Nespresso Vertuo and Tchibo Cafissimo capsule alternatives

Two systems, two completely different answers. With Tchibo Cafissimo you can pick from dozens of capsules made by different roasters, because the capsule shape is shared with the rival Caffitaly system. With Nespresso Vertuo you are tied to one single supplier, because the machine reads the capsule off a barcode and will not brew a thing without it. This article says plainly where an alternative exists, where it does not, and what to do in either case — including where to buy the capsules and how to avoid getting the price maths wrong.

The quick answer for both systems

If you are here for one thing only, here it is: a Vertuo capsule alternative in the shape of a compatible pod from another roaster effectively does not exist, while with Cafissimo there are so many alternatives that the hard part is narrowing them down. The difference is not down to the size of the manufacturer or the goodwill of the market, but to the engineering inside the machine.

The rest of the article explains why that is, and what follows from it both for your money and for the flavours you can reach. For a general overview of all the systems and how little they have in common, see our guide on how to choose coffee capsules.

Nespresso Vertuo: why there are no compatible capsules

Vertuo is a separate line inside Nespresso that shares nothing with the classic capsules except the name. The capsule is considerably bigger, shaped like a slightly flattened dome, and it carries a barcode all the way around the rim. The machine reads the code before it starts and takes every brewing parameter from it: the volume of water, the temperature, the pre-wetting time and the spin speed.

The barcode decides, not the shape

This is precisely why the trick that works on every other system fails here. Elsewhere it is enough to build a capsule with the right dimensions and the machine will handle it, because it does nothing more than pierce it and push water through. Vertuo instead reads its programme off the capsule. A capsule without a valid code is an unknown object to the machine and no drink comes out. Copying the shape is therefore not enough — a maker of compatible pods would have to replicate the coding as well, and legally as well as technically that is a different league from copying a plastic cup.

There is a second thing on top of that: Vertuo does not brew under pressure like an ordinary capsule machine, it brews by spinning. The capsule is spun at high speed and the coffee leaves it over the rim. The grind and the dose are therefore tied to that one specific shape and to whatever the machine reads off the code. There is simply no gap here for home improvisation to slip into.

Vertuo and Original capsules are not interchangeable

The most common mistake with this system has nothing to do with alternatives and everything to do with buying inside Nespresso itself. A classic Nespresso Original capsule will not fit a Vertuo machine, and the other way round it will not fit either. This is not a software restriction you could work around but a different shape and a different holder size. So when you see “Nespresso capsules” advertised at a tempting price, nine times out of ten they are Original capsules — and those will do nothing at all for your Vertuo.

The practical upshot: you will not find Vertuo capsules in our range, and that is not a gap in the catalogue. Compatible capsules for this system are not sold by coffee retailers anywhere, so there would be nothing to put on the shelf. If you own a Vertuo, you buy your capsules from the owner of the system.

What to do if you own a Vertuo

You have three options and each one comes with a price you pay for it. None of them is a “hack” that gets cheap capsules into a Vertuo.

1. Stay with the original range

The simplest route. You get a consistent result, large drinks at a single press and no risk of a capsule that will not fit. What you pay for that is having one supplier set both the price and the choice of flavours. If you like the way Vertuo makes a lungo and bigger cups, it is a perfectly legitimate choice — just accept that the room for saving money here is minimal.

2. Move to Nespresso Original

This is the answer most people looking for an alternative arrive at in the end. The Original line is open, the patents on the capsule shape have expired and the capsule is made today by Italian roasters and big household brands alike. The difference in the breadth of choice is an order of magnitude: instead of one catalogue you have dozens of roasters, and among Nespresso compatible pods you will find espresso, lungo, decaf versions and aluminium capsules from premium brands.

The price speaks for it too. Lavazza Qualità Oro capsules for Nespresso cost $5.93 for a pack of ten, which is $0.59 a cup. Aluminium Illy Classico capsules for Nespresso come to $7.58 for ten, so $0.76 a cup. That is a range you never get to move within on Vertuo, because there you have nothing to compare against.

The weakness of this route is obvious: it means buying a different machine. It only pays off for someone who drinks a lot, or for someone whose problem with Vertuo is not the price but the narrow choice of flavours. If you are thinking about switching, read up first on the differences between originals and compatible pods in our article on Nespresso original or compatible capsules.

3. Refillable capsules — on Vertuo they do not work

On other systems there are refillable stainless steel capsules you fill with your own ground coffee. On Vertuo you run into exactly the same wall as the manufacturers do: with no barcode the machine will not start a drink. Listings that claim otherwise usually solve the code with a sticker peeled off the original capsule, and the result is unstable — the machine runs a programme for a different volume than the one you have actually dosed in. We do not recommend it as a permanent solution.

