The 16 Best Nespresso Pods For A Decadent Affogato

Take one trip to Italy, and you'll find yourself immersed in a land of culinary delights. While pizza and pasta may be most synonymous with the country, let's not forget the necessary bookends to any Italian day: espresso and gelato. These staples are about as opposite as two foods could possibly be; one is hot, bitter, and typically enjoyed soon after waking, while the other is cold, sweet, and a great indulgence after a long day. Naturally, then, it only makes sense that the two would eventually be combined in a stroke of genius, thus giving birth to the ever-popular Italian affogato.

If you've never had the delight of consuming gelato and espresso together, it's high time to remedy that. Plus, if you can't find a local place that sells them, you can take matters into your own hands and make one at home. On that note, as a long-time barista and former manager of a gelato shop, I can help anyone create an affogato suited to their palate — even if you're only armed with a Nespresso machine and a tub of store-bought gelato (or ice cream).

Having tried the vast majority of Nespresso's Vertuo pods, I decided to gather a list of Nespresso pods that can help you make a decadent affogato. Most of these recommendations are based on personal experience with the brand's coffee and espresso offerings. And while affogatos are traditionally made with espresso shots rather than drip coffee, I've included some coffee pods given their flavor profiles, so be sure to use a fraction of the amount brewed in those instances.

Nespresso's Golden Caramel coffee pods are a personal favorite from the brand's Barista Creations line. These pods brew a coffee-sized cup, so only use a fraction in your affogato, unless you want a particularly large one (hey, nobody's here to judge). Savory caramel notes can be found throughout the cup, but it still refrains from being too sweet or too bitter. In my mind, this is an ideal pairing for a mild affogato that can be enjoyed even by those who don't particularly love coffee.

Additionally, in case you missed it, vanilla isn't the only flavor of ice cream to use in your affogatos. Consequently, the sky's the limit when it comes to gelato, especially with all the options available on the market. If you want to go all-in on your flavor profile, this would pair well with a salted caramel ice cream. If you're looking to maximize the coffee flavor instead, this pod would also pair well with a coffee-flavored scoop since it's fairly mild.

I'll say right off the bat: I don't really love Nespresso's roasted hazelnut pod on its own. I could even see this pod being divisive; its hazelnut flavors are incredibly potent, after all, so if you're hoping for a hint of hazelnut, you won't find it here. If you love hazelnut, though, you may find yourself smitten with this offering — by itself or in an affagato.

Since this is another coffee-sized pod, be sure to only use a fraction of it in your affogato, particularly if you don't want to be overwhelmed by hazelnut flavors. For a rich flavor pairing, use this pod when making an affogato with milk chocolate gelato. If you want a lighter experience, go for vanilla — but look for a gelato that uses double-fold vanilla or has an otherwise very strong vanilla flavor. This will help warm the somewhat sharp and aromatic hazelnut. If you're feeling particularly adventurous and can find it, pistachio gelato would also be a fun accompaniment. 

Nespresso's Ice Leggero pods (not to be confused with its similarly-named Ice Forte pods) are another favorite offering of the brand's Barista Creations line. Each capsule brews a double espresso-sized amount of coffee, so feel free to pull it straight over your gelato flavor of choice. This is an easy Nespresso selection to recommend for affogatos, especially considering it's meant to be brewed over ice. 

This coffee has juicy, fruity notes with slightly sweet overtones. As such, consider pairing it with a contrasting ice cream flavor, such as something that may have a bit of bitterness, or even some acidity to it. A cherry-based gelato wouldn't be a bad choice in that regard, nor would a dark chocolate offering. You could also try pairing this with a nutty ice cream, such as hazelnut, or try it with a butter pecan for a light, smooth flavor profile.

My personal favorite of Nespresso's Bianco pod lineup is its Bianco Piccolo pod. As its name insinuates, this brews a pretty short cup — 1.35 ounces, to be precise — but it more than makes up for its small size with some punchy flavors. This pod was formulated to be made with milk, as well, so it's a natural choice when you want a creamy affogato. When paired with milk, it has delightful nutty and cereal notes, which give the coffee interest while keeping it neutral enough to complement a variety of flavors.

Now, given this is a heavy pod on its own, I'd refrain from brewing it atop a similarly heavier gelato flavor. This capsule would pair particularly well with a standard vanilla or any vanilla-based flavors, like butter pecan or cookie dough ice cream. Anything too heavy will likely overwhelm it, but gelatos with milkier flavor profiles will help enhance the coffee's powerful tasting notes.

