Nespresso capsules are great because they’re a super fast and super convenient way to make espresso. But one huge downside of the capsules is their exorbitant cost. So how many times can you use a Nespresso capsule?
How many times can Nespresso capsules be reused?
For best results, Nespresso capsules should only be used once. They’re designed to be single use, and you’ll get good tasting coffee that way.
Can you run a Nespresso pod twice?
People do say that you can use a spent Nespresso capsule twice. The rationale behind that claim is that the second shot will be a little watered down, but still drinkable.
This post from Delishably goes even as far as to claim that the resulting coffee or espresso is good enough to reuse pods every time and effectively cut the cost of your coffee pods in half.
I’ll have to disagree there.
Even if we remove coffee pods from the equation, coffee grounds can only be used once. Running Nespresso pods twice will result in brown water rather than coffee, and it will hardly be drinkable.
Of course you may not notice if you add lots of milk and sugar, but then what’s the point?
When you brew coffee – regardless of whether it’s from a coffee pod or coffee grounds – water dissolves soluble compuonds from the grounds.
As you can imagine, once the compounds are dissolved, they are no longer in the coffee!
So any subsequent brews using the same coffee will not taste half as good.
The right way to reuse Nespresso capsules
So now that we’ve established that Nespresso capsules can’t be used twice, there is a DIY hack for reusing Nespresso capsules.
Please bear in mind that using this hack will void your warranty, so you’ve been warned.
Once you have brewed one cup with the capsule, remove it and peel or cut off the foil.
Empty out the spent coffee grounds and rinse the capsule well. Air dry or use a towel to get it nice and dry.
Grind some coffee beans to espresso consistency: very fine, and fill the capsule almost up to the brim. This won’t be much coffee: just about 8-10 grams.
Take some foil and cut a circular shape out of it a little larger than the opening of the capsule.
Place the foil over the capsule and fold the edges down to make it fit. It won’t really stick, but it should fit.
Carefully place the capsule in your machine and close the lid.
Brew as you would.
If you can get this to work correctly, you can hypothetically use a single pod as many times as you like, as the aluminum part of the pod does not get damanged at all during the brew.
Can this damage your machine?
Yes.
Nespresso machines are designed to use a specific kind of pod, and if you use hacked pods, you may find that the resulting coffee does not turn out quite as good, or the pod gets stuck in your machine, or grounds get stuck in the machine.
Using hacked capsules is generally a bad idea, but some folks have tried it and had success with it.
Then again, you’re voiding your warranty if you use any non-Nespresso capsule, but those are at least made to more rigorous standards than you can jerry rig in your kitchen.
Refillable Nespresso Capsules
Another option is to use refillable Nespresso capsules. Please bear in mind that these work best with OriginalLine machines, not the newer VertuoLine series.
The VertuoLine brewers are a much more closed ecosystem and that’s just the nature of these Nespresso machines, sadly.
Refillable capsules are really easy to use. Essentially, they use the same principle as the foil method described above, except that they come with a better means of sealing the pod.
Aside from that, everything else will be the same.
- Compatible with Nespresso Originalline: These reusable nespresso pods are precisely designed for Nespresso Originalline machine, includes Nespresso U;Pixie;Le Cube;Maestria;Lattissima;Inissia;Concept;Essenza Mini and Citiz(not Fit For Citiz EN267,D110,Essenza C100,Essenza Mini D30;Inissia C40,Le Cube D185 & C185,Krups CitiZ XN740B and Prodigio Krups)
- Premium quality for strong espresso: Our nespresso refillable pod is made of food-grade stainless steel, anti-rust, wear-resistant,safe, healthy and long lasting(up to 10,000 times!). The capsule wall is in superior hardness,featuring foil lids with strong glue for sealing,extracting fully and precipitating with crema at high temperature, preserving the freshness and mellowness of the coffee
- Prefilled and fresh preserving wood tray: Delicate and premium wood tray with 6pcs rubber holders, which can easily prefill and store 6pcs nespresso refillable pods at one time. The reusable nespresso pods are sealed in airtight rubber holder, protecting and preserving coffee quality, freshness, and intensity that can last for 7 days. Get ready to use anytime
- Price & planet wise: If you use these nespresso pods reusable solely you wind up saving money in the long run and can use whatever your favorite coffee is. They help ease the burden of trash by only replacing the disposable foil seal,lower the cost to brew each cup and make a contribution to protect our homeland
- Easy to customized and brew: Easily fill with a scoopful of your own dark roasted fine grinds to the refillable capsules and lightly tamp down,apply aluminum foil lids on top. Redefine your coffee within minutes! No mess! Without any sticky residue to affect next use
- Nespresso Originalline compatible: This includes Nespresso U; Pixie; Le Cube; Maestria; Lattissima; Inissia; Concept; Essenza Mini and Citiz (not Fit For Citiz EN267,D110,Essenza C100,Essenza Mini D30 and Prodigio Krups). Come with extra silicone ring for replacing and prolonging using year
- Safe for body, no strange odour in coffee: Food grade aluminum lids with grab tab. Our refillable nespresso pod is made of food-grade stainless steel, anti-rust, wear-resistant,safe and durable (up to 10,000 times!). The more you used, the more money you saved. Package Included 2 pcs reusable originalline pods,100 pcs aluminum foils, 1 pc brush, 1 pc scoop
- Easy to operate: Brew your homemade aromatic espresso to start the nice day! Easily fill 5 to 6 grams of dark roasted espresso grounds to the refillable capsules, lightly tampt down and scrape away the rim with the included spoon. Convenient to seal and peel off the aluminum foil lid. Without any sticky residue to affect next use
- Enjoy strong espresso with gloden creamy: The capsule wall is in superior hardness, featuring foil lids with strong glue for sealing, extracting fully and precipitating with crema at high temperature, preserving the freshness and mellowness of the coffee.Imagine a moment of peace in your busy day enjoying the ultimate cup of espresso with full, lasting crema
- Redefine your coffee: Refill reusable original capsules in less than 60 seconds with the freedom of being able to choose any blend you enjoy, pair with milk or your favorite non-dairy creamer and enjoy a latte, Americano, or cappuccino! Lowers the cost to brew each cup and make a contribution to protect our homeland
Related
Check out our favorite Nespresso models here
Conclusion
So what does all this mean? How many times can you reuse a Nespresso capsule? I still say zero times. The capsules are meant to be used once and then thrown away or preferably sent back to Nespresso for recycling.
Finally, in all honesty, if you’re going through all the trouble of peeling and resealing a pod, why not just use a regular espresso machine where you properly tamp and brew a shot of espresso?
Last update on 2025-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
