Do Aldi Coffee Pods Really Work In A Nespresso Machine?

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Let's cut right to the chase — no. If you bought a pack of K-Fee coffee pods from Aldi, they'll only work in Aldi's Expressi podded coffee machine. It's the same reason you can't put a Keurig K-Cup into a Nespresso machine: the pod designs are completely different, so they simply won't fit.

Set two pods side by side and the difference is obvious. Aldi's K-Fee pod has a rounded top and flat bottom, while a Nespresso pod is the opposite, with a flat top and rounded bottom. And if you own a Nespresso Vertuo, the gap widens even further. Even if a K-Fee pod could somehow fit, the Vertuo wouldn't brew it. That's because newer Nespresso models use a barcode reader on the foil lid to identify compatible pods and dictate brewing settings, blocking out anything unapproved by Nespresso.

As expected, there are a lot of controversies surrounding this system ... but that's a discussion we're going to leave for another day. What matters here is simple: there's no practical way to use a K-Fee pod in a Nespresso machine.

While K-Fee pods won't work, Aldi does sell Nespresso-compatible options to keep your machine running. Look for Barissimo-branded pods, like these 10-count pack of Espresso Supremo ($4.19 a pack). You can also hunt for pods from L'Or (these 10-count Espresso Colombia Coffee capsules go for $18.99 for a triple pack). And, while it's looking like it'd be out of stock soon, as of the moment of this writing, Aldi is also offering a 36-count pack of Starbucks House Blend coffee pods for $19.49.

The trick is simple: check the box for the phrase "Nespresso-compatible." If you see it, you can be confident it'll plop right into your Nespresso and brew without issue. The only thing to note is that most of these pods will only work for the Nespresso Original line of coffee machines, like the Nespresso Essenza Mini. As we mentioned earlier, the barcode reader in Vertuo machines won't let you brew these pods. But let's say you somehow bypasses the foil, the shape of a Vertuo pod is completely different from an Original pod anyway, so it won't fit in the machine. Complicating it even further, since Vertuo machines brew using entirely different mechanisms than the Original, you won't be able to get a good brew. So, best stick to pods labeled to be compatible with the machine you have!