Every Nespresso Vertuo Variety Pack, Ranked Worst To Best

Whether you're a new or seasoned owner of a Nespresso Vertuo machine, there's no denying that the company's sheer volume of pod options can be a little intimidating — particularly if you're uninitiated or just want to branch out from your usual brews. When you're looking for a little something new, you always have the option of combing through the site and curating your own pod collection. But for those who need an easier, more streamlined combo-crafting option, Nespresso can still come to the rescue with its various pod variety packs.

A variety pack is a great investment when you want to try a lot of different options, or when you want to buy in bulk without crafting your own cart. The company has six pod variety packs for Vertuo machine owners, each themed to a different type of capsule. Having tried the vast majority of Nespresso's Vertuo pods, I was curious about what the variety packs offered — after all, if one of them delivered several varieties that I already love, why wouldn't I stock up? Each variety pack is curated to a different type of consumer, so I won't recommend staying away from any. I can, however, rank them based on the quality and variety of pod options each offers (as well as any applicable accessories included), using my experience with the pods as a gauge when needed. 

Out of all the variety packs on this list, the Cold Brew Starter Pack is the only one I have no familiarity with. That's not why it's getting the bottom spot in this ranking, but the two things are related. Let me explain — so, to brew Nespresso's Cold Brew coffee, you have to have a Vertuo machine capable of brewing XL pods. This does make the pods' accessibility more limited than the rest of the Vertuo pod line. Moreover, this starter pack only contains one type of pod. I suppose it's a good buy if you know you like the company's cold brew, but I wouldn't get it as a first-time consumer.

On the plus side, this starter pack comes with the two cold coffee glasses pictured above, so it does have that going for it. But at the end of the day, the following variety packs offer more, well, variety. The only reason to splurge on this one would be if you're already fully committed to Nespresso's cold brew game — if that sounds like you, go for it. 

Being that Nespresso's Barista Creations Flavor Pack has four different pod varieties, it's an automatic step up from the aforementioned pack — but only a small step. I'll admit personal bias here. I'm really not a fan of the flavored Barista Creations series (though I like the series' unflavored pods just fine). This variety pack includes Sweet Vanilla, Roasted Hazelnut, Rich Chocolate, and Golden Caramel. Of those four, I only like Golden Caramel. The rest don't taste very true to the flavors they're supposed to emulate. The chocolate pod is more akin to a Tootsie Roll, hazelnut tastes too artificial, and Sweet Vanilla is neither sweet nor vanilla-flavored.

The variety pack seems like a tantalizing option at first, but unless you've had all the pods and know you like them, I wouldn't buy it (unless you're particularly craving the two large cappuccino cups that come with it). Opinions on these are too divisive to be worth the price of the variety pack. You're better off trying these one at a time — and, if you don't want to spend anything on capsules you may not like, you can head into a Nespresso boutique and ask for a tasting. 

Now we're talking — in my humble opinion, there's a pretty large chasm between this selection and the last. Also, the remainder of this list is fair game depending on what you're looking for. Nespresso's Double Espresso Discovery Pack may only contain four types of capsules, but the chosen selection offers a surprising variety of sipping options. However, I couldn't give it a higher spot because there's still only four pods, and each pod only pulls a double-espresso-sized amount of coffee (as opposed to pods that brew full cups). 

I have tried and enjoyed each pod in these packs, though the Scuro is a bit too dark for me. Bianco Doppio is formulated to be enjoyed with milk, perfect for those who need some cream in their coffee, while Ice Leggero obviously is meant to go over ice. It's a little disappointing that this variety pack doesn't come with any cups, as most of the others do. But at the end of the day, if you prefer espresso to full coffee cups in the morning, this is probably the perfect pack to supply your machine with. 

Were I solely basing this lineup on the coffee, this would have been swapped with my next choice. Alas, the following took the lead in a couple non-coffee-related aspects. Nevertheless, Nespresso's Coffee Discovery Pack would be a great point of introduction for anyone new to the company's coffees. You get a decent range of options here — two single-origin pods (Mexico and Colombia) as well as four pod boxes of varying intensity. Stormio is the darkest, Odacio has a slightly brighter quality to it, and Melozio is a light-medium roast, as is its decaf version.

So, go ahead and grab this box to get your feet wet with your new Nespresso Vertuo machine. Though it comes sans accessories, it's still well worth the sub-$100 price point. And don't worry about feeling terribly averse to one of the boxes — even if you don't like any black, all can be enjoyed with milk without being tainted. Order this pack to take yourself on a tasting adventure and cement which pods will be re-purchased next time you need to stock up. 

Yes, everything you see above is included in Nespresso's Summer Iced Coffee Pack, so how could I possibly not give it a top spot? Though only three different pod options are featured, you do get six boxes, and you won't be bored with any of the flavors. I wholly enjoyed both the Pistachio Vanilla and the Coconut Vanilla pods when they were released, and the Ice Leggero is a great option when you just want an unadulterated iced latte. Just because they're formulated to be brewed over ice doesn't mean you have to make them as such — I've also enjoyed each of these as a hot brew, so you're not limited to summertime sipping.

Now, onto the fun part: the accessories. Also included with the variety pack is an 18.3-ounce iced tumbler, a pistachio green ice cube tray, and two bottles of Monin syrup (caramel and vanilla). This variety pack sets you up with a world of creative options, encouraging you to become your own home barista. What's not to love about that? Accessories kicked this variety pack up a notch, but it helps that each pod included here is a part of my current stash. You can't go wrong with this one even in the off-season. 

I won't pretend to love the mandarin (traffic-cone-orange, in my opinion) color of the travel mug that comes with Nespresso's Coffee+ Variety Pack, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep this collection from sweeping the top spot. I'm going out on a bit of a limb here — I've not yet had the Ginseng Delight or Vivida, but I assume the Melozio Boost and Stormio Boost are similar to their non-boost sisters, and I really enjoyed the Active pod. 

Nevertheless, I feel secure in my ranking of this pack both because of the variety of coffees present and the different benefits boasted by each. The Boost pods give an extra burst of caffeine, Vivida has B12, Active has B6, and Ginseng Delight has natural ginseng. Both dark and light roast lovers alike will find pods they enjoy in this lineup — Stormio Boost for the former, Vivida or Ginseng Delight for the latter. There's also a couple different brew sizes. Ginseng Delight and Active both brew 2.7 ounces of coffee, while the other four brew full 7.77-ounce cups. And, yes, this pack does come with a travel mug, even if the color doesn't fit my personal aesthetic. 

To determine the order of these packs, I took a few factors into consideration. Chief among them was the variety of pods offered in each pack, as well as how accessible each pod was to Vertuo owners. This made the cold brew pack an easy last place choice; aside from only containing two coffee pod options, you also have to own a machine capable of brewing XL pods in order to have any use out of it. 

Secondarily, I took into account the actual flavors offered in each pack and my own opinion of them. This was the secondary factor because, well, palates vary — I may hate the Rich Chocolate pods, but that doesn't mean you will. The Coffee+ offerings easily took the top spot because of the range of flavor and roast options, as well as the added vitamins. Finally, I considered accessories as a deciding factor between a couple packs. I mean, how could anyone say no to that cool green iced coffee cup?