Our Least Favorite Nespresso Vertuo Variety Pack Seriously Lacks In Variety

Nespresso makes so many different kinds of coffee pods that it can be hard to know where to start. That's why the brand sells a plethora of variety packs to sample multiple roasts and blends at once, but some variety packs leave something to be desired.

We recently tried and ranked every Nespresso Vertuo variety pack and were left unimpressed by the Cold Brew Starter Pack. Our biggest issue with this sampler pack is that it isn't a variety pack at all. The starter pack only offers the brand's cold brew pods rather than a spread of different kinds. To be fair, Nespresso only makes one kind of cold brew pod for the Vertuo machine, so there aren't any other blends or flavors to be offered. Ultimately, this variety pack paled in comparison to the others that offered a selection of pods. What the Cold Brew Starter Pack lacks in variety, it makes up for in accessories. This Starter Pack comes with two sleeves of cold brew style pods and two cold coffee glasses and is priced at $51.40. Overall, we didn't dislike this variety pack, but we felt Nespresso offers several better and more versatile choices.

Nespresso offers so many pods that are fantastic over ice, making the Cold Brew pods lackluster against the whole lineup. The Nespresso site describes the Cold Brew as "a smooth and silky-textured coffee, with roasted caramel notes, low bitterness, and a pleasant acidity that is typical of cold brew flavors." But we feel it doesn't quite live up to that appealing description. One Reddit user awarded it a 6.5 out of 10 and noted some floral flavors but ultimately described it by saying, "the flavor really isn't what I'm looking for and it just tastes like a watered-down version of iced coffee." Though it was competitive, we ultimately found the Nespresso Pour-Over pods to be better than the Cold Brew pods in a head-to-head showdown.

If you're looking for a better Nespresso pod to satisfy your iced coffee craving, the Ice Forte pod made it to our list of first Nespresso pods to try because of its bold and interesting flavor. Additionally, Nespresso has a small lineup of pods crafted specifically to be brewed over ice, including a limited edition Sunny Almond Vanilla that is divine. If you're already a fan of the Nespresso Cold Brew pods, more power to you. But we would steer a newbie elsewhere first.