I Tried Every Pod in the Nespresso Advent Calendar—Here’s My Honest Verdict

Remember the Keurig scene from The Office? My coworkers and I replicated it in real time, only with Nespresso pods. I got my hands on this year’s Nespresso advent calendar and tried every single day of December in under two hours to let you know if this beautiful box of hardcore espresso is worth buying. My hands are shaking. I regret nothing. 

First, the basics: the Nespresso Advent Calendar is $55, features 24 espresso pods (plus a cute Christmas Eve gift you get to open on the final day; no spoilers), and should only be bought for a loved one who owns a Nespresso machine. Don’t try to put these fancy little domes in a Keurig. You probably already know that. I mean, who would be stupid enough to break two office Keurigs trying to brew one little Nespresso pod? Not me, no siree…

As a society, we love to look down on coffee pods. Nespresso certainly isn’t immune to that, even though it’s made with true espresso lovers in mind. After mauling open every window on the box to sip 24 different flavors (“flavor” is actually an odd word to use for this particular selection—more on that below), I have to hand it to the quality of the espresso here. It’s powerful stuff. Bold but impeccably smooth. Every brew achieves a picture-perfect crema. I get it, Nespresso lovers. I really do.

What can I expect from the Nespresso advent calendar? 

Solelio. Chiaro. Voltessa. Bianco Piccalo. Bianco Forte. Those are the types of sophisticated, Euro-coded blends you’re getting here. “Wait a minute! Where’s, like, Gingerbread Latte? Or Peppermint Mochaccino? Not even a pumpkin spice anything?” Oooh, buddy. That is not what this advent calendar is about. I guess they do have Maple Pecan and something called a “Festive Blend,” which carries a barely distinguishable woodsy spice that maybe, if you squint hard enough, could be construed as a holiday flavor. But this isn’t a Starbucks sampler, and it’s not trying to be. 

New Advent Calendar

Nespresso Vertuo Advent Calendar

Nespresso

Pros: If you’re the type who can distinguish “lightly fruity” from “delicately floral” espresso notes, this is a great way to count down December. Maybe that’s a nice way to say it’s a fun gift for boring people… and that boring person is me. I appreciate the comfort of kitschy advent calendars, but this is more useful to me because 99% of the time, flavored coffee pods taste abhorrent. And the few truly flavored espressos in this selection are very subtle. Some would say too subtle. But their Cinnamon and Candied Tamarind blend, for example, has a bitter, tart edge and very light cinnamon spice that creates a lovely, delicately flavored, unique cup. I wish there were a few more pods in a similar vein, but I’ll take what I can get. 

Cons: The pods yield a range of brew sizes, from 1.35 (a shot of espresso) to 7.7 fluid ounces (a full mug). I actually don’t have a problem with that—I think the variety makes it special—but I do take issue with the decaf pods. Behind three or four windows, you’ll pull a decaf brew. [It’s a womp, womp in real time.] That’s just a disappointing way to start a morning. 

Verdict: This is not an advent calendar for anyone who likes to celebrate the holidays loudly, but true espresso lovers who also own a Nespresso machine (which, no, I don’t think is an oxymoron) will enjoy this. And compared to other advent cals, the price ain’t half bad.

Credit: Liv Averett / Nespresso

Rating:

8/10

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