K-Cups and Single-Serve Pods Reviews

Evaluated as espresso produced as a ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot using a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Distinctly chocolaty, gently and sweetly bright. Baker’s chocolate, sweet lemon zest, almond, rhododendron-like flowers, maple wood in aroma and small cup. Feathery, lightly buoyant mouthfeel; flavor consolidates but rings on in a balanced finish. Crisply sweet in three parts milk: sweet lemon and chocolate, floral hints.

Evaluated as espresso produced as a ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot using a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Sweetly bright, intricate, original. Peach, sandalwood, lemon tart, baker’s chocolate, rhododendron-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Delicately plump in mouthfeel; long, resonant, peach- and lemon-saturated finish. Remains crisply tart in three parts milk, with flavor consolidating around a subtle, elegant dry chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso produced as a ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot using a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Crisp, very sweet, delicately seductive. Cocoa, raisin, roasted cashew nut, sweet alyssum flowers in aroma and small cup. Light and velvety in mouthfeel; flavor consolidates but lingers in a persistent, balanced finish. Quiet but superb in three parts milk: flowers and cocoa come forward pleasingly.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size.) Richly sweet, caramel-toned. Cocoa powder, caramel, oak, date, freesia in aroma and cup. Soft, round structure with mild acidity; very satiny, viscous mouthfeel. The caramel-toned finish centers around cocoa notes with spicy florals peeking through.

Evaluated as espresso produced as a ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot using a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Delicate, savory-sweet. Fresh-cut cedar, a hint of chocolate, orange zest, lily-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate and cedar linger in a gently drying finish. A lightly-stated, slightly savory chocolate dominates in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Lean, chocolaty, roast-toned. Dark chocolate, salted caramel, lily-like flowers, fresh-cut fir in aroma and small cup. Light, smooth body. The gently drying, bittersweet finish is chocolate- and fir-toned. Caramel and floral notes resurface in three parts milk.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Delicately intricate, subtly sweet. Meyer lemon zest, myrrh, roasted cacao nib, jasmine in aroma and cup. Sweetly brisk acidity; satiny mouthfeel. Meyer lemon zest and jasmine predominate in a crisp, delicate finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Rich and sweetly tart. Butterscotch, red currant, cedar, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Tart yet balanced acidity; buoyant, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates and a pleasing spearmint note surfaces in the sweet, resonant finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Crisply sweet, caramelly. Malt, burnt caramel, almond, lily-like flowers, cherry in aroma and cup. Balanced, gently brisk acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The richly drying short finish consolidates around caramel and almond in the long.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Richly sweet and spicy. Cocoa, molasses, lily, cedar in aroma and cup. Balanced, brisk acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The richly drying finish is carried by cocoa notes and hints of lily.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Crisp and sweet. Candied walnut, lantana-like flowers, vanilla paste and fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Crisply bright acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. Walnut and lantana sustain in a sweet-toned, richly drying finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Sweetly roast-toned. Dark chocolate, fresh-cut cedar, raspberry, tea rose in aroma and cup. Richly brisk acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The roundly drying finish centers around cedar and tea rose.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Caramel-toned. Apricot, baker’s chocolate, almond, fresh-cut redwood in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; light, lively mouthfeel. The quietly resonant finish consolidates quickly, though the apricot suggestions persist.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Sweet and accessible. Apricot, almond, turbinado sugar and a hint of magnolia in aroma and cup. Brisk, balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is crisply sweet and gentle with a continuing almond suggestion.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Sweetly roast-toned. Dark chocolate, almond, banana, lily, cedar in aroma and cup. Brisk though sweet acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate notes complicate a richly drying, nut-toned finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Round and sweet. Molasses, baker’s chocolate, dried raspberry, cedar in aroma and cup. Brisk though sweet acidity; plush mouthfeel. The gently drying finish consolidates around dried fruit notes.

(As brewed in a Keurig 2.0 K500 Series single-serve brewing device at a 6-ounce serving size). Smoky and sweetly roast-toned. Cocoa powder, blackberry, sage, malt, a hint of lily in aroma and cup. Rich, bittersweet acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The resonantly drying finish displays a pleasant cocoa-powder throughline.

Evaluated as espresso produced as a ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot using a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Delicate, gently bright, lightly fruit-toned. Pineapple, molasses, fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Very light, silky mouthfeel. Crisply sweet finish. Very delicate in three parts milk; the fir and molasses notes resolve to an elegant if faint chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso produced as a ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot by a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Gently bright, cleanly crisp. Pear, roasted cacao nib, fresh-cut fir, a hint of wisteria-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Smooth though rather lean mouthfeel. The cacao-nib note in particular lingers in a delicate finish and predictably sweetens and rounds toward chocolate in three parts milk.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a Keurig-compatible UpShot capsule containing 11+ grams of coffee to produce a 6-ounce serving). Delicate but rich; sweet; gently intricate. Dark chocolate, dried cherry, lilac, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Brisk though backgrounded acidity; cherry and flowers in particular carry into a sweetly crisp finish.