shot of espresso.
Nespresso Vertuo is a little different as it’s meant to brew larger cups of coffee. Instead of a single hole at the bottom, multiple holes are punctured into the side of the pod, and the pod is spun at very high speeds(upwards of 7000 RPM) to extract coffee using centrifugal force.
I personally feel that Nespresso makes superb coffees but the overall cost really adds up over time. The shots are not exactly espresso, but they’re the next best thing.
There are also a lot of different coffees available that result in a rich and aromatic drink.
Where Keurig is better
- Variety of beverages: Keurig has a far greater variety of beverages
- Variety of models: Keurig offers 50+ models compared to far fewer from Nespresso
Keurig is incredibly versatile. You can use them for coffee, tea, even hot chocolate. There are literally hundreds of pods available.
Keurigs work by filling the pod with hot water, and piercing the bottom of the pod to let water drain out. A paper filter inside the pod keeps the grounds from getting into your water.
These machines actually have a second internal water tank that stays hot, so you can get coffee at the touch of a button.
The answer to the question of Nespresso or Keurig(and which is better of the two) is very subjective and very dependent on your personal preferences.
Keurig has far more variety and flexibility, while with Nespresso, you’re locked into their ecosystem.
As far as cost, both Nespresso and Keurig are quite similar. There are expensive and cheap machines available from both companies, though as we saw above, Nespresso capsules can get quite expensive.
Also read: Keurig vs. French Press Comparison
Nespresso Inissia by DeLonghi
- Single serve espresso machine
- Can brew espresso and lungo(black coffee)
- 24 oz water reservoir
- OriginalLine pods
- Just above $100
- Get the optional Aeroccino milk frother and make frothed milk for lattes and cappuccinos
- Read full review here
Keurig K-Cafe
- The K-Cafe is a single serve coffee machine
- Can brew a whole mug of coffee
- Can also brew a strong coffee concentrate(not true espresso) to mix with frothed milk to make a cappuccino or latte
- Compatible with K-Cups only
- Less than $200
The Keurig K-Cafe is the closest direct competitor to the Nespresso machine. Even then, the Keurig K-Cafe is not a dedicated espresso maker. However, it does have an attached milk frother, so you can froth milk to make specialty coffees.
The K-Cafe is actually a really good choice if you’re not planning on drinking shots of espresso, but only cappuccinos and lattes.
A note about single serve coffee makers
On the whole, a single serve coffee maker isonly recommended when you’re really strapped for time and you don’t want to go through the trouble of buying coffee beans and grinding them.
Pods take all of the hard work out of coffee making and reduce the whole process to the touch of a button.
However, pod coffee can never match the quality of a freshly brewed cup.
So if you’ve decided that you’re not going to buy coffee beans and grind them yourself, read on.
Nespresso Vs Keurig Compared
Types of beverages brewed
Winner: Keurig
A Keurig coffee maker is a single-serve coffee maker. You put a pod in, fill the tank with some water, and press the button – and the machine produces a perfectly brewed single cup of coffee. Neat, right?
It doesn’t stop there, though: Keurig has a giant variety of capsules – as well as capsules made by other companies – so there are tons of different blends you can try.
Keurig’s ecosystem also allows for a reusable K-Cup that you can fill up with your own coffee grounds.
If you want a break from coffee altogether(I don’t know why someone would, but hypothetically speaking) you can even opt to get non-coffee pods.
These include hot chocolate, teas, and fruit-based drinks.
The variety is nearly endless with Keurig machines – though the type of coffee it brews is not an espresso, it’s actually a regular single-serving of black coffee.
A Nespresso coffee maker, as the name may suggest, is an espresso maker that uses proprietary pods made by Nespresso themselves to brew single shots of espresso with a handsome layer of crema on top.
There also lungo shots available with the Nespresso Vertuo system which are essentially larger pods, so you get a larger amount of coffee – black coffee in this instance rather than the smaller espresso shot. These were developed for the North American market where people drink larger amounts of coffee in one go.
On that note, Nespresso has two sub-brands of capsules: VertuoLine and Originalline. There is a difference in the way each pod is brewed, and the flavors available are also a little different between the two lines.
Nespresso Vertuo machines brew bigger servings but many people(myself included) feel that OriginalLine brews a more authentic shot.
To see a list of the varieties of capsules available, you can check out the Nespresso website.
Nespresso Original can brew a typical espresso, a ristretto, and a lungo, depending on the pod you are using.
Nespresso Vertuo brews both espresso and coffee.
You will have to match the pod to the beverage you want, meaning you can’t brew a 12 ounce beverage from a smaller espresso pod.
This is because there is a barcode on each VertuoLine capsule that instructs the machine how to brew it.