Another offering in Nespresso's Bianco trio of drinks is its Bianco Doppio pod. Bianco Doppio brews a slightly larger cup than Bianco Piccolo, pouring a 2.7-ounce double espresso. While I had mixed feelings when I first tried this pod, I actually think its light, fruity acidity makes it more enjoyable when made black than with milk (as the company intends it to be served). However, I also think the uniquely bright profile of this pod makes it well-suited for an affogato with a few different flavor pairings.

The first gelato flavor I'd recommend trying this with is strawberry. The flavors of both are likely to complement each other very well, as each has notes that are distinctly fruity and juicy; in fact, this could be particularly enjoyable on a hot day. Beyond that, I'd say this Nespresso pod flavor is light enough for dairy-free consumers to try with sorbetto. If you have a particularly light sorbetto, use about half the espresso at first, and add more in if you think the sorbetto can take it.

I have admittedly mixed feelings about Nespresso's Intenso pod, but I still think it's worth considering when making your own affogato with Nespresso. Of course, as its name suggests, it's very intense, so I definitely wouldn't use the entire coffee-sized pod when making a single affogato. Rather, a single pod dispenses enough coffee for roughly three or four affogatos in total.

Now, which flavor of gelato you choose to serve this Nespresso pod over depends on how punchy of an experience you want to have. To mellow out some of its bitter notes and complement its smokiness, I think a very sweet caramel gelato would serve it best, though it could also go well with a toffee ice cream. If you want something more intense, you can make a rich and decadent affogato by pairing this with a peanut butter ice cream. The warmth of the peanut butter will likely help balance some of the coffee's bitterness when combined.

Nespresso's Solelio coffee pod stands in stark contrast to its Intenso pod, and the two couldn't possibly be more different. Where Intenso is dark, bitter, and smoky, Solelio is light, fruity, and mild. With that in mind, Solelio makes for a solid choice over your affogato if you want to participate in the tradition, but are somewhat espresso-averse.

This particular Nespresso pod is apt to pair well with a fruity strawberry ice cream. However, I can also imagine it really shining when coupled with a floral ice cream of some sort. The pod's not at all too heavy, so it won't overwhelm a delicate flavor such as honey lavender, or a bright, citrusy orange blossom. Quite frankly, this is the type of Nespresso-topped affogato you'll find yourself playing with on a summer morning or around teatime — when all you need is a gentle pick-me-up before carrying on with your day.

To be sure, Nespresso's Stormio pod won't be for everyone. This coffee-sized capsule is strong, slightly bitter, and distinctly spicy, and its fairly unique flavor profile is what earned it a spot on this list. After all, I haven't tried a Nespresso pod with such a fragrant spice profile before. With that in mind, I think this would be great when paired with a few less common gelato flavors to make an affogato.

For starters, any gelato with a cinnamon flavor in its base would be lovely with this pod. If you can get your hands on a plain cinnamon gelato (or, of course, ice cream) flavor, even better. It could also turn a pumpkin ice cream into something pumpkin spice-esque, but don't worry if you can't find a spiced ice cream flavor. If that's the case, you can try this Nespresso pod with a nutty ice cream, like almond, hazelnut, or pistachio.

Nespresso's Barista Edition Oatly pods were birthed from a collaboration between the two companies. Specifically formulated to be used with oat milk, I must say I love this Nespresso offering. Its mild, full flavors are easily palatable whether black or enhanced with the addition of oat milk. As such, I think it makes a lot of sense to posit this is a good Nespresso pod for a dairy-free affogato, preferably one made with oat milk gelato or ice cream.

As far as flavors go, the sky's the limit. This Nespresso pod is neutral enough to sit well against pretty much any flavor of gelato. You can try it with vanilla if you want to get your feet wet, or go all-in on the oat theme, and couple it with Ben & Jerry's non-dairy Oatmeal Dream Pie flavor.

One of the few pods on this list that I haven't tried is Nespresso's Double Espresso Dolce offering. However, I can reasonably recommend it based on the company's own description of the coffee. It pulls a double espresso-sized shot — or the ideal amount for an affogato — and it has a slightly sweet profile with nutty cereal notes. Coupled with its relatively mild bitterness and medium roast, it's sure to make a pretty neutral coffee that would make a safe choice for any affogato.

If you don't feel like going to the effort of pairing a coffee pod with a gelato flavor, grab one of these capsules. There's nothing too daring about them to overwhelm or contrast any ice cream flavor, and you'll probably find it goes just as well with a smooth vanilla as it does with a double chocolate. This is also an obvious pairing for coffee-flavored ice cream varieties, as neither ingredient would stand too much above the other.

