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Best Rated Coffee Pod Brand: Nespresso
As a market leader for capsule coffee pods, it's no surprise that Nespresso took out this year's award. Nespresso was the highest-rated brand for taste and quality.
The 2020 Finder Retail Awards recognise brand sentiment from customer feedback on different retail product categories. Finder worked with leading data, insights and consulting company, Kantar, to conduct thousands of customer interviews around their product purchasing history and satisfaction with their purchased products.
For the top-rated coffee pod brand in Australia, consumers picked Nespresso, garnering an 8.28 score out of 10. The brand won over Nescafe and L'OR which scored 7.96 and 7.93, respectively. Nespresso also beat Expressi, which has a score of 7.83.
Nespresso has a wide range of coffee pods from its Original and Vertuo lines. The Original line offers more traditional coffee blends and an authentic espresso experience, while Vertuo offers creamier choices and better size options. Nespresso also has professional and limited edition blends.
Nespresso coffee pods are compatible with the brand's range of coffee machines, several of which feature in our best pod and capsule coffee machines guide.
The brand introduced the world's first portioned coffee systems in Switzerland, Japan and Italy in 1986. Nespresso then went on to offer coffee pods to go with its machines. In 2009, it launched Ecolaboration, making the brand more sustainable in terms of coffee sourcing, capsule recycling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Best coffee pod brand for value for money: Woolworths
Offers 100% fairtrade certified roasted and ground coffee
Packed in Australia from imported ingredients
Decaffeinated options available
Where to buy
Woolworths
Aussies picked Woolworths as the best value for money coffee pod brand, scoring 4.34 out of 5. Coles came in second at 4.33 out of 5, while Expressi (ALDI) came in third, scoring 4.32 out of 5.
Some of Woolworths' coffee pods are made of 100% fairtrade certified roasted and ground coffee. These are packed in Australia from imported ingredients. The brand offers different coffee intensities, including medium, strong and intense. Decaffeinated options are also available.
Woolworths is one of the largest supermarket chains in Australia, with over 900 stores. The company says it works closely with growers and farmers, making sure that it offers the best products to customers.
Best coffee pod brand for packaging: L'OR
Wide selection of blends from its Espresso and Barista lines
Offers different coffee intensities
Decaffeinated and single- and double-shot options available
Consumers selected L'OR as the best coffee pod brand for packaging with a score of 4.36 out of 5. It won over Nespresso and illy, which scored 4.35 and 4.25 out of 5, respectively.
L'OR offers various types of coffee pods, including Espresso Ristretto, Espresso Onyx, Espresso Sontuoso, Double Lungo Profondo and Double Barista Selection. It also has different coffee intensities, ranging from 7 to 13. Decaffeinated and single- and double-shot options are available as well.
The brand was established in France in 1992 and expanded in other countries in 2010. It launched L'OR Espresso – the first coffee capsule compatible with Nespresso coffee machines. L'OR coffee pods are made of aluminium to preserve the freshness of the coffee. They are also recyclable.
Best-tasting coffee pod brand: Nespresso
Wide range of coffee intensities
Coffee cherries are harvested and processed in countries of origin
For the best-tasting coffee pod brand in Australia, consumers chose Nespresso. The brand garnered a score of 4.51 out of 5. Nescafe came in second, scoring 4.42 out of 5, while Vittoria had 4.30 out of 5, coming in third.
Nespresso harvests and processes coffee cherries in different countries of origin. They are then transported to its roasting facilities in Switzerland for blending and roasting.
This coffee pod brand offers a variety of coffee intensities, ranging from 1 to 13. Nespresso pods with an intensity of 6 or below are considered "not intense", while pods with a rating of 8 and above are "intense".
Aussies chose Nespresso as the coffee pod brand with the best quality, scoring 4.59 out of 5. It beat Nescafe and L'OR, which scored 4.40 and 4.32 out of 5, respectively.
Nespresso has a wide selection of capsules for every kind of coffee lover, including Ispirazione Italiana, Master Origins, Barista Creations, Espresso and Lungo pods. The brand also offers decaffeinated, double espresso and coffee pods for mugs.
