HOW TO BREW WITH A CAPSULES
We know. You already know how to do this. There’s a slot, there’s a capsule, the capsule goes into the slot. We’re not going to pretend this is a craft.
And yet. Here we are, writing a brew guide for the easiest brewing method ever invented, because our other nine guides all have a block of numbers at the top and it felt rude to leave this one out. So: a small, entirely unnecessary ode to coffee capsules.
THE NUMBERS, FOR ONE CUP
THE NUMBERS, FOR ONE CUP
TIME
0:25 to 0:40 min
depending on your machine and the button you choose
Give feedback
COFFEE
1 capsule
WATER
you set it yourself
RATIO
set at the roastery
GRIND
already done, by us, properly, so you don’t have to think about it
TEMP
whatever your machine makes of it, and that’s not your problem either
NO SCALE? NO PROBLEM.
GRAMS & GRIND?
There’s nothing to weigh. There’s nothing to grind.
GRIND
There is, and we sincerely apologize for this, also nothing that calls for a plum or a walnut as a measuring cup, because the whole point of this format is that someone already did the plum-and-walnut work for you, at the roastery, before you were awake.
THE ONLY THING THAT ACTUALLY MATTERS
Everything about a capsule is fixed the moment it’s sealed. Except for one thing: how much water your machine pushes through it. And you set that once, after which the machine remembers it.
This is how it works on virtually every Nespresso-compatible machine:
01
INSERT THE CAPSULE AND CLOSE THE LEVER
02
HOLD DOWN THE BUTTON YOU WANT TO PROGRAM. ESPRESSO OR LUNGO — EACH CAN BE SET SEPARATELY
03
LAAT LOS OP HET MOMENT DAT ER GENOEG IN JE KOPJE ZIT
04
THE MACHINE REMEMBERS THAT VOLUME. FROM NOW ON, ONE PRESS IS ENOUGH
SO YOU HAVE TWO SAVED SETTINGS, ONE FOR EACH BUTTON. USUALLY:
BUTTON
STANDARD
RESULT
ESPRESSO
About 40 ml
Short, concentrated, full-bodied and heavy
LUNGO
About 100 ml
Longer, lighter, brighter
LESS WATER THROUGH THE SAME CAPSULE MEANS A MORE INTENSE CUP.
More water means a lighter cup that becomes a bit flatter toward the end, because you’re mostly adding the final, least flavourful part of the extraction.
TRANSLATED FROM BARISTA TALK
"Capsule systems standardise the extraction variable set"
Someone else has already figured out the grind, the dose and the pressure. Relax.
"Volumetric selection remains the sole user-controlled parameter"
There are two buttons. Pick one, and set it properly once.
HOW OUR THREE CAPSULES TASTE WITH EACH BUTTON
CAPSULE
ESPRESSO, ABOUT 40 ML
LUNGO, ABOUT 110 ML
LUNGO
More concentrated than intended, but perfectly fine
Light and rounded, made for this
COFFEE: MICROLOT
AT 3:00, STANDARD
Layered, dark chocolate and dried fruit, with a long finish.
SHORTER BREW (2:30)
Sharp, the sweetness hasn’t come through yet.
LONGER BREW (3:30)
Heavier, loses its definition.
ESPRESSO
Dark and strong, made for this
A bit thin, lacking body
COFFEE: SINGLE
AT 3:00, STANDARD
Bright berries, citrus, tea-like.
SHORTER BREW (2:30)
Very sharp, almost sour, thin.
LONGER BREW (3:30)
Rounder, less vibrant, but still clean.
COFFEE: DOUBLE
DECAF
Dark and full-bodied, surprisingly robust for decaf
Softer, perfect for the evening
AT 3:00, STANDARD
Red fruit and brown sugar, balanced.
SHORTER BREW (2:30)
Astringent, sweetness not yet developed.
LONGER BREW (3:30)
Syrupy, slightly dull.
COFFEE: TRIPLE
AT 3:00, STANDARD
Chocolate, mild acidity, full-bodied.
SHORTER BREW (2:30)
Watery, the chocolate fades.
LONGER BREW (3:30)
Thick, with a slight bitter edge.
COFFEE: DARK
AT 3:00, STANDARD
Bold, low acidity, roasty.
SHORTER BREW (2:30)
Still roasty, but strangely thin.
LONGER BREW (3:30)
Bitter, dry finish — don’t do it.
THE V60 BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN LIGHTER ROASTS.
The acidity of Single, Double and Microlot benefits from that fast, clean filtration. Dark works better in a French press or moka pot, where the fuller brewing method suits the heavier roast.
TASTES WEIRD?
WEAK
Your volume is set too high. Reset the button and stop it earlier.
BITTER
Descale the machine. Limescale affects flow time and temperature in a capsule machine more than people think.
TOO STRONG
Set the volume higher, or use the lungo button.
MACHINE DOESN’T PUNCTURE THE CAPSULE
Check that it’s facing the right way. It only fits one way, and there’s a reason for that.
SOUR AND THIN
Grind finer, or use hotter water. You were in a hurry.
BITTER AND DRY
Grind coarser, or pour through faster. You were too strict.
JUST BLAND
More coffee. Nine times out of ten, it’s more coffee.
IT DRAINS TOO QUICKLY
Grind finer. Or you’re pouring too hard and have drilled a hole in the coffee bed. Keep the spout lower.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes. Our capsules are designed to be compostable instead of being made from aluminium, and they fit Nespresso machines.
Yes, that’s exactly why we made them this way. Organic coffee capsules and biodegradable coffee capsules refer to the same thing: no aluminium sitting around for hundreds of years.
Our coffee capsules are made for Nespresso machines with the Original system. They are not a replacement for Vertuo capsules, which use a different mechanism.
Yes. Same machine, same convenience, different supply chain: our coffee is roasted in Ethiopia and Kenya instead of Europe, and the capsule is compostable instead of aluminium.
Hold down the button you want to program while the machine is running, and release it when there’s enough in your cup. The machine remembers that volume for each button.
The espresso button uses less water for a shorter, more concentrated cup. The lungo button pushes more water through for a longer, lighter cup. Same capsule, two different results.
Not identical, because with a capsule the grind and pressure are fixed at the roastery. But the overall flavour profile — whether fruity, chocolatey or bold — still comes through. Capsules are made for convenience and consistency, not for fine-tuning like with a V60 or AeroPress.