Nespresso machines are popular single-serve brewers which make it ridiculously easy to produce a delicious cup of coffee. Brewing is as easy as inserting a Nespresso pod and pushing the start button. However, this simple brewing process does make it easy to overindulge and really fill up your caffeine content for the day.
In this article, we are going to take a look at how much caffeine is in a Nespresso pod. We will compare the Nespresso Vertuo caffeine content to that of the original pods, and help you to estimate how many coffees a day would be suitable for a moderate caffeine intake.
Nespresso Caffeine Content- Short Answer
While Nespresso does not state the exact caffeine content in Nespresso coffee, they do estimate that if you are brewing an Espresso or Lungo in the Original or Professional range there is around 40-130 mg of caffeine per cup. So for moderate coffee consumption, Nespresso recommends you have 3-5 cups of coffee a day if brewing with original pods or 2-5 cups of coffee a day with the professional pods.
In contrast, if you are brewing with a Vertuo capsule you can expect anywhere from 60-200 mg of caffeine per cup. Nespresso recommends up to 2-3 cups of coffee a day if you are drinking a Mug, Gran Lungo, or Double Espresso. If the Alto is your daily drive the max is 2. And if you like your coffee short and sharp, you can have 2-5 espressos a day.
What Is Caffeine?
Caffeine is something millions of us rely on to wake up or get through the day. And if you are reading this article, you are likely one of those people. So what is caffeine and how does it work?
Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance that is commonly found in coffee, tea, and cacao plants. While it works on various organs in the body, its main effect is on the brain where it blocks the effects of a neurotransmitter known as Adenosine. Adenosine is responsible for relaxing the brain and making you feel tired, so when caffeine blocks this, it helps you feel awake, alert, and focused. Caffeine works very quickly, it reaches the bloodstream in 20 minutes and has its full effect within an hour of consumption.
The FDA recommends that 400mg of caffeine is a safe amount for healthy adults to consume daily. This equates to around 3-5 cups of original Nespresso coffee or 2-5 cups of Nespresso Vertuo coffee (depending on the cup size).
As a side note, if you are pregnant, the recommended daily intake is less than 200mg of caffeine a day.
What Are Nespresso Pods?
Nespresso pods are single-serve capsules that are filled with roast coffee grounds. There are two types of Nespresso Pods; OriginalLine and VertuoLine, which are only compatible with their respective machines.
For those not familiar with the Nespresso system, the OriginalLine coffee machine incorporates a 19-bar pump which is used to pump hot water at high pressure through the Nespresso pod to produce espresso.
The VertuoLine machines utilize a different system, known as centrifusion to spin the capsule at high speeds which blends the coffee and water. The VertuoLine machines are able to produce different-sized beverages and use specialized pods with barcodes that dictate the temperature and water volume required for each capsule. Because the VertuoLine Nespresso coffee capsules produce larger-sized drinks they contain different amounts of coffee and thus typically have more caffeine.
Intensity of Pods
A common misconception with Nespresso coffee capsules is that the intensity level indicates the caffeine content of the Nespresso pod. However, this is not true. Rather the intensity level of a Nespresso pod is determined by the flavor, strength, and roast level of the coffee used. The intensity level ranges from 1 to 11 with 1 being a very light and mild flavor, while 11 being a dark, strong, and bitter flavor. So the intensity level has nothing to do with the caffeine content, and in fact, often darker roasted coffees (such as those used in the higher intensity pods) have less caffeine than light roasted coffee.
Caffeine Content In Original Nespresso Capsules
On average, the caffeine content in original Nespresso capsules ranges around 60-90mg. This caffeine content depends on two factors; the amount of coffee used and the type of coffee bean used.
There are two types of coffee beans commonly used, Robusta and Arabica. Arabica is the most widely consumed coffee, with an Arabica bean containing around 1.2 percent caffeine. Arabica beans are typically sweet, with fruity notes or cereal or nutty flavors
Robusta coffee is less commonly used, and typically seen in instant coffee. Robusta beans contain around 2.4 percent of caffeine. Robusta coffee has a deep flavor with woody or nutty notes.
Nespresso has a range of pods made with either Arabica or Robusta beans and blends made from both.
Caffeine Content In Nespresso Vertuo Pods
Once again the caffeine content in Vertuo capsules varies depending on the type of coffee bean used and the amount of ground coffee in the pod. With Nespresso Vertuo pods, there is typically a larger amount of coffee used, given the larger cup sizes and thus a higher caffeine content. The caffeine level for Espresso and Gran Lungo ranges from 70-150mg, while the Mug and Alto have 170-200mg and a carafe 220-250mg.
Decaf Nespresso Capsules
Nespresso also offers a variety of decaf pods, which are made from coffee that has had most of the caffeine removed. This decaffeination is done via the natural Swiss water process, whereby unroasted coffee beans are soaked in hot water to dissolve the caffeine, then dried while active carbon is used to absorb the caffeine from the water. The process is repeated several times until the beans are 99.9% caffeine free.
During this process, most of the aromas and flavors of the bean are preserved, while the remaining caffeine in the bean is less than 0.1%. So a decaffeinated coffee has around 2-6 mg of caffeine per cup.
Comparison To Other Drinks
Finally, how does the caffeine content in the Nespresso coffee pods compare to that of other drinks? We have compiled a chart of the average content of different beverages below for you to peruse.
| Original Nespresso Pod | 60-90 mg of caffeine |
| Vertuo Nespresso Pod | 60-200 mg of caffeine |
| Espresso (single shot) | 47-75 mg of caffeine |
| Espresso (double shot) | 95-125 mg of caffeine |
| Drip Coffee | 70-140 mg of caffeine |
| Instant Coffee | 30-90 mg of caffeine |
| Brewed Tea | 40-120 mg of caffeine |
| Soft Drinks | 20-40 mg of caffeine |
As you can see, the caffeine content in an Original Nespresso coffee pod is similar to that of a single espresso shot. In contrast, the Vertuo pods do have a higher range so if you are consuming the larger drinks, it pays to bear in mind that these may contain more caffeine so you will need to limit your drinks.
Nespresso Caffeine Content | In Summary
We hope this article has been useful in helping you understand how much caffeine is in a Nespresso pod. There are two types of Nespresso coffee pods; the Original and Vertuo Pods. The Original Nespresso pods contain around 60-90mg of caffeine. Whereas the Vertuo pods contain a wider range of 60-200mg, depending on the size of the drink. Given that the recommended daily caffeine intake is 400mg, Nespresso recommends a maximum of 3-5 cups of coffee a day if brewing with Original pods or 2-3 cups of coffee with Vertuo pods.
