Whether you’re already a Nespresso owner, or if you’re planning to buy one, you have probably noticed the lack of information available on how much caffeine is in their coffee pods.
On their US website, Nespresso mentions an average of caffeine content per each type of pod:
The average Espresso pod contains between 50mg to 100mg of caffeine, and that includes: OriginalLine Espresso and Lungo pods, as well as Vertuo Espresso, double-espresso and gran lungo.
Vertuo coffees (7.77 oz.), including XL (14 oz.), have a range of 170-200 mg per cup, while Carafe Pour-Over Style coffee (18 oz.) contains over 200 mg of caffeine.
What Affects the Amount of Caffeine in Each Pod?
The amount of caffeine in each pod comes down to a few things, like the type of coffee blend, the roasting profile and of course, how much ground coffee it contains. Some pods contain pure Arabica beans, while others have some Robusta coffee beans content, which is known for its higher caffeine content.
This is why Nespresso does not disclose the exact amount of caffeine in each of their pods. Or so I thought…
Related: Top questions about Nespresso pods
Nespresso Caffeine Content Guide
Going through Nespresso websites, looking for caffeine content info, I found them to be available on Nespresso Taiwan’s website! So I compiled a list of caffeine content for each pod.
The charts below will contain the amount of caffeine of each pod, how much ground coffee it contains and what is the recommended serving size. For pods that can be used for two serving sizes (OriginalLine pods), the caffeine content listed will be for the smallest serving size.
They are separated into two sections, one for Vertuo pods and another for OriginalLine.
The charts will not include seasonal and limited edition pods.
Caffeine and Coffee Content in Nespresso Vertuo Pods
Vertuo Pod Highlights
| Highest Caffeine | Lowest Caffeine (excluding Decaf/Half Caff) | |
| Espresso | Ill Caffe | Voltesso |
| Double Espresso | Scuro | Dolce |
| Gran Lungo | Fortado | Inizio |
| Coffee | Intenso | Solelio |
Volume Conversion:
Espresso 1.35 oz = 40ml
Double Espresso 2.7 oz = 80ml
Gran Lungo 5 oz = 150ml
Mug 7.7 oz = 230ml
Carafe 18 oz = 535 ml
1- Espresso
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Altissio | 108mg per 1.35 oz | 7g | 1.35 oz Espresso |
| Diavolitto | 144mg per 1.35 oz | 7g | 1.35 oz Espresso |
| Voltesso | 64mg per 1.35 oz | 5.2g | 1.35 oz Espresso |
| Orafio | 110mg per 1.35 oz | 6.2g | 1.35 oz Espresso |
| Tocanto | 84mg per 1.35 oz | 6.2g | 1.35 oz Espresso |
| Ill Caffe | 152mg per 1.35 oz | 7g | 1.35 oz Espresso |
2- Double Espresso
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Double Espresso Chiaro | 135 mg per 2.7 oz | 10g | 2.7 oz Double Espresso |
| Double Espresso Scuro | 150 mg per 2.7 oz | 10g | 2.7 oz Double Espresso |
| Double Espresso Dolce | 133 mg per 2.7 oz | 9.5g | 2.7 oz Double Espresso |
3- Gran Lungo
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Arondio | 150mg per 5 oz | 10g | 5 oz Gran Lungo |
| Inizio | 120mg per 5 oz | 10g | 5 oz Gran Lungo |
| Fortado | 195mg per 5 oz | 10g | 5 oz Gran Lungo |
| Fortado Decaf | 7mg per 5 oz | 10g | 5 oz Gran Lungo |
| Ethiopia | 119mg per 5 oz | 9.5 g | 5 oz Gran Lungo |
| Costa Rica | 140mg per 5 oz | 10.5g | 5 oz Gran Lungo |
4- Coffee
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Intenso | 195 mg per 7.7 oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Stormio | 170 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Odacio | 170 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Melozio | 170 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Melozio Decaf | 11 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Solelio | 133 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Half Caffeinato | 83 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Mexico | 190 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Colombia | 165 mg per 7.7oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
5- Barista Creations
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Bianco Forte | 160mg per 7.7 oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Bianco Leggero | 140mg per 2.7 oz | 10g | 2.7 oz double-espresso |
| Bianco Doppio | 105mg per 2.7 oz | 10g | 2.7 oz double-espresso |
| Bianco Piccolo | 75mg per 1.35 oz | 6.2g | 1.35 oz Espresso |
| Hazelino Muffin | 170mg per 7.7 oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Vanilla Custard Pie | 166mg per 7.7 oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Caramel Cookie | 159mg per 7.7 oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
| Chocolate Fudge | 160mg per 7.7 oz | 12.5g | 7.7 oz Mug |
6- Carafe (works with Vertuo NEXT machines only)
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Carafe Pour Over Intense | 230mg per 18 oz | 17g | 18 oz Carafe |
| Carafe Pour Over Mild | 257 per 18 oz | 17g | 18 oz Carafe |
Caffeine and Coffee Content in Nespresso OriginalLine Pods
OriginalLine Pod Highlights
Pod with the highest caffeine: Kazaar
Pod with the lowest caffeine: Chiaro
Pod with the most ground coffee content: Kazaar and Fortissio
All decaf pods have between 2mg and 4mg of caffeine.
