Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

TAKEAWAY TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS KIT: This is a very useful kit. But I felt I wasn’t getting the right amount of coffee grounds in my refillable cup to best emulate my Nespresso pod experience, so I did an experiment: What is the amount of coffee grounds inside a Nespresso Pod and what does that equate to in refillable cup scoops? The Nespresso Capsule and Alchemy Refillable Cups Experiment: I broke open a Nespresso Pod Capsule to see exactly the quantity of coffee grounds are in there so I had a sense of how much coffee grounds to add to a refillable cup to try to dupe the Nespresso brand espresso flavor/strength. See photos below of the experiment itself. 1 Nespresso Pod = 1 13/16 scoops of espresso grounds, using the white scoop/tamp that comes with the kit. But… that doesn’t fit in the refillable cup without LOTS of tamping to pack down the grounds as tightly as possible in the cup. I tamped down as well as I could, but still had some grounds that I could not fit into the refillable cup and still be able to snap it closed, as seen in one of the photos, I had some leftover. This made an espresso that tasted was just very slightly less rich than the regular Nespresso pod, I doubt I would notice normally, but this amount of grounds pretty dead-on for the taste of a regular pod. I like the idea that if I crush or damage a Nespresso pod by accident, which I have done, I can use those grounds now in my handy refillable cups. ME AND MY COFFEE HABIT Like many people, I became hooked on Starbucks and decided those $5 coffees were a budget-breaker so I looked for DIY at home coffee recipes and tools. I bought a Nespresso maker and a Keurig Beverage brewer. Each machine requires coffee pods or capsules with premeasured coffee grounds ready just to pop into your machine. Easy and fast. I also like to use espresso in coffeehouse style drinks I make a home and even in recipes that call for espresso. I love my Nespresso maker because it is fast and easy, it makes consistently good espresso and comes in many flavors. The Nespresso pods run about 70 cents each, the brand compatible Nespresso pods that I have tried don’t always fit in the machine, and they aren’t that much cheaper. While this is still a better bargain than Starbucks for my afternoon caffeine fix, it gets expensive. So I am happy to find Reusable Nespresso Capsules that are refillable pods for use with Nespresso machines. LESS WASTE This concept existed for a while with Keurig K-Cups, but I hadn’t seen refillable pods for Nespresso to date. Basically, it is shaped like a Nespresso Pod but with a flip top to add your own espresso. Secure the top back on and use your refillable pod like any regular Nespresso capsule. It comes with 6 refillable pods cups, so you can keep one at work and home, and if you are entertaining guests, you have multiples so you don’t have to clean them out when used in rapid succession. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ESPRESSO BRANDS Apart from saving money, it is nice to be able to use one’s own coffee and espresso blends with the ease of a Nespresso machine. I like having more flavor choices and having the option to freshly grind my own blends just before use for very fresh espresso. I have one of those stovetop espresso makers and it takes a while to make an espresso compared to using my Nespresso machine, so I like having the quick access to a tasty and very fresh espresso. I find it easy to grind a few days’ worth of espresso and keep it in a vacuum sealed canister. If it is going to be a particularly early morning, I will fill and tamp down the refillable pod the night before to have it all ready to use the next morning, or have one or two ready to take with me to work to use the refillable pods with the office Nespresso maker. HOW TO USE THE REFILLABLE PODS The six pods come with a scoop to measure out the coffee grounds. Use the bottom of the scoop to tamp down the grounds and snap close the lid on the refillable pod and use like a traditional pod. After brewing, remove the refillable pod and put aside until it cools. Easy to fill, easy to clean up, cost-efficient, allows for a variety of choices and flavors and grinds. IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING….. This is an excellent idea, I am glad I have these refillable pods. What I don’t like is this doesn’t always produce the foamy type espresso style that my Nespresso machine pods do, so I don’t use these refillable pods exclusively, I often would still like a foamy espresso. If the espresso is part of a coffee drink or recipe then the lack of foam is fine. But that may have more to do with the coffees I have selected to use than a flaw with the product. I am going to experiment some more with using some other coffee brands to better emulate the Nespresso espresso experience. I received this item in exchange for my unbiased review. If you have any questions about my experience with the product, feel free to leave them in the comment box below.