12 Popular Nespresso Pods Ranked By Caffeine Content

Nespresso launched its first at-home coffee-pod machines in the late '90s. They gained traction in the early 2000s with their boutiques, upmarket flavors, and genuine espresso-intensity coffees marking them out as many coffee-lovers' choice compared to rivals such as Keurig, forever changing coffee culture as we knew it. Fast forward a couple of decades, and Nespresso offers coffee machines to suit pretty much any budget and style across two ranges, the Original line and the Virtuo line. The brand sells pods to fit both machines, with at least 24 blends (including seasonal flavors) for the Original machines and at least 26 for Virtuo machines. We've already rated many of the Original line capsules here at Tasting Table. But there was one thing we didn't consider; the strength of the coffees.

While it might seem intuitive that espressos contain the most caffeine, or that the most intense coffees deliver the biggest buzz, neither of these things is necessarily true. Looking at Nespresso's coffees broadly, Virtuo pods often contain more caffeine per serving than Original pods since they're larger. They top out at 170 to 200 milligrams, while the Original line's strongest pod contains around 110mg to 140mg, depending on the variety and preparation. 

That being said, there were a lot of surprises during the research for these rankings. You really can't detect caffeine based only on how a coffee tastes, and when it's brewed using less controllable methods such as pour-over, French press, or a classic espresso machine, the caffeine in an average 8-ounce cup varies from 95 to 200 milligrams. Caffeine levels in Nespresso pods can be much more tightly controlled, so if you're sensitive to caffeine, trying to limit it. And if you're just interested in your consumption, this is the coffee-pod ranking you've been looking for.

Nespresso's range of coffees includes both decaf and half-caf options. While it wouldn't make sense to include many of them in this rundown of Nespresso caffeine content, we did want to make some mention of what the caffeine levels in their decaf range look like. Volluto Decaffeinato pods are part of the Original line. In general, the coffees in this line contain less caffeine than the Virtuo decaf pods. Volluto Decaffeinato has the lowest caffeine of the lot, with 1.7 milligrams per pod, although other decaffeinated Original pods don't get a lot higher than 2 milligrams. The caffeine levels in decaf Virtuo line pods start around 3 milligrams and topping out at 6 milligrams. 

Of course, low caffeine doesn't mean low flavor. Volluto Decaffeinato is deeply fruity with warm, cereal base notes and a fairly acidic finish. It's not a dark or intense coffee, but sits at the middle of the pack, with enough richness that you won't miss the caffeine.

Chiaro is part of the Barista Creations line, and despite being relatively low on caffeine it lives up to the barista-built hype. With 49 milligrams of caffeine, the Nespresso pod offers a gentle pick-me-up, with similar caffeine levels to a cup of perfectly brewed black tea. Although it's a light roast, Chiaro isn't at all bitter or citric, and has caramel, biscuity, and brown sugar notes. The beans used in this blend are Arabicas from Indonesia and Kenya, chosen for their smoothness and drinkability. The Chiaro is an espresso drink, but it has enough flavor to hold up to some steamed milk if you want a longer coffee with low caffeine content.

Inching up the charts, we have Cosi, with about twice as much caffeine as a cup of green tea. This fruity, clean coffee clocks in at 59 milligrams of caffeine per serving, which is pretty average for Original line drinks designed to be enjoyed as espressos; their caffeine levels range from about 50 to 80 milligrams, with two noted exceptions we'll get to later. The USDA's standard estimate of caffeine in a single espresso is 63 milligrams, while a Starbucks single shot delivers roughly 75 milligrams. So, while Cosi pods are on the lower end, they're not out of the ordinary. With an intensity level of four according to Nespresso, this is a mild, fruity coffee with a light-to-medium roast. 

This hazelnut-flavored coffee is designed to be a lungo, which requires a longer pull than a typical espresso. But, at 3.7 ounces, a lungo is still a pretty small coffee, so 62 milligrams of caffeine is reasonable. Nocciola also tastes great as a cappuccino or latte, as milk brings out the hazelnut and softens the medium-bodied coffee, killing its acidity. Nocciola placed third in our review of 13 Nespresso pods flavors, so we're big fans. As you might expect from a Barista Creations pod, this is a flavored coffee for coffee lovers. Particularly those sensitive to caffeine or in the habit of having several cups in a row.

