Not everyone wants to go through the trouble of getting coffee beans, grinding them, and storing them properly, then using them within a limited time frame. But that doesn’t mean you have to resort to instant coffee or wait in line at your local cafe chain. You can get a coffee capsule machine based on your interests and priorities.
Nespresso is better for overall use as it hosts capsules from a wider range of brands, while Starbucks Verismo is better for ease of maintenance as it is easier to rinse. The Verismo machine doesn’t host non-Starbucks pods but has more Starbucks capsule options than the ones available for Nespresso.
In this article, you will learn about the pros and cons of Starbucks Verismo and Nespresso, alongside the validity of each based on your specific situation. Among other things, you will discover which coffee pod machine is better for an office and which one is ideal for home use. But first, let’s briefly go over the two with this table.
| Features | Starbucks Verismo | Nespresso |
| Recyclable Pods | Not compatible | Compatible |
| Starbucks Coffee Capsules | Available | Available (limited) |
| Non-Starbucks Capsules | Not compatible | Compatible |
| Brewing time | 1 minute | 1 minute 5 seconds |
| Rinsing | Integrated rinsing system | manual rinsing |
| Descaling | Every three months | When alerted or every three months |
| Price | From $179 | From $159 |
Starbucks Verismo: A brief overview
Coffee capsule machines have become common household products for people who do not have the time to wait in line for their coffee. And given that Starbucks is notorious for having long lines, there was a market for Starbucks Brand coffee pods.
The Verismo is a coffee capsule espresso that makes use of this opportunity and offers Starbucks lovers a wide range of Starbucks espresso options available in the comfort of their homes. But are these features good enough to pass on the other coffee pod machines? Let’s find out.
Key features of Starbucks Verismo
1-minute prep time
One of the most annoying things about getting coffee from a cafe is the waiting time involved. If you want to enjoy the same taste at home, Starbucks Verismo brews you a cup in one minute. It reaches brewing temperature in 15 seconds and produces a flavorful espresso shot in 30 seconds. It takes another 30 seconds to make a derivative coffee beverage after brewing the espresso.
Wide range of familiar flavors
If you like specific espresso from the Starbucks menu, everything you make at home is likely to be close to the original but not quite the actual drink. Starbucks Verismo allows you to get the exact same recipe at home regardless of the drink you like. Featuring the same bean source and roast levels, Starbucks Verismo drinks taste like the cafe version. Verismo pods come in a range of variations, including:
- Espresso Roast
- Decaf Espresso Roast
- Blonde Espresso
- Pike Place Roast
- Veranda Blend
- Sumatra Verismo
- Decaf Pike Place
- Colombia Narino
High-pressure extraction
Compared to the 15 bars of pressure that a Nespresso device can achieve, a Starbucks Verismo can achieve up to 19 bars of pressure. That said, this results in only a slight increase in espresso extraction because 15 bars are too high, to begin with. Most often, the pressure difference is barely noticeable.
Various brewing temperatures
One of the complaints people have about home espresso machines is that they do not allow enough user control. If you see yourself as an espresso brewing expert, you won’t have to resort to getting button-press coffee from your Verismo machine. By adjusting the water temperature, you can control how strong the coffee is and whether it is bitter or not.
Self-rinsing
The Starbucks Verismo is also helpful in that it is self-cleaning. Its integrated rinsing system makes it easier for you to initiate a rinsing sequence. And because it requires fewer steps to clean, you’re more likely to clean the machine often. Nespresso does not have an integrated rinsing system, which can result in users putting off the tedious rinsing chore.
Decent water tank
Starbucks Verismo has a 33-ounce water tank, which is a great feature given how average coffee servings rarely cross 16 ounces. Whether you like to order a Venti every time or prefer Grande, Starbucks Verismo can store enough water to brew you the serving you deserve. It should be noted that Nespresso’s water tank isn’t smaller, so this feature doesn’t present a unique advantage to either option.
Adjustable drip tray
If you’ve ever used coffee machines where the cup doesn’t fit, you’ll be glad to know that Starbucks Verismo’s drip tray can be adjusted vertically so cups of different sizes can fit. This, again, is a feature that’s also present in the Nespresso machines as well.
Pause and resume brewing
With the brew stop and start functions, Starbucks Verismo gives its users even more control over the brewing process. If you wish to stop the machine from brewing or pouring coffee, you can stop it at a button’s tap. Tapping the same button again continues the process. Nespresso has this feature as well.
Potential drawbacks of Starbucks Verismo
Brand-locked to Starbucks
There are workarounds available but no straightforward compatibility between Starbucks verismo and non-verismo pods. In fact, Nespresso’s Starbucks coffee pods do not work in the Starbucks Verismo machine, which is quite ironic.
If you love Starbucks to the point of consuming it exclusively, you will not regret getting a Starbucks Verismo. But if you like to have it occasionally or even regularly, then Nespresso has Starbucks espresso pods.
No option for home ground coffee
Because Nespresso Verismo does not have reusable filters, the possibility of using fresh coffee grounds is much lower. You need to take extra steps to put together an off-brand recyclable coffee pod, but alternative coffee pod machines allow you to use reusable filters and your own coffee grounds.
Over the long run, this makes Verismo coffee expensive. And in the short term, it prevents you from consuming fresh coffee. For all the control the machine offers, not being compatible with reusable pods restricts user choices and erases much of the control.
Should you get a Starbucks Verismo?
