Espresso Maestro Ristretto Aluminum Capsules Compatible with Nespresso* Original Machines, Dark Espresso Roast, Arabica and Robusta Blend (60 Capsules)

Enjoy rich, aromatic espresso at home with the Lavazza Espresso Variety Pack. This 60‑capsule assortment includes a selection of roasts — from smooth and mild to intense and bold — letting you explore different flavor profiles in one box. Compatible with Nespresso Original machines, the aluminum capsules preserve freshness and deliver consistent espresso shots every time. Pros: • Great variety of flavors • Fresh, aromatic espresso • Easy to brew with Nespresso Original machines Cons: • Some blends are milder than expected Bottom Line: A delicious and convenient way to enjoy quality espresso at home — perfect for coffee lovers who like variety and convenience.

We've had these capsules on subscribe-and-save from Amazon for over a year, and I really like these Lavazza capsules. The intensity rating on the box helps you identify and balance what you like in your coffee. While the 9 / 13 rating was labeled as medium roast, it's probably closer to a dark roast, with a very rich flavor. They consistently make a great cup of coffee, with great aroma and a rich crema on top of the coffee, every time. We found these are often much cheaper than some of the other brands of compatible pods, and this multipack is always cheaper than what I see these for in the grocery store. So, based on cost, ease of use, consistency in flavor, and the ease of a subscribe-and-save delivery that makes sure I never run out of coffee, I highly recommend these capsules.

I read a few of the negative reviews that mentioned fitment issues and coffee not coming out properly etc, but it seemed at least some of those also mentioned this was happening on their plastic pods. Well, now they switched to aluminum pods so I figured, for $.26 a pod I'll give these a shot. TLDR;There were too many issues with these and I recommend to stay away. Issue 1: Package arrived damaged in one corner. Upon opening and inspecting, two of the six 10-pack boxes where half damaged, so about 9 pods in total looked completely mutilated. OK, snapped a photo, contacted Amazon and they refunded me the purchase and recommended I either recycle these, give to a friend or donate. So I decided to donate to science..... Issue 2: As I proceeded to unpack the outer box, I came to realize that the Variety pack I ordered was no variety at all. Each of the 10-packs inside was exactly the same, namely the 5/13 strength "Lungo" flavor, which would have been the only one of the variety I actually didn't care for. Issue 3: I tried using an undamaged pod using my trusty DeLonghi, when the button was pressed, only water came out, indicating the foil wasn't properly breached. I stopped the pour, dug out the pod from the collection bin, and sure enough, no prick holes in the foil. I proceeded to massage the pod a bit, thinking maybe it was a little bent etc. put it back in the DeLonghi, tried again, still just water still no holes. Grabbed another pod, this time a slightly damaged one, put it in pressed the button and this time, the right noise was coming out AND coffee (Imagine that!!). Coffee wasn't very strong so I tired another pod (failed) and another pod (failed) ,and after the third "another pod" finally coffee came out again. Realize that at this point I'm at about $1.25 per working pod. Upon inspecting the failed pods, I noticed that the aluminum foil on those that failed was very flat and sinking into the pod, and on those that were working it seemed full and was "ballooning" out. I figured that this "ballooning" was what allowed the blades to reach the foil, so at this point, without much left to lose I proceeded to take a known failed pod from the refuse bin, and I stated to really squish its body round and round so that the foil ballooned out. Sure enough this worked on every single pod. There were a few that I over-did and they seemed to created to much back pressure on the machine, at which point no water at all came out, but it was simple enough to find the correct method. Issue 4 (The dagger to the heart): After all these admittingly enjoyable experiments, the one thing science couldn't fix (Unless I feed the grains to my cat kopi and wait for her to poop them back out) is that the coffee just didn't have good flavor. I understand this could be because it was the 5/13 roast, or that it could have been due to over or under pressure in the pods etc. but really, Lavazza, you had one job. ONE! For now, I'll stick with Nespresso originals for Decaf and a few other flavors and with L'or for the risterro. I'll throw a Peets in the cart every now and then, but those haven't impressed me much either. Good luck to all! Edit: I'm also noticing a ton of water collecting at the bottom tray and that some capsules just fall right through when dropped in.