Tchibo Cafissimo: the swap is easy

With Cafissimo the situation is the other way round, and surprisingly pleasant. The Cafissimo capsule is identical in shape to the Caffitaly capsule, because Cafissimo was built on that system in the first place. In practice that means your Tchibo machine will take capsules from brands that do not mention Tchibo on the box at all.

How to tell you have this system

The Cafissimo and Caffitaly capsule is a plastic cup with an internal filter and a fairly tall profile. The machine usually has three buttons by drink type — espresso, caffè crema and filter coffee — and uses a different pressure for each. Alongside the capsule shape, that is the best way to recognise it, because no other home system works that way. For a closer look at both ranges, see our article on Tchibo Cafissimo and Caffitaly.

Which ranges fit a Cafissimo

Besides the original Tchibo capsules, you can reach for several other ranges:

• Caffè Borbone — a Neapolitan roaster, darker profile and pronounced robusta, strong espresso.
• Kimbo — another Neapolitan classic, rounder and less bitter than Borbone.
• Chicco d’Oro — the Swiss school, a gentler roast closer to what you know from Tchibo.
• Cagliari and Caffitaly Ecaffè — blends and single origins straight from the owner of the system.
• Decaf capsules — available from several brands, not just one.
• Twinings tea capsules and Ricola herbal capsules — for a household where coffee is not to everyone's taste.
• FoodNess — functional drinks such as ganoderma or barley, again in the very same capsule shape.

One warning, in the interest of honesty: a shared shape does not mean every capsule will seat exactly the same way in every machine. With capsules from established roasters this is not an issue; with very cheap unbranded capsules it occasionally happens that they sit a fraction of a millimetre off in the holder and the machine leaks around them. If you see a leak like that, do not try the same capsule a second time and go back to the range that worked for you.

What to replace a particular Tchibo capsule with

Most searches along the lines of “Tchibo Cafissimo capsule replacement” are not aimed at the whole system but at one specific capsule that has vanished from the shelf or stopped making sense on price. The table converts the usual Tchibo ranges into what can stand in for them, and shows the price per capsule straight away, because every pack holds ten and they compare directly.

One uncomfortable truth comes out of the table, and it is better said upfront: flavoured capsules are the hardest thing to replace. Espresso and caffè crema you can stand in for easily, because every roaster makes them. A caramel or vanilla capsule, though, is one brand's own recipe and outside their range you will not find it. Anyone who has grown used to a flavoured capsule has nowhere to retreat to when it is discontinued.

Where to buy Nespresso and Vertuo capsules

The question “where to buy Nespresso capsules” has two different answers depending on which line you mean. It is worth sorting out before you buy, because the “it does not fit my machine” complaint is more common here than you would expect.

Nespresso Original

Classic capsules are sold anywhere coffee is sold — by the owner of the system, in supermarkets, in grocery and convenience stores and in online coffee shops. The widest choice of roasters is online, because there the range is not limited by shelf space. When you are after a particular style, go at it by category: Illy capsules for a gentler arabica profile, Lavazza capsules for classic Italian espresso, aluminium L’OR capsules for a fuller body. Specific recommendations by taste are covered in our article on the best Nespresso capsules.

Nespresso Vertuo

Here the answer is shorter: from the owner of the system, and nowhere else reliably. Because nobody else makes the capsule, the range is the same in the brand's own shop as it is in its own online store. If you see “Vertuo capsules” somewhere well below the usual price, check twice whether they are not Original capsules or stock past its best-before date. The risk of buying something that does not belong in the machine is higher with this query than with any other system.

What to look at when buying online

• The system, not the brand. “Tchibo capsules” can be for Cafissimo or for Nespresso — Tchibo makes both. What decides is the line in the description saying which system the capsule belongs to.
• The number of capsules in the pack. Ten, sixteen, eighteen or a hundred. Without that number the pack price tells you nothing whatsoever.
• Whether the drink comes from one capsule or from two. On Cafissimo and on Nespresso, one capsule equals one drink. On Tassimo it does not, and that turns the whole calculation on its head.
• The best-before date on clearance stock. Capsules keep for a long time, because they are sealed without oxygen, but a clearance price that looks too good is usually a clearance for a good reason.