Getting a Starbucks Verismo is not a conventional choice. If you want a “regular” coffee capsule machine, then you might want to get something that’s more forgiving to coffee pods from brands like Costa and Seattle’s Best. The Verismo purchase makes sense under one or more of the following circumstances:
- When you’re buying it as a gift for someone who loves Starbucks
- You get your coffee from Starbucks only
- You’re getting the coffee machine for an office and want the brand prestige of Starbucks.
- You dislike rinsing your coffee machine more than you like having the ability to brew non-Starbucks coffee.
Nespresso: A brief overview
Nespresso is a coffee pod machine that has been a pioneer in the fresh-brewed self-service coffee space since 1986. The machine brews coffee from coffee capsules that house fresh grounds and sometimes alternative ingredients.
The operating principle of a Nespresso is the same as a Starbucks Verismo or any other coffee capsule machine, but its long history in the instant coffee market, alongside Nestle’s resources, makes it one of the most advanced and widely compatible coffee machines of its kind.
Because Nestle had somewhat of a first-mover advantage with coffee capsules, Nespresso has achieved a category-synonymous status where coffee pod machines are often referred to as espressos. This is similar to Hoover with vacuum cleaners and Xerox with photocopying.
That’s why Nespresso is also the standard against which other coffee capsule machines are judged. And not all of them fall short, which brings up the question of how well Starbucks Verismo fares against Nespresso’s features.
Key features of Nespresso
Recyclable capsules
The most prominent advantage of Nespresso over Starbucks Verismo is that the former allows you to make your own coffee from home-ground beans. Because it is compatible with recyclable capsules, you don’t have to jailbreak the device to use your own coffee grounds.
Over the long run, this results in less expensive coffee, and in the short term, you can brew fresher coffee. That said, inserting your own coffee grounds in a capsule seems like making traditional espresso with extra steps. If using your own grounds means a lot to you, you must consider getting a traditional espresso maker.
A wider range of options (including Starbucks)
Another advantage of Nespresso is that it is widely compatible with coffee capsules from various brands. Whether you feel like having Costa’s for a month because of recent interest in Canada or you want to stick to Starbucks, you can get coffee capsules of the respective brand for your Nespresso.
Again, this is a result of the first-mover advantage covered earlier. Because Nespresso is the global standard for a coffee capsule machine, any brand getting into the pod-making business makes Nespresso pods initially.
Significant water storage
Aside from reusable pods and other brand pods, not many advantages of Nespresso set it apart from the Verismo. They have relatively similar features, and their water storage capacity is a prime example of that. The Nespresso has half an ounce higher water storage capacity. You can make 9 Nespresso beverages before running out of water.
Adjustable drip tray height
This is another feature that counts as a positive but doesn’t make the Nespresso any better than a Verismo. Just like a Starbucks Verismo, Nespresso also has a height-adjustable drip tray which allows one to pour coffee into cups of various heights.
Energy-saving mode
This is an advantage that can mean a lot for energy-conscious consumers but doesn’t qualify as a highlight. Certain Nespresso models come with an energy-saving option that winds down the machine when it isn’t being operated.
Descaling alert
While a Nespresso doesn’t self-rinse, it has a smart-alert option for descaling risk. When the machine is at risk of scaling or deposits, it warns you that it is time to engage in a descaling process. This advantage is quite valid for anyone who uses hard water to make their coffee.
Potential drawbacks of Nespresso
Slightly longer brewing time
Even though this is the first disadvantage we note, it will be barely noticeable if you get a Nespresso. The brewing time of a Nespresso coffee is one minute and five seconds, and it extracts espresso in 17 to 25 seconds.
This, compared to the Verismo’s 15-second extraction and 1-minute serving, is technically lower. But we don’t think getting coffee two to five seconds early is worth giving up one’s ability to use their own grounds or get pods from alternative brands.
Doesn’t self-rinse
Nespresso does not have an integrated rinsing system like Verismo. So, if you dislike the idea of manually rinsing your coffee machine, you will not be pleased with a Nespresso. If, in the past four months, you’ve had coffee from the same place, you might not value brand variety as much, in which case you can get rid of this drawback by opting for the Starbucks Verismo. For the general coffee consumer, the trade-off is not worth it.
Temperature is not adjustable
Nespresso increases your pod choices but decreases your interference with the brewing process. The temperature at which different Nespresso machines brew coffee is part of their respective product brands.
To prevent inconsistent taste and results, Nespresso machines come temperature-locked. For those who like the predictability of their brew, this might even be a feature. But for most people, having fewer options is always a negative.
Fewer Starbucks Options
Finally, for Starbucks Lovers, the Nespresso offers plenty of options but not as many as a Starbucks Verismo. Nespresso pods with the Starbucks brand sometimes overlap with the flavors available for Verismo. But overall, Verismo has a much wider catalog of exclusive capsules.
Should you get a Nespresso?
If you simply want a coffee capsule machine and don’t have very specific interests, then getting a Nespresso is a no-brainer. Here are other contexts where you might want to get a Nespresso.
- You want to enjoy Starbucks and other brands’ coffee
- You want to use your own coffee grounds
- You live in an area where getting specialized pods might be difficult.
Final Thoughts
When comparing Starbucks Verismo to Nespresso, the latter comes out ahead for everyone except devout Starbucks fans. And since taste is subjective, we cannot force anyone to pick either product. This article has presented the features and drawbacks of both machines and trusts that you can make an informed decision now. All the best.