The Bianco Piccolo is an espresso pod in Nespresso's Virtuo line, which is unsurprising if you know that piccolo means "small" in Italian. This pod is on the weaker side for a Virtuo line espresso, containing 75 milligrams of caffeine, but it doesn't lack body or flavor. With a thick, dark roast and caramel notes, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the caffeine-flavor ratio of the Bianco Piccolo. It holds up well in any style of coffee drink, but is particularly suited to cappuccinos and lattes as milk brings out its sweeter flavors. 

Designed to mimic the rich black coffee beloved in Sweden, Stockholm Lungo contains a moderate 80 milligrams of caffeine. For context, 8 ounces of Starbucks' Pike Place Medium Roast coffee usually has about 150 milligrams. Stockholm Lungo is made with dark roasted arabica beans, so it's full-bodied and bitter. Despite the pod's name, you can pull it as a lungo or a standard espresso, but background notes include cereal and chocolate, and they really make themselves known when it's brewed as a lungo as any bitterness is cut by the extra water.

An Original line pod designed to be served as an espresso or a more intense and concentrated 0.85-ounce ristretto, Arpeggio Extra has all the flavor of Nespresso's Firenze Arpeggio pod, with a little more caffeine. This drink contains 95 milligrams, to be specific, while the original has 63 milligrams. There's also a decaf Arpeggio, so you can mix and match caffeine levels while enjoying the same intense roast and full body.

Jumping back into the Master Origins collection, we have India. This coffee is pretty caffeine-heavy for Nespresso's Original line. Drinking best as a lungo or espresso, the woody, earthy, and bitter India contains 105 milligrams of caffeine. Despite its depth, this isn't a particularly acidic coffee, probably because it's an exceptionally dark roast. Instead, it is lifted by spicy bitter notes that come from the unique blend of Indian Arabica and Monsoon-processed Robusta.

The winner of our 2024 taste test, Napoli is another Original line drink designed to be enjoyed as a ristretto or espresso. And one of the two exceptionally strong outliers in the Original range of espressos, clocking in at 109 milligrams of caffeine per pod. The city this coffee is named for, Napoli, is well-known as the home of thick, dark espresso, so Nespresso naturally wanted to mimick the Italian classic when they designed the drink. It coats the mouth like a classic pulled espresso, has a thick crema, and really earns its full marks on Nespresso's intensity scale.

Cape Town Envivo Lungo contains 110 milligrams of caffeine, only a single milligram more than Napoli's 109. However, as this drink is designed to be a lungo rather than an espresso or a ristretto, that caffeine kick can be sipped and absorbed over a longer time. With an intensity of 10, Cape Town Envivo Lungo is full-bodied and full of dark, woodsy flavors. It has a good crema even as a lungo, and is lightly bitter and herbaceous but not acidic.

Another woody, spicy high-caffeine Original line pod, Palermo-inspired Kazaar is noted by Nespresso, along with Napoli, as much stronger than the other Original Espressos. It contains 113 milligrams of caffeine, which comes from a dark-roasted blend that contains a lot of Robusta beans. Despite its depth, this coffee contains notes of vanilla, and its bitterness is balanced with some sweet, chocolatey flavors. Like Napoli, it's thick and syrupy, just as you'd expect from an Italian-inspired espresso.

If you're an Original line purist, Kazaar is the strongest coffee you'll currently find from Nespresso. Otherwise, Melozi Boost sits at number one. While it isn't a particularly intense coffee, earning a middle-of-the-road six on Nespresso's own scale, Melozio Boost contains a whopping 200 milligrams of caffeine per 7.7-ounce mug. Made from blended Latin American Arabicas, this is a well-balanced, easy to drink coffee with notes of honey and biscuit. As the name implies, this is the extra-strong version of Nespresso's Melozio pod, which contains 170 milligrams of caffeine. Still pretty strong in the scheme of things, but sometimes you just need that extra boost.