Spanish coffee pods cost up to €100 per kilo, forum users say

Capsule coffee cited at €100/kg; cappuccino uses instant

How much do you pay for your morning coffee? If the answer is "whatever the capsule costs," it’s worth looking inside one. A Dolce Gusto milk coffee capsule, peine right after brewing, appears completely empty: no grounds remain because there was never ground coffee, only instant coffee and milk powder. The same applies to cortado, cappuccino, and cocoa capsules. Plain coffee capsules do contain coffee, and their owner separates the plastic into the yellow recycling bin and the grounds into the trash.

The machine arrived at home because his vvife insisted on it, just as a Nespresso had years earlier. The pattern repeats: the device is given away, but replacements are paid for. Reasonable doubt arises when calculating the cost per kilo.

What’s inside cappuccino and cortado capsules?

The answer lies in the composition, the least advertised part. Coffee-only capsules contain ground coffee. Specialty capsules contain instant coffee and milk powder in the same pod, though half-and-half mixes exist. The packaging doesn’t deceive those who read it; it deceives those assuming what comes out of the nozzle is what’s inside.

The issue has extended to other drinks. A tea capsule declares green tea and mint on the label, but the rest of the mix is sugar. Little leaf, much sweetener, at premium product prices. For consumers buying "tea" expecting tea, the gap between name and content is the same as with cappuccino.

Cost per kilo of capsule coffee

Participants provide figures. Prices cited for this market, in euros per kilo:

• From €30 per kilo for store-brand capsules.
• €50 to €60 per kilo, according to a participant citing known data.
• €70 to €80 or more for Nespresso brand capsules.
• Up to €100 per kilo for the most expensive references cited.

Compared to quality ground coffee or large-pack instant coffee, the difference is hard to justify. The nuance matters: you’re paying for convenience, not superior coffee.

Why machines are cheap and capsules expensive

The business model isn’t a mystery; it’s a known strategy. Coffee makers are sold cheaply—or given away—to ensure recurring replacement purchases, exactly like printers and original cartridges. Those who switch to compatible or refillable capsules summarize it with that comparison: alternative cartridges do the same job for a quarter of the price.

A second pillar supports the system: the office. Cortado and milk capsules are demanded in workplaces because they save managing milk separately, not because they taste better. At home, however, the economic and nutritional equation breaks down completely, which is precisely the point under discussion.

Refill capsules or return to the moka pot

The most repeated solution isn’t buying another expensive machine, but stopping capsule purchases. Reusable stainless steel capsules for Nespresso and other systems exist, advertised for cents on e-commerce platforms: fill with ground coffee and wash. The obligatory joke is that after each use, you must refill them. Every morning.

In contrast, the old moka pot surviving in many kitchens—steel, not aluminum—comes off better: under €30 and nearly a decade of service with monthly descaling. Domestic espresso machines also appear, and here it’s useful to know the cost of doing it right: 18 grams of coffee for 36 grams of liquid in 25 to 30 seconds. Easy to say, hard to achieve. Machines controlling temperature, pressure, and flow don’t drop below €700; below that, results are inconsistent, and excess pressure compensates for lack of control.

Does capsule coffee taste better than bar coffee?

This is the harshest debate. Some argue capsule coffee is mediocre to bad, watery, and bodyless, with instant coffee noticeable in the cup. Others defend that, while not exquisite, it surpasses most Spanish bars, passing barely on that basis. A third group dismantles the premise: if the goal is good coffee, capsules were never the path, but rather a coffee maker with its own grinder.

Other objections arise. The combination of multiple atmospheres of pressure, water near boiling, and plastic is seen as an unsettling mix, and some note that environmental arguments are dismissed with a shrug since it’s a minimal domestic action. One capsule, one piece of waste.

With the bill on the table, refilling capsules or switching systems should be massive. The capsule coffee maker remains in the kitchen, still gifted, still making coffee every morning. Nothing is decided down there.