Ever since capsule coffee makers burst onto the market in the 1990s, relegating traditional Italian espresso machines to the back shelf, numerous brands and supermarket chains have launched their own products, offering stiff competition to the original brands in terms of value for money.
An analysis by OCU, the Spanish consumers' association (Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios) reveals very favourable taste-test results for a number of different brands of espresso capsule when compared with the original, more expensive brands, Nespresso and Dolce Gusto.
Of the eleven Nespresso-compatible espresso capsules analysed alongside the original - Nespresso Ispirazione Ristretto Italiano 10 (0.42 €/capsule) - two brands stood out: Carrefour Intenso 8 (0.17 €) and Auchan Fortissimo 10 (0.18 €), along with Saimaza Fuerte Espresso 9 (0.20 €) and Dia Café Espresso Intenso 7 (0.20 €). They are substantially cheaper and could mean an annual saving of up to 180€ for someone having two coffees a day.
Of the eight Dolce Gusto-compatible espresso capsules analysed, Auchan Espresso Intenso 9 (0.20 €/capsule) and Carrefour Intenso (0.21 €/capsule) stood out again. Their quality was comparable to the original, more expensive brand - Nescafé Dolce Gusto Ristretto Ardenza 11 or Espresso Intenso 7 (both 0.26 €/capsule). Choosing the cheaper brands makes it possible to save up to 45€ a year on the basis of two coffees a day.
Overall, the cheaper capsules were rated "good" or in some cases "excellent", but the OCU did object to the lack of labelling information pertaining to the origin and variety of the coffee for many of the products analysed.
Lastly, the OCU took the opportunity to remind consumers to recycle capsules after use, throwing the leftover coffee grounds in the brown organic waste bin and the clean, empty capsules, stacked closely together so they can be easily detected, into the yellow plastic & tin can recycling bin. Nevertheless, they also pointed out that reusable capsules, that can be refilled with your favourite coffee, are always the better option.