The brand uses aluminium for its pods to protect the freshness, taste and quality of the coffee. Pods are lightweight but sturdy, sealing the blend from external elements that could affect the quality. This material is also naturally-occurring and recyclable. You can bring your used Nespresso pods to the nearest Nespresso Boutique or collection point for recycling.
Methodology
The 2020 Finder Retail Awards recognise brand sentiment from customer feedback on different retail product categories. Finder worked with leading data, insights and consulting company, Kantar, to conduct thousands of customer interviews around their product purchasing history and satisfaction with their purchased products.
Disclaimer: Please refer to our methodology for more information on how we scored and judged Finder Retail Awards candidates. While we endeavour to assess the majority of product providers in the market, this is not always possible and it may be that not every brand in the market was included for judging.
Best rated coffee pod brand award breakdown
Total Score
Overall rating
Value for Money
Packaging
Taste
Quality
Other
8.43
4.60
4.60
4.40
4.47
4.53
Nespresso
8.28
4.57
4.02
4.35
4.51
4.59
Nescafe
7.96
4.40
3.88
4.16
4.42
4.40
L'or
7.93
4.34
4.18
4.36
4.28
4.32
Expressi (ALDI)
7.83
4.20
4.32
4.22
4.28
4.24
Vittoria
7.78
4.30
4.00
4.10
4.30
4.26
Lavazza
7.72
4.24
4.00
3.98
4.14
4.24
Starbucks
7.57
4.12
3.80
4.20
4.20
4.10
illy
7.54
4.13
3.81
4.25
4.06
4.00
Grinders
7.42
3.90
4.00
4.14
4.07
4.10
Coles
7.41
3.98
4.33
4.10
4.08
4.10
Gloria Jeans
7.38
4.09
3.76
4.03
4.09
3.91
Moccona
7.34
3.96
4.02
4.08
3.98
4.00
Woolworths
7.24
3.84
4.34
4.11
3.87
3.97
Cafe Aurora (Espressotoria)
7.23
3.89
3.86
3.86
3.86
4.00
Data: Finder Retail Brand Survey, 2020, Kantar. Metric out of 5 stars unless indicated. Methodology and more info.
What are the benefits of using coffee pods?
Apart from being convenient, coffee pods ensure that you get your perfect blend every time. Even beginners can make the perfect mix since each pod has already been ground and measured. They can also save you time as you no longer have to grind and measure the coffee yourself.
Your coffee also stays fresher for longer because each coffee blend is packed in a single pod, ensuring that it is protected from external elements that can affect its taste, freshness and quality. Unlike more traditional coffee mixes, the flavours and aroma are preserved until you use the pod.
You can explore more coffee blends since you won't need to measure the ingredients or follow a recipe. All you need to do is pop your pod onto your coffee maker and wait for the perfect blend to come up.
Some coffee pod brands use recyclable materials for their pods, such as aluminium. This makes coffee pods sustainable and more environmentally friendly.
When selecting the best coffee pods to satisfy your caffeine cravings, consider the following:
Before purchasing coffee pods, make sure that they are compatible with your machine. Some manufacturers make coffee machines that only fit specific coffee pod sizes. Take a note of the size and look for pods that will work with your coffee maker. For inspiration, check out our guide to the best coffee machines.
To get the best quality of blend, research how the coffee pods are made. Look into the handling process and the coffee source. A good quality pod should be processed within a short time.
Think about your perfect blend. There are many flavours available in the market, so it may get confusing to select pods that will fit the bill. Do you like espresso-based recipes? Or perhaps you're more adventurous and drink anything from espresso to large mugs.
Consider your preferred intensity. Apart from a wide range of flavours, coffee pod brands offer different coffee intensities. Intensity is the degree of roasting and bitterness of the blend. Pods with 1-6 intensities are considered mild, while anything above 8 is considered intense.
Ericka Pingol is a writer for Finder specialising in best guides. Using tested methodology, Ericka has been helping Australians choose the right product across hundreds of categories since 2020. Ericka has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of the East, Manila. As well as being passionate about helping people save money when shopping for their latest purchases, Ericka has a background in writing about property investment, personal finance and health. When not writing best guides, you can find her lost in the pages of a good book or experimenting with watercolour painting.
Woolworths has announced a new delivery service that will see thousands of customers who have been affected by coronavirus receive an $80 box of groceries.
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