Best Nespresso Black Friday deals: find out what's brewing for 2021

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Best US Nespresso deals
Best UK Nespresso deals

published 20 October 2021

It's an interesting fact that while all Nespresso machines make essentially the same coffee, all Nespresso machine offers and sales are not the same. The best Nespresso deals can make the difference between a big, Starbucks-pumpkin-latte size saving and a measly, though delicious, Italian espresso sized one.

Nespresso machines are hugely popular, thanks to their ability to produce very decent coffee both quickly and conveniently. What's not to like? If you don't have time to make coffee from scratch a search for the best Cyber Monday deals on a new Nespresso machines this Black Friday therefore makes a lot of sense.

All of the big Nespresso brands get in on the act too, with Magimix, Krups, Sage, Wacao and Dualit having coffee machines heavily discounted when the Black Friday sales come rolling around. That's no longer just true in Europe, either. Although Keurig probably remains America's favourite, Nespresso is making inroads into the US market with its more sophisticated approach to design and flavour.

Best Nespresso deals in the USA

Best Nespresso Cyber Monday deals in the UK

How to buy the best Nespresso products

Standard Nespresso pods are smaller than those by other coffee capsule brands like Lavazza and Illy, with around five grams of coffee per capsule. So if you like a decent caffeine hit first thing then I’d advise using two pods, one after another.

Alternatively, purchase a Nespresso Vertuo machine instead. This is a whole new kettle of coffee because, instead of just one capsule size, it uses five: Espresso, Double Espresso, Gran Lungo, Mug and extra large Alto. It’s able to tell what size pod you’ve put in by reading a unique barcode which tells the machine the amount of water required and the length of extraction. This is a brilliant way to satisfy a wide range of coffee preferences. Nespresso Vertuo espresso pods start at a fairly reasonable 39p with prices rising to a rather steep 62p for the Alto blend.

When it comes to finding the right standard Nespresso blend to suit your palette, you’ll be required to sip through a chocolate box assortment of 29 different flavours and intensities with names like Arpeggio, Kazaar, Bukeela, Roma and Ristretto.

Most of the Nespresso machines reviewed here come with a free selection box of 16 different flavours and blends. The general rule of thumb is that the darker the pod colour, the stronger the blend.

At Nespresso’s own website, every variety is explained in detail. You can even set your own search parameters like intensity, cup size and whether you prefer a fruity, balanced or more intense flavour. Expect to pay between 31p and 39p per capsule and more for Vertuo pods.

You can also buy Nespresso and Vertuo capsules at Nespresso bars in most shopping malls and some high streets. However, the experience is often unnecessarily slow and frustrating – like buying a house or a new mobile phone.

Most Nespresso machines are sold through the Nespresso website and at stores like John Lewis and Amazon. Some machines are Nespresso branded and made by Eugster/Frismag while others are produced under license by well-known companies like Krups, Sage, Magimix, KitchenAid and De’Longhi.

Rest assured that all the models featured on this page are dead easy to use. Simply drop in a pod, hit the button and out pops a stream of crema-topped black gold every bit as rich and aromatic as the last one. However, we urge you to give the new Vertuo system a try because it not only covers a wide variety of coffee-style preferences, but it produces some of the best capsule-related espressos we’ve ever tasted.

How to buy third-party Nespresso capsules

Bluecup on white background — Make your own Nespresso pods using Bluecup's clever self-fill capsules

Look online and in many supermarkets, and you’ll find a host of artisan coffee providers offering their own Nespresso-compatible blends. For instance, Pactcoffee.com UK sells a range of Nespresso compatible pods filled with an interesting variety of bean blends, while Colonna does everything from high-quality espresso to full-on, rare, artisan beans for coffee connoisseurs. And in compostable pods, to boot. Sadly, the unique nature of the Vertuo system doesn’t allow for third-party capsule manufacturers to get a look in.

If you’d rather enjoy your own favourite coffee blend in a Nespresso pod, consider either Capsul’in disposable self-fill Nespresso capsules or Bluecup’s reusable alternative. The Capsul’in system retails at a very reasonable £8.40 for 100 plastic capsules and 100 circular sticky foils. Simply scoop your preferred blend into a capsule, stick a silver foil on top and drop it into your Nespresso machine. Despite its slightly messy nature, we can vouch that it works perfectly well, as if using a proprietary capsule.

If you’d rather not add any more plastic to the landfill, perhaps try the Bluecup system instead (£25.50), which comes with two reusable plastic pods, 100 aluminium foils, a spoon-cum-tamper and a clever capsule maker that fuses the foil to the capsule with a single twist of its cap. The Bluecup system is our preferred method because it's more environment friendly and it doesn’t create quite as much mess. It’s also cheaper to use in the long run. Both products are available from MaxiCoffee.

Rob Clymo has been a tech journalist for more years than he can actually remember, having started out in the wacky world of print magazines before discovering the power of the internet. Since he's been all-digital, he has run the Innovation channel for a few years at Microsoft, as well as turning out regular news, reviews, features and other content for the likes of Stuff, TechRadar, TechRadar Pro, Tom's Guide, Fit&Well, Gizmodo, Shortlist, Automotive Interiors World, Automotive Testing Technology International, Future of Transportation and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. In the rare moments he's not working, he's usually out and about on one of the numerous e-bikes in his collection.