Nespresso's Ristretto Intenso pod offers a fairly small shot of espresso (a mere .85 ounces) that packs a punch. While I haven't tried this one personally, based on where it falls on the company's various coffee scales? I can make a good guess as to what it tastes like. You'll get a highly-roasted, bold, and bitter cup from this espresso pod, so you'll want to grab an equally strong and sweet gelato to complement it.

Gentle gelato flavors are apt to get lost in this espresso sea, so pick sweet and indulgent flavors. I'd even encourage you to look for flavors with sweet ribboned additions mixed in, like gooey caramel or fudge. Go big and bold when pairing this espresso with ice cream. You could also think outside the box and load it up with toppings for a sundae-style affogato, and don't worry: There's no way you'll lose the coffee flavor.

Nespresso's Altissio pods brew a single 1.35-ounce shot of coffee, and though they pull shorter than the standard double espresso, I still think just one pod would be plenty satisfying in an affogato. This coffee is intense and bitter, with rich cocoa notes that linger at the end of the sip. Consequently, it's a natural complement to the sweeter profile of any gelato.

I think this pod would shine particularly well when paired with a chocolate gelato, or one with a nutty profile. Using it with peanut butter gelato could lend a Reese's Cup flavor to your dessert, since the coffee has such bold chocolate notes.

If you're after a more mature pairing, I can see this being enjoyed with pecan praline or even black sesame flavors (if you can get your hands on them). As a bonus, Altissio is one of the pods that Nespresso also offers in decaf, making it a particularly good choice if you don't want your affogato to keep you up until the early morning hours.

These Peru Organic pods are my favorite from Nespresso's single origins line of products. This is another single-shot pod, but it's mild enough that you could brew two of them if you wanted to top your gelato with a double espresso — and I'd actually recommend going that route. This coffee has relatively light, sweet, fruity plum notes, after all, which could get lost depending on which gelato flavor you select.

Despite its fruitiness, it still boasts some intensity, so I wouldn't recommend pairing it with too rich or too gentle of a gelato (at least if you want their flavors to stand out equally). Go for a light milk chocolate flavor to get a particularly equal balance. If you're partial to vanilla gelato and want to get the full flavor of your espresso, this wouldn't be a bad pod to choose. Similarly, if you just want the espresso to be an accent, this could sit in the background of a bolder gelato flavor.

Nespresso's Costa Rica offering is a gran lungo pod that pours a 5.07-ounce cup. And since Costa Rica is a great Nespresso pod if you prefer sweeter coffee drinks, it's not far-fetched to claim it would be good in an affogato, as well. It's still a very full-bodied pod, which is good to know before you brew the whole thing over some gelato. You may want to cut the amount in half for affogato purposes, though, unless you want yours to be more coffee than gelato.

This Nespresso pod's slightly sweet, cereal-like profile, combined with its bold flavor, make it a natural choice to pair with sweeter ice cream flavors. In that regard, don't feel limited when it comes to deciding which flavor goes best with this pod. This is neutral enough to use with whatever you may have in your freezer, but classic flavors like vanilla, caramel, or chocolate will work well, too.

I have to be a bit up-front here and say I don't particularly enjoy Nespresso's Rich Chocolate pod when I'm after a cup of coffee. I find its supposed chocolate flavor to be too fake and reminiscent of Tootsie Rolls. While this pod made our list (just barely) because I can see some application for it in an affogato, I'd recommend only using a fraction of what this full-sized coffee pod brews.

Pair this pod with a bold flavor, which you'd like to be enhanced by some chocolate notes. Honestly, a dark chocolate (maybe something that includes brownie chunks) wouldn't be a bad choice for this pod. Additionally, refrain from using this with a light gelato, as I'd expect this pod could easily overpower gentler varieties. Stronger flavors, on the other hand, will likely bring out the distinct chocolate notes the company was after when formulating this pod.

Last (but certainly not least) in this list of best Nespresso pods to make a decent affogato, the brand's Sweet Vanilla pod is another coffee-sized cup warm enough to pair with any gelato flavor. After all, its supposed vanilla qualities are distinct without being overwhelming, and despite what the name would suggest, this pod isn't sweet in itself. Consequently, it won't make for an overwhelming affogato, but remember to only use a fraction of the coffee brewed by this pod.

When using this pod to make an affogato, I think you'd be best served by stripping the treat down to its basics. With that in mind, I'd recommend brewing this Nespresso pod over a high-quality vanilla gelato. They'll accentuate each other well without overpowering your taste buds, making it an excellent choice when you don't have a super sweet tooth, or just need a simple end to a low-key day.