More Recipes for Nespresso Vertuo Capsules

No more boring Lattes and Americanos

I recently replaced my Nespresso coffee machine with the Nespresso Pop+ Machine, which uses the Vertuo capsules rather than the Original Line capsules. There seem to be fewer selections for the Vertuo capsules from the Nespresso Store, but if you are keen to experiment with new flavours, it turns out that the Vertuo capsules can provide an even wider range of flavours than with the Original Line capsules.

What is different with the Vertuo Capsules from the Original Line Capsules is that the coffee brewed from the Vertuo Capsules does not have any bitter taste. With the Original Line capsules, you can buy a wide range of capsules that offer variation in flavor and bitterness. After drinking coffee brewed with the Original Line capsules for many years, the bitterness of the coffee has become one of the distinguishing factors in choosing the capsules.

With fewer choices of Vertuo Capsules, I decided to experiment with different ways of making my lattes and Americanos. So, here is the essential idea. The Vertuo Pop+ machine can brew coffee with the standard output volume as indicated on the capsule (espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, cup) or can be halved by double-tapping the “Brew” button (using the Expert mode). We’ll use the different coffee volumes to pair with milk, syrup, and flavored milk. The challenge is how to organize the formula so that you can repeatedly make the same drink easily. We want the formula to be as simple as possible, and no need for additional “equipment”.

We’ll start with a cup size. I choose 300ml cup as it can hold a drink of 200–250ml with some room for the crema (so that it does not overflow out of the cup).

Let’s start with making a hot Latte. There are roughly 3 sizes of coffee volume you can brew from the machine, and you pair them with a corresponding amount of hot milk. We’ll use three levels of milk so that you can visually distinguish them easily: 40% — less than half full, 50% — half full, and 60% — slightly more than half full. I do not use the Nespresso milk frother as it breaks down too often for my liking. I use the microwave oven to warm up the milk in 30 seconds at high power. I do not find the lack of milk frothing to diminish the coffee flavour. If you enjoy sipping the crema from the coffee, once it is mixed in with the warm milk, your spoon of crema will also contain a small amount of milk.

If you pick a Mug size capsule (230ml), then you need to brew with a double tap (to 115ml) and pair with 50% milk. If you pick a Gran Lungo size capsule (150ml), then you need to pair it with 40% milk. If you pick a double espresso size capsule (80ml) or you use double tap to get the half volume version of the Gran Lungo (150ml reduced to 75ml), you can pair it with the 60% milk. Just remember the pairing formula above when you pick a Vertuo capsule, and you can easily match the amount of milk to make a latte.

Syrups: Cinnamon Bark, Vanilla, Almond, Coconut

To make a flavored hot Latte, you can either use syrup that is added to the milk (1 — 2 teaspoons, or 1–2 tablespoons depending on your taste). As I usually heat the milk using the microwave oven, I would add the syrup before heating it up.

To make a cold Latte, we simply do not heat the refrigerated milk and try to use the capsules with a smaller volume of 75–80ml (either the Double Espresso capsules or the Gran Lungo capsules made with double tap). Then add some ice.

Alternatively, we can also use flavored milk like the above (Peach and Dark Chocolate). My Hot Peach Latte is especially enticing with its peachy aroma, and when you drink it, you can even taste its fruity flavour with the coffee. You may need to look for other flavoured milk in your supermarket.

Making a mocha is so easy by just using the chocolate-flavoured milk. Usually, the milk is sweet enough, so you don't even have to add sugar to your drink.

Now, to make Americanos, you cannot use the milk to flavour your drink. You need syrups.

For hot Americanos, I would recommend using the larger volume capsules, like the Gran Lungo size (150ml) and the Mug size (230ml) capsules. Just make the coffee using the machine and add the syrup, sugar, or honey to flavour your drink. If you find the coffee too strong, add some hot water.

For cold Americanos, I would recommend staying with Double Espresso (80ml), Gran Lungo (150ml), and Mug (230ml) capsules. Make the last two capsule sizes with a double tap. The idea is to use as little coffee from the machine as possible to mix with ice cubes and cold water. Do add the syrup, sugar, or honey to flavour your drink.

Hope my recipes are useful to you. Enjoy your coffee.