Nespresso vs. Keurig: Daily Meal Says Taste Is the Real Divide

Daily Meal has a new explainer on the oldest question in pod coffee, Nespresso or Keurig, and writer Garrett Palm lands on taste as the real difference. In his view, backed by other coffee fans he cites, Nespresso makes a richer, more intense cup, while Keurig’s tends to come out weak and bitter.

The piece splits Nespresso into its two systems, which don’t share capsules. Original machines push water through the grounds with a 19-bar pump for small, strong drinks, and since the pod patent has expired, third-party capsules are sold in grocery stores. Vertuo pods carry a barcode that tells the machine how to brew, then spin to extract bigger cups. Keurig’s argument is variety: Daily Meal counts more than 400 K-Cup options from brands like Dunkin’ and Starbucks, and every K-Cup fits every Keurig.

Its explanation for the thin Keurig cup is the dose. According to the article, a K-Cup usually holds 8 to 12 grams of coffee, against roughly 15 grams for a standard 8-ounce cup, and the finer grind used to make up for it can pull out bitterness. It also repeats a claim that Keurigs are among Costco’s most returned items, without giving numbers.

Our take: the gram count is the useful part. If your Keurig coffee tastes thin, the smallest cup setting and the Strong button will do more than a new machine, and our guide to weak or bitter Keurig coffee walks through the rest. The price ranges Daily Meal gives are list prices, and both brands go on sale often. If you’re leaning Vertuo, our Vertuo buying guide sorts out which model to get.