Can You Reuse Nespresso Vertuo Pods? Here’s the Shocking Truth

Ever wondered if you can you reuse nepresso veruo pods? The other day I was caught myself thinking if there’s a possible way you can use those fancy pods more than once. I quickly reached for my laptop and I did research; it’s surprising what I found. Stick around, I’m going to share with you handy ways of reusing your nespresso veruo pods. Let’s dive right into it. 

Key takeaways: 

• Can you reuse Nespresso Vertuo pods
• Important facts about Nespresso Vertuo pods
• The best way to go about refilling your Nespresso pods

Can You really reuse Nespresso Vertuo pods? 

The answer is Yes you can reuse your pods to brew coffee which saves you money considering that the price per pod is around $1-$1.5, especially if you drink many cups every day. This way you can still enjoy gorgeous espresso-based drinks including latte, americano and cappuccino.  

What you should know about Nespresso Vertuo 

Nespresso Vertuo is one of the most popular Nespresso machines. It first released this new line (Vertoline) in 2014.

It comes in 4 different versions: 

The table summarises the 4 versions:

Name:	Available Colours:	Price:
Vertuo Pop	6	$79.00
Vertuo Next	3	$99.00
Vertuo Next Premium	2	$129
Vertuo Next Deluxe	1	$149

All of them have a distinct minilalisitc enabling to make delicious coffee with only a couple of touches. Vertuo machines can analyse each pod to adjust brewing parameters, enhancing the aroma and flavours. 

Nespresso also offers their original-line machines with 9 different models which are equally great for making gorgeous espresso. 

So, what’s the difference between the original and Vertuo? 

Nespresso created the vertuo line to appeal to the US and Canada where typically people prefer larger coffees to a single espresso. You can brew a range of drinks with a Vertuo from an espresso shot to a 14oz coffee. 

How to refill your Nespresso pods?

Let’s go over how to refill your pods the right way. 

What you’ll need? 

Here are the gear you’ll need to go about refilling your pods: 

• Used Nespresso pods: you guessed it, to refill used pods you need to have recently used Nepresso Vertuo pods in a good condition
• Pod holder: you’ll use this to steadily refill your pods without throwing coffee outside of it. Nespresso manufacture their own tool
• Brush: use it to brush away coffee grounds that don’t fit in the pod
• Foil seals: you’ll use these to seal the holes on the coffee pods and make it work
• Coffee grouds: to drink better coffee you’ll need freshly ground coffee, so it’s good to buy coffee beans and ground them right before you’re about to refill your pods. 

How to go about refilling your pods?

Let’s go over the steps to refill your Nespresso pods: 

1. Remove the top of the pod by using a sharp knife (be careful when using a knife). Cut around the edge of the pod
2. Throw away the used coffee grounds, give the pod a good wash with washing-up liquid and rinse it.
3. Use a little coffee scoop to refill your pods and then by using the back of a spoon stump the coffee to fit in finely
4. Use the brush to remove coffee that doesn;t fit in the pod
5. Seal the pod with a foil seal that cover the surface of the pod
6. Fold over the seal underneath of the lip to ensure that the pod won’t get stuck in the Vertuo machine

Tips for mastering refilling pods

Here’s a bunch of tips and tricks on how to master refilling pods:

• Adding more coffee that’s needed it often means that you’ll waste coffee. Make sure you know how much coffee you need (Vertuo pods take 5.8g of coffee)  to fill a pod and weigh it before you go about refilling it.  
• I find it better to refill my pods for the next few days. It’s offputing to take out all the gear just to refill one pod. I typically aim at refilling at least 7 
• Let’s face it, this task is completed easier if you have a Nespresso kit to hold the pods steady while refilling them. It’ll knock you back a few dollars but it’s worth the investment. 

Here’s a review of a Nespresso owner for Altisso and Bianco Leggero: 

These are probably my favourite. It’s almost like this is a company who focussed on espresso’s for a long time. Altisso – reminds me a lot of the coffee I drank in Italy: often Lavazza beans in a moka pot. A bit acidic, a bit roasted, strong but not too strong, with a bitterness that slowly creeps up and then lingers. Solid every-day choice in that it’s easy to knock one back, but not special to me like the Peru is. 3.5/5 Bianco Leggero – from other reviews, this seems like a bit of a marmite kind of deal: you either love it or you hate it. I’m firmly in camp love. This was made to be a “barista coffee” to be paired with milk and boy, does that work. Especially oat milk, it’s just a super indulgent cup of coffee. Strong enough to get all the full flavours under the milk without being overwhelming; a hint of acidity and a bit sweet and a double espresso size: exactly what I want for a cappuccino. The only niggle is that on it’s own, this is rather unbalanced, but then, there are other pods for that. I have a feeling these’ll be a mainstay of my pod orders. 5/5

– r/nespresso

Does the coffee you make with reused pods taste as good? 

Yes if you do a bit of practice and get the hang of it you’ll be able to seal the pods perfectly. 

I’d say the main differences when you brew with resued pods compared to new ones are: 

• The coffee may taste a bit weaker, especially when you’re not a pro at refilling pods
• Espresso made with reused has slightly less crema

But it’s worth a try considering how much money you can save by brewing coffee with refilled pods.

Are reusable coffee pods safe to use? 

Yes they are.

First off, make sure that you get rid of the used coffee and give it a proper good wash to remove any mould and bacteria. If you’re planning to refill the same pod more than once, it’s critical to wash it every single time.

What about the machine? Is it safe for your Nespresso machine to use refilled pods or is it going to cause damage? 

As long as you use Nespresso Vertuo pods, recommended from the manufacturer, you won’t have any issues. It’s wise to avoid any other types of pods you can find online or at coffee shops as it might cause your Nespresso machine malfunctioning. 

Another thing to keep in mind is to not fill your pods excessively, otherwise they might end up stuck in the machine – it’s a real hassle to get the stuck coffee pod or even puck out of your machine.

Let’s wrap it up 

It’s good to know that you can reuse nespresso verto pods, whether you care about the environment or not. It’s also good cause you can have fun with it just by experimenting and learning how to go about it. 

FAQ

Do you have a burning question on the topic? I’ve got you covered, let’s go over a bunch of questions that often come up about how to refill Nespresso pods.

Can you refill Nespresso pods more than once

Yes you can, just follow the steps above and you’ll be good. But keep in mind that your espresso will be slighlty weaker. 

What’s the best coffee type to refill your pods? 

It really comes down to personal preference. Whether Arabica or Robusta beans, you’ll be able to refill your pods and enjoy great coffee. It’s better though to use freshly grounded coffee that you grind yourself for enhanced flavour and aroma.