6 Best Non-Coffee Pods For Your Nespresso Machine

Any owner of an original-line Nespresso machine probably knows that their coffee options are by no means limited to Nespresso's own line of pods. There are plenty of third-party pods compatible with Nespresso Original machines, so your coffee choices can seem endless. Nespresso users have a wealth of pods from popular coffee brands (like Peet's and Starbucks) at their disposal. Granted, not everyone wants coffee — so it was only a matter of time before non-coffee beverage producers started making their own Nespresso-compatible pods. 

Nowadays, you don't have to look hard to find tea and hot chocolate pods that make it easy to enjoy your favorite beverage at the touch of a button. But, since many pods are made by brands other than Nespresso, it can be hard to suss out product quality — and nobody wants to shell out shipping costs for a product that ends up being subpar. I figured I'd take the hit and find out which companies make the best non-coffee Nespresso pods so you don't have to. 

I tested different tea and hot chocolate pods with quality in mind. In order to make this "best of" list, a pod had to taste at least as good as a non-pod version of the drink — and some tasted even better. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I got a variety pack of Tealyte's tea pod offerings, which included boxes of mint, fruit, black, chai, and green tea options. I'm always dubious when trying Nespresso pods from brands I've never heard of before, which made Tealyte a bit of a gamble, but I'm glad I took a chance with these. I brewed just under 4 ounces of each tea by pressing my machine's lungo button.

Tealyte's mint tea was definitely minty, but it was also herbal and tasted slightly like green tea. This made it one of the more unique cups of mint tea I've tried. The fruit tea smelled wonderfully juicy when brewing, and was so potent I could smell it across the room. It brewed up the most gorgeous red color and was sweeter than I had anticipated; the hibiscus in it came through strong. This would be delightful over some ice in the summer or as an addition to a summer cocktail. 

The black tea was slightly bitter on its own but would hold up well to a dash of cream and sugar. Meanwhile, the company's green tea was very mellow, which I actually enjoyed, especially since some green teas are too earthy for my taste. My favorite pod, however, was Tealyte's chai pod. It was absolutely delightful. The pod brewed a creamy teacup of sweet chai that didn't need anything added to it.

Grana's tea capsules are compostable, which gave it an instant leg up for me. However, even the most eco-friendly packaging can't save a pod with subpar flavor. I'm happy to say this isn't a problem with Grana's pods. What was even more impressive was that each pod brewed a cup of tea just under 8 ounces (by pressing the lungo button twice for a single pod). Despite the larger volume, each tea I tried from the brand was wonderfully strong.

Grana's hibiscus tea was probably the most potent of the brand's offerings, but this is by no means a bad thing. It would be fabulous over ice. In the summertime, I'd even add lemonade to it for a sweet and refreshing mid-afternoon offering. It was pretty tart on its own and you may want to add a sweet ingredient to balance it out. I also enjoyed this brand's green tea offering, which was very mellow and refreshing. I thought it would be great as an iced green tea. 

The green ginger lemon tea was the epitome of a sick day tea. Its ginger flavor was sharp without being overwhelming, and the lemon was flavorful without being the least bit sour. As far as the peppermint, I felt it could be mintier, but I did appreciate that it was subtle and refreshing, which makes it a good choice if you don't typically enjoy strong mint teas.

Though I only tried one of The Republic of Tea's Nespresso capsules, it was good enough that I feel I can safely recommend any of the company's products. I chose its Dream Latte pod, which would make for a luxurious nighttime tea offering. Not only does it not contain caffeine, but it also has ingredients known to promote relaxation, like ashwagandha and valerian root. Plus, I can't discount the fact that a single pod brewed a gorgeous blue, silky tea latte that tasted like it was made behind a tea bar.

Before I rave about this tea (which I brewed as a lungo cup), I have to say that I could see it being a polarizing beverage. This creamy, floral herbal tea latte was incredibly potent — if you like it you'll love it, but if you don't like it, you'll probably hate it. Its flavor is a bit perfumey, but I didn't mind it. My favorite thing about the cup was its texture. Rather than being your typical thin cup of tea, this did indeed brew as a thick, indulgent latte. It would be great for sipping while you do your nighttime reading before hopping into bed. It's decadent, and personally, I'll be enjoying this in the bathtub at the end of any stressful day. 