Overall, Nespresso will definitely brew high quality coffee.
Keurigs are clearly the more flexible machines, having the ability to brew a LOT more variety of beverages than a normal coffee machine, but for espresso-only lovers, the Nespresso may be a more suitable choice.
Cost of coffee maker
Winner: Tie
Both Keurig and Nespresso are quite budget-friendly especially with their entry-level models. You can pick up either for less than $150, though top of the line models of Nespresso can cost more than $200.
When considering the overall expense of Keurig Vs Nespresso, it’s important to not get too caught up in the cost of the machine itself, but in the cost of the capsules.
Cost of capsules
Winner: Keurig
Without factoring in the cost of running the machine itself, we can do some math to see how much a Keurig would cost you per year and how much a Nespresso would cost you per year, assuming you drank one cup per day.
There are a few things to note, however.
There are a wide variety of Keurig K-Cups(5 to be precise) and the different varities brew different amounts of coffee. For example, there are larger K-Carafes which brew large amounts of coffee in a single go, ideally for commercial settings or large households.
Nespresso, like noted above, only has two types of capsules at this point: Nespresso VertuoLine and OriginalLine.
Nespresso cost per cup
- The average cost of an OriginalLine capsule is $0.80
- The average cost of a VertuoLine capsule is $1.15
Assuming you drank one cup per day, for one year, an OriginalLine machine would cost you $292.
A VertuoLine machine would cost you $419.
To compare, picking up a $3 coffee at a local coffee shop every day would cost you $1095.
That’s still saving over $700 per year with OriginalLine, and over $600 per year with VertuoLine.
Keurig cost per cup
Keurig has 5 different kinds of pods, and the compatibility varies with the type of machine.
- K-Cup – a single cup of coffee: $0.50 per pod
- K-Mug and K-Vue brew the same size of coffee: $1.50 per pod
- K-Vue: $0.99 per pod
- K-Carafe can brew 4 mugs of coffee in one go, essentially 4 K-Cups: $2 per pod
- Rivo: $1.25 per pod
With K-Cups, drinking one cup per day, you’ll spend $183
With K-Mugs, drinking one per day, you’ll spend $547
With K-Vue, drinking one per day, you’ll spend $365
With K-Carafe, assuming you brew four cups per day, you’ll spend $700
With Rivo, drinking one per day, you’ll spend $457
(Please note that all the prices are averages)
Clearly, Keurig has an overall advantage in terms of money value per cup.
However, you may be an espresso or cappuccino person like me, and you would much rather prefer a nice foamy latte or cappuccino rather than a mug of black coffee – in which case the slightly higher cost of ownership for Nespresso machines may be justified.
Brewing method and quality
Winner: Nespresso
The brewing method of Keurig and Nespresso is quite similar. Both machines use pressure and heat to extract the flavor from the coffee(or beverage) grounds into water.
However, Keurigs can brew a cup of coffee in just about a minute – that’s a lot faster than any other machine out there.
Nespresso does brew the “finer” beverage, though. Nespresso coffees have been reported to be more authentic and flavorful than Keurig coffees – but both are still better than typical drip coffee.
Nespressos are built better
As for build quality, Nespresso is the clear winner. Nespressos are made in Switzerland and they are made with better quality plastic than a Keurig coffee maker is.
Keurigs are made in China. They don’t take any shortcuts on their materials, for sure, but the higher Nespresso price point is due to the fact the use more plastic and metal in their machines than other manufacturers.
As such, you get what you pay for – the costlier Nespressos are definitely more durable than Keurigs, plus they have a 2 year warranty you can fall back on should something go wrong. Keurig, on the other hand, has a 1 year warranty.
Variety of models available
Winner: Keurig
Keurig has over 55 models to choose from – each ranging in price, brewing capacity, and more. At the very core, though, all Keurigs are designed to brew beverages from the K-Cups.
The large variety definitely means there is a wide price range and something for every budget. You can pick up a Keurig for less than $100 all the way up to a commercial model well above $500.
Which brings me to the fact that there are indeed commercial Keurigs available. Many offices and workplaces have Keurigs that have large tanks or direct plumbing options (so you don’t need to keep refilling) and are able to brew hundreds of beverages a day very easily.
Nespresso has a much tighter – or exclusive, depending on how you look at it – line of coffee makers. Some of there machines are name-brand Nespresso machines, whereas others are made by licensing their technology out to companies like DeLonghi.
Some machines also have very nice built in frothers to make lattes and cappucinos.
Bottom line
Keurig is definitely the winner as far as variety goes. There are far more models to choose from and they are suited to a much wider range of budgets.