What it costs per cup

Pack prices cannot be compared, because packs hold different numbers of capsules. The price per capsule is better, but even that can lead you astray. The only number that means anything across systems is the price per drink. On Cafissimo and on Nespresso the two figures are the same, because one drink comes out of one capsule. On Tassimo one milk drink takes two capsules, so “16 capsules” is a pack for eight drinks and the price per capsule there comes out half as favourable as the reality. Compare capsules instead of drinks and Tassimo looks twice as cheap as it actually is at the till.

Individual capsule prices in both open systems stay within a similar band, so the saving does not come from moving between Cafissimo and Nespresso. It comes from inside the system, from reaching for a roaster other than the one whose name is on your machine. And with Vertuo it does not come at all — that is the price of the convenience with which the machine handles large cups without a single setting to adjust.

Three mistakes that leave a capsule that does not fit sitting in the kitchen

Buying by the brand on the machine

The name on the housing tells you who built the machine, not which capsule system it takes. With Tchibo it happens to work out, because Tchibo is both a brand and a system. With Krups or De’Longhi machines it does not — they build machines for several different systems, and the badge on the front will not tell you which capsules fit.

Mixing up Vertuo and Original

Both are sold as “Nespresso capsules” and yet they are two shapes that cannot be swapped. The tell is simple: Vertuo is a big dome with a barcode around the rim, Original is a small cup with no code. Remember that and you will never make this mistake again.

Comparing prices per pack

A pack of ten and a pack of a hundred look like two offers you cannot compare, and yet the decision comes down to a single number. Divide the pack price by the number of drinks you will get out of it and you have a comparison that works across systems too. It takes a few seconds and with capsules it is the most useful number there is.

Frequently asked questions

Are there compatible capsules for Nespresso Vertuo?

Not in normal retail. The machine reads its brewing programme off the barcode around the rim of the capsule, so a copy of the shape without a valid code will not start a drink. If you own a Vertuo, you buy your capsules from the owner of the system.

Can classic Nespresso capsules go into a Vertuo?

No. The Original capsule is smaller and a different shape, and it physically will not fit the Vertuo holder. It works the other way too — a Vertuo capsule does not belong in an Original machine.

What can Tchibo Cafissimo capsules be replaced with?

Any capsule from the Caffitaly system, because it is identical in shape. For a stronger espresso, Neapolitan roasters such as Borbone or Kimbo do the job; for a gentler profile closer to Tchibo, rather Chicco d’Oro. Flavoured capsules are the exception — those are the hardest of all to replace.

Do Caffitaly capsules fit a Tchibo Cafissimo machine?

Yes, the system is the same and the capsule is identical in shape. With capsules from established roasters, seating is rarely a problem. With very cheap unbranded capsules it occasionally happens that they sit imprecisely in the holder and the machine leaks around them.

Where can you buy Nespresso capsules?

Original capsules are widely available — from the owner of the system and from coffee retailers, with the widest choice of roasters online. Vertuo capsules are sold only by the owner of the system. Before you buy, always check which line your machine takes.

Is it worth changing machines just for the choice of capsules?

Only if the narrow range or the price on Vertuo genuinely bothers you and you drink a lot. A new machine takes a long time to pay for itself out of the difference in capsule prices. If you make two cups a day, you will save more by switching to a different roaster inside your own system.

Do refillable capsules work as an alternative?

On open systems, partly — the result depends on how precisely you keep to the dose and the tamp, and it tends to be less consistent than a ready-made capsule. On Vertuo they do not work at all, because without the barcode the machine will not start a drink.

How long do capsules keep if I buy in bulk?

The coffee in a capsule is sealed without oxygen, so it holds its aroma far longer than an open bag of ground coffee — a year or more is perfectly normal. Buying in bulk therefore makes sense with capsules, as long as you reach for a flavour you already know.

Summary and recommendations

The difference between the two systems in the title of this article is fundamental and there is no solution that would erase it. Vertuo is locked by its code, so a Vertuo capsule alternative does not exist and the choice narrows to whether you want to stay with one supplier or buy a machine from a more open line. Cafissimo is closed only in appearance, because its capsule is identical in shape to Caffitaly, and that opens up several more roasters to you without your having to change a thing.

For Cafissimo the practical approach is this: use the table above to find the range you have at home, take the recommended alternative and buy the smallest pack. If the taste lands, move up to a bigger order. If it does not, you have lost one pack, not a month's supply.

And if you are still deciding which system to go into, let yourself be guided by how much you want the choice under your control. If you want to pick and choose, head for Cafissimo and Caffitaly or for Nespresso Original. If what you mostly want is to press a button and get a large cup without dealing with parameters, do not write Vertuo off — just know that it ties you to one supplier for good.