Tea Boquete's variety pack of tea pods only gave a recommended brew time on the bag, which was a slight deterrent at first, as I prefer when pods have a recommended brewing volume. However, I wasn't dissuaded from trying the tea and I quickly found out a possible reason for the company's brew recommendation. I brewed each pod with one press of the lungo button, but I think each could probably withstand being a 6 to 8-ounce brew. The teacup-sized portion of each was very strong, but not in a bad way. The brew size will simply depend on your personal preference. 

Personally, I liked the potency of a 4-ounce brew of the company's peppermint tea, which was refreshing and heavily minty. On the other hand, I think I'd enjoy its hibiscus pod more as a large brew. Or, I'd use the smaller brew as a tea ingredient for a mocktail. It was floral, jammy, and pretty juicy — a delightful brew, in my opinion. The jasmine tea pod was also bright and floral. My only complaint was that it's slightly bitter, but I think it would be delightful with some honey. The company's paradise pod was the one that took me the most by surprise. It was a fruity black tea, a bit unlike any tea I've ever tasted, but I enjoyed it. I could see the perfumey scent being off-putting to some consumers, but I'd urge you to give this a try before eschewing it.

Admittedly, I'm no stranger to Mad Tea; this company's pods were some of the first non-coffee Nespresso pods I've ever tried. They impressed me from the get-go, so I had to include them on this "best of" list. When tasting them for this piece, I brewed each pod as a 4-ounce cup, though I typically brew them as slightly larger 6-ounce cups. I think they work well as either brew size. A 6-ounce brew still holds its flavor, while a 4-ounce brew provides a quick, slightly more concentrated cup. 

I genuinely enjoy all eight tea pods in Mad Tea's variety pack, but a few are standouts. The chamomile lavender tea is another lovely pre-bedtime tea that's incredibly fragrant and smooth. Its floral scent is instantly inviting and the lavender flavor is very subtle, so it doesn't taste too fragrant. Mad Tea's jasmine milk tea is definitely for those who enjoy sweeter cups. It's very indulgent, incredibly sweet, and would taste great accompanied by some milk. Another favorite of mine is the company's matcha tea pod, which is very earthy and unsweetened (as I prefer my matcha). Its chai is also a winner. Though it doesn't brew creamy like some other chai pods, the chai flavor is strong and would hold up well to a dash of milk.

To be perfectly honest, this non-coffee pod was my favorite of the bunch. I'm not sure how Podista managed to make such a stellar Nespresso-compatible hot chocolate pod, but it did, and I tip my hat to the company for accomplishing such an impressive feat. Something I instantly loved about the pod was its versatility. You can absolutely dilute it with milk as recommended on the package for a larger cup, or you can brew it solo for a rich cup of sipping chocolate.

I chose to do the latter, and I'd recommend that anyone who enjoys dark chocolate does the same. Pop in a pod and press the lungo button to dispense a 4-ounce cup of sipping chocolate. Rather than diluting it with milk, top it with whipped cream (and your favorite hot chocolate spices) and dig in. This method yields a thick, indulgent cup that isn't overwhelming and makes for the perfect dessert accompaniment. On the other hand, if you want a mellower cup, feel free to brew a lungo-sized amount and add some steamed milk before topping it off with whipped cream and marshmallows.

When sourcing pods to consider for this article, I looked for companies with pods that had at least a handful of good reviews. I'm happy to report that all the pods I tried were delightful. This was surprising, considering I expected at least one or two outliers to not impress me enough to make this list. Ultimately, I needed to see that each pod brewed a strong cup that was at least comparable to a non-pod version that I'd had. 

I didn't take into account the recommended size of the brew when considering products for this article, but I noted it for each because personal preferences regarding drink size will vary. For example, I quite enjoyed Podista's ultra-concentrated hot chocolate and Tealyte's thick, indulgent chai pod, but I could see other consumers wanting to brew each larger for a more diluted cup. Fortunately, I am happy to report that there were none of the pods in the variety packs fell short of my expectations, which made them an easy addition to my list.