Ounce to ML Conversion
Ristretto – 0.85 oz = 25 ml
Espresso – 1.35 oz = 40 ml
Lungo – 3.7 oz = 110 ml
1- Espresso & Ristretto
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Palermo Kazaar | 113mg per 0.85 oz | 6g | 1.35 oz espresso or 0.85 oz Ristretto |
| Napoli | 109mg per 0.85 oz | 5.7g | 1.35 oz espresso or 0.85 oz Ristretto |
| Arpeggio | 63mg per 0.85 oz | 5.3g | 1.35 oz espresso or 0.85 oz Ristretto |
| Volluto | 64mg per 1.35 oz | 5g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Venezia | 77mg per 0.85 oz | 5.6g | 1.35 oz espresso or 0.85 oz Ristretto |
| India | 107mg per 1.35 oz | 5.5g | 1.35 oz espresso or 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Indonesia | 72mg per 1.35 oz | 5.7g | 1.35 oz espresso or 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Colombia | 64mg per 1.35 oz | 5.7g | 1.35 oz espresso or 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Nicaragua | 65mg per 1.35 oz | 5g | 1.35 oz espresso or 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Ethiopia | 65mg per 1.35 oz | 5.7g | 1.35 oz espresso or 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Rio de Janeiro | 77mg per 1.35 oz | 5.5g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Istanbul | 85mg per 1.35 oz | 5.6g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Paris | 75m per 1.35 oz | 5.6g | 1.35 oz espresso |
2- Lungo
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Cape Town | 110mg per 3.7 oz | 5.5g | 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Stockholm Fortissio | 80mg per 3.7 oz | 6g | 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Vienna | 75 per 3.7 oz | 5.5g | 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Tokyo | 82mg per 3.7 oz | 5.8g | 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Shanghai | 82mg per 3.7 oz | 5.6g | 3.7 oz Lungo |
| Buenos Aires | 104mg per 3.7 oz | 5.6g | 3.7 oz Lungo |
3- Barista Creations
| Pod | Caffeine Content | Ground Coffee Amount | Volume (Default) |
| Caramel Creme Brulee | 62mg per 1.35 oz | 5g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Vanilla Eclaire | 62mg per 1.35 oz | 5g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Cocoa Truffle | 62mg per 1.35 oz | 5g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Chiaro | 42mg per 1.35 oz | 4.8g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Scuro | 73mg per 1.35 oz | 5.5g | 1.35 oz espresso |
| Corto | 103mg per 1.35 oz | 5.8g | 1.35 oz espresso |
Few Things to Keep in Mind
Like I said earlier, I used Nespresso Taiwan’s website as a source of all the caffeine and coffee content info in the charts. I would still ask you to take that information with a grain of salt. It is meant to give you a general idea of how much caffeine is in each pod, it’s not 100% accurate.
Intensity vs Caffeine Content
Stronger tasting coffee (high intensity) doesn’t necessarily mean higher caffeine content. In fact, lighter roasts could contain more caffeine than darker ones.
Take the Carafe Mild pod as an example. It actually has more caffeine than the Intense one. This is probably because the milld pod uses a lighter roast than the intense pod.
More Coffee Does Not Equal More Caffeine
Some espresso pods can contain as much caffeine as a larger coffee pod. Larger cups don’t always mean higher caffeine.
Ill Caffe espresso pod has 152 mg of caffeine, because it is made of a blend of Arabica and Robusta grounds. On the other hand, Colombia coffee mug has 160mg, which is close to what the Ill Caffe shot has.
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