Flexibility
Winner: Keurig
Keurig is definitely very, very flexible. It’s not limited to just being a coffee machine. With a Keurig, there are hundreds of different kinds of beverages that you can brew, from coffee, to hot chocolate, to teas, to fruit-based drinks.
A large number of brands support Keurig and make their own capsules with their own name brand coffee(Starbucks and Maxwell house for example), so there is really something for everyone with a Keurig.
Especially if you are generally loyal to and enjoy Starbucks brand coffees, you can continue your patronage of Starbucks coffee with your Keurig by using Starbucks capsules.
Additionally, some Keurig coffee maker models are compatible with a reusable K-Cup that you can fill in with any kind of ground coffee – or other beverage powders – that you like, reducing your overall cost and environmental footprint, too.
We used to have a Keurig in which we used some pods for every now and then, but most of the time, he used his favorite brand coffee which he had been drinking for a long time with the reusable mesh pods.
Buying a Nespresso is kind of like buying an Apple device. Once you commit to the machine, you’re stuck in their proprietary ecosystem.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as their coffees are indeed very good, it just means that you’re stuck using their own products and are limited to the kinds of coffees they sell.
There are jerry-rigged reusable capsules for the OriginalLine machines, but they’re aftermarket solutions at best and not exactly very ideal.
As you can see, it’s by no means a limited selection but it’s still smaller than the huge variety available with Keurig.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
Winner: Tie
Finally, the big question! Which machine is easier to maintain?
Keurig and Nespresso are both fairly easy to clean, with little regular maintenance required besides:
- Cleaning the exterior with a damp cloth
- Cleaning the detachable parts every so often
- Descaling the water tank with a water/citric acid solution every 3-6 months.
However, if we were really going to put it to a head to head comparison, Nespresso machines are slightly easier to clean because they have less outside moving parts than Keurig machines, in which there are more parts, and they have a tendency to get more fiddly, too.
Environmental impact
Winner: Nespresso
Coffee pods are disposable by nature, and every time you drink some coffee from a single serve machine, you’re generating some non-biodegradable trash.
Is that a game changer for you? Only you alone can take that decision.
However, both Keurig and Nespresso are aware of the huge environmental footprint they have created and are actively working towards making their coffee makers more eco-friendly.
Keurig aims to make all their pods fully recyclable, and Nespresso has already set up a decent infrastructure of recycling centers in their own stores and participating retail stores where you can drop off or send your used capsules for recycling.
Is Nespresso compatible with Keurig?
Nespresso capsules are not compatible with Keurig machines, and K-Cup pods are not compatible with Nespresso machines.
I wish there was some magic one size fits all capsule that did indeed fit both machines, but sadly that’s not meant to be(as of now, anyway).
Nespresso capsules and Keurig pods are shaped completely differently – so while the contents may be relatively similar, there’s just no way you can physically fit a K-Cup pod into a Nespresso machine or Nespresso pods into a Keurig machine.
Does Nespresso have more caffeine than Keurig?
Nespresso Caffeine Content
According to Caffeine Informer:
- On average, an OriginalLine shot contains 55-65 mg
- An OriginalLine lungo shot contains 77-89 mg
VertuoLine capsules are much larger, so
- On average, a VertuoLine shot contains 110 mg
- On average, a VertuoLine lungo shot contains 65 mg
Keurig Caffeine Content
Keurig K-Cups brew a full 8 fl. oz size cup of coffee, so they contain quite a bit of caffeine: about 100 mg per serving.
Keurig also makes Extra Bold K-Cups, which contain 30% more coffee grounds, and as a result, will contain about 130 mg of caffeine per serving.
Keurigs are a little tricky to exactly estimate caffeine content for since there are so many varieties available(especially compared to Nespresso, where fewer varieties mean a more accurate average).
Related:
- Low acid K cups to try
- Are Keurigs worth it?
- Is Nespresso worth it?
- Strongest K Cup Coffee
- Single Serve Coffee Makers
- Keurig vs Mr coffee
- Nespresso vs Espresso
- Illy vs Nespresso
- Verismo vs Nespresso
Bottom line: Nespresso vs Keurig
Is there a true winner between the two? I don’t think so, it’s hard to say.
Types of beverages: Keurig
Cost of coffee makers: Tie
Cost of capsules: Keurig
Brewing method and quality: Tie
Variety of models: Keurig
Flexibility: Keurig
Ease of Use: Tie
Environmental impact: Nespresso
I think the best way to boil it down between the two models is to ask yourself:
Do you want an all-round machine that you can use to make coffee and a wide variety of other beverages? If so, go for Keurig.
Or do you want an espresso-specific machine that brews nearly barista-style espresso? If so, go for Nespresso.
Last update on 2024-04-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