UPDATE: Lavazza and Amazon moved with great speed to fix the labeling error. Amazon quickly issued a refund for the incorrect box (with no necessity to return, which I thought was classy.) Lavazza also fulfilled the original order with the correct variety pack. As everyone knows, it's a challenge to find an affordable substitute for Nespresso Original Line capsules. Poor coffee quality, capsules that fail, "aluminum" capsules with a paper around the seal that clog the machine. Lavazza's new aluminum capsules perform like original Nespresso. The only variety I didn't like with the light roast Lungo, but I'm not a fan of light roasts. I don't care for citrusy aftertaste, which was very low or non-existent in the Lavazza varieties. I have found my Nespresso substitute, and kudos to Amazon and Lavazza for an excellent shopping experience. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I received a six-pack of all decaf and not the variety pack I ordered. Return or replacement requires going through Customer Service for this non-returnable item, because I was sent the wrong product. I decided to keep it because I like Lavazza decaf the best, and reorder the variety pack. I assumed Amazon just pulled the wrong item. Here is the reason for the Beware! warning: I noticed that the label on the box from the manufacturer clearly states that it's decaf, but the label on the item generated by Amazon IS for the variety pack. If you order around the same time as I did, you'll likely get all decaf and not the variety pack. A review seemed to be the only way to alert shoppers. Two stars because I like the quality of the coffee, and the error was not the fault of the manufacturer. I like that the capsules are now aluminum (I actually opened one - it is aluminum.) Not plastic, which I hate. I like that the capsules don't have that cheap paper ring like some other Nespresso off-brands, that break off and clog the machine. These seem to work as well as Nespresso capsules, but it's too early to tell if they all will work. And the price is great. I will go through the hassle of contacting Customer Service and alert them to the error. Hopefully they'll correct the wrong label. I already reordered before I discovered the error, but the Prime Day Price was just too good to pass up.

The price is worth it and its tasty.

This is an item I've ordered on multiple occasions due to its consistent quality and flavor. The capsules are aluminum to enable recycling and the flavor rich without bitterness. An excellent value as well.

Full rich dark flavor on this one. Which I only know because I pierced the capsules and dumped the coffee into a pot of hot water and then strained it. Because I didn’t realize it wasn’t the right capsule for the Lavazza Blue Mini machine it was bundled with as a subscription. The sub price was unbeatable, so I don’t really regret it — of course I canceled it because I don’t really want (can’t afford) a new Lavazza machine every two months. Took me awhile to figure out what the problem was. Ordered the right size capsules for the machine I got — the only machine I have now that the Chinese espresso maker (with milk steamer) stopped working after 2 years, tho it was a champ for those 2 years. They arrive tonight, when I’ll finally be able to figure out if it actually works with the right ones. They don’t come in recyclable aluminum like these ones do; if i had a machine that took Nespresso Original capsules, these would be awesome. The aluminum keeps the grounds fresher for long storage, too. Alas, food items are not returnable, so I have to find a home for them. Or buy another machine. Wouldn’t recommend buying machines on BB subscription, but if you drink coffee regularly and use one of these capsule machines, you may as well subscribe when you find a coffee you like. This one, unlike many Lavazza coffees, is 100% Arabica beans: somewhat lower caffeine, less bitter, & more expensive than Robusto beans, but to me the taste is superb. I like a very dark roast and low-acid, low-bitter coffee, and this is certainly that.

The flavor is smooth and balanced, and it works well with my Nespresso Original machine. It’s decent for an everyday espresso, but it didn’t feel as rich or bold as I expected from Lavazza. The aluminum capsules are nice, but overall it’s just okay... drinkable, consistent, but nothing special enough to stand out.